A friend wants a Vauxhall/Bedford/Suzuki (rascal), or Daihatsu Hi Jet, type van. He has no idea with cars and has asked me to help him look. It will be used very much as a second vehicle to help with some house referb & to take his dogs to shows (no more than 50 miles)
Any info on these vans would be good only wants to spend 1200 quid max.
I seem to remember that the Suzuki engine is only good for about 60k?
I know very little about the Daihatsu so anything on them would be good
I've tried to get him to look at Citroen C15 as these seem cheap but he has a width restriction by the side of his garage. This being the reason behind a Micro van
Vansboy where are you?
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Hi MrMender..
This market is, as you've discovered, is somewhat limited.
The Daihatsu diesel MUST be avoided.Apart from it not being that much more fuel efficient, they were more or less, taken off retail sale, shortly after launch & either bought back from customers, or pre registered & sold thru auction WITHOUT balance of warranty. They were failing, at just a few thousand miles.
Rascal, or later Suzukis if you must - with the nose job, to giva a better frontal impact protection. Earlier examples don't have this - when you look into the footwells, you'll see why they needed something - there really is virtually NOTHING there!!
The best bet would be to find one that has been used by a council, or utility company, for slightly better maintaned first ownership.
Too many have been used for, lots stop start work, around town - flower shops, sandwiches etc, so you'll soon find some with lots body damage, all around & not too well maintained.
You'll pay a premium, compared to car sized vans, due to supply/demand.
Has he thought of an LDV Pilot/200 - a bit bigger, but still narrower than a Transit. Or LDV Cub - you'll find some of these getting neare to his budget & are really just a re badged Nissan Vannette.
The ex Police examples, will sometimes have extra windows, in the loadspace, seats & dog kennels, fitted, too.Certainly any of these represent better value & easier to work on, than the micro vans.
Check the Auctionview link to our left - clik Commercialauctionview
Also www.woma.co.uk
Don't forget the 17.5% VAT if you go to auction.
VB
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as vansboy quite rightly says those little vans arent worth buying s/h, would not a corsa combo van do the job?a nice little suzy diesel and you should pick a good one up in the budget.
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
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Thanks for the info. I too not keen on micro vans but they would be a better option for him. As i've said, tried to get him to consider a C15 as they seen cheap & have the well proven xud engine LDV is Pilot too big. I've not looked at Cub Or Corsa combo but will now have a look. Thanks again MM
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Our local dog walkers use a Renault Kangoo - takes about 6 dogs in cages with the rear seats out. They reckon its perfect for the purpose.
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There is a red P reg 89k Diesel Vannette in Preston BCA, on 02 Feb - should be around your budget - if it's not a million miles away, from you!!
It's ex Police, so worth a call, to confirm it's condition & if it's Police only, owner, or just one used by them for covert operations & realy just an 'average' van.
VB
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My best mate, who runs an independent audio/visual/appliances retail outlet, has had two or three of the half-tonne vans since the mid-1990s, including the 1.3 Suzuki, all being acquired used with a fair number of miles on the clock.
Every one performed almost faultlessly and the last one, the Suzuki, was finally parted with because, sizewise, all had just one failing in being too small to do more than one large appliances delivery at a time to customers and had to "return to base" in between.
It was a disappointment as these half-tonne vans can be manoeuvred easily even in a confined area, were ideal for the shop's long narrow rear entrance area and slotted into comparatively small parking spaces; the sliding side door meant that if the rear door couldn't be opened then goods could still be loaded or unloaded.
I used them occasionally for personal reasons and my only real concern was that, if the front of the vehicle was hit by another vehicle, there was very little protection...:-(
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Why not get an escort van - pleanty available and nice and cheap.
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Thanks VB can't make thurs but may pass it on to a friend in the trade to have a butchers MM
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