secondhand vans

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Thu 19 Oct 2006 19:14
secondhand vans - pilchard

I'm looking for recommendations for a second-hand van: what to buy & where to buy it. Some kind of short wheelbase 1 ton(ish) job. Main considerations are £2000 or considerably less, cheap & easy to maintain, good fuel economy especially on small hilly country roads, but also having the ability for a bit of speed on motorway runs. Cosmetic condition of no importance but essential that it has been rigorously maintained and that the model has a reputation for a long and trouble free life. Although the van needs to be bought in the U.K. (for reasons too complex to go into here), it will spend much of its life in Italy where we have bought a house but will be required to go to U.K. once or twice a year. Had thought of Fiat, quite naturally a popular make here in Italy, and a Transit is always a natural choice, but I don't really have any preferences. What do you know?
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Thu 19 Oct 2006 19:23
secondhand vans - Dave N
You don't want much, do you? Just about all vans around this price will be absolutely knackered.
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Thu 19 Oct 2006 19:37
secondhand vans - Stuartli
Some Peugeot and Citroen vans have been rebadged Fiat models for many years, such as the Dispatch, Expert and Fiat Scudo; the 1994 onwards Citroen C15, Pug Boxer and Ducato were all built on the same Fiat production line.

Then of course there's Ford-Iveco.

The first time I encountered a Peugoet Boxer (before it was launched in the UK), I was so impressed that I recommended that my firm's transport manager investigate it to replace the Talbot Express models in use.

As a result virtually the entire fleet was replaced with the Boxer, with the drivers particularly liking the ability to go into the cargo area between the front seats rather than having to get out first.
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Thu 19 Oct 2006 20:05
secondhand vans - stunorthants
Any £2000 van will be junk unless you find a rarity, so id buy a £500 Transit, then spend £1500 making it good because you could spend £2000 buying one and still have to spend £1500 on it.

Get a Transit as there so many out there, you have a chance of finding one worth having.
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Thu 19 Oct 2006 23:25
secondhand vans - Hugo {P}
When I looked to replace my knackered old trafic with a van of similar value I did find some on e bay for around this figure. The problem is that many were not fetching more than this but reserves were not being met - sellers were reluctanct to accept that they were worth what they were IMO. I found the same problem on auto trader etc. Similar vans were actually cheaper via dealers in some cases!

One approach I often try is to approach dealers that I have had dealings with for a "trade sale". I nearly bagged a cheap LDV with a transit engine via this route some years ago. Vansboy suggested I avoided the LDV but it didn't come up anyway.

Also, look for tidy VW Transporters - around R reg or so.
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