Club 80-90 Forums

What do we think about this,??? my whole beloved family have accused me of madness for spending all my hard earned cash on my Syncro - why they even got the wife at it now, and last night came out with , why don't we trade it in for a Mazda Bongo- I don't bloody think so, i'll trade her in first ,They obviously just don't understand.

Mmm... anyone know any peeps with any of the Jap "copy's" and willing to take them off road with us???
Just ignore them... my dad has been banging on for the last 8 years that we should swap the velle for a "more modern" one let alone the syncro........

A quick google for Bongonaut brought up a mere 145 hits and none to do with driving .... need we say more?

I am driving a borrowed one at the moment until I get a replacement engine sorted for the VW.

It is BORING.

It is a "Friendee" weekend Bongo van with a 2.5 Auto Diesel. Acres of horrid grey plastic, tinny body, rattles and squeaks despite it appearing to be in A1 condition. We will be using it to camp over at the 80-90 fireworks do at Shell Island this weekend so it will be interesting to see how we get on.

Can't wait to get our "Colin" fixed, next week should see it done

Bongos are horable! They are also smaller than T3's. A mate had a 4wd bongo but someone nicked it (probubly broken for spares as being a jap import they are hard to get and expencive new - I wouldn't say they are less "desirable" than the VW theft whise.) He now has a 2wd which is worse though neather can really hack it on the rough.

Everythings plastic inside, "pooh" seats, maybe some pointless chrome or other taistless styleing crap jap spec motors seem infected with. The engine is imposable to access, you need to remove the centre console and tip the seats back as its under there - if you have an intereour in the back you won't be able to tip the seat back properly! You even have to do this to check the oil (theres just a rad under the bonnet)! Pop top is powered which first seems cool but its painfully slow, and has an alarm to remind you its moving - theres a warning alarm to anoy you for just about everything. They all seem to be P reg so they aren't that joung anymore, will soon age fast in the british climete with jap spec underseal - can't happen soon enough! If anything does break parts could be a problem, as will getting a workshop manual in english (probubly a simular story if the ECU needs plugging in).

I did actully get my mate to admit he'd prefer a T4 but you can't get one with toys like air con cheeply so he went bongo. They are "pooh" on fuel too, drove a T4 TDI in convoy with a bongo to Crete this summer. When the T4 wasn't throwing an ECU wobbly on reduiced power it went like a rocket ship in comparison to the bongo, whilst doing about 35mpg rather than 27 - thats a fair difference on a trip that length (both fully laden and I wasn't scared to use full pedal travel)! Worst thing about driving the T4 was it meant you kept having to look at the bongo, but at least I wasn't in it!

As for upgrading a Caravelle, don't! My dad did, T5 is quite nice as modern vehicles go but its just not the same. Neather really went wrong but I can't imadgine the T5 will manage the innings the T3 did (and there was nowt wrong with it when we sold it eather). There won't be any imotional attachment when it comes to ditch the T5 though.

OK the worrying thing is i did even start to think about it for a while , and i can see the logic in the way they sort of look at it - i have spent in excess of £2,500 this year and guess next years budget will be at least half of that - and so a bloody Bongo at say 6,000 bucks would in theory save me a lot of money - I bought the wife a Mazda 323 years ago and though i don't like it , i have to admit pound for pound its the best car i have ever bought a reliable good value motor. So may be i am mad and so be it but the syncro is staying .

SANDMAN wrote:I bought the wife a Mazda 323 years ago and though i don't like it , i have to admit pound for pound its the best car i have ever bought a reliable good value motor. .

That's different, Mazda's as a make are pretty good I reckon.

It's just these "made for the Jap market" Bongo's = Urrghhhh

ghost123uk wrote:I am driving a borrowed one at the moment until I get a replacement engine sorted for the VW.

It is BORING.

It is a "Friendee" weekend Bongo van with a 2.5 Auto Diesel. Acres of horrid grey plastic, tinny body, rattles and squeaks despite it appearing to be in A1 condition. We will be using it to camp over at the 80-90 fireworks do at Shell Island this weekend so it will be interesting to see how we get on.///n't wait to get our "Colin" fixed, next week should see it done

-Yea i agree with all of you ,still its not me we are trying to convince- Whats wrong with Colin ???

SANDMAN wrote:

ghost123uk wrote:I am driving a borrowed one at the moment until I get a replacement engine sorted for the VW.

It is BORING.

It is a "Friendee" weekend Bongo van with a 2.5 Auto Diesel. Acres of horrid grey plastic, tinny body, rattles and squeaks despite it appearing to be in A1 condition. We will be using it to camp over at the 80-90 fireworks do at Shell Island this weekend so it will be interesting to see how we get on.///n't wait to get our "Colin" fixed, next week should see it done

-

Yea i agree with all of you ,still its not me we are trying to convince -

Whats wrong with Colin ???

Well getting off topic here, but it's your thread

From another topic of mine on here =

ghost123uk wrote:Now I know about engines in general down to pretty fine details having built many over the years.

Admittedly mostly motorbike engines, but also Fords, Rootes Group, Mini's, even a twin cam Lotus motor.

My DG though has me a bit puzzled ( and sad at what it going to cost me and the hassle, but thats another story )

My engine has been fine for the 3 years I have owned the van.
It uses a bit of oil between changes but not alot and never made any oil smoke.

Last week, all of a sudden it lost a bit of power, I was going up a motorway hill at about 70mph ( normally no problem ) there was no miss-firing, (it felt like it was running out of LPG)

I dropped the clutch as soon as I was aware of this and looked behind for smoke !! - there was none.

I stopped right away.

I checked the temp, the oil and re-started it - All seemed OK.

I continued my journey.

Next day it started smoking like mad. It was the rear left cylinder, the rest look ok according to the plugs.

Odd I thought ( along with some "Oh good gracious me, what will I do now" etc )

The funny thing is over the next few days and about 300 miles it is smoking much less !!!

It is still smoking a bit after the over-run ( normally, but not exclusively guides, I know )

I have a theory, I guess the cylinder "picked up" and partially seized, scoring the bore and rings. I cannot imagine why though, plenty of good oil etc. Then it must have "bedded in" somewhat over the ensuing miles, like new brake pads do on worn disks.

The upshot I know is I need a replacement motor and to that end I am investigating the likelihood of getting a decent used one as the costs and logistics of getting a recon are looking very iffy ( despite the lovely Steve at Gasure being as helpful as he always is )

THEN

The "top doller" (£599) DG I bought (supposed to be a superb engine) from a trader in the South UK turned out to be a 20BHP less DF motor when I got it.

THEN

The "superb" ( flippin DF) engine turned out to have very serious oil water / mixing problems from the off, ( likely head gasket or cracked summat ) At least, after some argy bargy, I got a refund.

NOW

I am having an engine repaired, it will be ready soon and I can then re-fit it. Fingers crossed time then !!

By the time all this is finished I will have had "Colin" unusable for over 2 months and will have become an expert in removing and re-fitting WBX engines !!

ghost123uk wrote:

SANDMAN wrote:

ghost123uk wrote:I am driving a borrowed one at the moment until I get a replacement engine sorted for the VW.

It is BORING.

It is a "Friendee" weekend Bongo van with a 2.5 Auto Diesel. Acres of horrid grey plastic, tinny body, rattles and squeaks despite it appearing to be in A1 condition. We will be using it to camp over at the 80-90 fireworks do at Shell Island this weekend so it will be interesting to see how we get on.///n't wait to get our "Colin" fixed, next week should see it done

-

Yea i agree with all of you ,still its not me we are trying to convince -

Whats wrong with Colin ???

Well getting off topic here, but it's your thread

From another topic of mine on here =

ghost123uk wrote:Now I know about engines in general down to pretty fine details having built many over the years.

Admittedly mostly motorbike engines, but also Fords, Rootes Group, Mini's, even a twin cam Lotus motor.

My DG though has me a bit puzzled ( and sad at what it going to cost me and the hassle, but thats another story )

My engine has been fine for the 3 years I have owned the van.
It uses a bit of oil between changes but not alot and never made any oil smoke.

Last week, all of a sudden it lost a bit of power, I was going up a motorway hill at about 70mph ( normally no problem ) there was no miss-firing, (it felt like it was running out of LPG)

I dropped the clutch as soon as I was aware of this and looked behind for smoke !! - there was none.

I stopped right away.

I checked the temp, the oil and re-started it - All seemed OK.

I continued my journey.

Next day it started smoking like mad. It was the rear left cylinder, the rest look ok according to the plugs.

Odd I thought ( along with some "Oh good gracious me, what will I do now" etc )

The funny thing is over the next few days and about 300 miles it is smoking much less !!!

It is still smoking a bit after the over-run ( normally, but not exclusively guides, I know )

I have a theory, I guess the cylinder "picked up" and partially seized, scoring the bore and rings. I cannot imagine why though, plenty of good oil etc. Then it must have "bedded in" somewhat over the ensuing miles, like new brake pads do on worn disks.

The upshot I know is I need a replacement motor and to that end I am investigating the likelihood of getting a decent used one as the costs and logistics of getting a recon are looking very iffy ( despite the lovely Steve at Gasure being as helpful as he always is )

THEN

The "top doller" (£599) DG I bought (supposed to be a superb engine) from a trader in the South UK turned out to be a 20BHP less DF motor when I got it.

THEN

The "superb" ( flippin DF) engine turned out to have very serious oil water / mixing problems from the off, ( likely head gasket or cracked summat ) At least, after some argy bargy, I got a refund.

NOW

I am having an engine repaired, it will be ready soon and I can then re-fit it. Fingers crossed time then !!

By the time all this is finished I will have had "Colin" unusable for over 2 months and will have become an expert in removing and re-fitting WBX engines !!

OH dear hope all is sorted soon,1.6td in mine seems quite sweet at the moment -think engine has been out - no history though ex water board- you are right about that gasure fella lovely chap - he priced one up for me re-con 600 bucks i think i'll let him sort mine when the time comes.

toomanytoys wrote:.. my dad has been banging on for the last 8 years that we should swap the velle for a "more modern" one let alone the syncro........

My old mans the same.....

''What you got this old banger for? Don't you wanted to get something abit more modern?''

Been there, done that, even bigger mugs game!

Family friend has just got a Bongo & totally loves it. Drove to Alicante non-stop. Says comfy seats & great ride hieght. But then they've got no taste!!

KarlT wrote:

toomanytoys wrote:.. my dad has been banging on for the last 8 years that we should swap the velle for a "more modern" one let alone the syncro........

My old mans the same.....

''What you got this old banger for? Don't you wanted to get something abit more modern?''

Been there, done that, even bigger mugs game!

Family friend has just got a Bongo & totally loves it. Drove to Alicante non-stop. Says comfy seats & great ride hieght. But then they've got no taste!!

its wierd to other people i surpose its like a dooomed love afair to them - jesus they have even mentioned a caravan- to me i'm not sure why but i just luve my sometimes knackerd beast its more about the fun you have had with it and indeed continue to have. and thats what its all about -i think