Hi all....soon I will be viewing a potential van purchase

Looking at transit vans 2.4tdci 350/2.2 350 etc....

Years and mileage all similar 2011 and roughly 70 to 80k

Is there anything on these that should be done on at this age that I need to make sure of as a bargaining tool?

Im thinking timing belts etc

Thanks

New engine, new gearbox, new brakes, all the rubbish on the dash...

Hi all....soon I will be viewing a potential van purchase

Looking at transit vans 2.4tdci 350/2.2 350 etc....

Years and mileage all similar 2011 and roughly 70 to 80k

Is there anything on these that should be done on at this age that I need to make sure of as a bargaining tool?

Im thinking timing belts etc

Thanks

Make sure it's a 4 cylinder diesel and not a V6 petrol?

make sure all the recalls have been done would be first. They are chain engines anyway, so check the service history and make sure the correct grade of oil has been used, as too thick and it will stretch the chain, leading to potential non start issues in cold weather. Clutches are prone to wearing out, so possibly a bargaining tool there. Check out the transit forums, most of the issue they suffer from will be well documented.

Dont use crap diesel or the fuel filter will be knackered..

So get the filter checked/changed on anything you do buy...

See if Guy Martin wants to sell his..... bit thirsty though and I'm sure it has gearbox problems.

See if Guy Martin wants to sell his..... bit thirsty though and I'm sure it has gearbox problems.

Insurance may be a bit steep, too.  .

Lower arm (rear most) bushes and anti roll bar links and bushes wear out the most. Track rod ends aren't as fast to wear out.

Rear pads do wear quickly if the calipers/hand brake cables stick. One tip is to get rid of the rubber bush on the slide pin, it tends to swell up and take a grip.

Sumps and timing covers rust through and leak oil eventually.

Watch the brake pipe going under the chassis rail to the flexible hose, it rests on a foam pad that holds water and rusts prematurely. Seen a few fail their first MoT because of it.

Wheel bearings do go on them. And if you're getting a back wheel drive one, the diff seals do leak.

I drive an 07 one daily and TBH they're ****. My previous job involved driving them on and off boats at the docks and I've yet to drive a decent one.

Save a few quid and get a Transporter or a Crafter if you need the load space.

Get a decent alarm as can't they be opened easily?

Not sure if it applies to the transit but I know the usual ford diesels main problems are injectors?

Personally I'd say go for a sprinter they last for ever and drive so nicely, mines just clocked over 350k miles and is still strong and clean in the engine

Dont the sprinters rust pretty quick though??

Id say transporter too...

If its a 2.4 they break cam carriers so check for any unusual noises,

 

Starter motor get lazy with age,

 

Rear diff's tend to get noisy with age but can go for years like that,

 

They rust for fun, so check front wheel archs and inner floor near rear archs,

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201608106672824?make=ford&model=transit&supplied-price-to=8000&search-target=usedvans&radius=5&postcode=s728py&quicksearch=true&page=1&sort=atcustomsup&logcode=p&adPos=1

Was kinda looking at this

Looks clean with a good spec

Basically its just for go kart transport to race weekends etc

Last years mileage was only 4k but may need to travel a bit more now and the high roof could fit some kind of sleeping arrangement

Then could double up for use at festivals, camp sites etc

Not keen on transporters,not quite big enough for all Karting gear and prices are outrageous

Sprinters are too long to fit on the driveway,and the swb version is quite pricey also

Dont the sprinters rust pretty quick though??

Id say transporter too...

Early ones do but if you get one after about 2007 they aren't too bad, sure they still rust but it's just like anything else if you damage a bit of paint from catching a post or something

I carry a lot of weight in my job so I need the strength of the engine

Not sure if it applies to the transit but I know the usual ford diesels main problems are injectors?

Personally I'd say go for a sprinter they last for ever and drive so nicely, mines just clocked over 350k miles and is still strong and clean in the engine

Haven't been near a transit for about eight years, but they all had one problem- All made by FORD. Hence the joke=Found On Road Dead/ Fix Or Repair Daily. In all seriousness - two problems on the older ones- CAT very easy for certain folks to liberate, as was spare wheel on RWD versions.

How much are you going to be using it, and are you bothered what the neighbours think?

I ran transits for years, love driving them, but I don't think I'd ever buy another.

If I need a big van, I buy the oldest vauxhall movano / Renault Master I can find. They're ****, but there's loads of room in the back, they're dirt cheap, they're generally reliable, alright on fuel and the older ones are easy to fix. The sills rust a bit, but nowhere near like a transit.

Ideally, you want a late 90's one with the 2.5d.

Vw vans are overpriced and over-rated.

Old transits rust.

New transits break and rust.

Old sprinters rust.

New sprinters are horrible to drive, over priced and over rated.

Fiat / Citroën / Peugeot drive lovely but break expensivly for no reason.

Ivecos drive badly and break expensivly for no reason.

So what youre saying Steve, is that most vans are a bit ****. Just all in their own way, just really about big a budget for the ****ty bits you have...

Yeah, and the more you spend on them, the more they cost when they go wrong.

Bloke next door has a 59 plate Vauxhall Van ( Transit Size ) He's just had to sell a Kidney to pay for repairs to the Engine. Injectors plus other work and it still rattles. 

Early 00's VW LT (Badge engineered sprinter in reality with VW running gear)? My brother recently sold his LT35 on after 200k miles with no major issues, just consumables. He never even had to change the clutch in it. Stone chips rusted, so he had the bottom half painted, never needed any welding though. The LT seems to fair better than the Sprinter for some reason in the rust department.

Royal Mail are in a switch over from sprinters to Boxers - might be a few bargains coming up??

Get a T5 with a 1.9pd engine in.

I run one for work and its brilliant. Had Transits in the past and found them **** made compared

Had vivaros too and they really are crap. Did 2 gearboxes amoungst other things

Edited 23 September, 20169 yr by fabiamk2SE

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201606084734437?make=ford&supplied-price-from=5000&supplied-price-to=7000&search-target=usedvans&radius=10&sort=datedesc&postcode=s728py&searchcontext=default&page=2&logcode=p&adPos=8

Also spotted this locally

Lwb and maybe no dpf?

I did view the yellow transit I linked earlier - very good nick but mechanically who knows?

The fords tick the boxes but maybe a newer hi roof sprinter maybe less hassle in the long run

Could push to 10k if it meant less problems

Dont worry too much about mileage on a van. Theyre built to take it.

Go on condition over anything really.