Repair or replace!

[Wolfdays]

Hello - my N reg freetop has done 24000 miles. I know the following things are wrong with it
Oil leak - must be on the head as we had the gearbox replaced and they couldnt trace it or fix it within their remit
Water leak - slow but still leads to overheating
Strange noise on steering rack (I am sure this could be a multitude of things) noticeable on hard turns - sounds a bit whurry!
Tracking
all four wheel arches need replacing - will therefore need a respray / fix of our decal as we brought a pretty one that has unusual decals.
The blind motor seems dubious the passenger side ones now work less often than
The smaller issues are the plastic cover on the gear shift (automatic) is broken, the air vent passenger is snapped (cos I put my feet up on long journeys lol) and the trays on the doors are snapped
The luxuries - we want privacy glass on the rear screen cos of the dogs, and the 4 back passenger windows - although we can use the blinds - we would like it anyway!

If we keep the van we want to put all these issues right

We dont seem to have a bongo specialist nearby - 2 hours to plymouth - 2 hours to bristol.

Anyone any ideas on cost without me having to take it all that way - if we are looking at more than about 2k - to be honest we would rather start again and reinvest.

Many thanks and sorry to be such a pain!
Anna

[You've Been Bongod]

hi there give ian taylor a call on 07980616117 tell him carl sent you

he is in stoke on trent BUT if he has a vehiicle he will let you borrow it while yours is in for repair if you ask him before hand

here is a couple of pictures of before and with new arches on which he fabricates from new metal not using transit arches like some do

before




now awaiting sand down then paint


as for all the other work ..... i am sure he will sort it for you

[Bob]

Trouble is there is not one 'Right' answer to this. We can't possibly give you a price for all the work required without seeing the vehicle.

I'm not sure where in Devon is 2 hours from Plymouth, but Allans is one of your best bets, or ADS in Bristol, and if you are looking at getting all the work done then a 4 hour round trip is far less dead time than selling and buying 2 Bongos.

If you have overheating problems DO NOT DRIVE IT. Get it recovered to a Bongo expert otherwise we will be reading that you have blown the head gasket.

I don't understand how oil must be leaking from the head because you have had the gearbox fixed?

My recommendation is have a Bongo friendly garage look it over.

I really hope this is of some help.

And very warm welcome to the Forum.

[Wolfdays]

Hi

Thanks for your help

http://www.allansvehicleservices.co.uk/... is this the right place in Plymouth?

I dont know Bristol at all but we are equidistant - its just very hard to find someone to look at it, within a day and still manage to amuse my disabled son whilst we there without a car, do you know which is more central and near shops and stuff?

I will have to bite the bullet and go down cos we do love the van

[Alison01326]

I'm not far short of 2 hours from Plymouth (less if there's no traffic) and I always take the Bongo to Allans. If it ever needed recovering (from anywhere) I would also have it recovered there.

In the past Allan has given us a lift into town (or more specifically the aquarium) and has also lent us his Bongo. I'm sure your son would thoroughly enjoy the aquarium in Plymouth, and depending on his age and how far you are prepared to stroll with him there's a lovely play park at West Hoe (and it has some equipment for disabled children if I recall - there's certainly a special swing)

My son is 5 and very hard to entertain (easily bored) and he actually looks forward to his visits to Plymouth.

[mikeonb4c]

You might want to check underneath (prodding with a sharp screwdriver) to see if the rust has got into structural areas just to gauge the extent of the deterioration. Has the vehicle ever been waxoyled ec.?

Apart from the rust issues, and provided you have never let the water level get low thus causing potential overheating problems, the car does sound mendable. Is the oil leak really from te head or is it from the rocker cover (cheap to fix if the latter)

You say it has done 24,000 miles, which isn't very much at all. Did you mean to say 240,000 miles? If the latter, then that is a high mieage and puts a bigger doubt over return on investment if you try to fix it, as many lcomponents may be getting tired. It might be better breaking it (or selling it for breaking) and getting another one. My gut feeling is this is perhaps the best option, but you should let an expert decide I reckon. Just try and give them as much detailed facts as possible without travelling over, as it may save time and money reaching a decision.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Bob]

Yep, your link to Allans is correct, Alison has given you info.

ADS is about a mile or so from Bedminster, another mile to central Bristol, either is a simple walk or taxi ride from the garage, BUT if you have overheating problems DO NOT DRIVE IT.

We will be reading that your head gasket has blown.

Also, did you get any 'Advisories' at last MOT, this might give an idea of chassis condition, otherwise I really would consider paying an expert to come to you and give his verdict. Not AA/RAC etc as they know little of Bongos.

Edit: PM Me if you like with your town and if I know anyone near you I'll ask them to call by and give an opinion.