Bongo Fury

Curreing looking for Bongo advise please on either 2.0l petrol or 2.5 diesel some say there is nothing between them but was edging towards diesel

WHAT??

There is about 100% torque difference between them IIRC the petrol has almost exactly half the torque at twice the revs and that is a HUGE difference.

The only person to say that will be the dealer trying to sell you a 2.0l petrol.
Nothing wrong with the 2.0l, but I think it definitely lacks the torque and would be a bit gutless especially fully loaded. MPG is possibly similar to 2.5l diesel according to a few owners I have spoken to and converted for.

Advantages of 2.0l petrol are it may be a bit quieter esp. at tickover, and it ought to be a simpler engine for working on. Said to be fine if you are not lugging large loads. But I love the 2.5TD and its great torque, delivered surprisingly smoothly and it purrs quietly when at the kinds of speeds you will be doing cross country (50-65mph). As said above, late model Bongos are what is available most readily now and the 2.0l became common (maybe wasn't available until) later on.

Hi Hutch, and a very warm welcome.

Advice so far is very good. There is also a V6 2.5 litre petrol version, and consider weather 4wd is important to you.

Have a good look at past posts, it's all here for you.

Welcome to the forum .Good place to start looking here - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =43&t=7229

MPG is possibly similar to 2.5l diesel ...

Yeah, but where can you get petrol at 95P a litre in the grocery aisle?

We did loads of diesels and now pretty much only do petrols, So have had all and would recomend as follows.

2.5 TD loads of torque will tow your house if you could find a towbar coupling for it. High mileage and or badly maintained or if your unlucky you can have head or headgasket issues, plenty of warning devices and advice on how to try and avoid it on here but it is an issue with them. Come in 2WD or 4WD

2WD if you want a torquey diesel

We careful of late diesels fulls in Japan on emmisions outlaw diesels in citys from about 2000 onwards so diesel ones are rural owned and registered ones from then on so tend to suffer more rust.

4WD if you really are planning on going in wet fields or will be in wet country lanes lots and need the extra grip if not dont bother the extra fuel consumption and drag of the 4WD system makes them more prone to overheating and head issues and more to go wroing like front CV joints gaitors and diffs etc.

2.0 Petrol, better on fuel than a diesel ultra easy to work on low torque and a bit gutless if you are planning a big family and thinking of towing anything more than a small trailer look at diesel of V6 Only in 2WD available from about 97 onwards.

2.5V6 this was the top of the range and the buyers of these tended to tick more option boxes when new as they were not as cost conscious. 2.5V6 is ultra smooth to drive and powerful, not as much torque as the diesel but more than adequate, lots of choice of these in Japan so easier to find a better car. Some issues with spark plugs ht leads distributor caps etc oil leaks from camshafts and the cambelt is an expensive job but if you are going for one of these make the dealer change the belts plugs cap etc before you have it, any decent dealer should in any event...

95P per litre for veg oil or other on the diesels if you do the homework.

The Petrols especially the V6 LPG convert really well and you can fuel them at less than 50P per litre...

My choice LPG V6 but must declare than I import and convert them to LPG !!

Paul

Thanks to all who have replied to my questions most helpfull, have now decided to op for the V6 model and get an LPG conversion done.

But while I'm on has anyone had any dealings with JAL Imports in Worcestershire or Algys Autos in Bristol if so what do you recon???

any help appreciated before I take the leap of faith

Just remember that if you have an LPG conversion done you may have to do without a spare wheel (or find somewhere else to store it) and you have to do a lot of miles to get the cost of the conversion back.

Hutchy wrote:Thanks to all who have replied to my questions most helpfull, have now decided to op for the V6 model and get an LPG conversion done.

But while I'm on has anyone had any dealings with JAL Imports in Worcestershire or Algys Autos in Bristol if so what do you recon???

any help appreciated before I take the leap of faith

Good choice - I think you'll be extremely pleased with that option (though NB scanners point about where to put the spare).

Its funny though, I don't think I'd swap my diesel for any other model. I love the vibration on tickover, it purrs on the move, and it pulls like a train. It is quintessential Bongoing. And I believe that (diesel) ones that have been properly maintained are as reliable as any of the others (incidentally, a few V6s have had v. expensive crankshaft oil seal failures despite apparently being in otherwise good condition, and its hard to see how poor maintenance could have caused that so it may be a 'type weakness' albeit relatively uncommon).

Ian Bongo Meister has done a good write up on the 2lt petrol in this months news letter,
I was told he used my bongo to do the write up,,