Bongo Fury

I had hoped I would be writing my next topic with the great news about being a very proud new owner of a freda but sadly my happiness was shattered exactly 6 days after buying (private sale) - head gasket blew You could say i was not a happy camper (understatement)! She's been in the garage since. My mechanic tells me the good news is that it doesnt look like the cylinder head has gone. I've ordered a coolant alarm from Haydn Callow which I am hoping is in the post as I write. I'm just gutted and can only hope once this is done that no more big jobs will be needed.

Gutted for ya clare, but looking forward when she's all done and ready to go you can have many years of happy memories, unfortunately Bongo's seem to suffer with h/g problems and there are some less than honest people out there who will use an addative to mask the problem just to shift it on, after 6 days i'd get advice from citizens advice and ask the garage to keep the remaining coolant for analasis for coolant system sealants then i'd contact the previous owner armed with all the facts and ask them very politely how much they are willing to contribute towards repairs before you take steps towards a civil case, cos if the seller knew that the vehicle wasn't fit for purpose private or dealer then i'm fairly sure the courts will act in your favour.

Regards, Pete.

That's bad news.

Unfortunately with a private sale I don't think there's anything you can do, even if the seller knew the car had problems before the sale.

Simon B wrote:That's bad news.

Unfortunately with a private sale I don't think there's anything you can do, even if the seller knew the car had problems before the sale.

not entirely acurate but may be difficult

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/c_private ... _sales.pdf

so if they knew it was faulty and you can prove the bodged a repair to sell, you can claim

I don't hold out much hope though

sorry to hear the bad news let hope it just the gasket and not the head

clare wrote:I had hoped I would be writing my next topic with the great news about being a very proud new owner of a freda but sadly my happiness was shattered exactly 6 days after buying (private sale) - head gasket blew You could say i was not a happy camper (understatement)! She's been in the garage since. My mechanic tells me the good news is that it doesnt look like the cylinder head has gone. I've ordered a coolant alarm from Haydn Callow which I am hoping is in the post as I write. I'm just gutted and can only hope once this is done that no more big jobs will be needed.

Very sorry indeed to hear that news Clare. I thought you had bought a 2WD from Manchester Campers - did you change your mind last minute?

The only way to look at this I guess is that the saving on buying private should at least cover the repair bill. Did the Freda suffer a coolant leak/loss (you mentioned ordering a low coolant alarm - I presume it had no LCA/temp alarm fitted)?

Your local mechanic should be able to do the work even if not a Bongo specialist. BUT, I agree with those who say it is essential to have a Bongo head crack tested to ensure it is OK. Extra cost but the repair work could be wasted if the gasket is gone but a head crack gets missed. Also, look up the advice on how to do a good job (flatting the block etc. - Simon Jones, a long time ago, wrote up how he did the job and I don't believe he's had any trouble since).

Finally, make sure the underlying cause of the gasket failure is identified. If coolant loss, then its straightforward. But was it due to poor coolant circulation from such as a stuck thermostat, gunged up radiator, failed water pump etc. Is there evidence of rust staining in the header tank, or in the coolant etc. If so, the root cause needs to be addressed.

Out of interest, whats the history of the private Bongo (loving/longstanding owners? Full service history? Mileage? Will the mechanic discover signs of recent repair work? recent water pump replacement? new coolant hose(s) fitted? etc.)

Once again, our commiserations. Keep us posted and good luck

Mike

Was that the one in Ayrshire Clare? The one which had the radiator recently replaced?

Thanks for replies - (Alan & Mike I've sent you both pm's)

Dropped off the coolant alarm for my mechanic today & he tells me the cylinder head was significantly warped. He reckons this proves the vehicle has been overheating for some time & that (sadly) the seller would have been aware of it. Some people hey?

I've a good mechanic dealing with it and here's hoping no more bad news (tis a very testing time right now)!!

clare wrote:Thanks for replies - (Alan & Mike I've sent you both pm's)

Dropped off the coolant alarm for my mechanic today & he tells me the cylinder head was significantly warped. He reckons this proves the vehicle has been overheating for some time & that (sadly) the seller would have been aware of it. Some people hey?

I've a good mechanic dealing with it and here's hoping no more bad news (tis a very testing time right now)!!

I think I would find it hard to resist reporting that back to the vendor (or at least researching my rights). Even in a private sale, there must surely be an issue over whether the vehicle was sold dishonestly. I can say this, with hand on heart: if I sold my Bongo and that happened to the new owner within 6 days of their purchasing it and through no negligence of their own, I would feel honour bound to contribute at least 50% towards the repair bill. Some of us are blessed (cursed?) with conscience.

Thanks Mike

I think I shall make enq re my rights - though I'm not holding much hope on that. I may contact the seller again (he is aware of whats happened & said they had no problems with it)! I like to take people on face value and - well, I thought a decent bloke.



PS: I would say "blessed" not cursed x

Clare, if you could find out his forum name if he was a member you could possibly find out a bit about the van. Odds on he would have posted questions and comments. Worth an ask if you have a way of being subtle about it?
I was on a CBF forum with my old bike and when I sold it I had to be totally straight, I knew there was a trail of all the issues I had had and the questions I had asked.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted! Jim

jimpearceuk wrote:Clare, if you could find out his forum name if he was a member you could possibly find out a bit about the van. Odds on he would have posted questions and comments. Worth an ask if you have a way of being subtle about it?
I was on a CBF forum with my old bike and when I sold it I had to be totally straight, I knew there was a trail of all the issues I had had and the questions I had asked.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted! Jim

An interesting post, and it resonates. I honestly would not want to tell the buyer of my Bongo anything less than the truth about it (but with all the usual warnings about not being able to guarantee what might happen tomorrow etc.), because I will be handing on something I've cherished, and I will want its new owner to know all about what it is and what it isn't so they can manage its health forwards. I keep a complete log of all I've done to it, which I will hand over if/when I ever sell it. These cars are potential classics - I have absolutely no doubt about that.

It was a non-member sale in the Club classifieds........................

dandywarhol wrote:It was a non-member sale in the Club classifieds........................

Oh dear. Which should remind us all not to be too free in saying 'Or buy one from a club member in the classifieds as they have usually been well looked after' as nothing is ever guaranteed.

Its an unfortunate incident - lets hope we can engineer a happy ending out of it for Clare (and the Bongos reputation)

soory to hear it the head that gone i been there last year had to have new head fiited
but am glad i did we love the bongo and dont konw want to do if we had to change her
let hope were u got her from there pay for at lees 50%of the repair
one thing to fine out is are there saling more that 5 car a year think that makes them a trader and then you got them