Bongo Fury

As our Bongo get older inevitably rust starts to appear, first on the rear wheel arches, and then along the sills. But none of this is terminal, the panels and sills can be replaced, it's just a case of knowing who does a good job.

If you have had a good job done on your Bongo by a body shop or garage then recommend them here. Eventually this will be made in to a fact sheet of recommended places to get the work carried out.

I'll start with two recommendations.

1) Ian Taylor (Stoke) www.japcarimport.co.uk
2) Pitstop (Bodmin) http://www.pitstopgs.com/

Any others?

I'd like to recommend the Bongo Body shop in Barnsley. Dave is a bongo fan himself and fixed up and resprayed a few nasty rust patches for me. He also removed all the old cracked decals and sprayed the sides of the aft where the decals were removed. After a machine polish I have a great looking van. You can find the contact details for the Bongo Body shop in the classified section of this site. He was also fixing up some very rotten arches for another customer when I collected my van. Would definitely recommend.

Hi we are in Surrey thinking of using Rustmaster in Hatfield? Anyone used them before??
Cheers Dave104

Hi Dave,

Biggest problem is finding him! He is very well hidden away in a converted barn on a farm, with no signs anywhere. I actually made 2 trips there, the first time in the teeth of the gales last autumn only to find he couldn't do the job because the power lines were down. However he was brill and paid my fuel costs for the wasted trip.
Second time he did a pretty good job, but make sure he drops the spare wheel. I found afterwards that there were one or two bits of overspray, but nothing serious and I had to look quite hard to find any bits he had missed.
When you get it back, pop the inside trim panels off and give it a good coating of the runny stuff round the rear wheel arches and inside the sills and door bottoms and you should keep the tinworm at bay for a long time.
The big question is - would I use him again? Yes I would, but I would like to hear details of others who do a similar job at a similar price to compare before I decided to make the trip again.
Two things you will notice - there is less road noise, and for a few days it will stink.

Peter

Just had our arches done in April 2015 by C N Bodyshine in Pontllanfraith (near Caerphilly) in South Wales. Nice job using the usual Mercedes Sprinter arches and a competitive price.

Would recommend. No website but contact details are :

C N Bodyshine, NP12 2DL
[email protected]
07803 082063

BigPanzer wrote:Hi Dave,

Biggest problem is finding him! He is very well hidden away in a converted barn on a farm, with no signs anywhere. I actually made 2 trips there, the first time in the teeth of the gales last autumn only to find he couldn't do the job because the power lines were down. However he was brill and paid my fuel costs for the wasted trip.
Second time he did a pretty good job, but make sure he drops the spare wheel. I found afterwards that there were one or two bits of overspray, but nothing serious and I had to look quite hard to find any bits he had missed.
When you get it back, pop the inside trim panels off and give it a good coating of the runny stuff round the rear wheel arches and inside the sills and door bottoms and you should keep the tinworm at bay for a long time.
The big question is - would I use him again? Yes I would, but I would like to hear details of others who do a similar job at a similar price to compare before I decided to make the trip again.
Two things you will notice - there is less road noise, and for a few days it will stink.

Peter

Are we talking about Pitstop?

Ian wrote:As our Bongo get older inevitably rust starts to appear, first on the rear wheel arches, and then along the sills. But none of this is terminal, the panels and sills can be replaced, it's just a case of knowing who does a good job.

If you have had a good job done on your Bongo by a body shop or garage then recommend them here. Eventually this will be made in to a fact sheet of recommended places to get the work carried out.

I'll start with two recommendations.

1) Ian Taylor (Stoke) http://www.japcarimport.co.uk
2) Pitstop (Bodmin) http://www.pitstopgs.com/

Any others?

Great idea

I've also used the Bongo Bodyshop to get repairs to both rear arches back in March this year. I originally approached Dave to replace the arches, when I showed him the van he talked me out of it and said I only needed local repairs. My van has a side camper van conversion and also LPG to add to the challenge. Another repairer suggested that they would need the camper stuff dismantling before they would consider any welding . Dave didn't ask for anything removing apart from a Camping Gaz bottle.

His work came with a 12 month warranty - end result looked very good .

I do appreciate that at some point in time in the (distant?) future - the dreaded tin worm will make it's presence known again, at which point I'll go back and see what magic Dave
can do.

Jabba's Wheels wrote:I've also used the Bongo Bodyshop to get repairs to both rear arches back in March this year. I originally approached Dave to replace the arches, when I showed him the van he talked me out of it and said I only needed local repairs. My van has a side camper van conversion and also LPG to add to the challenge. Another repairer suggested that they would need the camper stuff dismantling before they would consider any welding . Dave didn't ask for anything removing apart from a Camping Gaz bottle.

His work came with a 12 month warranty - end result looked very good .

I do appreciate that at some point in time in the (distant?) future - the dreaded tin worm will make it's presence known again, at which point I'll go back and see what magic Dave
can do.

Kloonsy sounds great to me also - I'd like to try him when the time comes.

Mike -

Are we talking about Pitstop?

No, still had the location on my satnav. Just off Coopers Green Lane, which is on the northern outskirts of Hatfield heading roughly towards Welyn. Had it done about 18 months ago, still looking fine.

Peter

I'll recommend Allans Vehicle Services in Plymouth.
Allan has been sorting corrosion and MOT failures due to corrosion, replacing body parts, patching where needed and welding Bongos, Freda and other vehicles for many years. He also underseals them and has done for several years.
(He does not respray vehicles.)
3.) Allans Vehicle Services (Plymouth) http://www.allansvehicleservices.co.uk

BigPanzer wrote:Mike -

Are we talking about Pitstop?

No, still had the location on my satnav. Just off Coopers Green Lane, which is on the northern outskirts of Hatfield heading roughly towards Welyn. Had it done about 18 months ago, still looking fine.

Peter

Thanks Peter. Ah so its Rustmaster we're talking about? I was thinking with you being in Somerset maybe it was some other place you'd been to

I've used the Rustmaster branch in Cheshire, near Knutsford. Excellent service, includingn a free inspection and touch-up where necessary every year. Nick has a Bongo himself, which is a good omen.

For rust repairs I've been going to C.A.R.S. on Talbot Street, Fulwood, Preston PR2 3QJ. 01772 715057. Aaron's business comes neatly between the high-cost insurance repair firms and the slightly-dodgy back-street operations. He's done excellent work on the rear wheel arches and a spot of rust at the bottom of the driver's door. Also, when I backed into my half-open gate (blush!) he replaced a corner panel alongside the tailgate, and no-one would know I reckon (except now I've gone and told you). Highly recommended.

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. I have booked Bongo in with Dave at Rustmaster Hatfield for 17th May So will keep you posted as to how it goes!!
Cheers
Dave104

I would recommend Allans in Plymouth