what year is the cut off point?

[robi]

so my 94 trabnsit bus was smashed in a head on collision. Insurance companiesd involved here in Hungary say it is a write off. The mechanics say just to buy a new van rather than repairing the current one.

When I bought this one I was told by several so called transit experts here that post 95 or 96 transit all suck. the motors aer terrible, etc.

I find it hard to belief so I thought i would ask here.

If I opt to buy, is there anything that makes one year/model better, price excluded?

Thanks for the help...


Robi

[pollag]

I had a 93' and it was really good. I was worried to go to a 2004 mk6 but now that I have I am happy with it.
Its not perfect. Some things are a little worse but most things are better. So yes go as new as u can. We just HAVE to go for new things all the time. Good luck!

[fastmower]

I was told by several so called transit experts here that post 95 or 96 transit all suck. the motors aer terrible, etc.
Robi

I wouldn't agree with that mate. I think with ANY year you will get some that go on forever and some that will be a problem - that's just the way they are. I've had two '89s, a '91, a '96, a 51, and now a '95 and my wife has had a '99 and a '95 and I wouldn't say we've had any major issues with any of them. None of them have ever actually "broken down"

I had a 51 plate Mk6 tipper and whilst I never had any bother with it at all apart from having to renew the alternator, I ended up selling it as I knew that it would probably be an expensive dealer job if it did go wrong - the later models are much more complicated in terms of electronics etc and not so easy to fix with a set of spanners and a hammer - you need to plug them in to computers and suchlike!

I reckon there must be an element of luck in any purchase of a van - you just have to hope for the best really - but I wouldn't say there are good and bad models or years myself.

Good luck with it - whatever you go for!

Andy

[AndyG]

When I bought this one I was told by several so called transit experts here that post 95 or 96 transit all suck. the motors aer terrible, etc.

I find it hard to belief so I thought i would ask here.

I've NEVER heard of so much rubbish in all my life

The engine (or motor (as you call it)) is exactly the same

[MinorMatt]

engine is the same from 86-00 but with a few tweaks. In fact the whole vans are very nearly the same. The DOHC petrol engine is a fairly rare option in the vans to 00, but they seem reliable. Post '91 the turbo vans have a Lucas Epic fuel pump which is fairly reliable - but it needs fairly specialist software to read the fault codes and is often misunderstood.

Post '00 vans are more complicated, but the engines are rather good

Generalisations but I hope thats of some use? Feel free to ask for advice about any van you find to replace your old one

[robi]

mates, we are a step closer to getting this ordeal taken care of... looks like insurance money may be finally coming through...

so, the engines are nearly the same on 86 - 2000 vans...

nice to know.... there are 2 or 3 vans I am looking at, well, just on-line for now....

all have between 180 K and 220 K listed... all are diesel and are SWB and all are 9 seats...

Here ppl shy away from cars/vans with over 100Km in them.... But from the experience I have with Transits they will do far more than 100KM easily... is this a fare assumption?

The wife is reluctant to get a diesel engine because the fuel costs more here now than petrol and she is convinced that d engines are:

1. inherently stinky - we had lots of probs with the old one, black, very black exhaust and it did small rather bad...

2. worse for the environment... think she may have sg there...

3. slower than petrol engines of the same or comparable size....

If anybody has a very simple, easy to understand explanation of the difs between D and P engines I would love to have a link...

IF I happen to find a post 2000 SWB within our price range I will look into it... is there anything that we need to keep in mind since the engines, according to the above are different ?

Rob

PS. when I bought the last one I had a mechanic friend come long, but he is no longer in these parts so I am on my own, rather daunting task since I know naught about cars and vans