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About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

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About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

Postby Leeshieus » Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:37 am

Hi All,

Complete newbie here! No experience with cars or ever done anything to a car myself.. but really want to learn.

I've been looking for a budget campervan for a few weeks and really begrudge paying 8k for a totally knackered 20-yr old VW with 230k miles on the clock.

I've found a Mk5 Transit (think it's lwb), its a W reg 2.5L (76PS) banana engine and 160k miles on the clock. 11 months MOT but no service history or receipts. The guy selling is a part time dealer & took it in part-ex, the previous owner wanted something smaller.
MOT history check shows it passed last MOT with no advisories but it was off the road for a year before that, there were rust issues (not terrible considering it's age) shown in previous MOT's, which I'm assuming have been sorted during the "SORN" year. No sign of filler on the bodywork, door sills and steps look good. Time and money has been spent on the vehicle - I suspect it's been a project for somebody, it's had new panels all round, partial respray, reversing camera & camper conversion (still puzzled as to why no receipts though).

Checked underneath and the only rust I can see is inside the front wheel arches at the top towards the back - it is not extensive or severe and I think this could be sorted with new wheel arch liners.. Although I'm not sure if this is a load-bearing structural area?

Under the bonnet looks tidy enough although a little tatty, there appears to be a new plastic cover over the timing belt.

No signs of oil leaks underneath and she starts up first time. There is some black smoke initially when you turn the key and what looked perhaps like a slight a spattering of oil from the exhaust on the road.

Took her for a spin round the block and she drives like a tank. Accelerator felt like a brick. Gears hard to find. I am not used to driving a van though nevermind an old one. However there were no bangs, knocks or clatters. No creaks or knocks from the suspension. She was slow though, lacking power and juddered when I was changing gear, and there was a slight whine when I accelerated in 2nd gear - I genuinely don't know if that was my not being used to her or an indication of a problem.

Basically, I fell in love. I know that an 18 year old van with an unknown history isn't going to be perfect, but I don't want to end up with one that is either dangerous or unfixable due to rarity of parts etc. I'm prepared to invest a bit to get her running sweetly over the next 8/9 months before taking her out in summer 2019.

Whaddya reckon?

First thing if I bring her home is getting somebody to come over and give her a thorough inspection.

I'm based near Bolton, can you guys recommend anybody?

Much love,
Alicia.
Leeshieus
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Re: About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

Postby vanfox » Wed Oct 17, 2018 2:52 pm

Before you buy it ask the seller to have it tested to MOT standard without registering the test. Ask the tester to really test for rust in the chassis legs, outriggers, rear inner sill and front shocker turrets etc. You don't look for rust, you feel for it, squeezing and hitting panels. My tester uses a small plastic hammer, ouch. No rust is allowed within 30 cms of a suspension mount / load bearing structure.
Mechanicals can be fixed easily, usually with a big hammer, but Mig welding is a skill most owners of elderly transits, me included, aquire.
Ask yourself how much you want to spend. What can you buy that won't need welding for the next MOT?
I've just spent 2 months, £650 on panels and three rolls of Mig wire repairing my W reg van. I know it will last for several more years, I can just keep repairing it. Can you?
Spin thru the threads and look for pics of rusty/repaired van to get an idea of what to look for.
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Re: About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

Postby gotgcoalman » Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:27 pm

160k is nothing for the engine 8)
Mine has 206k and still pulls well fully loaded (bosch pump with fueling turned up)

Rust is the main enemy on these :(
ne m'écoute pas je suis plein de merde.
A house without a dog is like a forum without a BJT.
Too bloody quiet :shock:
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Re: About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

Postby vanfox » Thu Oct 18, 2018 4:52 pm

Inner wing 01.jpg
This is why you should really go at the rusty bits. All replaced on mine, both sides.
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Re: About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

Postby Leeshieus » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:12 pm

Hi All,

Thanks for all your advice :)

So we did buy her, haggled the guy down by £500 to cover the welding. Cruised home at 70 all the way home along the M62 with no problems. Spent an hour with a mate of mine checking her out last night and it looks like she's got a little rust starting on the subframe beneath the engine but the worst is in the liners under both front wheel arches as suspected. There is slight play in the track rod ends and a slight leak from the rocker cover. Clutch and gearbox are good. She's definitely had all new side panels, brakes, timing belt and an EGR valve fairly recently. She's in decent nick and has been well looked after for an 18 year old beast!

Treating her to a full inspection and service in a couple of weeks, tighten up all belts, get the welding done, check all the bearings & suspension. Also going to underseal to help prevent any rust taking hold and protect the work that's already been done.

Really, really chuffed!
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Re: About to buy a Mk5 Transit..

Postby vanfox » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:49 pm

Be aware, the rust starts inside the panels aand box sections, underseal does little once rust has started except hold water, which....causes more rust. By the time the bubbles appear on the surface there's likely to be a big hole behind. Treating the back side of panels is more beneficial than underseal.

Q. How do you know the cam belt has been replaced recently? Unless 100% certain that's the first job I do on all the vans I've had.
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