Right, so amid the maelstrom of working out the details of how to move to Spain in 10 weeks, we will require a way to get the few possessions we will be taking down Iberia Way.
Basically we need something the size of a LWB high roof Transit capable of completing the return journey (even if we buy one, we will bring it back to the UK and flog it). It will need 3 seats, but other than that, we'll look at almost anything.

If we buy, it will have to be under a grand including insurance, etc.

I'm told that with the new law on minibus permits there could be bargains to be had.

Any advice? Thanks, All...

Have you thought about trying a reverse auction service such as this Jim?

Hi Pete,

I've used Anyvan and Shiply with some success before, but one issue here is that it won't be a straightforward delivery (we'll want to use the van to visit my kids on the way back to UK, hence the need for 3 seats) and it won't be in neat boxes, it'll just be "stuff". Also, of course it will include 2 cats...

But if the cat is in the box, how will you know whether... oh, wait, that was Schroedinger.

As you were.

Wanted: Dead and Alive...

Err, I've missed something here! Spain??

Got it now, as you were, away to catch up with the (mis)adventures of Jim!

Err, vans, yes, errm Citroen, Fiat, err big things, boxy, errm auctions, errm yes, well moving on.

Wasn't there are comedy series about 25 years ago called something like 'The Adventures of Lucky Jim'?

The builder who did our bathroom and kitchen a couple of years ago has just sold his 1997 LWB Mitsubishi L3xx for £1500 And believe me, it was a typical builders van.

Not sure what kind of beauty you'll get for a grand.

This Japanese workhorse dog is in your price range.

Or this Surfer dude wagon

This Fiat Pink beauty looks errrrrr..........

Good luck!

I was hoping for something a bit more like this .

No glamour, but plenty of space once the seats are at the scrappers...

As it's a minibus, would you need to mess about re-registering it? Presumably too many seats for your license at the moment?

If you passed your test before 1997 you can drive up to a 16 seater as I used to drive one for my missus's holiday club.

This.

I've had my licence since 82, so should be ok.

It may be a case of beggars not being choosers Jim, but those LDV's are a killer to drive especially on the long journey you have planned. The clutch pedal tends to be really heavy and the pulling power, with heavy load, is pretty poor.

You're right about beggars and choosers, Simon. I'll look at anything, but it may just be anything we can get...
I can't see how renting won't work out way more expensive.

Jim, silly question maybe but have you looked at the van trader website? I have seen a transit Luton with tail lift advertised for £850 in Lowestoft area. Bound to be others dependant on how fussy you want to be?

I've been looking pretty closely at the Van Trader site plus eBay obviously. The more I think about it, the more the minibus solution is attractive. We now think we could leave 5 seats in and take the other 2 kids with us when we move, with still enough space for cats and stuff.
I think £1500 seems a more realistic budget for something capable of what we want, which is disappointing but not unexpected. Plenty of 2000-2002 LWB hi-top 17-seaters around. Ropey, but hopefully good enough to stick on 5k miles and re-sell. If anyone knows of a big van/minibus dealer, I'd be keen to get contact details...

My last work had one of those LDV minibuses in high roof configuration and I had the misfortune to drive it a total of about 3 miles.
That was plenty.

It was almost as nasty to drive as the 02 reg Land Rover 110 they also had there.

Aw, Tim, that's not fair. I don't care what a pile of shocking dross the LDV is, just please don't say it's as bad as a Land Rover; I'm going to have to drive this thing about 3000 miles. On motorways.

I did a few trips in a '98 LDV 16 seater (diesel)
It was alright once you got up to speed and sat at 75/80 no problem. That was with 10 people and suitcases in as well.

Thanks Dazvr6, that's much more what I want to hear!

Must be a different engine then because our one apparently struggled to stay at 60 on the motorway (I never went above 30 in it - a speed I wish I hadn't exceeded in the aforementioned Land Rover :D)

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here!
It took an eternity to get to 80, the gearbox was always a pig to find 3rd and the steering relied on 'using the force' to predict which direction you would actually go!

They are cheap and cheerful but it got the job done.

The essence of this thread!

LDV's are in my experience somewhat agricultural load luggers. Gearbox and clutch failures were common with ours but were always just partial failures (rattly or juddery clutches, losing 1 gear, that kind of thing) the damn things just kept running. Other than that, they did the job fairly well... and we absolutely knock the stuffing out of our fleet.
If I had to buy one privately though... I'd rather a vodka and razor wire enema, myself...

Well, if anyone down Enfield way fancies a look at this one , I'd be very grateful. If it's any good, I'll bid on it!

I've had a similar comment from a mechanic who maintained a fleet of LWB Convoys, though he reckons that for what we want, it will do a decent job.

That looks just the job Jim. Go for it.

Well, it's got the legendary "banana" engine! The bloke sounded very genuine on the phone (he works for a council, not a car dealer!) though he reckoned he had other, better ones for the job, as he described this one as a plugger. The others will be more expensive though. This one looks clean and fairly well-maintained (inspected every 6 weeks), and I think the 8-seat layout may put some people off (football clubs for example) but I'm not sure about the front access. I'm going to head down to his yard next week and see what he's got.

I imagine there is no front passenger seat. I also think he will have a spare for you. Dont forget to ask for the seat belt assembly. Give him a bell and ask,he may get it all done before you arrive.

If not ebay should have some on sale. Good luck with it.

Same as the one we had but with less seats. Take it for a spin if you can and see what the steering/gears/smoke are like on it.

Joe, I think the layout makes it impossible to fit another front seat because of the steps up into the bus. It's not a deal-breaker, but it would be better to have 2 or 3 up front. It does have 8 behind, so we can take half of those out and still achieve our goal. Apparently it has rails fitted and a wide central gangway with 2 sets of 2 on each side. As the auction ends before I can get to look at it, I doubt I'll bid on it, but it does look the right kind of thing.

Going to try to get Monday afternoon off work to go and see the minibus I linked to above this one for you lazy buggers! Can anyone hazard a guess why it's so much cheaper and has fewer bids than similar vehicles. The same seller has a Cat D 06 plate Convoy with a number of mechanical issues that is at £1700 with 20-odd bids!

Spoke to soon, it's getting bids now...

I think the one above has been rejected by MrsC for the solo driver configuration. Looking at a few others tomorrow.

Getting insurance is proving difficult as nobody knows whether to call it a minibus or a van or a car. May have to re-register it with the seats taken out, then re-re-register it when we put them back in to sell it!

If i may go on a slight tangent for a second... Just how much of a faff is this re-registering business? I've been toying with the idea of replacing the Astro with a mini bus based camper.

Not sure yet, Jimbob, but I'll let you know if it comes to it. Plenty of people seem to do it for your purpose so it can't be that hard. Best quote I've had is £700 including European breakdown (essential!). We can pay in 3 instalments with no extra interest, so as long as we re-sell we should only need to pay 1/3 of it.
Off to look at a couple of minibuses today daaahn in Enfield!

Any news Jim?

I shall be making an announcement shortly...!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the search is over.
Without further ado, I give you:



Max the Minibus.



Bearing a few hastily-covered scabs of rust and some fairly crusty wheel-arches...



...more seats than I have friends...



... very reasonable mileage...



The very latest in ICE...

And...



Only bloody CUP HOLDERS!

All for the princely, budget-busting sum of £1750. But it's got the Transit 2.5TD engine and 5-speed box (forgot to take a picture...), immaculately maintained and a new MOT on 01/02/2014.

Drove it back from Enfield and it seems so far to fit the bill perfectly.

Next question: Just how good is WD40 at freeing seized seat-anchor bolts...?!

I managed to get the rear row out yesterday, but I had to saw off one bolt after it tore off the nut lug (slightly rusty floor...!). I have a decent socket set and a very effective 18"-long torque wrench, but it's a bit of a struggle!

Jim, she (sorry, he) looks just the job. All you have to do now is fit a bigger turbo and some lowering springs.... .

Good luck!

Tim

Great find Jim, love the academic touch above the screen!
The transit engine will be much more biddable then the standard sloth.

Were you expecting wine glass holders then?

Hang on a wee minute - before you rip out all the seats...

DAY OUT TO THE SEASIDE!

As someone who still finds cup holders a novelty, I am just made up that this most utilitarian of beasts actually has some!

Well done Jim. I presume never raced or ralleyd but alas driven by teachers.

You got the right engine there. Fully loaded it should be happy at 70mph allday.

It should do about 30/33 mpg.

Do LDV van drivers drink from cups?

Looks a beaut Jim, well done!

Dunno, but it came with 2 free (used) paper cups in the door bin...

Looks like a decent buy.
The seats should have some sale value as they are fitted with 3-point belts.

The guy we bought it from did us a favour, as he rightly pointed out that he'd get close to £2k for the bus with a 12 month ticket. We are hoping to resell it when we get back and recoup as much as possible, so I don't think we'll sell the seats, but it is an option. I'll have to do a bit of research and see how we'll get most back.

Another issue has been the insurance. I'm paying £670 for MrsC and me, which seems astonishingly high. And that is not including the extra £100 for the AA European breakdown...

Looks like its up to the job.

Is that short term insurance Jim, or were you paying installments and just cancel it when you sell it.
I would have thought they could do a 2 month, 3k mile limited policy but hey ho.

You'd think, Nobby. They would only do us a full year - and I did shop around a bit. Some insurers were more put off by the fact that I wanted to take seats out than by the idea of me transporting 17 people!

But there's still something to be said for going straight from the bottle, eh Jim?

Indeed, Simon, especially one of those 2-litre Tesco value cider bottles*. Try getting one of those babies in a crappy cup-holder.

*I was going to say Buckfast, but thought I might get sued...

I'm trying to find somewhere on the web with a full spec sheet for the LDV (with stuff like fuel tank capacity, etc). Anyone know where to look?

The Wiki is good on history and Parkers has a few dimensions/model types, but I can't find the full horror anywhere...

This site has some info (more for some variants than others), can't seem to find fuel tank capacity anywhere though. Fill his tank to the brim and take a note?

http://www.helpfindmea.co.uk/vans/specs/ldv-convoy-specifications-65/

Good link Jim, seems to think capacity is 70 litres.

Well, if it's 70 litres, I was running on fumes yesterday, as I put 70 litres in it. I assumed 75, but maybe I was just very, very lucky the petrol station was no further!

Many thanks for the link, Jim.

Got the impression there was a 100 litre option.

Hmmm, of the 2, 70 seems most likely, unless the gauge is like something out of 70's BL. Ah...

Looking through all the variants, i can only find 64 or 70 litre options. Not to say that there isn't a larger, unlisted one.

Ours was a 70 litre and the orange light used to come on when it needed a top up.

Thanks all. I have to assume mine is the 70 litre. I guess I should be able to work it out when I've filled up next time.

Next: the quest for a 4-bike tow-bar (but not ball-hitch) bike rack!

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/300955727382 ?

Thanks Jimbob. Looks good, but a bit out of our price range!

What about one of these Jim. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LDV-Roof-Rack-...=item4acf330434

I thought about a roof rack, Joe (was watching the one you linked to), but there are 2 problems: 1 - as it's a high-roof we need extended brackets to fit it and I couldn't find these easily or cheaply and 2 - the dramatic effect it will have on the fuel economy!
I have a Halfords tow-bar fitting bike carrier loaned from a friend, but sadly, they left the plate bolted to the tow bar of the last vehicle they used it on and sold it! Don't know if I can find the part or maybe get it fabricated.

Is it worth asking Halfords if their wonderful customer services extends to supplying spares for the stuff they sell Jim?

Could do! I'm heading that way this afternoon in any case, so I'll take it with me... Good idea, Pete.

Meh. Halfords denied all knowledge, saying they "don't even make that model any more".

I've asked a local metal shop if they can make the part up (though I'll have to guess what it looks like as there is no picture of it!) and they said £15/quarter hour welding/machining plus materials.

I reckon that means about £30 and I can get a second hand bike rack on eBay for around £60. However, most of these require an actual tow ball, which we don't have (there are electrics, but there's a step bolted to the bracket instead) so I'd have to buy a ball as well for around a tenner. The daft thing is, we'll use it once then sell it (like the bus).

Anyone fancy lending me one...?!

Jim, do you really need one? 4 bikes, handlebars loosened and prepared for transporting will not take up that much room within the vehicle itself. Bike shops should be happy to give you spare boxes if you want to keep them neatly contained/protected during the journey.

Mark, you may have a point there. I think as there isn't anything 'techy' involved in twisting the handlebars round, our Jim could do that!

If you take a pedal off as well as loosening the handlebar - really easy Jim, where the handlebar central rod disappears down into the front fork there will be a humungous nut - might some of them thread underneath the van's seats?

I take your point, gents, but 4 bikes - even folded or partially dismantled - will take up a significant proportion of the load space in the bus (over 10%, I'd guess). Given that a) we are trying to get all our worldly possession into 1 van and b) it is possible to carry bicycles outside the vehicle (unlike, say, the Indian cupboard that takes up roughly the same volume) it seems daft not to attempt to save the space.
If it comes down to it, we'll probably end up leaving/selling the bikes, but I just know that will cost us in the long run.

Hang some (flattened) on Max's inside walls if you remove the overhead storage lockers?

Out of interest how many of the seats are you removing?

I think the lockers will be needed.

We have already removed 7 seats and will be taking out a further 4, leaving 3 across the front and another 3 behind.

The space is already quite impressive, but so is the amount of stuff we'll need to carry. Only 5 humans and a cat now, as step-daughter is staying behind.

I found out that there is a very good and helpful company based in Cambridge called skydrive.co.uk (or carracks.co.uk ) who may have a suitable attachment for my loaned rack or a cheap alternative. I'm going to have a look at the weekend.

First possible gremlin...

The van runs very cool (according to the gauge) and it takes an hour before any warmth comes from the heater.

My instincts would say thermostat. Any views?

Should I replace it or boil it...?!

Try this..

"After Max cools down, open the bonnet, start the engine and let it run. You feel the coolant pipes with you hand, at first two pipes are cold, if the thermostat is ok, the one without thermostat will warm up and heat up first because it is not isolated by thermostat with the hot coolant in the engine block. The pipe hooked with the thermostat should be cold until the thermostat opens."

(E&OE)

What Simon is say is 'I think your stat has had it'... I agree. The test is a good one, though if it's a diesel it can take ages before it gets to temperature just idling and you might have to try the old lorry driver's trick of a slab of cardboard covering half the radiator...

It maybe obvious, but have you checked there's actually water, and that it's flowing? No water = no dash reading.

I'd be inclined to think the thermostat was either stuck open or knackered; I spent 40 minutes in slow-moving traffic yesterday before any warmth came from the heater and the needle on the gauge was still below mid-way.
There is definitely coolant in the system, though how much it is circulating, I can't be sure.

Could well be worth waiting until cold and bleeding the system. It doesn't take much to get an air lock.

I'd expect the vehicle up to temperature far sooner if it was crawling in traffic. I doubt the radiator will be that efficient.

It is possible that the water pump has failed but if you didn't have a yellowstone experience in three quarters of an hour I suspect it's pumping fine.

Not always. I've seen more than a few cars with failed pumps that wouldn't overheat. Seemingly the temperature difference was enough to induce a flow of sorts. Given the description I'd agree the water pump isn't at fault though.

Could it be a small airlock? Cavitation? Silt? Possible. It just seems exceptionally slow given the vehicle usage.

I'll have a look over the weekend. As Barnacle says, the entire lack of any geyser-type action makes me think that the gauge is telling the truth and it is running cool. Though whether that is due to the thermostat, I remain to discover! A good squeeze of the hoses to start with, perhaps...

Ours used to get hot within 10 minutes of driving even in winter.
As said above check out the hose temps first to see if the stat is working although running cool may be a bonus once you get to spain!

All good points!

It could be the stat Jim!

What you need is a thermostatistician!

Is that like a really hot statistician? Only I'm not sure MrsC would buy that if she found one with her head under my bonnet. So to speak.

And more importantly, squeezing your hose

Well quite!

No progress made on thermostats/hoses, although I have found that I can source either the thermostat on its own (will need gasket(s) presumably) for £9 or the entire housing including the stat for £18. As long as the hoses are in good shape, that might be a simpler option.

I've now removed the remaining excess seats leaving the front 3 and one row of 3 behind. The rest of the bus is now a cargo area roughly 8' x 6' x 6' in height, plus overhead bays. I'm now planning to build a shelf of about 3' x 5' to go over the cab, using some ply and a length of angle iron.

The only slightly disappointing things I've discovered are patches of corrosion that go right through the top of each rear wheel arch where the seats hid them and what I suspect is a slightly leaky fuel tank. Strange how it passed its MOT...!

Anyway, it is not a new, luxury vehicle and did not cost a king's ransom, so I'm not too worried about either, although tips on how to deal with the wheelarches simply and inexpensively would be welcome!

If the tank is leaking you need to sort that pronto. Nothing more dangerous than fuel vapour.

Re the thermostat, is it not a variant between engine options? You're probably correct that it's easier to change the unit. If it's the same as yours.

Not sure how much vapour you get from diesel at normal temperatures? But I'll certainly have it looked at...

There are 2 options on the engine, and it's definitely the Duratorq 2.4 TD, so it ought to be quite straightforward.

Grind the arches back, rust treat and fibreglass, just to stop any water getting in till you sell it.

Compared with the Duck tape-based solution I had in mind, this sounds like a much more thorough (and effective) approach. Sadly, well beyond me at the moment (I have no grinder, no rust treatment, no fibreglass and no time).

But I really wish I had all these things! Thanks Daz.

Is it too much of a job for hammerite?

Hammerite might do a job, in conjunction with a bit of "back-to-metal" type stuff. I know that if I pick at the wafery bits, I'll soon be putting my finger on the tyres...

You can borrow my grinder and welder Jim. What could possibly go wrong?

Nobby, if I didn't know better, I'd think this might be a set-up for you've been framed. You read the bit about the leaky fuel tank, I presume...?!

The grinder bit I could deal with, but I've never done any welding in my life. I read the thread, so I won't ask "how hard could it be?!"

£250 for every clip used Jim. We can split it 60/40.

OK, but you pay the medical bills!

Nowt wrong with duck tape.
Get some rust treatment on it then duck tape it though!

What about fixing the arches with some zinc sheet,mastic and pop rivitt it to fix firm.
Then coat both sides with underseal/bitumin.

That's what I'd do. Quick and easy

Sounds a reasonable plan. I have a pop rivet gun somewhere, though I haven't used it for ages...

Presumably as your van got its MOT the rust isn't structural. Therefore I'd go with what ever is easier to do when repairing. It'll need to look credible to avoid critique next time though. Pop rivets can sometimes be frowned on so do coat well when you've finished. And paint the holes to isolate the rivet from the steel.

Well, to be honest, my reasons for the duct tape bodge are mostly to avoid exactly that. The corrosion is minor (certainly not structural) and I'd rather the new purchaser (in not much over 8 weeks' time) was able to see the true position, not my inevitably-shit repair work making it look catastrophic.

Did you not say you had holes? Holes constitute significant corrosion. As long as they're not in a structural area you can repair as you see fit.

If they're small you could use a fibre glass filled filler.

There would be holes if I picked away at the rust, which I agree is significant, but given my lack of time, money and skill, I'm not sure anything I can do will be better than literally a sticking plaster and honesty fix. I imagine a high percentage of similar vehicles will have the same problem, so I don't think it will massively impact on our resale prospects.

I see what you're saying. I once owned a Hyundai S Coupé, terrible car thanks to the auto box on it, that had a blister of rust on the arch. Two days later, a tub of glass fibre and plenty of metal bashing I'd just rebuilt the return lip and got the rust out. It looked good, but all that work for a cosmetic item. Didn't affect the price when I sold it.

And you clearly know what you're doing; not an accusation that could be levelled at me in this instance!

Did the thermostat on my Van - a Manzda Bongo 2.5TD. It was easy. But the key consideration is to bleed it properly afterwards. There should be a youtube video on how to do it.

The Stat should open at about 85 degrees so having a cooking thermometer handy is a good idea to make sure you bleed the system AFTER the stat has opened. Otherwise, half the system could have air in it.

Regarding the rust, if it is not structural, I'd be inclined to leave it and perhaps get a friendly welder to patch it when you get back. I've had similar done previously for about £40. I did the prep myself by cutting out the rust in a square with an angle grinder which I borrowed from the neighbour. Then patch welded in, and slap a load of underseal on it !..... well, I would spray anti rust primer on it first... but if you're not keeping it....

Thanks for the tip, Gripped. I've put the thermostat on the back burner (so to speak) as it doesn't hinder the way the bus runs (not in this weather, anyway...) I've booked it in with Cambridge Council, who do servicing for the public and I figured they have probably seen more LDV vans than I've had rusty wheel arches. I've warned them about the leaky tank, though I hope it turns out to be a hose or clip or something (trying to kid myself).
I bought this Witter ZX99 bike carrier today, after checking that it fit the tow bar and that the upright had sufficient deviation to miss the rear doors as they overhang the bar. I'll be putting it straight on eBay when we get home (unless someone here wants it...), so I hope I don't lose out too heavily. Probably should have looked at renting one, but the thought only occured to me as I was carrying the bloody thing out of the shop.

The latest project is to build and fit a shelf to go over the cab, providing a lot of extra luggage space. It's proving a bit trickier than I anticipated, largely because I've been trying to use some old chipboard panels that we have lying around. The problem is that the panels are too small and too heavy, so trying to use 2 sections to make a shelf is really not working out. I've put a piece of angle steel across the cab behind the seats and a strip of rolled steel from it to the roof seam above the windscreen, but the 2 sections of chipboard are just too precarious and I foresee them falling down and bashing us on the head as we navigate the first road-calming bump on our way to Spain. Can anyone suggest candidates for the cheapest, strongest material to cut down from a single 2m x 1m sheet? I imagine ply is probably the answer, but is there any plastic alternative?

Can you drill holes in the shelving and tie to supports?

However if I you have two pieces of shelving instead of one that's always liable to be less secure - if you can actually manoeuvre a single piece into the space of course.