So I’ve got several vans at work all nice and new which should be great for when I need one for my hobbies, except they are all loaded and always out at work. I have my elgrand but with a lot of mtb trips being dirty and a long way the mpg is a bit much.
On another forum I saw one of the regulars selling a 2010 Vito with 185k miles for £2500. Today I collected it and had a nice 100 mile drive home, far better than I imagined with this amount of miles on. Sat at 80mph in comfort bo knocks rattle and drove as it should.
So what’s the plan, not much. There’s some corrosion on rear arches so I’ll get that done, I’ll put a double din carplay stereo in and some seat covers. Cab will get a deep clean. Rear will get lined and carpeted as I do with all my vans. Apart from that it’s well maintained and will get used, nice enough to be in and cheap enough not to care
Potter wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 7:44 am
Carpet on the floor? I'd probably put lino or something*, then hose the mud out when you've used it, obviously the water will eventually seep in and rust it from the inside but it's cheap enough that you can throw it away and start again when that eventually happens - if something else doesn't kill it first.
*I used lino and then carpet cut-offs as rugs in my vans and I still use them now in the garage, it gives that little bit of luxury and you can shake them out, or throw them out and they're cheap and instant to replace.
I'm a big fan of this sort of economics btw and I'd be doing the same as you FWIW, like you said "cheap enough not to care", it's a totally stress free experience when you've got less than 10% of your cash position sitting in a vehicle on the driveway.
I’ll look for some rubber floor coating we’ve got some mats in the yard.
For the last 20 years I’ve always bought new or nearly new cars and vans. Before that I did it this way, driving this back I forgot how relaxing it is being in something I just don’t care about. It cost half the price of my MTB ! Haven’t gone the full way with my car but it’s £12k instead of the £30k+I had been spending. Having had the expensive stuff I seem to be going the opposite way these days.
I’ve got my car, this van and my elgrand for half what my neighbour has in his new Kia
From the Vitos Ive seen over the years the main issues have been metalworm and the engines seem pretty tight in the longterm.
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember) but they seem to have got better with the paint since then.
If the arches are rusty check the sills for rust too, around the front jacking points is the usual problem area. Otherwise they're good vans and £2500 is a bargain price. The engines go on for ever
demographic wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:13 am
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember)
Like all Mercs, full stop!
As an aside, I once saw one of those what if type questions. If you could only drive one brand of 4 wheeled vehicle for the rest of your life l, what would it be?
Gotta be Mercedes. You can have a van, a hatchback, a V8 supercar, a limo, a lorry...
demographic wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:13 am
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember)
Like all Mercs, full stop!
As an aside, I once saw one of those what if type questions. If you could only drive one brand of 4 wheeled vehicle for the rest of your life l, what would it be?
Gotta be Mercedes. You can have a van, a hatchback, a V8 supercar, a limo, a lorry...
demographic wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:13 am
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember)
Like all Mercs, full stop!
As an aside, I once saw one of those what if type questions. If you could only drive one brand of 4 wheeled vehicle for the rest of your life l, what would it be?
Gotta be Mercedes. You can have a van, a hatchback, a V8 supercar, a limo, a lorry...
Mitsubishi for me, I could even have an aeroplane, or an air conditioning unit
demographic wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:13 am
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember)
Like all Mercs, full stop!
As an aside, I once saw one of those what if type questions. If you could only drive one brand of 4 wheeled vehicle for the rest of your life l, what would it be?
Gotta be Mercedes. You can have a van, a hatchback, a V8 supercar, a limo, a lorry...
I'm ok with Toyota/Lexus and dont they own Yamaha as well?
demographic wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:13 am
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember)
Like all Mercs, full stop!
As an aside, I once saw one of those what if type questions. If you could only drive one brand of 4 wheeled vehicle for the rest of your life l, what would it be?
Gotta be Mercedes. You can have a van, a hatchback, a V8 supercar, a limo, a lorry...
demographic wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:13 am
For a few years (around 2005 or so) they were absolutely hanging with rust popping up everywhere (like all merc vans from that age as far as I remember)
Like all Mercs, full stop!
As an aside, I once saw one of those what if type questions. If you could only drive one brand of 4 wheeled vehicle for the rest of your life l, what would it be?
Gotta be Mercedes. You can have a van, a hatchback, a V8 supercar, a limo, a lorry...
Mercedes for me, I’ve got an e-class, the missus a c-class and this Vito. I like ‘em especially the e-class
