My bother in law is seriously thinking about buying a ten year old Dodge Day van imported from the states. It has 5.7litre engine, electric bed etc - but are they a good long term buy?
They will use it to drive around London and for holidays with their two kids. I have warned them about the fuel consumption - I reckon 18mpg at very best. They have been told that parts are very cheap and it is almost rust free - anything else they should be wary of or check?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I think they are paying around £3,800 - they are satisfied that the present mechanic owner has looked after it and they are thinking of converting to gas......
many thanks
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u seen the state of traffic in london recently ?
you must be kidding...
remote roads in scotland maybe
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Sounds like a lot of fun and £3,800 is not a lot of money if they dont like it.These days with the net,creditcards and the likes of DHL parts for anything especially the US will not be a problem.
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Sounds good. BUT gas it. (LPG-Half price=36 MPG)
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Make sure it's more than 10 years old or it will b subject to Enhanced SVA, which it probably won't pass.
HJ
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Under 10 year old LHD import only needs standard SVA,restrictive practice or what?
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i think it will be a miracle to get 18 mpg in london.
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Great idea if as long as you don't want to park it anywhere...
...remember that:
1/it will be too big and wide for multi-stories
2/Unless have some kind of viewing gadget, it will be an utter nightmare to reverse park _assuming_ you can find an on-street space in the first place.
This writer frequently tows a large box van trailer with a Vauxhall Monterey 4 x 4 into town centres to collect old telephone equipment for recycling, hence need to find optimum places for loading. A similar kind of difficult rig to park. Oh yes, and we tow a 23ft caravan (no we don't live in a lay-by) and the combined 40ft++ length of the outfit needs a lot of forward planning for what we can/can't get to. Some HGV artics are shorter.
rg
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What about using the method one of my work colleagues uses in her Peugeot 106: Braille Parking
Seems to work for her perfectly though I generally try and avoid parking my own car near her...
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Hello Dan,
I've said before... What are bumpers for if not for bumping?
David
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Hiya David
If I catch anyone [missus included] near the bumpers of my new motor there'll be trouble!
All ready for Christmas? [Non motoring but who cares, it is the festive season after all!]
Dan
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No Dan, badly behind. Too many Citroens needing timing belts/tensioners/rear wheel cylinders/brake shoes/brake fluid/new coolant. The last three jobs have been ZX/306s all with the same needs.
But.....I have just bought a set of Xmas lights I'm excited about. Nearly good enough for another thread, guess they had them in London years ago but tech things are slow to hit The Fens. Interesting thing is they are weatherproof and transformed to 24V. Wonder if they will light at all with 12V, in or on the car?
David
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David W wrote:
>
> No Dan, badly behind. Too many Citroens needing timing
> belts/tensioners/rear wheel cylinders/brake shoes/brake
> fluid/new coolant. The last three jobs have been ZX/306s all
> with the same needs.
Am still short of one of my other half's presents and at this rate she may have to go without. Re replacing various Citroen parts, I've just had to replace my entire car so it could have been worse.
> But.....I have just bought a set of Xmas lights I'm excited
> about. Nearly good enough for another thread, guess they had
> them in London years ago but tech things are slow to hit The
> Fens. Interesting thing is they are weatherproof and
> transformed to 24V. Wonder if they will light at all with
> 12V, in or on the car?
I am already seeing the headlines in the Fen Chronicle... Very festive though. Do they twinkle? Very nice I thought but last Christmas lighting purchase had to be returned because I discovered twinkling lights and hangovers do not mix. Am actually down in London on business for a couple of days and as I was leaving the house yesterday, SWMBO was walking around with my lump hammer because she'd had some "difficulty in getting the decorations up" so heaven knows what I am going back to...
Cue Martyn:
Lads, can you do this via email please? :-) Sorry Martyn...
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Dan J wrote:
> Cue Martyn:
>
> Lads, can you do this via email please? :-) Sorry Martyn...
It *is* Christmas. Almost...
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Don't try the sport of "contact parking" in The North.
In direct contrast to their general friendliness, folks are more precious about their cars. What goes in Brixton/Soho does not go in Middlesbrough. Folks may consider you to have infringed their civil liberties/questioned their parentage/dishonoured their family name for succeeding generations by nudging your bumper against theirs at a closing speed of less than one metre per day.
My point about the camper vans is that there may not even be a space half the length of what is required in an area radius of three miles in some parts of London.
Some are equipped with CCTV reversing cameras. Honest.
rg
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David W wrote:
> I've said before... What are bumpers for if not for bumping?
rg bhaji wrote:
> Don't try the sport of "contact parking" in The North.
I'm with rg here: would not DARE contact park outside my office, next door to a taxi company, usually lots of large men hanging around, not all of them taxi drivers!
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> " I've said before... What are bumpers for if not for bumping? "
Which begs the question as to why some manufacturers put lights in them!
S.
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>"Wonder if they will light at all with 12V, in or on the car?"
Now that I 'would' like to see twinkling away crossing the Fens at midnight. Certainly more visible than front fogs.
S.
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