BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jul 30, 2015 19:06:29 GMT
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Please see the last page for the purchase and ultimate demise of my Vito! Hello Retro Rides. After a bit of thought my next venture is going to be with a Day van, or camper of some sort. It will be used for lugging surf boards, kayaks and fishing gear around. Hopefully with a rock and roll bed so that I can have a kip and hopefully travel a little further away than I have done so far. It is very apparent that the T4 is the van of choice, although I am sure they warrant the premium they demand I can not justify the expense that they incur. This has made me look elsewhere, for something a little different and most of all more affordable. With this in mind I have found myself looking at the early Vito. The one I am on about started in 1997 I think so hopefully that deems it pre 2000 and suitable to be here? (I hope!) Now firstly. Can they look cool, if so can people please share me some photos as I am struggling to find some that tick my boxes. I do like this though.  This seems a little silly, but credit for the effort.  Now I have been offered a van but would love some input from those of you who may have had more experience with the Vito. Many people have told me "stay away!" but I cant help but wonder. I know they rust, I have a classic mini and am a fabricator by trade, so I am not hugely worried by this although something I am aware of. The van I have been offered is a early 1998 model, 125k and is the 2.4 non turbo. I am concerned that the non turbo will be a gutless barge, is this a fair conclusion to come to or am I being unfair? I am not after a rocket ship, I want something to cruise down the motorway comfortably at 70mph and return me a decent MPG. I also don't want tractors to be coming past me on inclines, just a basic, simple, easy motoring experience really. With this van being a R reg, what are the chances of it being mechanical fuel injection? I ask this as I hear this talk about veg oil, may make it a little cheaper to lug around the country. Has anyone owned one? If so what was your experience like? |
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Last Edit: Oct 23, 2015 13:26:55 GMT by BT: Title change.
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Jul 30, 2015 21:46:33 GMT
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I really like the look of these - always have. The view from behind with those box arches and a substantial drop - most excellent.
However, my brother-in-law had an early SWB non-turbo diesel and it was fairly terrible.
Monsterous rims and a body kit didn't hide it's apetite to rust. Everywhere.
The interior was chinese cracker toy cheap and it was slower than a drunken sloth.
He now has, wait for it - a T4.
Go for it though. Make a cool one.
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'03 Porsche 996 C2 3.6 - Sort of Retro
'84 Porsche 924 - Definitely Retro!
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Jul 30, 2015 21:48:01 GMT
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I love the look of the Mk1s - a really nice brick  Mk 2s look like beached guppys.. Sadly the Mk1 is FWD so less hoon potential. I've heard about the rust - there's one up the road - in sort of 'exec people carrier spec' (leather 2 x 3 x 3 seating) that's crusting up a bit here and there so it's more than just a bad rep. Have a look out for a Westfalia Marco Polo maybe- proper pop-tip Vito camper that.  Most customs seem to be all about big rims and big plastic bumpers. Personally I'd like a Pov-spec in Orange (or maybe a decommissioned German airport service truck/ fire truck) with some tasteful low and winter 17" steels from a Audi A8 or similar. Not quite that:  nice apart from bull bars  Lots of plastic   Simple but good - I like the unpainted bumper look. Less showy.  Fire!  rims |
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mikeymk
Part of things
'85 Polo Coupe S 1.6 16v
Posts: 931
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Jul 30, 2015 21:59:35 GMT
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I had one in the 90's. got a brand new 108 on an R-plate and did 45k miles in it multidrop driving.
The door mirrors were vulnerable. Even then they were seventy quid. There are plastic cups to seat the sliding doors in the closed position, these smashed for breakfast. The clutch shattered on me twice in three years, the steering rack failed, and i had to buy headlight bulbs pretty much every other time i stopped for diesel.
Mine was oak green, though the paint was so thin it had white coming through by the time i handed it back. It was my company car so i used it in my own time, and we had a lot of fun with it, taking mountain bikes places, loading up half the pub for house parties, i don't remember the 2.3 4-pot being bad on fuel but i'm pretty sure it wasn't a turbo. The gear lever on the dash made it easy to work hard, but like i say, the mechanicals weren't quite up to the job.
The driver's seat squab took a hammering though, despite my skinny frame, i really had to volley in order to not rub the seat.
One place i delivered to was a golf club, and one german customer had one in Yellow on wide AMG wheels, i really liked it. I do think they're a good van but i wouldn't wanna try and find a good one this far down the line.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jul 30, 2015 22:15:38 GMT
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Thanks for the replies guys. Sorry for the bad reply but it's from bed via my phone!
Their reputation seems to proceed them. The one I have been offered has suffered from rot but I am planning to give it a visit Wednesday evening. Rust isn't a huge bother for me to be fair, it's just gauging if it is within reach. I used to know a sound man who used to do a lot of concerts, he had a vito which had suffered from rust. He cut the offending area out and ground back the metal until it was good. He then painted a load of oxide red hammerite over the area and pop riveted Galv sheet over the holes in a very agricultural style. I used to rip it but the thing kept going and going, even when out transit was dead.
Having spent a lot of time in transits and French vans I think it may take some doing to disappoint me interior wise. That said I will be sure to pay it some attention when viewing.
Thanks for those photos, between some of them I can kind of hodge podge together something that I can imagine myself with.
The one I am looking at is a twin sliding door. These will be removed and replaced for doors with the glass in, found a pair on eBay for £100 which makes it seem more camper and less builder. Thinking of getting some capitan chair bases and some cheaper heated leathers to go up front. I have found a lot of bed plans so can get some material for that.
I am thinking a matte colour, a light smoke tint on all windows (as far as the law will allow obviously) combined with some Banded space savers or just some AMG wheels.
I have a 300bhp wagon for fun, a classic mini at 150bhp, so this doesn't exactly have to fit into the hoonable category (although my sideways transit, and ranger did have a reputation of being awesome in the wet). Mpg, reliability and comfort are quite high up on the list.
The one I have been offered is a 2.4 N/A diesel at (in the sellers words) £300ish. I find myself going through phases quickly, they usually last 6 months. Paying £300 for a vito rather than £3000 for a T4 may keep my interest in the vito a little longer. If the. Ito makes it to 12 months I may well have to look into the options of upgrading to a T4, that's if the vito is seriously unbearable.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jul 30, 2015 22:22:06 GMT
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Sorry mikeyreplied at the same time.
Interesting to hear of your experience. I am cautious about their reputation, hence my thread so your reply is helpful.
Build quality does concern me, I often wonder if a life of private ownership would result in a longer lasting vehicle in comparison to a company vehicle. For example I have a Renault master as a work van which I use to lug tonnes of stainless fabrications and tools around the country. I drive it as probably 90% of other company van drivers do and have had several failures. Clutch slave twice, gearbox at the cost of £3200, rear wheel bearings like they're going out of fashion, injectors, all sorts. A friend of mine has one for his mx bike, same year, same model and even from the same dealer, his is on very similar mileage and has not had a single issue.
The above is probably rubbish and my way of trying to justify buying one haha.
I do believe that our of the bunch, the vito may be a better van when considering bang for your buck?
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Last Edit: Jul 30, 2015 22:23:47 GMT by BT
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dikkehemaworst
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,628
Club RR Member Number: 16
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Yeah , i had one , but it ate the clutch , gearbox and the backdoorsliders if your not super carefull. I'd buy one if it came with an extended warranty again. I loved sitting in it. But if your a fabricator , buy something old from japan. There is this more than lovely toyota hi ace campervan on this forum that really made me want one , and i do not like j-tin in general. www.tradecarview.com is a nice site |
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Thanks for the replies once again.
It does seem as though there are a lot of negative experiences with the Vito van. That said, I think it does boil down to your own experience and having to make your own mind up.
Unfortunately I have never had a good experience with anything J, because of such I am very reluctant to go anywhere near them, they just don't float my boat. I think I will be going German or nothing to be fair, not due to thinking they're "cool" or the "In Thing" at the minute but because I have enjoyed every German marque I have dealt with. I currently have a Caddy van, 185k and goes so well and has constantly impressed me, which is another big selling point for the T4. If it is half as good as the caddy I will love it.
I have found a couple of T4's that are within budget but they all have problems.
I think that I am going to go and have a look at this vito next week and make my mind up from there.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Also. Does anyone know if the two Barn style doors on the rear can be ditched in favour of an up and over style door?
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markbognor
South East
 
Posts: 9,970
Club RR Member Number: 56
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Those are cool!
Does anyone know the favoured method of lowering with these? Coilovers seem non existent other than £1,300 worth of bilstein and springs only seem to go down to -50mm
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I've been looking at these. if you want a bit of performance go for the v280 . its got the vw vr6 engine in it . its a tight fit under the bonnet and its heavy on fuel . I wonder how one would go with a golf r32 engine in it ?
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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I was looking at those earlier as it happens on a merc forum. I have a VR6 for my caddy van, the VR6 goes very well.
I also have an R32, I have just driven 250 miles and managed to average 32.9mpg which I suppose isn't that bad for a remapped 280bhp car.
With the vito I am hoping for something nearer 40mpg. Or better yet be able to run it on veg oil.
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Afraid I don't have any personal experience apart from seeing a few nice ones on the roads.
One thing to note is that since I bought my elgrand a few people have been telling me about vitos as though everyone is doing a vito camper up or selling a vito camper.
I guess this could be a good thing? Not sure if it's people that used to convert VWs who are getting Vitos now to avoid scene tax or what the reason is but the people telling me aren't even car people particularly.
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I owned a people carrier version, with the 2.2 engine...anyway over the couple of years that i owned it, the thing ate its ECU by immobilising itself which was apparently a common issue. Mercedes wanted stupid money to fix it, in the end i replaced the ECU with an unlocked one from the internet...that was still about 250 quid. Then it had injector problems, those cost about 500 quid.They also suffer from issues with the central locking, it can fail to lock all the doors...which is a minor inconvenience to be fair. The van was great when it was running, i enjoyed driving it.
In all honesty, I'd never touch one again...i've always been a transit man myself and those are hardly known for being corrosion proof but the vitos are paper thin. Fabricator or not the vitos build quality is pretty shonky. It's like they've been blown over with an aerosol can at the factory...i honestly don't know how they managed to make a van that rusts that badly.
If you don't want a VW t5 i'd consider a traffic or a vivaro before considering a vito again.
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We use a Vito as a private ambulance at work and it's awful. The previous one was a Vivaro and it was a lot more reliable and dare I say it......better put together.
It just so happens that I have a X reg Vito at the bottom of the garden which needs to be sold.....
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1993 Mercedes-Benz 190e LE in Azzuro Blue.
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EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,934
Club RR Member Number: 108
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I'll struggle to say anything positive about these so I'll post pics instead.  Ahem, yeah of course it's a Vito. Shuddup.   GAH I CANT KEEP IT UP ANYMORE THEY'RE AWFUL Get one of these:  |
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squonk
Part of things
Posts: 864
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We looked into buying one a couple of years ago as a day van/dog wagon/family bus/removal van etc. After a lot of research and talking to owners of them the overwhelming theme was 'don't go near one'. Appart from the rust issues I also discovered that the fuel injection system (diesel) is made of paper (well, plastic really) and failures are numerous and very expensive to put right.
Instead I bought a Mk3 Renault Grand Espace. It's the mechanical diesel, not electronic and I don't regret it for a minute. Other than regular service parts it's been 100% reliable despite having starship mileage on it. And on a run you can squeeze 50+ mpg out of it.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71
2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet
1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon
1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump)
1992 Toyota HiLux Surf
1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty)
1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty)
2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager
2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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I work in the music industry and we use the exec version of the later Vito for moving the bands around. They drive well, but are horrendous on maintenance costs. We did have 4 the same as you're looking at previously, were the worst vehicles I've ever known.... Had a total of 6 new engines within the first 50k miles of using 'em....Ate clutches for fun, front tyre wear was abysmal, killed injectors every 50k miles, gearbox was made of plasticine, the interior trim was worse than an LDV Maxus, plus everything already mentioned above.... Unfortunately, the early model Vito was prob the worst Merc ever made, and damaged their reputation severely....
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'96 Volvo 850T5 x2, '97 Alfa 145 Cloverleaf '96 Alfa 155, '91 XR2i 2.0 Zetec (sold), '88 BMW 520i slug (sold), '81 Escort Mk3 Project, '68 Mk1 Escort Estate, Berlingo Parts Chaser.
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Why would anyone hate themselves so much that they buy a Vito. I know thats against the modus operandi, but for real, its going to kill your mojo and your wallet, its just not worth it. I believe that in some cases, you kinda got to lay it out, because there ARE cars that simply are not worth it, sure, if you actually WANT a Vito, go for it, but if you want a van kinda car, STAY CLEAR OF THE VITO! It was the worst car in the world when it was made! The later ones are not as bad though, but the early ones = curse word.
OKAY so i felt like clarifying even more, i have worked on a few of these, and have mates that drove them at work, EVERYTHING breaks! Most noteably the transmission, they tend to think they are 20 years older than they are and end up with not going past 3rd gear (if auto) Front suspension everything breaks and wears out in days, rear end is curse word, and it rusts like nothing else
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Last Edit: Aug 2, 2015 13:35:44 GMT by Deleted
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Mk 2s look like beached guppys.. 
