[Springsider]

Hello, I'm new here.
Been looking for a T4 (owner of T25 for 10 years) and yesterday found what I thought was my dream T4 van. It is a 1998 2.5TD - 70k genuine miles, full service history, all documents present, 2 owners from new, outer body work great with no filler or welding anywhere, it drove great and engine was in top shape AND then I started to look underneath (photos link attached below)

http://www.dropbox.com/sh/ud901cihkb6vqcj/AAAoLBwdkwAG4gdBXkUOpXDVa?dl=0

If anyone would be able to advise whether what can be seen in pics of is just too far gone or if I shouldn't worry too much and take the plunge and buy it. The van is for sale at £6k.

Any advice much appreciated.

 

[andyduk1]

Hello, I'm new here.
Been looking for a T4 (owner of T25 for 10 years) and yesterday found what I thought was my dream T4 van. It is a 1998 2.5TD - 70k genuine miles, full service history, all documents present, 2 owners from new, outer body work great with no filler or welding anywhere, it drove great and engine was in top shape AND then I started to look underneath (photos link attached below)

http://www.dropbox.com/sh/ud901cihkb6vqcj/AAAoLBwdkwAG4gdBXkUOpXDVa?dl=0

If anyone would be able to advise whether what can be seen in pics of is just too far gone or if I shouldn't worry too much and take the plunge and buy it. The van is for sale at £6k.

Any advice much appreciated.

Hi , rust is part of a T4 unfortunately. I'm my opinion the holes would need sorting and maybe the cross member. Alot of the rust looks like surface rust the same that most t4s have . It's always a gamble but I guess at least it was not hidden and you see what you would have to work with .

Andy

 

[scruffytoo]

Hello, I'm new here.
Been looking for a T4 (owner of T25 for 10 years) and yesterday found what I thought was my dream T4 van. It is a 1998 2.5TD - 70k genuine miles, full service history, all documents present, 2 owners from new, outer body work great with no filler or welding anywhere, it drove great and engine was in top shape AND then I started to look underneath (photos link attached below)

http://www.dropbox.com/sh/ud901cihkb6vqcj/AAAoLBwdkwAG4gdBXkUOpXDVa?dl=0

If anyone would be able to advise whether what can be seen in pics of is just too far gone or if I shouldn't worry too much and take the plunge and buy it. The van is for sale at £6k.

Any advice much appreciated.

Surprised there was not some head scratching when the exhaust was fitted :*

The problem is low miles means lots of standing around, that has been outside; possibly near the seaside or on grass, two bad storage places. They all rust to some degree, sadly on a 20 year old; polishing the top does nothing for the underside.

What is it a van, a converted van or a passenger vehicle, without that knowledge it may only be worth a fiver LOL

 

[Hoovie]

19 year old van.... With that amount of rust and rot..... If it were a transit it would be worth a couple of hundred quid with a longish MOT.
Just because it has a VW badge doesn't make it super-valuable. I would be amazed if you cannot find a lot nicer for the same money unless there is something very special in the photos you haven't posted (interior, etc).

 

[Indian]

For me this car is way too rusty. It looks like the car has been parked for years outside after the 70,000 miles. Go to the scrap metal yard and buy scrap metal if you need some, its much cheaper.
Was the mechanic blind during those services? My car does not have a full service history but I use my eyes(and head) when I service the car. This car will fail the MOT and you are looking at spending big money if you buy the car.
I also dont believe that the outer bodywork has not been patched up.

 

[Springsider]

Many thanks for these swift replies. I reckon I knew the answer would be to walk away from it but glad to get opinions from folks who know T4s better than I do. All the history etc had me clambering off to see it with high hopes. The van is converted with a basic DIY conversion inside, all windows were fitted by a camper company from new, looked well done and were still in very good condition. Bodywork was not a prob as it must have been well looked after, unfortunately the first owner has just not looked after the underneath.

 

[Indian]

Many thanks for these swift replies. I reckon I knew the answer would be to walk away from it but glad to get opinions from folks who know T4s better than I do. All the history etc had me clambering off to see it with high hopes. The van is converted with a basic DIY conversion inside, all windows were fitted by a camper company from new, looked well done and were still in very good condition. Bodywork was not a prob as it must have been well looked after, unfortunately the first owner has just not looked after the underneath.

Surely they knew about the rust. I see a brand new exhaust on the car. Had I been asked to fit a new exhaust to a car in that condition, I would have advised the owner not to as the exhaust would be worth more than the whole car.
I will pity the guy who buys this car.
If you can live with a left hand drive, you gets these vans for almost next to nothing in Scandinavia where repair costs are very expensive.

 

[Springsider]

Surely they knew about the rust. I see a brand new exhaust on the car. Had I been asked to fit a new exhaust to a car in that condition, I would have advised the owner not to as the exhaust would be worth more than the whole car.

The present owner (theres been 2 since new) had the exhaust fitted recently, yes I too find it hard to believe that a garage would fit exhaust and not say anything and I believe the exhaust was fitted by the same garage that has always serviced the van since new.

 

[hybrid800]

Personally I think it's a few thousand overpriced (like most t4'sI

If you're interested in something then you can have a looksee at previous mot history and you'd be surprised at the failures and advisories listed

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Needs registration number for a history check T:




Also. T4's are rusting....

Welding & bodywork is more expensive than an internal conversion so consider a solid 'blank-canvas' and self convert (it's not hard A


Good luck T:

Rich.

 

[Springsider]

Personally I think it's a few thousand overpriced (like most t4'sI

If you're interested in something then you can have a looksee at previous mot history and you'd be surprised at the failures and advisories listed

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Needs registration number for a history check T:




Also. T4's are rusting....

Welding & bodywork is more expensive than an internal conversion so consider a solid 'blank-canvas' and self convert (it's not hard A


Good luck T:

Rich.

Hi Rich,
Yes, I've used the MOT checker and believe it or not there was NO advisories at all on present mot on van in pics and nothing that rang alarm bells in MOT history. I'm going to keep the search going and finding that solid 'blank canvas' would be great. Fingers crossed.

 

[t4eddie]

That's a garage to avoid then.

 

[hybrid800]

Hi Rich,
Yes, I've used the MOT checker and believe it or not there was NO advisories at all on present mot on van in pics and nothing that rang alarm bells in MOT history. I'm going to keep the search going and finding that solid 'blank canvas' would be great. Fingers crossed.

If there's No history of advisories then maybe 'Favourable mot tester at work I:

That's a garage to avoid then.

If you're referring to the above then +1 T:



Rich.

 

[hobbyhorse]

It's a dog - walk away :ILU:

 

[nwilko]

like that underneath the cills and arches have gotta be filler surely..

 

[scruffytoo]

Hello, I'm new here.
Been looking for a T4 (owner of T25 for 10 years) and yesterday found what I thought was my dream T4 van. It is a 1998 2.5TD - 70k genuine miles, full service history, all documents present, 2 owners from new, outer body work great with no filler or welding anywhere, it drove great and engine was in top shape AND then I started to look underneath (photos link attached below)

http://www.dropbox.com/sh/ud901cihkb6vqcj/AAAoLBwdkwAG4gdBXkUOpXDVa?dl=0

If anyone would be able to advise whether what can be seen in pics of is just too far gone or if I shouldn't worry too much and take the plunge and buy it. The van is for sale at £6k.

Any advice much appreciated.

Just out of interest do you have images of the topside / inside?

 

[flatyre]

as said if the underneath is that bad the shell must have had serious cosmetic surgery to make it look like a 6k motor. I wouldn't worry about the running gear (wish bones etc.) having flaky surface rust as these parts are fairly robust, but the sills and especially the cross member would worry me. Have a look at my tread "budget scrapper project" in the conversions section, I paid £600 for that van, I imagine if you strip away the flash paint, the van your talking about probably looks like mine, in fact the underside of mine is probably more solid. If you have a 6k budget you should have no trouble finding a great van, but your vigilance has proven there are chancers selling turkeys even at that level. Personally if I had your budget I'd buy a real mint standard van, have it fully services with new bushes, belts, water pump, fuel system, etc. then style it to my own taste. End up with an 8k van for 6k and it'll be your perfect van not someone else's!

 

[ash.addy]

Seeing underneath just walk. I spent £700 on welding and nothing as bad A's that.

 

[snedboy]

I was thinking that looks fairly normal for the underside of a T4. Then I read all the comments damning it as scrap. Then I looked at your location. Your only a few miles from me. The condition is fairly typical for a Scottish T4. My van was pretty much the same underneath yet the external bodywork was in original paint with just scabby arches and rot on the sills underneath the drivers door. I would agree that it is a bit overpriced but I think that about most T4s. It's a shame as the history is great and that's what they're selling it on. Even at £5000 it's still overpriced as the problems underneath it aren't going to go away. There's a guy in Linlithgow who will blast and prime it for £250 - £300 but it would need to be stripped to a bare shell with the engine and box removed. Not the sort of thing you might want to get into with a nice new vehicle

 

[Indian]

I was thinking that looks fairly normal for the underside of a T4. Then I read all the comments damning it as scrap. Then I looked at your location. Your only a few miles from me. The condition is fairly typical for a Scottish T4. My van was pretty much the same underneath yet the external bodywork was in original paint with just scabby arches and rot on the sills underneath the drivers door. I would agree that it is a bit overpriced but I think that about most T4s. It's a shame as the history is great and that's what they're selling it on. Even at £5000 it's still overpriced as the problems underneath it aren't going to go away. There's a guy in Linlithgow who will blast and prime it for £250 - £300 but it would need to be stripped to a bare shell with the engine and box removed. Not the sort of thing you might want to get into with a nice new vehicle

I might agree with you if you have the time and the money to do all the work yourself. If you say this is a normal condition for a T4, you must be living in another world. With a car with half the amount of rust I would already have run away.
I am often at a breaker nearby my house and I can tell you I have never seen a T4 that rusty. The asking price would make it seem like there are gold plated parts in the car.
If you hang outside the scrap yard in Norway and see a car driven there by the owner, you can offer to buy it off him for £350, the same the government pays you to scrap your car. The owner gets cash from you and need not have to wait the 3 weeks for the cheque to arrive. The trick is to stop him from driving inside the lot.
I got hold of a Syncro for a friend of mine for £150 about 10 years ago. The reason he was selling was a bad oil leak and he had not paid road tax for 3 years. That car was running on the streets about 3 years ago.
Another friend of mine got hold of a Citröen 2CV Dolly the same way.

 

[hybrid800]

Seeing underneath just walk. I spent £700 on welding and nothing as bad A's that.

How much welding / panels was that? (I weld so understand the timescale & how much is usually in the wayI: )

.Even at £5000 it's still overpriced as the problems underneath it aren't going to go away. There's a guy in Linlithgow who will blast and prime it for £250 - £300 but it would need to be stripped to a bare shell with the engine and box removed. Not the sort of thing you might want to get into with a nice new vehicle

In an ideal world having media-blasting is great but you could end up with nothing left
I used to be involved in rallycar building & perfect example was about 10 years ago, a friend 'blind-bought' a mk2 escort on egay, bit of a dog until sandblasting then he had a few thousand spent on restoring the structure

I've seen a few teabag t4's going for mot tests, frightening what's hidden under flooring & behind units :* think that the '96/7 years are about the worst with rear springs through floor & roofs rotting actually seen better vans scrapped ?

Rich.