[clintbreakbeat]

I have read many posts on here with snippets of information about T4s but has anyone ever set-up a single post regarding what to look out for when making a purchase; best years; best engine type; common faults to watch out for; best mods for the vehicles etc. Sorry if it is staring me in the face but I don't want to bug the hell out of people by asking inane questions.

Thanks and be patient with the newbies ignorance (and poor typing).

 

[T4 VIRGIN-1]

welcome
i dont mind answering questions,what you get depends on what you are looking for and what you need it for or what you can afford

if say you towed a race car for example then i would say buy a 2.5tdi,if you dont mind doing one up as you go along and when money allows then buy a panel van then convert on a budget of whenever funds allow
if you need seats/belts in the back for carrying children/passengers then buying a caravelle as a starter van would be best

it just depends on needs/money,no matter what you buy make sure it has had all the timing belts and water pump changed as this will save you money and if they go its a lot of money/hassle to repair,
on a test drive make sure you get it up to running temperature and give it a good long drive to check gearbox

hope it helps a little,anything else just askT:

 

[clintbreakbeat]

Thanks for that (You will probably regret saying that as I will annoy the hello out of you with questions). I was thinking initially of buying a 1.9 SWB. I was under the impression that the van maybe a little under powered but good enough for getting around. I would only use the van for travelling locally with the odd trip to Cornwall or the Lake District. My split was great but a pain the @rse for longer journeys. Basically I want to be able to get in it, start it up and bugger off. If people were to recommend a 2.4 as the all round better option that I would change my focus.

I was also wondering about the better year of van. A couple of people I know have said to only really look at vans from 96 onwads. Neither could explain why but said they are better. Is this purely a cosmetic thing or the mechanics better?

Thanks fro the tips about timing belt and water pump. Are these expensive to do if I got a bargain van? I also intend to get a panel van or one that has had a couple of windows put in.I can see the this site has good links to people who do this kind of work.

Are there any other things to look out for? Rust around the seams or are there are other specific place to keep an eye out for?

Anyway hope someone can provide a few details for an idiot newbie.

 

[crosser]

all depends what you want, and what sort of budget you have, a lot of people will say after 96 as that was when the facelift happened,

so basically waht are you looking for? camper, van, kombi, carravelle etc and what sort of budget?

ok i really should read your 2nd post lol, van with windows what sort of budget? is it going to saty as a van with windows or are you going to convert it to camper?

 

[mickB]

don't buy the 1st you see I:

 

[cloudnine]

Do get a late model, low milage 2.5tdi, with full VW service history. Don't get an early abused 1.9td van with no service history, sky high miles and an oil leak.

 

[clintbreakbeat]

I basically want something that I can convert into a camper over time. I have a budget of about 2-3k. Not sure what that will get me and that is the main reason for my questioning.

 

[T4 VIRGIN-1]

for 3k you should get a pretty good 2.5tdi van around 51-52 plate

 

[clintbreakbeat]

Thanks again for the help (so far)...........

 

[clintbreakbeat]

Where are the best places to look? I check e-bay, T4 classifieds, free ads etc but does anyone have any other ideas?

 

[alydavidson]

l o clint if u have a bit of know how, patience and luk y not go 4 a salvage repairable van, always a few every week on the online auctions, when buying 1 myself had a look at these places but found a straight 1 in stead, n dnt worry thes vans can take a knock or 2 chek the linx below n good luk!

http://copart.co.uk/c2/home.html
http://hbc.co.uk

 

[jonnyboy666]

newbie here aswel!!

thanks for starting this thread it's just answered a couple of questions i had!!T:

was pointed in the direction of this forum by the guys over at retrobike.co.uk as i'm thinking about getting a T4.

i think i met a few of you today at the beaulieu motor museum show, the vans were looking well cool, and thanks to all the people who answered some of my dumb questions.

i'm suprised at the suggestion of a 51-52 plate for around 3 grand. i'm gonna be looking for a 2.5 swb panel van that i can then put windows in with a pair of seats in the back with a bulkhead to separate dirty bikes from the seated area, although that will be done over time. any idea what say £6000 would get me? as in model year?

i've previousley only ever bought cheap cars before but i've finally got a job that allows me to save a chunk of money so hopefully i should be out and about ready to buy by december.

any advice would be really appreciated especailly when it comes to buying, i'm the type that kicks the tyres and says . . . . . hmm, seems alright!! i have got a good mate that is a mechanic and a vw golf enthusiast but knowing what is more reliable and nicer to drive would really help.

cheers

jon

 

[crosser]

i'm suprised at the suggestion of a 51-52 plate for around 3 grand. i'm gonna be looking for a 2.5 swb panel van that i can then put windows in with a pair of seats in the back with a bulkhead to separate dirty bikes from the seated area, although that will be done over time. any idea what say £6000 would get me? as in model year?

i would say for £6000 you should be able to pick up one of the last t4's or even a t5.

Best plaes to look in my eyes would be autotrader or fee ads, you might be luck to get a hald decent van on ebay but you'll probably end up paying more

 

[jonnyboy666]

thanks for the reply, don't want to use ebay though, it's too much of a gamble i think.

i've been looking on autotrader to get an idea just now and i was suprised to see what was possibly available for the money. i think i got confused as when i started thinking about getting a van i was thinking a combi van which are much more expensive so the buy price i needed to go to was higher but now becuse i'm thinking panel van and a conversion it will be cheaper at the initial buy price by quite a bit.

the only thing that is a little dissheartening is seeing the interior of the panel vans. if they have been used as a work vehicle, which most have then they seem to look a right mess in the back. i know this could be covered during the conversion but knowing what is underneath might annoy me!! it's a vehicle that i'd want to keep for quite a few years so i'd prefer as little bidy damage as possible.

don't want much do i?!!

 

[jonnyboy666]

oh and by "bidy" damage i mean "body"!! i don't want to damage biddies i just suck at typing!!