Reliable early bay ?

[Bazzaworld]

If someone was to visit this forum for the first time they would think that every early bay in this country was either off the road broken, or if they are on the road are forever breaking down, are there any owners out there who use their vans as a daily reliable runaround without too many problems


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[trebor]

I hope it's possible to run them as a daily driver, that's what I intend to do :!: Should allow for more servicing / adjusting intervals on these old busses that's all unless you get stitched up with cheap crap parts. I need to get rid of my car or I'll kill myself in it, it brings out the :evil: in me :lol:

 

[K@rlos]

I sold my TDI golf in June and have been using my bus which is slammed and has a 2110 race motor as a daily all summer with out any issues :mrgreen:

A bus is as reliable as a modern car (if not more so) but they are 40+ years old now so they do need to be well maintained. Tbh in the summer months I love driving to work, going the gym etc in my bus 8)

 

[Bazzaworld]

I don't use mine as a daily, but in the last year alone we have had to call the AA 3 times, first time wiring fire, not too bad though, 2nd time rocker bolt sheared, 3rd time a petrol pipe split, I know none of them drastic but I'm not using on a daily basis, do you think we've just been unlucky or is this about the norm?


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[Trikky2]

Like any machine, you can make it as reliable as new or even better.

Or you can make it an unreliable piece of junk.

It's all down to condition, maintenance and quality.

Most old vehicles have at some time in their lives been run on a shoestring because they were worth next to nothing and the owner could not afford any better.

A lot of reliability troubles therefore date back to botched stuff done in the past, skipped maintenance and a "drive it till it stops" attitude to regular inspection. Annoying as this may seem to the current owner, its always worth remembering that the previous owner who botched those repairs is likely to be the one that saved it from going to the scrapyard and a without them the vehicle would not exist anymore.

Hence, unless you can find a properly maintained one (they do exist) its mostly necessary to do a complete, detailed restoration, to get back to original levels of reliability.

 

[privatejobs]

i use mine every day put some modern touches on it ie power steering lecky fuel ignition brakes it has its qwerks but i love driving it :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Supertramp]

My last bus was my daily driver at uni and to work for about 8 months without a single issue.
My current one covered 2000 miles after being stood for 16 years and then started throwing up issues, mostly due to things that haven't been used whilst it's been stood, now springing into action. Gradually these things are getting replaced/fixed and then, with regular maintenance, I doubt I'll have many problems in the future.

 

[*Sam*]

Our bus didn't get used daily because I'm not forced to do it but my wife had a 62 rag top beetle still on 6v that she used every day for about 4 years, when we went out as a couple we used it over our modern car, we regularly went to cornwall in it, only ever broke down twice.
1st was a cool, fixed on the road side.
2nd was a burnt out wiper Moyer caused by snow gathering between the wiper arm and windscreen seal.
To date her modern car has broken down once with failed battery.
I'd have the bug back any day.

 

[monkeyvanwestybike]

In the 20 years i have owned mine i have broken down once with blocked fuel filter.
But have spent ££££££££££££££s keeping it to that ...... the hardest bit being replacing parts and ascertaining what is shit and what is not
:lol:

 

[Irishpete]

Over the drier months I use ours every day to go back and forth from work, shops etc. We tuck her in for the worst parts of the winter but she always runs better when she's being used regularly. The only trouble we've had was after laying her up for the winter when the battery wouldn't hold a charge.

 

[Bazzaworld]

Over the drier months I use ours every day to go back and forth from work, shops etc. We tuck her in for the worst parts of the winter but she always runs better when she's being used regularly. The only trouble we've had was after laying her up for the winter when the battery wouldn't hold a charge.

Irishpete I think you are on the button, because we only take him for a drive on average once or twice a month this could be the reason we keep having problems,


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[mike202]

The vans are 40+ years old so if you have any original parts in the engine they may wear out suddenly. You can either run it until something breaks and then replace it, or just replace the old parts anyway. It all depends on how much you depend on your van. If you want to minimise break downs then IMO it is best to replace all the old bits for new. For example coil, plug leads, the generator. Maybe even the engine!

I had a new engine put in mine, but I still had a few issues with old ancillary parts like the generator.

 

[BARKING MARK]

I've had my Bus since 2006 and is a daily driver... In 8 years it's let me down twice, one was a dodgy starter motor connection and the other was an issue with a "new" badly crimped rear loom.....not bad for a 40+ year old vehicle.

 

[morecambeandwize]

We struggle with new replacement parts all the time... A lot of poor quality..

 

[KateLovesPurple]

Since I put my bus back on the road in 2007 I have called out the breakdown people just once because my starter failed. Managed to persuade it to start eventually and cancelled the call out so in 7 years, with regular servicing, it has been 99.99% serviceable! How many modern cars can say that?

 

[Bluesnailman]

touch wood - mine only has broken down just once - on the day i bought it (well came home on the back of a wagon for the last 12 miles). like others have said, follow the service intervals, inspect and replace as required.

However, i knew a taxi driver who ran a C-class from new and at 250,000miles it needed a new greabox, and until then only serviced and two rear springs. Was quite impressed with that....

 

[Quincey]

mines very reliable.
1 problem in 4 years, points.
but, i don't want to mention this because if i do, the next time i drive it, it'll shit itself.

 

[OLIVE-BAY]

Used everyday as my works car commuting in snow wind and rain..and loving it

 

[Bluesnailman]

I don't believe it! Ref previous post....

Yesterday it wouldn't start. Only sat idle since 14 sept.

I'll give the plugs a clean then......and no more contributions from me on reliability either.

 

[Trikky2]

I don't believe it! Ref previous post....

Yesterday it wouldn't start. Only sat idle since 14 sept.

I'll give the plugs a clean then......and no more contributions from me on reliability either.

:lol: ain't it always the way :lol: