Anyone know anything about Vauxhall Combos?

[nick mercedes]

Thought about buying a Combo to knock around in, a quick looks reveals that a 4 year old one can be had for less than a grand (http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...27-64-105-133-146-236,N-144-244/search.action)

Is there a reason they're so cheap?

IE are they rubbish/unrelaible?

Anyone?

 

[wemorgan]

There's this Parker's Guide. I've no personal experience of the van, but have driven an Astra with the same 1.7 diesel engine and it's rather rough by today's standards but otherwise reliable as far as I know.

 

[flango]

Thought about buying a Combo to knock around in, a quick looks reveals that a 4 year old one can be had for less than a grand (http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...27-64-105-133-146-236,N-144-244/search.action)

Is there a reason they're so cheap?

IE are they rubbish/unrelaible?

Anyone?

We have 3 Vauxhall Combo's as work vehicles (Garage buiness) a 1997, 2000 & 2001. They are rough by todays standards but rough and tough is one of their attributes, the 1997 one has been a bit head prone and done the Gasket about 3 times in 6 years but no problems whatsoever with the other 2 and they are all now well past 100,000 miles.

Rough, tough, reliable but coarse by todays standards

Hope that helps

 

[Ian_Mac]

I drive a 56 reg one as a works van, have covered 56,000 miles in it since last Feb.

It's only let me down once when it decided to dump all the coolant on the M4, this was repaired under warranty.

I can drive it from Bristol to Edinburgh without any aches or pains.

The 1.7TD engine pulls ok once the turbo kicks in, it's no street racer though!

Diesel wise I normally fill up when the orange light comes on, takes around £54 to fill it and tend to get around 320 miles for that. Due to having a fuel card the MPG figure doesn't really bother me and it does get driven accordingly sometimes.

I find the door speakers really poor quality and rattly. If I could work out how to get the window winder handle off I'd have the door panel off to see if they're loose.

All in all a sturdy little work horse!

 

[aka$h]

We ran 8 lpg's and 2 diesels. All the drivers hated them, and the LPG ones have got to be the worst vehicle ever made. They were in and out of garages too often.

Thankfully we had them on maintained contracts. The 2002 diesels we had were far more reliable than the earlier corsa's. Those suffered frequantly from EDU failure.

 

[seymansey]

If I could work out how to get the window winder handle off I'd have the door panel off to see if they're loose.

The door winders are probably held in place by a U shaped clip which you should be able to pop out with a flathead screwdriver. After that pull off the handle, get something like a stiff piece of plastic and the door card should pop off the plastic rivets (which break remarkbly easy). Oh yes, and remove the door handle too

 

[reflexboy]

My mate whom drives a 57 plate derv combo has blown the turbo up three times so far. He's the fastest 60 year old working for BT (except when he breaks his van)

 

[Antharro]

I don't know about the engine in this specific model, but if it's the same Isuzu 1.7td that was used in the Astras, Astra Vans and Mk3 Cavalier, then it should be pretty bulletproof. If it has the Bosch fuel pump then you can run it on a pretty strong veggie oil mix without any problems.

One of the mechanics I use has that engine in his Mk3 Cavalier. He's turned up the fuel pressure and says it goes much better than you'd expect for a 1.7 diesel! He also says he doesn't need to worry about what he runs it on - he'll throw in a few litres of diesel if it happens to need filling up, or if he's at home he'll throw in a few litres of veggie oil instead - doesn't need to keep them in seperate fuel talks - it just works.

I would imagine that in winter the ratio of diesel to veggie goes much towards diesel as the veggie will freeze up, but he says it's nice to not have to worry about having to put a proper veggie oil kit on it!

I'm told the Vauxhall 1.7TD is a load of crap and should be avoided. The Isuzu 1.7TD is a much, much better engine.

 

[Mark300SL]

I've had a selecion af Astra diesels from W/X plated 1.7s through to my current 56 plate 1300CDTi

The older Vauxhall engines run well if well serviced and give us very little in the way of headaches, but they do occasionally blow the diesel pump ecu and its really not worth getting a recondioned one.
The older Isuzu engines will run on Veg oil

The current 1.3CDTi is an absolute gem despite its minimal 1248ccs of sheer diesel grunt - but it does makes 90hp and about 150lb/ft - and remarkable vfm if you shop around

 

[kenwaic]

it probably is an ex post office one as they are really cheap in the auctions...
and you definetly need a bit of luck when you get an gpo van ,though they are fully serviced ,they do get a bit thrashed with a different driver every day.
i got mine at auction and paid a wee bit more (1400) cause i picked the best one with lowest miles.they are good wee vans if you get a decent one and the 1.3 is pretty nippy that does 45 mpg.Try the auctions yourself ,when i went the rougher ones went for 550 quid and they were on 05 plates, oh and all the gpo vans were freshly mot'd

 

[nick mercedes]

Try the auctions yourself ,when i went the rougher ones went for 550 quid and they were on 05 plates, oh and all the gpo vans were freshly mot'd

Not bad money for a 3 year old van, even if they are a bit knocked around.

I'd want to paint one in fleet colours anyway.

 

[W210 Fan]

friend of mine works as a courier and has used several over the years, he says they are generally reliable, just dont buy one he has driven, in fact if the courier lot use them they cant be that bad, some of the hardest drivers on the planet, if you buy one and run it 80% as badly as they do then it should go on forever

 

[nick mercedes]

friend of mine works as a courier and has used several over the years, he says they are generally reliable, just dont buy one he has driven, in fact if the courier lot use them they cant be that bad, some of the hardest drivers on the planet, if you buy one and run it 80% as badly as they do then it should go on forever

So long as all the doors shut and it will do 100mph I'll be happy...

 

[jaymanek]

Nick you cant deliver MB parts in a vauxhall... otherwise next time you come we will all stand and point... and laugh....

only joking...

We always buy the end of lease ones from our parts suppliers.. I always sell them very quickly and they have never proven to be any trouble..
Just normal wear and tear... i seem to remember a steering column was very expensive but otherwise all good..

 

[nick mercedes]

Nick you cant deliver MB parts in a vauxhall... otherwise next time you come we will all stand and point... and laugh.....

People do that anyway, is it only me that happens to??

 

[Howard]

Only when you reverse into tail lifts

 

[nick mercedes]

Only when you reverse into tail lifts

Only a real fool would do something like that...