(Home) Owner quits, MOT changes in 2004?

Last week my life changed for the better, i part exchanged my leaky, over heating, sluggish, smoky town ace. The last year had been hell. I had lost total confidence in the beast which was a shame as the previous three years had been a joy. I am now the proud owner of a mazda bongo and it's a dream to drive. i found out about it at www.bongofury.com
So the best of luck with the over heating, the clanking when you turn hard right or left and the clouds of smoke when climbing a hill. i have spent the last two months with one eye on the road and the other on the temp gauge.
If you fall in love with the towny and have money to burn on up grades and repairs you'll be fine. If not sell up and log on the bongofury.com and smell the future.

- (#10079) Matt, 13 Apr 04 10:26

Best of luck with the camper. Hope you get more than 3 years of dream drive before things go wrong. does yours have the kitchen extra?
It's www.bongofury.co.uk by the way.

- (#10079) Clive (Bristol), 13 Apr 04 12:16

sorry to put a dampener on you undoubted enthusiasm for your new vehicle, but for one thing it must be much newer than your townie was, so you would expect less problems anyway, being newer one assumes it is worth quite a bit more as well.

but i know one of the uk importers of these vehicles quite well, and like so many japanese vehicles they suffer certain recurring faults, so i wouldn't gloat just yet.

as a very satisfied townace owner, having owned ours for 2 1/2 years without so much as a slight problem, it's just a case of looking after the old girl, after all she's 13 years old now. either you've got it or you haven't.

who's gloating now?????????

- (#10079) Rob Drinkwater, 13 Apr 04 15:31

Good luck indeed. If it's the same engine as the Shogun, prepare for head problems...

It's my belief that jap imports are on the way out. Certainly on this side of the Irish Sea. Insurance issues and the new MOT are making them more difficult to own.

You're not the first to leave the fold, I p-exed the townie over a year ago for a nice new Suzuki Grand Vitara TD, Auto, w/ aircon. It is truly superb. But the townie was the tool for the job for me when I bought it. Unfortunately as I use it for business, the downtime was losing me money. So it had to go, but I can't stop liking these remarkable vehicles. Pity there's no new equivalent.

- (#10079) David Miller, 14 Apr 04 00:46

Dave,

What are you refering to with the "new MOT". What's changed ?

Jason

- (#10079) Jason Bamford, 14 Apr 04 02:58

Well, in N.I (and someday in the future the rest of the UK)the system has gone computerised. Specifications are loaded onto the database for the various tests and measurements, and where possible the test device is datalinked to the system too. Plus the way the system operates the tester only gets one chance at each test- no fiddling with the headlights then a sneaky recheck. Word in the trade is it's TOO inflexible, and some specs are too tight for even a new car of a specific model to pass.

Strangely tho, still no diesel emissions testing (certainly a couple of months back, our Citroen ZXD wasn't smoke checked...)

This all in line with the Euro requirements.

- (#10079) David Miller, 14 Apr 04 03:11

This computerised system is being introduced in the UK through out this year (04).

- (#10079) dave Bright (Bournemouth), 14 Apr 04 03:24