bongo (1 Viewer)

[samany]

Anyone have a mazda bongo or know anything about them?
My daughter is thinking about getting one for her ,hubby and Stanley the border terrier
any comments welcome, cheers.

 

[vwalan]

hi ,had one here for about5 yrs .its a tintop that i use a full length roof rack and over tent . great little vans . you need to join bongo fury if she gets one . spares are ok .eitherr through thefury club or i use bongo bits in plymouth. mine isnt converted but makes a sleeping bed by laying all the back rests down . not perfect but it works . i also pull a teardrop caravan with it .heres a few of mine . the other brighter green is the most wanted colour of them all . its a mates in bodmin .real cracker it is.these were taken a the southwest bongo bash a few years ago. but googlebongo fury .ian that runs it is a great guy . in fact the whole bongo lot are real good crowd . just like the folk on here. always having a laugh.

 

[samany]

Thats great info Vwalan many thanks, I've already told my daughter she's googling
right now as will I. all the best samany.:thumb:

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[old-mo]

Hi,,,,, If you PM member (Fullmoon)... he has one..

And will tell you all you need to know... His is a 4 wheeled drive diesal.. :thumb:

PS... Fullmoon`s is the same as vwallen`s third photo..

 

[vwalan]

hi their bongo meets take me back to the early vw meets we used to have ,not as big as the modern vw meets but all join in and have a good time . ian is a great laugh . most know mine its the only one with a roof tent . hee hee . always different never join the crowd. they are a bit small but for weekends or that camping hoilday ok. a few tow folding caravans as well. i tried it but prefer the teardrop. good hunting . there are some good bargains out there.

 

[tobytenblue]

I bought one and it blew the engine after 3 weeks! I am currently trying to ascertain why? So far all I have gleaned unanimously from the various 'experts' I've approached is that they are difficult to work on because the engine is mid mounted i.e. inboard.
My advice is be very careful who you buy it from and get a warranty. I went wrong on both counts......
So far possible diagnosis includes oil pump failure, torque converter failure and timing belt fault? All/any other suggestions will be welcomed and appreciated as well as agree/disagree debate.

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[davejen]

I had one for a while, great little van, but too small for us, ended up towing a caravan with it!. Engines generally good but can suffer overheating, then warped cylinder head. An "early warning" kit of parts is available and well worth fitting, and not too expensive, certainly cheaper than a blown engine. As previously said, join Bongo Fury forum, they know ALL the problems and how to sort them out.
Hope this helps,
Cheers, Dave

 

[Badknee]

My brother bought one with a warped head but as a mechanic he expected to sort it out very easily, wrong! He's had one problem after another and spent a massive amount of time sourcing parts. Buyer beware.

 

[mta]

Hi, I had one for 6 yrs and really enjoyed it. used as a second car as well as a camper. It was 4x4 (could go anywhere) and fully converted. was a bit small for living in so had a side tent which fitted over the sliding door, which then made it near perfect. Things to watch out for - cooling system over heating (which can lead to warped cylinder heads and the rest of the probs listed above). Go thro' Bongo fury website and buy from a reputable dealer or private sale thro' bongofury and preferably one with a Hayden alarm fitted (warns about low coolant) or have one fitted asap.

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[Herman ze German]

I had a Bongo for 5 years .2.5TD 2wd auto. Was a N reg 1995. Sold it 3 yrs ago & then built Herman .
It was a full conversion with rock n roll bed , Fridge , 3 ring hob , storage , the usual electric roof , built in blinds , air con etc
Was a great little camper . It drove like a car and just fitted in multi-storey car parks & under the height restriction barriers .
Problems with them now are they are all getting old and very few newer models are imported as they are now expensive due to the exchange rate etc.
They suffer from cracking cyclinder heads , which mine did & cost over a grand to sort . But as previously mentioned , the Bongo forums are brilliant for advice & part easy to obtain on Ebay & other online dealers (new & s.hand)
I would still recommend one , but be careful on what you buy ......lots of bad ones out there . But good ones are great !!!