someone talk to me please =)

[walzaher]

Hello everyone,

I am new here and would really really appreciate some advice.

I have always wanted to own a bedford and am no car expert. I take my car to the mechanic for repairs.

I recently set eyes on a 1979 bedford cf van with a slant 4 engine done 220,000 km's in very good condition and well looked after and maintained with a new gear box from approx 30'000 km's ago.

If i buy the van will i have trouble maintaining it in terms of finding parts?? I am happy to maintain it myself and learn but the engine is slant 4 and i dont know i parts are available easily. Like spark plugs, seals, etc

Can someone please advise me, should i pursue my dream and get a bedford and go camping in it or should i just buy a japanese van?

Thanks so much appreciate your help
Waseem

[BusyKiwi]

Howdy,

What country you in? am guessing NZ

The slant 4 was a good engine but had many faults, oil leaks, noisey guides, under powered ...
You'd need an old school mechanic to work on the bedford, the new mechanics these days don't know about the old stuff, especially the way the slant four was made (like why did they put the oil pump half way up the engine?), tuning the cam shims is an art

Parts are easy enough to come by, actually know someone throwing away an old 2.3 slant (has been out doors for a while now so would be stuffed). The hardest part to get would be the cam belt (at 220k's it should of been recently done - at 200k's)

The thing with those engines if, if there is a oil patch under the engine then it's running well, if no oil leak then be concerned.

The bedford is twice the size of a jap van, but jap van has mod cons, do you want to blend in or stand out?

[walzaher]

Hi BusyKiwi,
Thanks so much for the reply! yep i am in NZ

Oh i see thanks very much for the info. So for example, if i wanted to buy a cam belt for the engine, where would i find one? or the spark plugs? would a mechanic be able to do it for me or would i have to do it myself? I am very engine naive at this point but am happy to learn but at the same time need a running car!

Also, with the oil patch, do u mean on the chassis itself having spots of oil? the body is in good condition i just dont want to spend money and then end up parking the van and not being able to use it for technical purposes such as engine etc.

Thanks so much for the advice buddy appreciate it

[walzaher]

i do want to stand out hahaha was tossing a bedford or an old jap van....

[BusyKiwi]

you can get spark plugs etc from repco etc, they might even have a cam belt, but I remember a while back someone was having trouble finding one - you have to remember the engines are 40 years old now.

There was rumours way back when about the slant four that it was vaxhauls attempt at a V8 engine, rumour goes they ran out of money and had to get an engine in so they just cut off the side of it.
The engine leaks are from the design of the engine, it leaks at the top cover, cam cover and around the oil pump.
Some mechanics way back in the old day put a marble in the oil pump to stop the oil draining back into the sump.

If you want a camper, to load up with food, water, bedding, toys ... I wouldn't use the 2.3 engine, it's to under powered. Not many 4 cly's left out there now as most vans were converted to Holden 6 cly (Aussie vans never came out with 4cly, only 6). The holden 6 is a good engine, easy to get parts and add-ons.
If you just want a bare van to throw a mattress in the back of the 4 cly would be fine - just stay away from the big hills lol

Bedfords are awesome (I have 2), but in some ways they aren't for the faint hearted. If the one you are looking at is "in good condition", to me that would be mint as they are hard to get in good condition. Don't get me wrong you can find good ones but they are far and few between these days.

Bedfords might be rusty now but remember thats 40 years of rusty, a jap van wont last 40 years no matter how much steel you throw at it.

If you want to blend in, in a bedford, here is one http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/other/auction-594659126.htm

[walzaher]

Hi Busykiwi

Hey thanks so much for the information, very very interesting to read.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm makes me think. If say after 30,000km's the engine starts giving problems and I decide to skip the headache and change it to one thats easier to manage, how complicated a process is that? can it fit any engine other than a holden 186?

My plan was just to throw a matress in there as i also need the space available if I need to move things etc so its mainly a van for my wife (whom i have managed to convince haha) and I.

Thanks for the link, i live in auckland and actually drove out to see this van not too long ago. It had several rust bubbles coming up which didnt look to impressive and the engine was really struggling to drive 100km's / hr. the owner had made lots of modifications and it didnt feel original to me. the gear handle was too far back cause he changed the gear box and thats the only way it fit.

Im tempted to take the risk and buy a bedford and go along with the flow. i dont mind the 4 cylcinder weak engine as long as it goes and then maybe I can change it...

Thanks so much man!

[walzaher]

Hey i didnt realize that website is yours, i was reading through it the other day man its really impressive to read! good work

[tiwaz_nz]

welcome to buga mate
how much is the beddy ?
i have a 202 with toyota 5 speed in my daily
my other van has 3.5 rover v8
and a parts van ... with 350 chev and 400 trans

[BusyKiwi]

This isn't my website, I'm just a bedford nut like the rest of them - my website is on my custom van build up

You could buy the 4cly van but if your not going to do the transplant yourself you could be in for a few dollars so you'd be better off to get one already done.
It's not just a case of getting a motor and box, you'll have to get a diff, maybe disc brakes for cert (cert alone is $600), then there are all the little things, speedo callibrated, engine cover remade, radiator ...

There is no limit to what engine you put in, my custom one has a chev V8 but thats mid mounted, and my standard one has the VN commodore V6

Oh and a bit of usefull advice, a double mattress will fit across the van (above the wheel arches or behind the seats - or use two)

[walzaher]

yep i meant the custom van build website!

hmmmmmmmmmm sounds like a complicated procedure ... i need to think about this carefully as I dont have the equipment or knowledge to do much with the engine ...

tiwaz its 5k price

appreciate the advice =) you have helped so much