Former vans - where are they now?

I no longer have a Brazzer as I've moved on to restoring an early Porsche 944 and have recently registered it as a Historic vehicle (now Tax and MOT exempt).  During the process I checked to see the Tax and MOT status of the two Brazzers I used to own - one 2003 air cooled and one 2010 water cooled. I was quite surprised to find that both are now off the road due to expired/failed MOT's.  

I've come to the conclusion that unless you are prepared to put the effort in to do basic regular maintenance yourself then they are prone to issues that local high street garages can't or won't take on?

Anyone else wonder about the upkeep of their former Brazzers?

Perhaps we should not expect our local garages to have experience of, or sympathy with the older technology. Better that they are honest and refuse the work.
What were the MOT issues on your previous rides?
osg

osg wrote:

Perhaps we should not expect our local garages to have experience of, or sympathy with the older technology. Better that they are honest and refuse the work.
What were the MOT issues on your previous rides?
osg

Apart from the core of the air-cooled engine, our vans aren't old technology, they mostly consist of Golf/Passat/Fox type components from the late 1990's onwards, its just the configuration of the parts that VW cobbled together that seems to baffle local garages.
Type of MOT issues of my former vans are things like failed exhausts/emissions, lighting issues (foglights and headlights not working) and some drive train issues.

Just checked my Dad's second camper - a 1979 Moonraker conversion via .gov.uk  Still MOTd and taxed.  This 44 year old bus has a 2L petrol air cooled engine with an ECU and I assume all the same type of measurement components.  A good garage makes all the difference in my opinion. I've had good and bad experiences and we tend not to give the bad ones a second go so long term servicing may suffer as we run out of local options and resign to DIY.  I know I'm not checking everything I should on my 2001 but she is garage off season on SORN and is pretty much rust free- I had her undesealed and cavity waxoiled when new.  We are also seeing far fewer German buses these days too.  Didn't see a single one in Devon this weekend driving to and from Bristol area except one used as a coffee shop!

Purple wrote:

I no longer have a Brazzer as I've moved on to restoring an early Porsche 944 and have recently registered it as a Historic vehicle (now Tax and MOT exempt).  During the process I checked to see the Tax and MOT status of the two Brazzers I used to own - one 2003 air cooled and one 2010 water cooled. I was quite surprised to find that both are now off the road due to expired/failed MOT's.  

I've come to the conclusion that unless you are prepared to put the effort in to do basic regular maintenance yourself then they are prone to issues that local high street garages can't or won't take on?

Anyone else wonder about the upkeep of their former Brazzers?

Can you check what your former vans failed on? You can view MOT online if you know reg numbers

brabay wrote:

Purple wrote:

I no longer have a Brazzer as I've moved on to restoring an early Porsche 944 and have recently registered it as a Historic vehicle (now Tax and MOT exempt).  During the process I checked to see the Tax and MOT status of the two Brazzers I used to own - one 2003 air cooled and one 2010 water cooled. I was quite surprised to find that both are now off the road due to expired/failed MOT's.  

I've come to the conclusion that unless you are prepared to put the effort in to do basic regular maintenance yourself then they are prone to issues that local high street garages can't or won't take on?

Anyone else wonder about the upkeep of their former Brazzers?

Can you check what your former vans failed on? You can view MOT online if you know reg numbers

I did, the failures are listed in my second post above.

Purple wrote:

osg wrote:

Perhaps we should not expect our local garages to have experience of, or sympathy with the older technology. Better that they are honest and refuse the work.
What were the MOT issues on your previous rides?
osg

Apart from the core of the air-cooled engine, our vans aren't old technology, they mostly consist of Golf/Passat/Fox type components from the late 1990's onwards, its just the configuration of the parts that VW cobbled together that seems to baffle local garages.
Type of MOT issues of my former vans are things like failed exhausts/emissions, lighting issues (foglights and headlights not working) and some drive train issues.

I disagree. They very much are old technology, mainly much older than the last 1970's German buses. So it's quite the opposite to what you think! A Brazilian bus, if air cooled is largely exactly the same as a 60's VW bus with slightly updated engine management. The water cooled version, does have the engine and a few associated parts from the water cooled Brazilian parts bin, but the rest of it is still good old '60's VW stuff!

Favguy wrote:

Purple wrote:

osg wrote:

Perhaps we should not expect our local garages to have experience of, or sympathy with the older technology. Better that they are honest and refuse the work.
What were the MOT issues on your previous rides?
osg

Apart from the core of the air-cooled engine, our vans aren't old technology, they mostly consist of Golf/Passat/Fox type components from the late 1990's onwards, its just the configuration of the parts that VW cobbled together that seems to baffle local garages.
Type of MOT issues of my former vans are things like failed exhausts/emissions, lighting issues (foglights and headlights not working) and some drive train issues.

You're very wrong on this one I'm afraid. They very much are old technology, mainly much older than the last 1970's German buses. So it's quite the opposite to what you think! A Brazilian bus, if air cooled is largely exactly the same as a 60's VW bus with slightly updated engine management. The water cooled version, does have the engine and a few associated parts from the water cooled Brazilian parts bin, but the rest of it is still good old '60's VW stuff!

Err, no I'm not !

If you read my post you'll see i said apart from the core of the air-cooled engine

Other than that they have later Bosch fuel injection
Electronic immersible fuel pumps like modern VW's
Factory Immobiliser circuits, ECU with diagnostics port, operating via numerous on-board sensors and controls, none of which were on 70's vans
Lambda sensors, throttle body sensors etc.

Have a look at the parts numbers when you start buying parts like these, you'll see references to Polo, Fox, Passat etc.

All that supported via mechanically set tappets that, if not quite set properly with a feeler gauge, will have you on a wild goose chase of misleading error codes.

I suppose if want to be really anal and add up all the component parts of body panels, windscreen wipers headlamp bulbs, steering set-up etc then you could probably say its got far more parts aligned to 70's vans, but even then there are slight differences, roof panels, door panels, bumpers etc. I suppose even the 'E' approved headlights etc.

You've only had one for five minutes and its a water cooled one - wait until it starts playing up before you make sweeping statements.

Purple wrote:

Favguy wrote:

Purple wrote:

osg wrote:

Perhaps we should not expect our local garages to have experience of, or sympathy with the older technology. Better that they are honest and refuse the work.
What were the MOT issues on your previous rides?
osg

Apart from the core of the air-cooled engine, our vans aren't old technology, they mostly consist of Golf/Passat/Fox type components from the late 1990's onwards, its just the configuration of the parts that VW cobbled together that seems to baffle local garages.
Type of MOT issues of my former vans are things like failed exhausts/emissions, lighting issues (foglights and headlights not working) and some drive train issues.

You're very wrong on this one I'm afraid. They very much are old technology, mainly much older than the last 1970's German buses. So it's quite the opposite to what you think! A Brazilian bus, if air cooled is largely exactly the same as a 60's VW bus with slightly updated engine management. The water cooled version, does have the engine and a few associated parts from the water cooled Brazilian parts bin, but the rest of it is still good old '60's VW stuff!

Err, no I'm not !

If you read my post you'll see i said apart from the core of the air-cooled engine

Other than that they have later Bosch fuel injection
Electronic immersible fuel pumps like modern VW's
Factory Immobiliser circuits, ECU with diagnostics port, operating via numerous on-board sensors and controls, none of which were on 70's vans
Lambda sensors, throttle body sensors etc.

Have a look at the parts numbers when you start buying parts like these, you'll see references to Polo, Fox, Passat etc.

All that supported via mechanically set tappets that, if not quite set properly with a feeler gauge, will have you on a wild goose chase of misleading error codes.

I suppose if want to be really anal and add up all the component parts of body panels, windscreen wipers headlamp bulbs, steering set-up etc then you could probably say its got far more parts aligned to 70's vans, but even then there are slight differences, roof panels, door panels, bumpers etc.  I suppose even the 'E' approved headlights etc.

You've only had one for five minutes and its a water cooled one - wait until it starts playing up before you make sweeping statements.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend, I've softened my response wording I misunderstood your post, I was meaning as a whole vehicle, it's mainly all 60's VW tech, other than the engine and ancillaries. The entire body and chassis, glass, fittings, all suspension, gearbox, linkages, running gear (after the engine) and such. I can confirm having grovelled about under mine for a few days now, that it is mainly the same as or older tech than my dad's 1975 bay window. (Again engine and management auxiliaries, exhaust, aside)

It's already playing up! Well, not the engine or management, but it's got the most bodged suspension set up I've ever come across on it.

Anyway, nice to see a quick response, at least someone apart from myself is lurking in the background, I was beginning to think the place was a ghost town from the lack of activity here!

@favguy I’ll think you’ll find the lack of response to your mainly technical posts is down to the majority of folks here not necessarily having the experience to answer your questions. Most members don’t get quite so involved with the mechanical side of their Kombi. So perhaps your expectations were a little high on that subject.

There are plenty of other aspects to BraziBay ownership that you will find comprehensive and enthusiastic responses to.

Incidentally your LE had all of its suspension altered in Brazil way before it came to the UK. I remember seeing early photos of it.

TimV wrote:

@favguy I’ll think you’ll find the lack of response to your mainly technical posts is down to the majority of folks here not necessarily having the experience to answer your questions. Most members don’t get quite so involved with the mechanical side of their Kombi. So perhaps your expectations were a little high on that subject.

There are plenty of other aspects to BraziBay ownership that you will find comprehensive and enthusiastic responses to.

Incidentally your LE had all of its suspension altered in Brazil way before it came to the UK. I remember seeing early photos of it.

Yeah, I'm getting the feel of it on here now, hence moving my blog over to thesamba.com, as it's a more technically orientated site. I do look forward to interacting on other, less technical matters here as well though, although I'm a ways off getting involved in the camping side of things just yet! I very much suspected the suspension work had all been done back in Brazil, it's all just really terrible, but easy enough to get back to how it should be with a little time and money. The sliding sunroof was done in Brazil as well and that barely works at all, it's probably going to have to be swapped out. The Bus is generally in great condition though, just needs some enthusiast, hands on TLC. It's found it's right owner now, so will be back to it's former glory in a little while.

That's good to read.

I found that with some silicone on the runners that the roof works fine. Unless something has changed of course.

TimV wrote:

That's good to read.

I found that with some silicone on the runners that the roof works fine.  Unless something has changed of course.

Something must have, It's already got too much lube all over the runners and it just doesn't work at all without extreme effort. The whole thing isn't made right and it's been badly installed. We'll see how it goes, but I don't think I'll be able to live with it. I've found a US sliding roof supplier that custom makes any size of these in a really nice quality, so will probably get them to make me a replacement.

So what work have you actually done on the bus then Tim, other than the power steering?

Just the power steering.