LDV Maxus

[F.J.]

Hi all,

I am on the look out for a second van so I can keep my sprinter locked up over night in the workshop since having the exhaust nicked the other week.

I am after something either small or medium wheelbase and have seen an 05 plate LDV Maxus, for £2000. The body work is great although the corner of the bumper has a scrape and it only has 93k on the clock. Does anyone have any experience with the Maxus and can you give me any questions I can ask when I take it for a test drive tomorrow?

My dad has an 'X' reg convoy and loves it, the MOT station cant believe its a convoy for its condition and I actually enjoy driving it too but I know they are two different vans with two different engines.

Any light that can be shed on the Maxus would be appreciated.

Thanks
Dean

 

[Wendelspanswick]

All the LDV's I've seen seem to be rust buckets. The County Council use them as special needs minibuses and the rust is appalling given the age of them.

 

[F.J.]

All the LDV's I've seen seem to be rust buckets. The County Council use them as special needs minibuses and the rust is appalling given the age of them.

That's what I see every where but this one I've seen is rust free!! If it's had a spray job at some point then it's a good one, not that it doesn't have blemishes but for a 2005 van it seems quite tempting. It's the mechanical side I need some heads up on, Parkers rate the engine quite highly but some real world feedback is better IMO

 

[dunk]

a 2005 maxus will be one of the first ones to come out of the ldv van plant, (pity they did`nt just stop then) for £2000 there must be better options out there for you, but, on the plus side no one will nick it , i`ve had one hire in the early days, i felt ripped off being charged to hire it

 

[F.J.]

Same engine as the Chrysler Voyager / LTI London Taxi seemingly...

VM Motori...

That can only be a good thing can't it if London taxis have the same engine???

a 2005 maxus will be one of the first ones to come out of the ldv van plant, (pity they did`nt just stop then) for £2000 there must be better options out there for you, but, on the plus side no one will nick it , i`ve had one hire in the early days, i felt ripped off being charged to hire it

I quite like the look of them but I suppose the test drive tomorrow will give me more of an insight like yours!

I've NEVER met ANYONE who actually "enjoyed" the "experience" of driving a convoy/sherpa/freight rover...are you sure the experience of having your van done over hasn't affected you somehow?..... (I'm pulling your chain)

Haha, everyone I know also hates them and I hated the convoy my dad had before this one but for some reason I don't mind his latest van. He's had it for 8 years and has sailed through every mot apart from last year when a foot well needed plating and a new steering box fitting

 

[dunk]

if you look at the van closely you will see likeness to other vans in looks (transit) all over it, pay attention to the driving position and comfort side, gearbox/gearchange, check the front doors close ok, a lot drop on the hinges, check speedo mileage reading as these have been known to change by themselfs, ie, 99000, then 899000, as someone said ages ago the letters ldv on the badge look as thou their on a skip

 

[premmington]

Do not buy a LDV with a VM engine.....

(You will live to regret it)

 

[the snooper]

ldv's are expensive on parts, ive found that you cant get hold of some pattern parts and its genuine only, also they must be the cheapest selling vans in the uk and you must ask yourself why ? ive found you can get 2 nearly 3 ldv,s for the price of a decent transit of similar age

 

[F.J.]

I think you lot are right, I think i'll forget it and go for something like a transit instead. Had a 2003 flatbed transit and it never missed a beat

 

[baconbarm]

Ive got a 56 maxus, I got it with 30k on it and now its up to around 130k.

I don't know much about mechanics, but the only thing ive done under the bonnet is replace a leaking slave cylinder in the six years ive had it.

As for them having rust problems, theres none on mine and I don't look after the bodywork.


I like 'em to be honest, the plastics and fittings are poor quality, changing gears is a bit stiff and its not the smoothest ride over bumps- but touch wood its never let me down

 

[the snooper]

Ive got a 56 maxus, I got it with 30k on it and now its up to around 130k.

I don't know much about mechanics, but the only thing ive done under the bonnet is replace a leaking slave cylinder in the six years ive had it.

As for them having rust problems, theres none on mine and I don't look after the bodywork.


I like 'em to be honest, the plastics and fittings are poor quality, changing gears is a bit stiff and its not the smoothest ride over bumps- but touch wood its never let me down

you must have a rare one, don't forget heater matrix

 

[baconbarm]

you must have a rare one, don't forget heater matrix

Ah yes, heater matrix on them is rubbish and impossible to get to

 

[Shedendman]

Get yourself a MK5 transit,its great for welding practice but you'll have a bomb proof engine

 

[waddycall]

I've NEVER met ANYONE who actually "enjoyed" the "experience" of driving a convoy/sherpa/freight rover...are you sure the experience of having your van done over hasn't affected you somehow?..... (I'm pulling your chain)

I had an ex post office Sherpa with sliding drivers door. I used to love trundling round lanes with the door open

 

[baconbarm]

Get yourself a MK5 transit,its great for welding practice but you'll have a bomb proof engine

A friend of mine has just had to scrap a perfectly good running MK6 transit minibus (2004 I think it was) because the underside was completely rotten. He weren't happy

 

[Bill Edwards]

I've NEVER met ANYONE who actually "enjoyed" the "experience" of driving a convoy/sherpa/freight rover...are you sure the experience of having your van done over hasn't affected you somehow?..... (I'm pulling your chain)

Had an LDV a few years back - it was nice to drive.

Shame about the mechanical side of it though, never again. I shudder to think how much it would have gone on to cost us if the brilliant engine hadn't gone bang.

 

[the snooper]

A friend of mine has just had to scrap a perfectly good running MK6 transit minibus (2004 I think it was) because the underside was completely rotten. He weren't happy

you can get the panels so no need to scrap it

 

[Bill Edwards]

you can get the panels so no need to scrap it

But depending on how much work is needed the labor costs can be eye watering.
I'm not kitted out to repair road vehicles, both because my MIG is awful and the spare time and willingness isn't there so have had to recently tell someone to go elsewhere.
The cost of van welding can be very high, people who are worth having who'll do the work 'cheaply' are few and far between. It tends to be expensive.

 

[the snooper]

But depending on how much work is needed the labor costs can be eye watering.
I'm not kitted out to repair road vehicles, both because my MIG is awful and the spare time and willingness isn't there so have had to recently tell someone to go elsewhere.
The cost of van welding can be very high, people who are worth having who'll do the work 'cheaply' are few and far between. It tends to be expensive.

im doing one now and to be honest its easy replacing new panels just remove spot welds and fit new panels with the same

 

[Bill Edwards]

That sound OK. This particular job was a 1993 Merc (will outlive any tranny by decades ) and it's a toss up between replacing the rot with new panels requiring spot welds and letting in cheap new metal with full welds.