Mileage Versus Age

cormie

Hi,
I'm looking into buying a van at the moment and have seen a few different ones. this one looks pretty nice, but it's a 96, 10 years old. But it only has 60K miles. Would a 00/02 etc with 180K miles on it be a better or worse choice?

this (a) and this (b) have pretty much equal mileage and are nearly twice as young. Would these be a much better option?

And how about say the 96 one with 60K versus a 00/01/02 with about 120K on it?

The 96 looks in good nic anyway. I just don't know if it's too old or what though.

Any feedback would be appreciated:)

bf

The first one isnt a 96 transit, it looks like the 2002 model. Think there's a mistake with the ad

bazz26

For a start the photo of the 1996 Transit is incorrect. That is a photo of the 2001 - 2006 model Ford Transit. Also €5k for a 10 year old Transit is insane.

Mileage is not directly related to use especially when it comes to vans. At the end of the day vans are workhorses. They are used for transporting things around. How far they transport these things doesn't make a difference. It really depends what they are used for not how far they are driven. A van can be overloaded and only travel 2 miles a day but the overloading can wear the van over a short time. So an overloaded van with low mileage may not be in better condition than a high mileage van that's sole purpose is to transport a few people.

Have the van's bodywork checked for signs of abuse, ie damaged panels, scrapes, missing bits, etc. Also have the suspension, brakes, gearbox, clutch and engine checked as these parts suffer extensively from pulling heavy loads.

peasant

everything that bazz said ...plus the service factor.

Has the van received any attention? Were essential things repaired/replaced? Or was it just kept going with spit and bits of wire?

I've seen 05 vans that are scrap metal on wheels and 10 year olds that are absolutely pristine.

When it comes to vehicles that were bought to be abused there is no general rule ...you really have to look very closely at every single vehicle (and if possible the owner/driver as well)

cormie

Unfortunately, I wont have a clue what I'm supposed to be looking for on a technical side, I'll obviously be able to tell whether it's in a good aesthetic condition, but that's about it. And getting each one I look at independantly checked would probably cost quite a bit. I suppose the best thing to do is try and find one that doesn't look battered on the outside, that's in my price range etc and go have a look and test drive. If I'm happy with it, I can then get it independantly checked. But who would I get to check it? Would any mechanic know or would I need a van specialist?

I rang up the number in the 1st ad above. He said the bank van was a 97 or there abouts, he couldn't remember, and said it was a brinks van and said the only other one he has is black. So if the above one is a 2001 model and navy, I don't think it's either of what he has/had??

The above model looks great I think, I'd love to get a navy one like that and the wheels and even the bottom lights make a huge difference to the look of it. Of course I'm not going to choose one just for its looks, but as I said, it's about all I can judge on myself without driving it and so far that looks the best.

How much would wheels like that cost?

Stephen

Bear in mind that the first van you linked to in your first post is a short wheelbase version, so has less load space.

bazz26

cormie wrote:

Unfortunately, I wont have a clue what I'm supposed to be looking for on a technical side, I'll obviously be able to tell whether it's in a good aesthetic condition, but that's about it. And getting each one I look at independantly checked would probably cost quite a bit. I suppose the best thing to do is try and find one that doesn't look battered on the outside, that's in my price range etc and go have a look and test drive. If I'm happy with it, I can then get it independantly checked. But who would I get to check it? Would any mechanic know or would I need a van specialist?

I rang up the number in the 1st ad above. He said the bank van was a 97 or there abouts, he couldn't remember, and said it was a brinks van and said the only other one he has is black. So if the above one is a 2001 model and navy, I don't think it's either of what he has/had??

The above model looks great I think, I'd love to get a navy one like that and the wheels and even the bottom lights make a huge difference to the look of it. Of course I'm not going to choose one just for its looks, but as I said, it's about all I can judge on myself without driving it and so far that looks the best.

How much would wheels like that cost?

I would not recommend putting alloy wheels on a van if you plan on loading the van with heavy equipment. The alloy wheels will simply crack under any sort of heavy stress. Afaik you can however buy steel wheels that look like alloy wheels.

Seanie M

If I am looking for a vehicle (second hand), I'd go for mileage. Not much in a car these days will deteoriate with age. Its the use that makes them 'age' quicker. So, a '96 vehicle with 60,000 miles on it will grab my interest quicker than an '06 vehicle with 100,000 miles on it, as an example (I know 100,000 miles on an '06 is almost preposterous!).

Seanie.

bazz26

Seanie M wrote:

If I am looking for a vehicle (second hand), I'd go for mileage. Not much in a car these days will deteoriate with age. Its the use that makes them 'age' quicker. So, a '96 vehicle with 60,000 miles on it will grab my interest quicker than an '06 vehicle with 100,000 miles on it, as an example (I know 100,000 miles on an '06 is almost preposterous!).

Seanie.

I would disagree. Mileage is not a good indication of condition. How far the vehicle has been driven is not very important, how the vehicle has been driven is though. A 96 vehicle with only 60k miles may have been trashed pulling heavy trailers for that entire 60k miles whereas a 05 vehicle with 100k may have spent most of its life up and down good motorways. Brakes, suspension, clutch, gearbox and engine all can wear out faster under extreme abuse.