Hi All,
First post on the forums!
I have been looking for a van for a while now and avidly researching pretty much every detail for which this forum has been an absolute gold mine of information, so thank you all for contributions over the years which have helped us massively to make informed decisions on what to go for, and how to go about the various mods we want to do.
We've been right around the houses from considering private sales to vans that have already been tarted up a bit at places like Salop, and have settled on getting the most solid base van we can afford approved used from a dealer for peace of mind of solid service history, and ongoing manufacturers warranty.
Eventually found the spec we are looking for, No VAT Highline T6/150/T32 Factory Kombi with 62K, one previous owner, absolutely immaculate service history, paint and interior condition. It is on a 2018 plate (which is a little older than my 2019 aspirations - as definitely want T6 over 6.1 so was aiming for newest T6 we could find), but being approved used we can have full VW Warrenty on it for another 3 years, and clearly it has been truly loved, so I can let the age concerns ride.
Having driven two hours yesterday to test drive/inspect, all was going well (perfect condition body work and interior, runs really well, drives like new, perfect tracking/road holding etc.), until I had a little look underneath and in the wheel arches and found what looks to my less mechanically trained eyes some concerning areas of corrosion to suspension components, brake calliper's, and exhaust (less of a worry as this will likely need changing soon anyway).
Having checked the history on the vehicle the one owner lived in Inverness and had the van religiously serviced at Inverness VW, so guessing sea air and more heavily salted roads for a longer winter season is to blame - at least that would be an explanation as there's no sign of any actual bodywork corrosion or any sign of sand anywhere inside so doubt its been living on the beach. I had a look at a couple of other similar vans at the dealership that were 6-9 months newer that were much cleaner in these areas (but nowhere near the excellent bodywork condition of this one).
This is ultimately would be the only deal breaker for us on a van we are otherwise very keen on (and I honestly have looked through all previous posts regarding corrosion so apologies if this is considered lazy) - but would anyone with good solid mechanical knowledge of these vans mind giving me their opinions on the attached images - is the level of corrosion a concern enough not to buy, or mostly superficial/surface that could be cleaned up, treated/greased/oiled, and then under sealed as appropriate etc. to prevent it becoming a problem in the future?
Many thanks again to all for your past expertise that has made or selection process much easier, and in advance to anyone that can offer support with this specific concern!
Cheers, Steve.
First post on the forums!
I have been looking for a van for a while now and avidly researching pretty much every detail for which this forum has been an absolute gold mine of information, so thank you all for contributions over the years which have helped us massively to make informed decisions on what to go for, and how to go about the various mods we want to do.
We've been right around the houses from considering private sales to vans that have already been tarted up a bit at places like Salop, and have settled on getting the most solid base van we can afford approved used from a dealer for peace of mind of solid service history, and ongoing manufacturers warranty.
Eventually found the spec we are looking for, No VAT Highline T6/150/T32 Factory Kombi with 62K, one previous owner, absolutely immaculate service history, paint and interior condition. It is on a 2018 plate (which is a little older than my 2019 aspirations - as definitely want T6 over 6.1 so was aiming for newest T6 we could find), but being approved used we can have full VW Warrenty on it for another 3 years, and clearly it has been truly loved, so I can let the age concerns ride.
Having driven two hours yesterday to test drive/inspect, all was going well (perfect condition body work and interior, runs really well, drives like new, perfect tracking/road holding etc.), until I had a little look underneath and in the wheel arches and found what looks to my less mechanically trained eyes some concerning areas of corrosion to suspension components, brake calliper's, and exhaust (less of a worry as this will likely need changing soon anyway).
Having checked the history on the vehicle the one owner lived in Inverness and had the van religiously serviced at Inverness VW, so guessing sea air and more heavily salted roads for a longer winter season is to blame - at least that would be an explanation as there's no sign of any actual bodywork corrosion or any sign of sand anywhere inside so doubt its been living on the beach. I had a look at a couple of other similar vans at the dealership that were 6-9 months newer that were much cleaner in these areas (but nowhere near the excellent bodywork condition of this one).
This is ultimately would be the only deal breaker for us on a van we are otherwise very keen on (and I honestly have looked through all previous posts regarding corrosion so apologies if this is considered lazy) - but would anyone with good solid mechanical knowledge of these vans mind giving me their opinions on the attached images - is the level of corrosion a concern enough not to buy, or mostly superficial/surface that could be cleaned up, treated/greased/oiled, and then under sealed as appropriate etc. to prevent it becoming a problem in the future?
Many thanks again to all for your past expertise that has made or selection process much easier, and in advance to anyone that can offer support with this specific concern!
Cheers, Steve.
.
