Berlingo restored!

[JWalshe]

What could you get for £1,100 that you KNOW is as good...?

Exactly! There is literally nothing out there I would prefer to be driving! 

[saskak]

When I was looking for a Berlingo/Parnter, I really wanted it in this blue colour. I was of course only looking at second hand cars, my budget could not stretch to anything new. I managed to find a 1.6HDi Escapade Partner in blue with the grilles, etc. I was so excited as it looks spectacular in that colour, but when running it with high revs it was smoking quite badly blue. I thought to myself, turbo is a goner probably and I know next to nothing of cars, so this will probably be quite an expense to fix. The second hand dealer came around and asked how I liked it and I mentioned that I am not intersted and was about to take off. He had none of that and asked me to go to the office. We spoke about it and I raised the concern about the blue smoke, turbo failure, etc. He literally said, that is normal and he can start any of the BMWs around the parking lot and they all smoke blue. Nevertheless, I did not buy it.
Had I known that I would have a youtube channel dedicated to fixing my car, I would have bought it with a heavy discount and would have fixed in a week. Now I regret it, but not at the time.

Not too sure how the Escapade is raised though, probably only springs at the front. I am not too sure if the car is designed well, I really have my doubts, but I hit a dear a month ago in the dead of night going to an airport. The thump was rather heavy and I thought that is it, broken radiator, grille, stranded at 2am in the middle of nowhere, etc. On a closer inspection only the foglight had smashed and everything else was without a damage. I was lucky I guess, but nothing broke. I am fixing it now in under £30.

[benoliver999]

I love the blue but glad I settled for an otherwise sound M59 in what PSA call 'lackluster silver'.

How is the dynamat working out? At some point I will need to pull the boot mat out, it's nasty, and I figured before I re-trim it I might as well put some sound deadening in.

[JWalshe]

I love the blue but glad I settled for an otherwise sound M59 in what PSA call 'lackluster silver'.

How is the dynamat working out? At some point I will need to pull the boot mat out, it's nasty, and I figured before I re-trim it I might as well put some sound deadening in.

The Dynamat is throughout (insides of the doors, boot lid, roof, floor and pillars etc) and has made a huge difference. I binned that cheap factory under-bonnet sheet too and installed bonnet liner so as with the doors, it now shuts with a satisfying ‘thunk’! Other stuff is available but Dynamat is worth every penny. It really really does work so much better than cheaper solutions.

[sciteacher]

I actually looked at a tatty one of these when I was on the search.  It looked tired, so I left it and now I wish...although both of my sons are really tall(6 foot plus) and the access in the B9 Multispace seems better, past the B-pillar).  Yes, I bought a 2009 white B9 and we absolutely love it, especially the external reversing warning beeper fitted by the first owner, a local authority (really!)

As for future classic status, I suppose that depends on your attitude and approach. 2009 is 13 years ago, so not so far to go.  And as James magazine shows, maintenance is all.  I know that modern cars (13 years old??) tend to be more complex, but then people are now considering mid to late 2010s BMWs as 'saveable future classics'. largely because of status.  Now these cars are expensive to fix, but the B9 and it's predecessors are relatively much cheaper, though all cars are expensive machines which can and will fail periodically.  

It was James' project that pushed me toward a Berlingo (well that and my wife's desire for a day van/camper and the truly frightening cost of the 'prestige' VW Transporters even before you fix and convert one).  I shall undoubtedly grumble about it, threaten to sell/scrap it and never touch it again.  Indeed, the floppy wiper arm (see my post today and help me!) did cause some consternation, but it seems to me to be a superb vehicle. The You Tube reviewers seem to agree (well, they get paid to)..

I've tried all sorts (haven't we all) but this seems destined to be a keeper.  Unless it breaks. Expensively.  We shall see.

Cracking forum, by the way.