Hey Fellow 'Rascalites' :)

[Vylet-Knight]

Hi everyone. . . Thought i'd better leave a line or two here as im new to all things micro-van! Been reading up on various threads here over the past week or 2 with great interest.

Im not an owner myself of a rascal - But i was roped into going to pick one up with my brother about 3 weeks ago from Manchester which he won on Ebay. Ya know when i got a phone call from him saying he'd been bidding on a Rascal and won it - would i be so kind as to go and pick it up with him - My immediate response was a bit on the ridiculing giggle side! Undoubtedly they have a rep as being a bit of a comedy mode of transport. . . . How wrong my judgement was! Admittedly, i have never driven one or even had the inclination to before my baby brother purchased his.

  He drove the 90 miles or so back from Manchester with a good stretch of the journey taken up on the M6. . . I followed tentatively behind at a safe distance expecting it to break down or worse still topple over due to the pretty fierce cross winds that day!

Its a flippin flyer! My brother must have balls of steel because i was doing a law abiding 65-70 where as he was creeping further and further away from me - IN THE FAST LANE! ! ! LOL.

Needless to say we made it back in one peace - him emerging from the van with the biggest smile on his face ever! I had a little tootle in it when we got back and was instantly converted! ! ! Fun to drive is the biggest understatement when describing getting behind the wheel of a Rascal! ! !  

  The only thing that suffered from the relentless hammering he gave the old girl on our journey home was the thrust bearing in the gearbox - at least i think thats what it is - makes a sort of whimetal whirring sound when idle until the clutch is engaged (which makes the noise disappear). The engine sounds so smooth and quiet - its hard to believe the van is 20 years old (its an H reg white Rascal van btw).

 Anyway just thought i'd stop by and mix it with you lucky, lucky people who are proud owners of these little tubs of grin inducing madness!

Unfortunately no opportunity for me in the near future to buy one - Became a mature student last year, studying for an animation degree so money is inevitably tight - As they say though - dreaming don't cost a bean! ! ! !

My brother and me will be tucking said Rascal away in the garage soon to get busy with the old welder and grinder. . . Need the obvious areas attending to (front arches and shocker tops). Incidently the repair plates he bought from Ebay were made by a guy named Joey who is a member on here?

Anyway good to see so much engaging and helpful folk around here. . . .No doubt there will come a time when i may need assistance with one thing or another?

Apologies for the size of this thing. . . Got a bit carried away. . . Leave it there for now. . .

Chris.

[>>CHOP<<]

welcome to the site chris....your lil bro has style ...good luck to both of you on the repairs..if ya get stuck just giz a shout ..and we will try to help you out..CHOP

[teaspoon]

yeeh,, driving mine still brings a smile to my face,,,,, get you brother to leave it in his will,,,, then bump him off,, its all yours,,



come to one of the meets,, and try to get yourself one soon, there going up in value,,,,

nice to see new members too.

[Pirate]

Glad to hear we have another convert, my mates had a good laugh when i first bought mine, but soon changed thier minds when i helped a mate move, we had a washing machine, cooker, fridge & a double bed in it in one go!
In fact, i am about to move house, guess what the removal van will be

[Vylet-Knight]

Haha, cheers chaps! ! !

My brother would definately agree with your statement CHOP. . . about him having 'style'! . . . . I think that assumption is highly debatable though! LOL. Thanks for the well wishes on the repairs. . . Shouldn't be too much of a problem between us - i used to be in the motor trade, specifically restoring old Lotus Sunbeams and Avenger Tigers. . . Some of the shells we dealt with (and brought back from the brink) were nothing more than rotten scrap to the untrained eye.

But rest assured its great to know that should we get stuck in our tracks with something, you and others in here will be on hand to hopefully point us in the right direction etc! Appreciated indeed! ! !

Thats a real devious plan there Teaspoon! LOL.

Ya know, i have every intention of owning my very own Rascal one day - Realistically its gonna be a year or 2 down the line though unless i get an unexpected cash windfall between now and then. . . Will happen though. . . Always wanted a VW splitty/ regret selling a shell i started restoring in 2004. . . Lost the use of a storage unit i was using so had to be sold!

Its a big regret. . . The prices, even for clapped out, tin worm ridden example continue to soar the older they get! Waaaay out of my recreational funds for a roadworthy splitty. . .Hence lookin elsewhere and stumbling across the humble Rascal!

I know they are hardly comparable but the rascals got a cheeky charm about it - what you see is what you get - bare bones, back to basics fun! Yeah, your dead right even for the relatively short period of time ive been lookin at Rascals. . . They are constantly fetching respectable money. . . I'll be keepin em peeled though. . . . If an absolutely unmissable van is unearthed and is going for peanuts then i will beg, steal or borrow to own it. . . . . But lets get real wouldn't we all! ! ! ! LOL.

Also been ogling the old shape, retro Suzuki supercarry trucks. . . Original Subaru Sambar (not the VW camper replica. . . . no no no no no no no no, Looks so bad and cheesy to me personally) and the Mazda porter cab. . . Just love the old retro styling to them. . . Started yet another automotive porn folder with micro vans of varying styles, colours etc on my computer! LOL.

Thanks for the invitation to future meets. . . Possibly wont be this year though - as ive said, my bro's little van will be having surgery pretty soon so will be off the road for i dont know how long? Something to aim for for next year though for sure!

Hi Pirate,

Hahaha, yeah its funny how the tables turn when favours are needed! ! !

Not surprised at what you managed to fit in the back of your van. . . . They literally are like Mary Poppins handbag when you pop open that tailgate! I suppose the Mary Poppins metaphor could be interpreted as you have a really rotten floor area (Bottomless! ! ! ) LOL. Only used my bro's van for a fishing trip so far - All our tackle looked pretty lost in the back of there tbh!

They really are great little tubs! ! !

Cheers for the responses fellas (or gals?) never easy to tell which gender you happen to swapping messages with! ? ! ? LOL.  

Ps, told my brother about this forum but he's one of those types that just 'doesn't do forums' or sites of a similar nature. . . . But i will get pics up of it in due course with his permission of course to keep everyone up to date as work progresses on it.  

[Dell Boy]

Hello Chris, It`s not the thrust bearing making the noise. It`s the layshaft bearing in the gearbox. They go on for years making that noise though it is worth putting an additive in the gearbox to help it out. When you de-clutch the noise goes away because you have disconnected the engine from the gearbox & the gearbox therefore has stopped turning. Vice versa for a knackered thrust bearing. Press the clutch pedal & you get a graunching noise its a failed thrust bearing.
Derek.

[Vylet-Knight]

Hi Derek,

Thanks for the info and advice!

Very much appreciated, I shall pass this on to my brother and he can get his hands in his pockets for some of that additive. Good to know its not a serious thing. Is replacement of the layshaft bearing tricky/expensive?

[topboy]

Hello amd welcome to the site.