20th Jan 2013, 23:21

Well I have a 2.5 diesel Smiley Transit (1999 built). I bought it for £500. It was an ex-NHS maintenance van.

I have had to weld the inside sills from end to end on both sides, and I welded the back door bottoms. I welded most of the floor from end to end. So it's now body wise in good shape.

With the engine, I fitted the cam belt kit and new fan belts. I have redone the injectors and adjusted the fuel pump. The engine runs as sound as a pound, very reliable. It's good on diesel, after cleaning all the intake manifolds. They were full of black grease.

The exhaust parted coming back from Birmingham NEC Classic Bike Show. I hit a very large split in the road coming off a slip road. I did not bother to look at it; just kept going, with a loud exhaust noise. A police car passed me going in the opposite way, but he did not turn round, and I got home OK. The next morning I jacked the van up, and found the exhaust pipe had broken in half just before the middle box, so it was out with my trusty MIG welder, and fitted a short pipe inside and welded it all up. Now it's very silent, no noise, and runs like a good'en.

Have changed the front wheel bearings. Fitted new track rod ends and new bottom ball joints. Oil changes every 12 months, new oil filter, new fuel filter, new 15/40w oil, and 75/80 gearbox oil and back diff. So after 4 years now and 19,000 miles, this van has done some real work. It's a good van for its age, and is still going strong.

Would I buy another Smiley Van like this one? YES.