Bedford Rascal / Suzuki Super Carry Vans
Hi there I am a lover of these little vans made by Suzuki and previously by Bedford (Vauxhall). For anyone out there that has one of these vans or is thinking of buying one then this will have some useful information for you. What is it about these small vans that people like so much? Take a look at some of the features of the Suzuki Carry, and why these vans are still as popular as ever.
My Table of Contents
Introduction to the Bedford/ Vauxhall Rascal and Suzuki Supercarry Vans
Economical small vans
The Rascal/Supercarry range was first introduced back in April 1986, as a joint venture between General Motors and Suzuki. British-built, and available in both Van and Pickup derivatives, the vehicle strengths were its small size and maximum payload weight; 550kg for the Van and 575kg for the Pickup. When the Bedford name ceased to exist in June 1990, General Motors` vehicles were rebadged as Vauxhalls. UK production ceased in July 1993 and was resumed in Japan.
All older vehicles are fitted with a small but busy 970cc Suzuki engine of four-cylinder overhead camshaft design, mounted longitudinally and inclined to the left, with the transmission mounted at the rear of the engine. All models are rear-wheel-drive, and have either a four or five-speed manual transmission.
Throughout the range, the suspension layout is coil- over-damper struts at the front, and leaf springs with dampers at the rear.
There is a range of optional equipment, including tailgate wash/wipe, front fog lights, nudge bars and heated rear window.
The newer model is the 1.3 version which has been in production since 1999. Again its strength is in its size and shape. It`s easy to park and nippy enough across town. The engine is a 77bhp 1.3 engine which is ample for carrying light loads.
So, what`s so good about the rascal van or the now called Suzuki Carry? Well I`ll give you several selling points.
Firstly, at a time when fuel seems to be continually increasing then the small engine with superb fuel economy is a key point. You can easily get 45 to 50 mpg out of it if you drive sensibly, remembering you`re not driving a racing car. Actually you`ll remember that you`re not in a Formula 1 car as you will never have to retire with engine failure because as stated you'll have that ultra reliable Suzuki engine.
And, talking about costs, auto repairs and auto accessories never come cheap, but the parts for these vans do not cost the earth.
Another great point is the fact that this van is so easy to drive and maneuver. How often do you drive in traffic or look for somewhere to park in a big clumsy van and wish that you had something easier to handle? Well that is just the case with this little star.
And finally but not least is the point that you can join the elite sooty club driving round in the modern day Dr Whos tardis. Yes you'll find it hard to believe just how much you can actually get in the back of one of these vans. Whether it`s just as a general run around vehicle, or used for carrying flowers for delivery, or taking the family hiking in vacationlands you will find the Suzuki Carry ideal.
One of the best places to buy a Suzuki Carry if you are contemplating getting one is through eBay. Prices have dropped recently, and some vans are going for very low prices. Check the bodywork out. Suzuki`s don`t suffer any more than other makes, but because they are often used for work purposes, delivering and so on, they can very easily get scraped, or dented, leading to rust problems.
In these days of economic recession most of us are interested in saving money, but take care not to buy something that you are going to have to spend a lot of money on to make it roadworthy. But, if you do buy wisely you could end up with a vehicle which will give you years of happy, and low-cost motoring.
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- ZenyarisGallery ZenyarisGallery Oct 9, 2009 @ 4:40 am
- Very interesting lens and articles! Rated 5 Stars and Fave! Best wishes, Zenya
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- daviddavid200 daviddavid200 Sep 9, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
- Awesome lens!
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- eccles1 eccles1 Sep 8, 2009 @ 3:33 pm
- Good Job!
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- ols ols Aug 16, 2009 @ 2:29 am | in reply to Aladdins-Cave
- Thanks for your comments, glad you like my lens.
"Thank you for your Lens and the help on NEWBIE forum. Sorry, but I don't know how to rate
your lens, or anyone's for that matter. " You just have to click on however many stars you think a lens deserves.
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- Aladdins-Cave Aladdins-Cave Aug 14, 2009 @ 6:39 am
- Thank you for your Lens and the help on NEWBIE forum. Sorry, but I don't know how to rate
your lens, or anyone's for that matter. Maybe you could get back to me on that.
I drove a Bedford in Germany for a while. It was our delivery truck for louver doors which we
manufactured and shipped all around Europe. Even the UK where a friend of mine had Englands
biggest Louver Door factory in NORFOLK. Getting off the track. Bedford, great vans. Cheers from DOWNUNDER. Gus
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- ftuley ftuley Jun 8, 2009 @ 7:57 pm
- Very nice, :-) 5*
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- amsae64 amsae64 Apr 30, 2009 @ 11:24 am
- fantastic lens,thank you
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- Snozzle Snozzle Apr 29, 2009 @ 10:02 am
- Have no use for a van myself but you've created an interesting lens on the subject.
Mike.
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- ols ols Apr 22, 2009 @ 3:45 am | in reply to rms
- Thanks, I`ll take a look to see what useful tips I can pick up.
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- rms rms Apr 3, 2009 @ 7:10 am
- Nice work on this lens! I'm Squidoo's Giant Squid Mentor and I wanted to be sure you were aware of our Giant Squid Lensmaster program. Giant Squids enjoy great perks.
You can learn more about the program and get some wonderful lensmaking tips by visiting: http://www.squidoo.com/giantsquidmentor
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