Brillant Thread. This is what NL should be all about.

does any one know if government will not allow the ford econoline to run passenger , or are there any restriction on just only the toyota model for transportation

Can someone please tell me the future of Ford e350 vs. Dodge Ram 3500---- all 15 seater vans on the Nigerian road and market scene. Any service personel/parts in Abuja?

naijaking1:

Can someone please tell me the future of Ford e350 vs. Dodge Ram 3500---- all 15 seater vans on the Nigerian road and market scene. Any service personel/parts in Abuja?

There is a service personnel for Ford in Abuja. I know a ford certified mechanic in Abuja and if you send me an email tikola70@hotmail.com I'll provide you with details such as phone number/

Cheers,
J

A very educative thread. thanx to you all

jenju:

There is a service personnel for Ford in Abuja. I know a ford certified mechanic in Abuja and if you send me an email tikola70@hotmail.com I'll provide you with details such as phone number/

Cheers,
J

Thanks for the info. I have just imported a 2002 Ford E350 XLT 15 passenger van with 150k miles---good vehicle inside and out. I wanted to give it to a cousin for transport business, now I have just been told the man can't even drive.
Please guys, what would be your recommendation: sell the vehicle immediately, give it somebody else who can drive, or just give it to this non-driving cousin so that he can "manage" a business he doesn't know how it operates?

The Chevy van on front page should be available for sale in December.Its in Nigeria now and I plan to use it for a week when I get to Nigeria(which was why I didn't ship it earlier).
3 row of seat, rear AC, V8 Rides smooth.

How much is it worth with 64k original miles on it a US govt fleet vehicle with usual wear and tear.I will psot VIN tomorrow

What's the best way to get ride of your vehicle after using it in Nigeria for 2-3weeks? I have Toyota Sequoia I plan to use for the christmas in Nigeria for 2 weeks, and would like to sell it afterwards. Any suggestions?

jenju:

There is a service personnel for Ford in Abuja. I know a ford certified mechanic in Abuja and if you send me an email tikola70@hotmail.com I'll provide you with details such as phone number/

Cheers,
J

Sent you a couple of emails, but no reply.

@Jenju
Thanks for the information. My Ford e350 15-seater bus just arrived Abuja today, excellent physical and mechanical conditions. Not sure what to do with: sale or use. If you're in Abuja, let me know anybody who might need such a vehicle.

Best thread I have seen to date on any forum, keep it up guys, we need people like you in nigeria, I mean first thread that I can actually see people offer geniue and helpful info.

If I was to sell the posted chevy van with 3 rows of seat, good condition with usual sign of wear, at mileage ~63,500 miles;
What will be a fair market value?

I have see posts for vans like this with double mileage.

Vin# is 1GNFG15M021202316

I am in naija now on vacation, its been as close to hell as possible.
Dont get a car , get SUV cos they have no road.The only one i have seen is Igando road
Akure Road is death trap.

Price of everything is off the chart.

Ill be back in US tomorrow

sultaan:

I am in naija now on vacation, its been as close to hell as possible.
Dont get a car , get SUV cos they have no road.The only one i have seen is Igando road
Akure Road is death trap.

Price of everything is off the chart.

Ill be back in US tomorrow

were u able to sell ur van? how much?

No having a family member looking at it for about 1.4.

might get it moved to Abuja.
Got in this morn with unusual level of security checks to find out one rascal tried to kill in name of Islam.

In my opinion, a big petrol-engined V8 is not the best for transportation, at least not if quicker returns, and lower running costs are paramount. Sitting in traffic, a big-capacity V8 petrol will slurp fuel at an alarming rate, especially if the air con is switched on.

I'd be inclined to go for a 6-cylinder turbo diesel, better mpg, better low-down torque, better long-term durability. A diesel engine runs at a lot lower temperatures than a petrol one, and will give better service, with the same maintenance.

Fuel economy was good on this, took a return trip to Ikare on a tank with fuel left over.Did real good on the bad roads,hills, and ditches that use to be potholes.

Siena:

In my opinion, a big petrol-engined V8 is not the best for transportation, at least not if quicker returns, and lower running costs are paramount. Sitting in traffic, a big-capacity V8 petrol will slurp fuel at an alarming rate, especially if the air con is switched on.

I'd be inclined to go for a 6-cylinder turbo diesel, better mpg, better low-down torque, better long-term durability. A diesel engine runs at a lot lower temperatures than a petrol one, and will give better service, with the same maintenance.

There is a small block V8 engine available. (5Ltr V8). Petrol consumption is very similar to a V6. And it wont get bugged down fully loaded on hilly roads.

Kunle-A:

There is a small block V8 engine available. (5Ltr V8). Petrol consumption is very similar to a V6. And it wont get bugged down fully loaded on hilly roads.

I agree, to an extenct. Similar, but not the same.

In commercial use, every little saving counts, so if the turbo diesel returns 4 mpg better, it's the best choice. The 6-cylinder turbodiesel develops torque a lot lower down the rev range, a lot more than the petrol V8, so will fare better on hilly gradients. The gearing of a diesel-engine car / van is a lot higher than that of the petrol equivalent, so where the V8 engine will be running approx. 3,200 rpm @ 70 mph, the 6-cylinder turbodiesel will be running approx. 2,800 rpm @ 80 mph. Less rpm = less fuel being burnt.

The claims of the manufacturers in terms of consumption are a rough guide, and don't take into consideration the terrain, and the loads the buses will be subjected to in Nigeria. I tend to ignore their claims, and speak from a mechanical point of view. I build engines and transmissions, both petrol and derv, and often run them back to back. The diesel engine is a compression motor, and doesn't rely on spark ignition like the petrol one does. It runs much cooler as a result, and the lower rpm range means the engine is likely to last almost twice as long as the V8 petrol one will.

A petrol V8 will also require more periodic servicing and maintenance than the 6-cylinder diesel one would. Again, more cost saving on a commercial vehicle. Nigerian mechanics often shy away from even a simple V6 petrol engine with a carburettor, fitted to a regular car, that has a regular bonnet, and easy access - how will they cope with a V8 fuel-injected motor in a van, with it's shorter bonnet, and limited access? The V8 IS a much larger block, and sits so far back in the chassis, some of the components are accessed from within the cabin, either under the driver's / middle seat, or via an inspection cover on the transmission tunnel. Either way, more labour intensive, even for the easiest-to-reach items.

I love high performance, and left to me, for private use, I'd go for the V8 petrol. Of course, I do my own repairs, so that helps a great deal. The V8 petrol for commercial use however, is not a good idea.

Siena,

Essentially your deductions in general terms are correct.

However, the issues at hand are about cost efficiency and as a result what may be mechanically correct, the Nigerian situation negates.

This I cannot explain, my experience is that diesel. is considerably more expensive than petrol and tends to fall more often in short supply.

The V8 Chevy engine is possibly one of the best for durability and longevity the cost of your basic service in Nigeria is not really worth talking about it’s that cheap. These engines with routine servicing can hit 450k miles without any trouble, furthermore the chassis is more robust as per our 9ja kind of roads.



Finally, I sent you an email as per another issue @ DELTA VAG I’m waiting for your response.

Some  still wonder why Americans will rather put a 5.0l V8 in a 12pas van+cargo instead of a small 2.7l V6 or even a 4cyl engine.

From what I see on the road, those passenger vans with punny engines always seem to get crushed by the big trucks when they lose control.
I think this is because they don't have enough power to get out of danger when needed, or pass easily when required.
If you look at the the extra cost of the turbodiesel, and cost of fuel, it takes a while to break even.I don't recall any American manufacturer using diesel engine in passenger vans, the only one I know is VW.

All the idea that a smaller engine will give better fuel savings in commercial use  goes out the winndow when you get on what they call roads.It took about 10hr to do a 260mile trip from Lagos to Ikare, and with that goes all the savings.

sultaan:

Some  still wonder why Americans will rather put a 5.0l V8 in a 12pas van+cargo instead of a small 2.7l V6 or even a 4cyl engine.

From what I see on the road, those passenger vans with punny engines always seem to get crushed by the big trucks when they lose control.
I think this is because they don't have enough power to get out of danger when needed, or pass easily when required.
If you look at the the extra cost of the turbodiesel, and cost of fuel, it takes a while to break even.[size=15pt]I don't recall any American manufacturer using diesel engine in passenger vans, the only one I know is VW.[/size]

All the idea that a smaller engine will give better fuel savings in commercial use  goes out the winndow when you get on what they call roads.It took about 10hr to do a 260mile trip from Lagos to Ikare, and with that goes all the savings.

Actually, Ford E series Van has diesel option. Read it here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_E-Series

So does chevy with the V8 diesel option(not V6)
Diesel option is usually used for vans than will be converted as in ambulance, or cutaway vans asfar as I know

There are Ford Passager diesel Vans from the factory.

That i know.

Komekn, email hasn't come through.

Hello Siena,


Please. l'm really in need of Toyota Hiace Bus. Can't find it here in the States at all. Do you know where l could get one ? Thank you

Dara, what year are you thinking of?

I really don't know, l would prefer not too old bus that's in a very good condition. By the way, l want 18 passengers.Thank u

I take it this must be LHD, for use within Nigeria?

I'll do some searching, and post results on here.

yes, thank you so much. l want to use it in naija. l'll be waiting for your reply

Dara, no worries. I will do some research, and post my findings on here.