Small but Mighty Immaculate Mazda Bongo Friendee, 2/4 Berth, only 61k miles, with Rear conversion fitted. The Ultimate first camper

FOR SALE: 2001 Mazda Bongo Friendee 2.0l Petrol Automatic. Outstanding rust-free condition and only 61k miles from new, service and cambelt done. Recent Rear conversion.

The time has come to sell our Lovely Mazda Bongo, we bought it earlier this year to go on a trip of a lifetime through Scandinavia over 10 weeks which it took all in its stride.
The trip showed us that we want more of the camper van lifestyle but we now want to move up to a bigger van. The Bongo really did prove what is possible in a small van and we feel it was the perfect starter camper van.

EQUIPMENT
Pure White paintwork (A3D), Grey velour upholstery (SD0), 4-speed automatic transmission, 16-inch alloy wheels, Electrically-operated ‘Auto Free Top’, 8 seats, sliding/folding rear seat (one bench has now been removed to install the rear conversion which will come with the van separately), Touchscreen Sony headunit with USB, Bluetooth and Apple car play, Digital climate control air conditioning, Leather-trimmed steering wheel, Rear privacy curtain, Pull down blinds on all side and rear windows, Electric front windows, Electric door mirrors, PAS, Rear foot rests, Sliding side door, Bongo Friendee carpet mats, Original owner’s manuals, BIMTA certificate of mileage verification. There is also a recently fitted Fiamma F45s awning fitted with stainless steel brackets and hardware and a Thule 937 rear 3 bike rack.

INTERIOR
The immaculate grey velour provides a wonderful place sit, whether you’re out on the road or kicking back at your favourite camping destination. All the seats remain in amazing unworn condition, including the driver’s, with no marks or discolouration to any of the upholstery. The carpets are also immaculate and are still protected in the footwells by an original set of Bongo Friendee overmats. Clearly a cherished example, the plastic trims are almost entirely free from any marking, the leather steering wheel is pristine, and the headlining is perfect. Being picky there is a pen mark on the driver’s door and sun visor (these were then when we bought it) but otherwise the interior is stunning. Raising the pop-top gives additional headroom and reveals a cosy place to sleep, again all in amazing condition.
To allow sleeping down stairs as well as above we had a Northstar Conversions swivel seat fitted, this allows driving with 3 rear passengers and it then can be rotated to create a sitting area and then folded flat to create the downstairs bed. There is a dimmable led strip light to give a nice ambient light in the back which runs off the leisure battery.

REAR CONVERSION
We fitted a rear conversion prior to setting off on our trip so its almost new and in perfect condition. The cabinets are made by First cut campers and are high quality grey coated ply wood, it consists of a full width rear kitchen and top cupboard, two low storage bench seats and a table (which mounts inside and out). There is a Dometic sink which uses a 10L fresh water tank and a 10L grey water tank which are kept in one of the rear cupboards. A Vitrifrigo 39L fridge with freezer compartment. Power comes from Northstar full electrics pack with a 75AH leisure battery, this charges whilst driving and there is an external plug connection to hook up at campsites. This is all professionally fitted and has the correct electrical sign off. There is no cooker as we opted to save space and use a portable stove which fits perfectly between the top cupboard and the sink but crucially that enabled us to cook outside the majority of the time.

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
The 2-litre engine fires into life first turn of the key and, paired with a silken automatic gearbox, gives very smooth performance indeed. The accompanying service booklet shows the car to have been well maintained in Japan, which is also evident from its amazing condition. The most recent service was carried out in February this year at 76,988km / 47,838 miles and it included a cambelt change. A new AC pully was also fitted in February ensuring that the AC runs nice and cold.

WHEELS, TYRES AND BRAKES
The Bongo sits on a very smart set of 16-inch Mazda alloys finished in dark grey. None of the wheels show any signs of curb marking or wear, and all are shod in a matching set of Bridgestone Turanza tyres with ample tread left at each corner.

HISTORY FILE
This outstanding low mileage example was first registered in February 2001; it has now driven just 61k miles from new. Having resided on the salt-free roads of Japan until late 2020 the car remains in excellent rust-free condition throughout, and the UK V5C shows only 2 former keepers. The Bongo had a full service and cambelt change done in February this 2022, and there is also service history from when the car was in Japan. I serviced it again before the trip in July and fitted a new distributor cap and rotor arm, plugs leads, fuel filter and another oil change. The trip was roughly 7000 miles so I will change the oil again for the new owner. The original maintenance booklet and owner’s manuals are all present in the history file, along with a handful of invoices and all the import documents.