What people have said about our Mazda Bongos and Ford Fredas

I'd convinced myself that nothing was ever going to be able to top the competition for sheer 'gorblimey' showroom – Then I visited Imperial & Guess what? I was wrong!

Imperials proverbial unique selling point concerns its truly fabulous full conversion – Words can't really do justice to this remarkable vehicle, so I’ll let my photos do most of the talking…

Simply put – if the Bongo you want isn't here, chances are it doesn’t actually exist...

…The slide out shelf on the left is pure, simple genius…

Imperial’s Bongo is now the one to beat!

Plenty of standing room at the remarkable island kitchenette

The deceptive ultra flat double bed makes a cosy double

Existing customer John Parfitt reported to me "I'm very, very pleased"
He told me "The service from Imperial is almost too good to be true"

I was astonished as I put my foot down to pull away thanks to the 128 bhp Turbo Diesel engine!

It is abundantly clear that a great deal of careful thought has gone into creating this conversion. The rear bench seat has been professionally stripped back & re upholstered in matching trim not only to ensure that a flat level bed is available but to retain the original seat belts – two 3 point diagonals & one lap belt plus all of the factory seat fixtures to ensure the van is as safe as it was when it left the factory.

At this stage it can be scarcely over-emphasised that retention of the factory fitted rear seat and three-point seat belts have always been a strictly non –negotiable 'sine qua non' for family men Martyn & Bob – owners of The Imperial Car Company.

OTHER CUSTOMER FEEDBACK:

Bongo Brian !
Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:40 pm
What a great pleasure it was to buy a Bongo from Martyn. Without doubt, the most enjoyable vehicle buying experience ,I have ever had!
I visited Imperial with my wife Gayna, just to have a look at the Bongo.
We had a VW camper, and were not sure about the Bongo.
But we both fell in love with the vehicles, and even more so with the superb conversions carried out at Imperial. Hence we traded in the VW for the latest, and brilliant conversion by Martyn, and his team. It is patently obvious why this man is a legend in Bongo Land!!
Look forward to meeting fellow Bongoers as new members of the Club

Judging from this and other posts, I would strongly suggest going with a Bongo Fury related dealer to give you the peace of mind and knowledge required to purchase a good one. IMHO some of the other "importers" talk a load of cr*p and are unneccessarily alarming and I would streer well clear of those. I have personally found Imperial very helpfull and obliging and, most importantly, knowledgeable. Go that route and I am sure you will not be dissapointed with a Bongo and the possible extra cost will be regained in pleasurable motoring.

Picked up the van this morning from Imperial Car Company and I must say I am impressed with the amount of effort that was put into making the van individual to our needs ………the van is really really good !

Martyn has delivered an amazing service to us so far and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them to anyone who is considering purchasing a Bongo (I’m sure I will have a fair few queries from the Kitesurf crowd about the van!!).

Thanks Martyn and thanks Imperial Car Company!!!!!

I have my new Bongo and am really pleased with it and exceptionally pleased with the outstanding service I am receiving from Martyn at Imperial Cars in Poole.

Its seems Martyn has read this post and has sent me a very informative e-mail and will try to resolve the issue with me.

I have to say I am TOTALLY impressed with the level of after sales service from Martyn at Imperial which is really nice to find these days. I will be recommending them wholeheartedly to everyone!

Just collected a V6 Bongo from the boys in Poole and thought it only right to sing their praises a bit. Good, honest advice from the start was in my experience a refreshing change from some one in the motortrade. I know he was obviously hoping to secure a sale but nevertheless, he certainly went the extra mile to help me navigate my way through the mysterious world of the Bongo. His advice on the V6 certainly seems accurate. Beautiful, smooth, powerful engine and I think I got about 30mpg (497 kilometres on 53 litres? - maths crap) on the run back up to Liverpool.

Martyn clinched the deal with a really nice CD upgrade (Alpine), some blingy 17" alloys which suprisingly look great (in my opinion anyway) and a tank of fuel.

Finally, must say that although very early days, the pleasure I've already got from the Bongo makes it one of my better decisions. Roll on a bit of good weather so we can do a bit of camping.

From the very first enquiry a few weeks back the advice given from Martyn has been really useful. He was always prepared to spend as much time as I needed either on the phone or emailing me things.

I found them very helpful too. I enquired about a wee footrest, they sent me one f.o.c. Nothing seemed too much trouble.

I hope you enjoy your Bongo as much as we do!

Seriously.... Toddle down to Imperial.(see link on Bongofury) Blandford Road Hamworthy, next to Wyatts Citroen and Texaco forecourt. They are reputedly the biggest stockists in the country, they certainly are very knowledgeable and helpful. They will be able to tell you all the colours/ages availability. They did have a peppermint green metallic one. Hows about that then??
Best of luck.

On a side note I can also recommend Imperial cars - I have had an exceptional service from Martyn right from my first contact when looking at Bongo’s right through to fantastic after sales support and advice.

Well – after my lunch date with Martyn yesterday ( he came so highly recommended by both Colin and Gaz) – I am now (well nearly) the proud owner of beeauuutiful SILVER bongo. (Are you proud of me Mick?)

I did want a white/silver one (like Flyer Gaz) – but just didn’t have enough pennies saved up.

It has everything I wanted on it (except of course the colour). I am now putting all my faith in Martyn at Imperial – what a fantastic chap by the way!- (got to say that I know he reads this forum ) that it will be registered in time for Easter. Woo Hoo!!

So thanks for all of your hints and tips guys – I really did take all of them in, I even visited maxpower Athers (hence I got the silver with no sign of any neons).

So a big big thank you to all of you for the guidance

I picked up my Bongo last night and I am over the moon!

Every doubt that I ever had about buying this silver beast, were chased away by the outstanding service and completely stress free approach of Martyn at Imperial cars.
I had read the reports on this forum telling me that he was a nice guy - and now I really can endorse it!
He even changed all the decal colours to a beautiful blue colour just because I went on about it so much!!

I am off for my first night off Bongo Bliss tonight - so no doubt I will have loads of questions for you guys soon

All I can say is - thank you Martyn, would never have done all this without you!!

It has been noticed and they are very good articles too. Certainly the article writers did both companies and our Bongo/Freda's a positve service with their write-ups.

In fact it was because of the write-ups that i asked the Boss if we could just pop into Imperial Cars on our way back from our Easter break in the New Forest to Cornwall. She agreed and i diverted off the A35 into Hamworthy. I didn't realise there would be so many Bongo's. There were at least 60 on sale and they looked absolutely immaculate. I wandered by the workshops and this guy (i believe he was one of the bosses) asked if it was me who just pulled up in the Bongo. I said yes and we got talking. His enthusiasm for the vehicle was obvious and he was hands on preparing a vehicle for a ndew buyer. It appears that the vehicles are almost stripped bare to make sure everything works and is cleaned properly.

I must say i was impressed with the freindly appraoch and presentation of the vehicles. I asked if he was going to this years Bongo Bash but he said he was unfortunately double booked for another event. Mentioned he new some nutter called Maynard who will probably be conducting some race at the Bash.

Anyway i left impressed and pressed on to Cornwall. By the way the New Foerst is a lovley place to camp.

Well we went down to the Imperial Car Company today as advertised on this site... a huge selection of Bongos down there, from old to new!

In the end we walked away.. with a BONGO!! traded the Picasso in and will be picking the BONGO up in three weeks after the MOT/SVA etc...

We went for a face lift model in blue over silver on a R plate ( 98 ) after choosing between the face lift and the new shape (big price jump on the new shape). The Bongo seems pretty loaded with tinted windows, CD/MP3 player, ABS, Two air bags, Dual digital climate control, roof rails, crome wing mirror covers, ladder on the back, parking sensors back and front with a read out screen at the front (dash mounted) and on the back (mounted on the roof).

Cant wait to pick it up.... now we can gave some really good outings in the summer with our three kids!

Well, tomorrow is the day we pick up our White Bongo from Imperial Car Sales. We've been looking at them for about 18 months now and just thought, lets do it.

A bit nervous as we didn't have a chance to test drive it. As soon as we saw it in the garage, we signed on the dotted line. However, from what other members have said about Imperial Car Sales, I'm sure I have nothing to worry about.

Our first trip away will be down to Run To The Sun 2005 Newquay. Our van has been lowered and with huge alloys, should really look the part.

Roll on tomorrow, can't wait.

Well after a weekend of travelling the entire south coast the Bongo roller coaster has finished!

After deciding last night that the Bongo was a no go due this change in SVA/DVLA and conversion we decided to keep the car we already have.

I called Imperial first thing this morning to let them know our decision so that they could refund our deposit back. However Bob turned it all around for us made us a fantastic deal gave us some super advice and the deal was too good to miss!

So the Bongo is back on and due to be completed by the end of the month (conversion and checks to be done).

She is a real beauty. Blue over silver in colour, wicked condition, R plate (face lift) model, Sony CD/MP3 player, rear chrome ladder, roof bars, front and back fitted parking sensors, side conversion (picture below), full service inc belts, alarm with immobiliser including central locking and all the other usual items like electric blinds, air con etc….We are glad its all sorted now and the conversion demo vehicle we saw today at Imperial looked the business. Thanks for everyone’s help/advice during our purchase.

Flyer_Gaz you are right, Imperial are excellent and their conversions look absolutely brilliant, no expense spared.

I highly recommend Imperial for great condition bongos (no tat) and great one to one service including good honest advice (no typical car sales guys chat)! If you are looking for a Bongo check these guys out!

Looking forward to getting to know you guys and gals in the mad Bongoooooo club!

Hi all. Have been reading this website and lurking on the forums for a couple of weeks and what a great source of information it has been!!
Thanks to you all!! Yesterday I took the plunge, went to Imperial and put a down a deposit for an black/grey 2.5 TDI Auto R plated SGL5 with 75,000km on the clock, and opted for a side conversion.
It is (imo) a great looking vehicle, Martyn (salesman) was very personable and answered all my relevant questions, (and some of the stupid ones!!) and I can't wait to get hold of it in 3-4 weeks time when the conversion is complete.
However, I am also beginning to have some post sale jitters. It all looked and sounded fine to me, test drive very smooth, but I am no mechanic. Should I get an independent RAC (or equivalent) inspection done (cost about £250 for 4WD imports).
What are other peoples opinions/experiences of Bongos this age.
Is a full service / timing belt change a must before I drive away?
Any replies/advice greatly received!!

New, (excited but nervous) Bongo owner!!

world_in_motion - If your buying from Imperial and Martyn you have nothing to be concerned about..

I have a 99 face lift from them with a side conversion and its an excellent van and they have given a fantasic after sales service that has been 2nd to none !

IMHO you have made and excellent choice.

Best selection in the south would be Imperial in Poole. They now claim to have 80 in stock. Nothing to do with them. Just trying to support local business.

After reports on here I'm not travelling much further than I can spit to see a Bongo sold on ebay. I've seen a few ropey vans now (not all through ebay) and have come to the conclusion that buying from Imperial (which is just down the road from me) is probably the way to go.

have just ordered my Bongo from Imperial Cars in Poole, Dorset. We were originally looking for a Caravan sort of thing when we were in Brittany, as we saw so many people just parking up and watching the world go by. And we felt that we should be doing the same. We then spent hours looking at caravans, campervans etc and found we could not afford them.

We then checked on a website and someone suggested a Bongo. We thought it looked perfect and fitted the bill just right, but the nearest place we could find was miles away, until we were told there was one across the bridge from us !!!

We tested it and found it suitable for our use and will pick it up on Sept 23rd - I'm not excited or anything though !!!

We are going to get it partly converted so that we have a cupboard for a toilet and a table, plus we have bought some camping gaz bits, an awning etc etc etc and then we are going to sell up my Business and do some travelling.

Anyway, do you guys have any tips that would be good for us?

Try Imperial Cars (They only sell Bongo's) and I was very happy with them - They are slightly more expensive but A) They knew what they were talking about B) Lower mileage engines C) There is such a good selection there

Tomorrow morning at 9.45 there will be a new Mongo looney on the road - We are picking up our Bongo from Imperial Cars - YIPPPEEEE!!!! Not that I am excited or anything - Honest guv'.

Nice one Nick. We got our beast in the summer from Imperial.. really please with it and the service from Imperial! GoooBongooo...

If you want a BONGO you MUST go to Imperial. (Was that what you wanted me to say Martyn? ) Seriously, DO IT! I have also found Martyn at Imperial very helpful, I enquired where I might purchase a footrest, he said he would look and see if they had one. Phoned me back to say yes, they had on, what was my address and posted it out, all free of charge. He knows how to impress a Scotsman

Tom, Thanks for your comments. I have willingly paid what I did pay for a good experience, courteous and helpful attitude from Bob & Martyn and a cracking Bongo to boot.
Some dealers I spoke to really don't deserve to be in business they way they communicate.

Have to admit that Martyn and Bob really really really know what they are talking about. We got our Bongo on Friday, found a couple of things wrong and have just had the car returned to us with everything done. It just needed a new horn and a fuse change, but they made you feel very good in what they did.

I cannot recommend them enough - And I have pestered the crap out of them while I was looking for the right one.

Whatever you do don't go to any of the other places in Poole that are doing cheaper deals - They are from my own point of view CRAP !!! And the ones in Bournemouth Road seemed just full of BULL !!! He had no idea about the Bongo !!!

only started looking for a Caravan in August and then when I heard about the Bongo I went to see it, and both Martyn and Bob were saying to me things like "What exactly are you going to use such and such for?? Will you really go camping in France for 14 nights or just for a 1 or 2 night stopover with the kids and bags in the back" It made me realise that they were selling me a car that was suitable for me and my needs, not like a dealer who just want's to flog his grandma !!!

With guarantees as well, you pay the extra for it either way and we felt that as they were going out of their way for us, and only selling the Bongo and nowt' else then they must know their stuff, so we were happy.

I can't wait to get back from France to take her out again - I know it sounds pathetic but it's the first car I've actually really enjoyed. As I had to learn to drive to keep my disability at bay, it mean that a car was just a thing that was a part of my disability. But know it's something I want to drive for fun

God don't I ramble on and on – Sorry There's warranties and warranties. A three year guarantee or warranty on a ten year old vehicle must be limited to make commercial sense. A three month warranty that is honoured makes sense to me, unrealistic to expect more imho.