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Page 70
Page 71
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lsuzu has earned a reputation for tough, hard-working lightweights; we checked out a couple of used examples at Fentons of Bourne.
Rental vehicles generally lead a hard life, overworked by a succession of uncaring users and scarred with signs of misuse. But not always.
CM dropped in on IsuzuThick outlet Fentons of Bourne, Lines to check out an NOR 7.5-tonner that had done time with a major hire fleet, and we were pleasantly surprised by what we found.
The cab boasted clean, cigarette-bum-free. upholstery with next to no damage to the dashboard. In fact all the interior trim was in good order apart from an ill-fitting glove box lid and a courtesy light minus its bulb and lens.
Dating back to 2000, the X-reg box-bodied NQR had clocked up 143.000km, was tested until October,and carried a price tag of L11250.
There was plenty of tread on the tyres, whict showed no signs of any damage, and the cab was verging on the immaculate — no stone chips, with just a minor scratch on the bumper marring its finish.
Living in the real world
Just to remind us this 4.48m-wheelbase Isuzu has lived in the real world there were some scratches on the side under-run bars; the 20ft JC Payne GRP box body carried one or two scrapes and a small dent.
More abrasions were to be found on the body's interior sidewalls and on the wideslatted Henderson rear roller shutter door. Its frame was discoloured with one or two signs o surface rust.
The timber floor was undamaged, however, and the twin rows of load securing tracks — one above the other on each side wall — looked ready for more hard work.
The little truck was equipped with a one-tonne Ross & Bonnyman tail lift which worked perfectly, showed no signs of corm sion and had not been knocked about.
The underside looked sound too. The exhaust tail pipe might need replacing soon. but that's hardl a big deal. Before we departed on ot brief test drivi on a wet and gloomy Month morning we check e he lights, including the side narkers. No problems there.
The NQR comes with a 4,756cc, .43hp, four-pot, charge-cooled turbo-diesel named to a six-speed gearbox. Body/payload illowance is a generous 4,790kg. It's fitted with ithree-man cab. although a trio of large ocidental adults would find it a bit of a squeeze.
The engine fired up first time, and idled luite happily with no worrying rattles.
Heading down the Al5 towards Market )eeping we found no problems with the )rakes or gearbox, and the unladen NOR dered a perfectly competent ride. Nor were here any suspicious squeaks or creaks emaiating from the cab. body, or chassis.
It didn't pull as well as we'd hoped that tall )ody and lashing rain didn't help and there eemed to be a little bit of play in the steering. 3ut tilting the cab when we got back to the lealership revealed no problems.
Our verdict? A worthwhile buy for some)ody on local delivery work who doesn't mind wining something that in driving terms is nore akin to a big van than a pukka truck.
Our next examination involved a somevhat younger 3.37m-wheelbase NOR '.5-tonner with the same engine and gearbox )ut a different type of body.This was a 51gated tipper dating back to 2002. It's priced it £14,995. and has only done 20,000km but vith a new tacho head installed at 19.500km it )nly shows 500km.
Unlike its stablemate it didn't have an aerolynamic cab roof moulding, but it did have a yarning beacon up top.
Once again, the cab interior was amazingly lean, aside from the odd scuff on the dashroard. U mpteen pairs of boots had scraped tway the paint on the offside wheelarch, iowever, and some rust was starting to show. A significant number of dents in the recently shot-blasted and resprayed all-steel doubledropside body-which didn't bear a maker's plate suggested that the Isuzu had been worked hard during its short life, An engine PTO powers the single front end ram; the body, which is equipped with a ladder rack with a mesh infill.lifted without any difficulty.
Chunk out of the tyre
At some stage a big chunk had been taken out of the rear nearside mudguard and the rear wheels showed some surface corrosion. A towbar is fitted, so the tipper has probably pulled some lightweight plant at some stage.
At 4,845kg, the body/payload allowance on this chassis is once again generous.
Back on the Market Deeping road we found the tipper to be a remarkably lively performer: far livelier than its box-bodied stablemate. It too rode and handled well, and the gearchange was smooth and user-friendly.
There was some evidence of a minor fuel leak, however; not what you really want given the extortionate cost of diesel.
Our view? Aside from the suspected fuel leak,which shouldn't be a major job to fix, it would make a handy workhorse for a sand and gravel merchant, a builder's merchant, or a builder.
What's more it's still covered by the unexpired portion of Isuzu 'Truck's new vehicle warranty three years/unlimited distance in most cases. •