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マツダ ボンゴフレンディー I've gone and done a silly thing and now own a 1998 Mazda Bongo Friendee Auto Free Top from Japan. Just picked it up on Saturday and I'll get more photos later. The plan is to use it with the family for camping trips as the kids get older and I'll be using it at the track as a nicer place to hang out with friends. As befitting a vehicle from the late 90s, there are various interior things to fix. I'll be using this thread to keep notes, ask questions, and cry over my silly choice. Come along with me as I learn to play the bongos.   Things to do/investigate
Future Modifications
I'm sure I'll find more as I dig in. From my research, there is parts commonality with the Mazda MPV and Mazda B-Series pickup truck. Notes Rear Differential Fluid (Non-LSD) - SAE90 GL5 Tires - 215/65-15 square setup is OK Spark Plugs - NGK BKR5E-11/Denso K16PR-U11 AFT Seal Profile -  Need to source a possible replacement. 9m in lengthWiper Blade Sizes - 24" and 16" for front. 17" for rear Cabin Air Filter -240x205x39mm Parts Interested in Buying S09A-68-67YJ-29 - Carpet under front seats (Different color?) S09A-68-67YJ-52 - Carpet under front seats (Different color?) S09A-63-900C - Front Windshield green? S09W-63-900A - Front Windshield S09A-63-930B - Rear window - green? S35J-63-930 - Rear window - dark? S09W-63-930A - Rear window - bronze? S38A-57-11X5-3 - Ottoman (Left?Right?) S38A-57-11X5-4 - Ottoman (Left?Right?) S09V-43-70XD - ABS Sensor FR S09V-43-73XD - ABS Sensor FL S09V-43-71YA - ABS Sensor RR S09V-43-72YA - ABS Sensor RL Timing Belt Service https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/mazda-japan/bongo_friendee/AJRA0A/4_kit_engine_transmission/1200AA Belt - FE1H-12-205A Tensioner - FE1H-12-700A Spring - FE4J-12-711 Alternator Belt https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/mazda-japan/bongo_friendee/AJRA0A/4_kit_injection_cooling/1580AA V Belt - FEMJ-18-381 (6PK1185) Idle Pulley - N3A11594Y Pulley Shaft - FEMJ15932 Pulley Collar - N3A115933A Waterpump https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/mazda-japan/bongo_friendee/AJRA0A/4_kit_injection_cooling/1500AA Set - 8AK115010A (AISIN WPZ002) Spark Plug Leads https://www.amayama.com/en/genuine-catalogs/epc/mazda-japan/bongo_friendee/AJRA0A/4_kit_injection_cooling/1800AA Set - FEMJ18140 Tent https://www.amayama.com/en/part/mazda/s35m699a0 Struts KYB NST5144R, NST5144L, NSF2037 Tokico S10H-34-700, S10H-34-900, S10H-28-700, S10H-28-700D Oil Filter Mazda B6Y114302A / Purolator PL14610 c355n4 fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Feb 20, 2024 |
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Nov 20, 2023 15:13
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Took some 360 photos of the interior. https://photos.app.goo.gl/95HGMuYCRNzifG3c6 - Cabin https://photos.app.goo.gl/c338LaHFKrJ3nBYb8 - Pop Top Got my upholstery cleaner and gearing up to clean the carpet and seats this week.
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Nov 21, 2023 16:45
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Was flipping through the manual and came across some fun pages about the possible seat layouts.  Convenient Meeting Seating  Limousine   Starting at top left and going counterclockwise: Rear flat seating Full flat seating 5 people + luggage Luggage I Luggage II Couch Potato  Still looking at all the original paperwork that came with the car in the glovebox and I think I found the most recent service paperwork which appears to be from 2017 or Heisei 29. Matches up with the current mileage being around 77k km. 
c355n4 fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Nov 23, 2023 |
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Nov 23, 2023 15:02
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Some success with starting on cleaning the interior. It is amazing how much easier it is to remove stuff from old cars. Took like 5 minutes to rip out both front seats and some of the carpet that goes over the engine bay. I don't know how you all remember to take pictures of the process as you're working. Pardon the lack of photos. One of the front seats after cleaning. I'm going to do a second pass this weekend.  There is an engine hiding under there... Oh, hi little 4 cylinder guy.     I did find a treasure lost by a former owner. It appears to be a keychain from a temple. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eihei-ji  It had rained the day before and I found some bad news. There is a leak around the rear liftgate window. I can see where the butyl seal has fallen out and left hanging. At a loss at what to do longterm to fix this. Breaking this glass really isn't an option and I'm unsure if any shop will want to take that chance. For now, I'm using electrical tape to cover the outside to keep the water away. I have some of that Permatex stuff coming (https://www.permatex.com/products/adhesives-and-sealants/adhesives-sealant/permatex-flowable-silicone-windshield-glass-sealer-1-5-oz/) and I plan on giving that a shot. Nothing to lose by packing it full. 
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Nov 27, 2023 15:50
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In on the ground floor for this one. This looks like an awesome project. I will be zero help on the rear window; but I think cursedshitbox should be able to chime in on this one and offer some advice on removal/replacement. I am totally on board with your purchase - can you tell me how you ended up with this platform? Were you cross shopping or did you have a specific use case in mind? (pop top only, japanese van in general, gas engine only etc)
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Nov 27, 2023 20:45
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Somewhat Heroic posted:In on the ground floor for this one. This looks like an awesome project. I will be zero help on the rear window; but I think cursedshitbox should be able to chime in on this one and offer some advice on removal/replacement. I've been lowkey looking for a vehicle to go travelling with the kids as they get older so that they can experience more of America. Visiting some of the more out of the way national parks is way easier with a vehicle you can travel in. I've researched different options from tiny trailers, trailers, RVs, etc. Trailers and RVs just didn't fit the bill due to size or the need for a truck. Cost also entered the picture as these options are truly one use. I did look at converting vans like those vanlife people. Eventually, I ended up looking at VW Eurovans with poptops. Those command some insane prices and honestly looked like a pain to maintain. I'm sure this JDM camper won't be much better... I liked the idea of the Eurovan because I could use it at a second vehicle for normal stuff. Like a full-on camper van that isn't driven regularly is going to have problems when you finally use it. I knew about converted kei vans from Japan and while researching those I came across the Mazda Bongo Friendee with the Auto Free Top. I immediately loved the idea of a normal van which could technically fit 8 people and sleep 4 easily. There is market for them in the UK as grey imports and a Facebook community of owners. When I started actively looking, I knew I didn't want the Diesel or the 4WD variant. I had no real preference on the 4 cylinder over the 6 cylinder. Oddly, from research it appears the 4 cylinder is more reliable. One thing that I learned AFTER buying the vehicle is that it doesn't fit in my garage as it is too tall at 6'11". Never crossed my mind to check that. In short, I stumbled upon these vehicles randomly. It would be fun to try to track down the Mazdaspeed body kit and wheels.  They also have these OEM mesh screens for the front windows. Maybe one day once the vehicle is all good.  
c355n4 fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Nov 27, 2023 |
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Nov 27, 2023 22:57
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I dug around and wasn't really able to find much on the seal. Couple hits from other Bongo and specialty places that lead nowhere or to a seal that's superseded but I'm unsure if it works. I don't know of anyone else that uses that exact profile off hand but it's pretty close to a P type seal. It's gonna take some trial and error to get it right. Fortunately most places like this usually have a samples kit or w/e of 6" sections that you can try.
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Nov 28, 2023 00:54
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Your van is cute, those window screens are super dope. Have you slept in it yet? Even in the driveway?
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Nov 28, 2023 01:00
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cursedshitbox posted:I dug around and wasn't really able to find much on the seal. Couple hits from other Bongo and specialty places that lead nowhere or to a seal that's superseded but I'm unsure if it works. I don't know of anyone else that uses that exact profile off hand but it's pretty close to a P type seal. Ah, thanks for looking. I ended up just ordering the OEM replacement from Japan. I should have updated that post. Went the easy route. I have some feelers out on how to get replacement glass for the rear lift gate. stevobob posted:Your van is cute, those window screens are super dope. Have you slept in it yet? Even in the driveway? Not yet, driveway is sloped. I do plan on doing a test sleep once I finish deep cleaning. c355n4 fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Nov 28, 2023 |
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Nov 28, 2023 01:15
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Croooober and Yahoo! Auctions are usually good places to get parts. I've been using Zenmarket as a proxy for the latter.
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Nov 28, 2023 04:22
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Croooober and Yahoo! Auctions are usually good places to get parts. I've been using Zenmarket as a proxy for the latter. Yup! I found those cool screens and the pamphlet for the Mazdaspeed goods on Yahoo! Auctions. Figuring out what search terms to use has been an interesting endeavor. I'll have to check out Zenmarket. I made an account with Buyee.
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Nov 28, 2023 17:42
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Bingo Bongo, I'm coming along...o. This should be fun.
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Nov 28, 2023 17:56
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With VW Camper prices (and most things VW tbh) being through the roof, the thinking person's get away from it all vehicle is an import Bongo for obvious reasons. This looks great!
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Nov 30, 2023 09:24
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Very much looking forward to your journey. Bongo Friendee has to be one of the best automobile names ever.
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Dec 1, 2023 01:27
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 Just finished up squeezing this stuff into the rear windshield glass. I'll have to test it this weekend to see if it works. At least it isn't noticeable when looking at the car. Not that I'm overly concerned about looks. I did get a quote back from a company for a used rear windshield shipped from Japan by air. So, it IS possible to get the glass. It isn't cheap though at around $1900. The glass itself is listed at like $400. Wonder how much custom glass/lexan would cost. I still need to finish cleaning up the interior and start researching sound deadening options. I want to install a hard floor or much more easily cleanable floor covering in the back. I'll be dumping the carpet. Options include:
I'm open to suggestions or recommendations.
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Dec 1, 2023 19:33
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OP, I'm insanely jealous of this thing. The only thing I would consider over it would be a HiAce with the same pop up, but I would imagine that they command a massive premium vs this.Olympic Mathlete posted:With VW Camper prices (and most things VW tbh) being through the roof, the thinking person's get away from it all vehicle is an import Bongo for obvious reasons. This looks great! It really does, and older VW prices are loving insane. I remember when you could get a running and driving ACVW for under $500 that didn't need a ton of work, just had a lot of patina. Wasserboxers were cheap too, but they were really hated back then (they're still hilariously unreliable today). Now? Bring your mortgage and jewelry along when negotiating for either of them. If I was smart I would have bought a few ACVW Beetles in the 90s and early 00s and thrown them in a storage unit... Unless you want a serious VW project, it's easier (and cheaper) to import one of these. They're more reliable in general too, just keep common spare parts that aren't easy to get with you. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Dec 1, 2023 |
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Dec 1, 2023 19:57
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c355n4 posted:I did get a quote back from a company for a used rear windshield shipped from Japan by air. Can you ship it not by air and save a buck?
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Dec 1, 2023 20:15
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LloydDobler posted:Can you ship it not by air and save a buck? I actually just asked them that. I have a sneaky feeling that land shipping a windshield isn't worth their time unless I order enough to fill a less than container load. But we'll find out!
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Dec 1, 2023 20:51
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It's definitely possible but I don't know what the constraints are on it. There's at least one guy in the Opel community who has had crates of car parts that are well below "container" size shipped from Germany to the US via slow boat, but he's also loading them up with a lot more than a single window. He's shipping on the order of a few engines and a few transmissions and other parts packed into a single large crate.
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Dec 1, 2023 21:02
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IOwnCalculus posted:It's definitely possible but I don't know what the constraints are on it. There's at least one guy in the Opel community who has had crates of car parts that are well below "container" size shipped from Germany to the US via slow boat, but he's also loading them up with a lot more than a single window. He's shipping on the order of a few engines and a few transmissions and other parts packed into a single large crate. And that is how you suddenly become an import business. Maybe I should buy a bunch of glass and stock it. As far as I know the glass shape on this vehicle hasn't changed over the model years. My other thought was to hit up an importer who already deals with half cuts and engines and see if they'd be willing to spare some space. Either way, hopefully I won't need it and my "fix" will work for now.
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Dec 1, 2023 21:18
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Yeah. He also went through the process of getting a fresh run of Opel GT windshields made and I think UPS smashing a bunch of them up has given him PTSD, so there's that to consider as well.
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Dec 1, 2023 21:30
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IOwnCalculus posted:Yeah. He also went through the process of getting a fresh run of Opel GT windshields made and I think UPS smashing a bunch of them up has given him PTSD, so there's that to consider as well. Ouch, nightmare fuel. I can't imagine the hassle of dealing with insurance if they were insured. Heard back, I forgot to specify the port. Looks like they can ship via ship. Just waiting on a new quote. I imagine I'll have to go collect from the port myself. That could be an interesting adventure.
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Dec 2, 2023 15:22
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c355n4 posted:
I love those royal clover aftermarket keys, I managed to get a NOS Pole position one for the MR2. If you can find the code for the bongo you can probably find more royal clover blanks. Edit: the code might actually be on the key possibly, it's usually a 3 digit code I think track day bro! fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Dec 4, 2023 |
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Dec 4, 2023 18:25
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track day bro! posted:I love those royal clover aftermarket keys, I managed to get a NOS Pole position one for the MR2. If you can find the code for the bongo you can probably find more royal clover blanks. Sadly, this one appears to be for a different vehicle. 
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Dec 4, 2023 19:53
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Huh, I had no idea about those keys. https://www.heartbeat.la/buyers-guide/jdm-fashion-keys/ Edit: Apparently code 356 is for a Miata? boxen fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Dec 6, 2023 |
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Dec 6, 2023 20:41
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Things have been a little slow due to winter and this thing not being able to fit in my garage. I really hate working outside in the cold and wet. I've just been collecting parts to do all the belts, water pump, and assorted hoses. I also found out that US license plates don't line up with the holes on JDM cars; luckily cheap adaptors exist, or you could easily make your own. I ended up being lazy and just ordering an adaptor. Hopefully I'll have some more interesting updates soon.
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Jan 26, 2024 14:25
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Weather was decent and I had a few minutes to slap in some replacement interior trim. The sliding door interior trim was broken and part of it was missing. Removed the old trim and you can also see how bad the old tint is. Not looking forward to trying to remove that.  New hotness that arrived from Osaka, Japan. Not an exact replacement as this has flocking on it for some reason.  Looking at these photos, I should have taken the time to remove the old door card and prep it to be recovered with something.  Photo of collected maintenance parts. 
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Feb 5, 2024 14:17
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Genuine Mazda parts? Look at Mr Moneybags over here! I'm assuming because these vans are so well used for camping etc that getting parts isn't much of a problem?
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Feb 5, 2024 15:17
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Olympic Mathlete posted:Genuine Mazda parts? Look at Mr Moneybags over here! There are a bunch of pattern/aftermarket parts. I definitely splurged buying the OEM Mazda maintenance parts. Some OEM parts do seem to no longer exist.
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Feb 5, 2024 23:17
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