Ford duetto

Look out for rust, especially round the bottom of the windscreen, under the plastic trim. Also wheel arches, front suspension turrets, etc

We love our Duetto, but have spent a small fortune on bodywork issues.

Rust, rust and more rust. Check previous MOTS for fails and advisories.

As already said the biggest issue with the older Duetto will be rust. 
Ours was N Reg and rusted as follows. N/S screen pillar, lower screen scuttle, os panel under the heater outlet and floor in same area, both rear door bottoms, both cab steps under the plastic trim and the floor under the shower tray in the area of the n/s rear spring hanger. 
I think we were very unlucky and not all are as bad as ours but that generation of Fords were prone to rust as much as other vehicles of that age. The layout and a liking for Fords meant we were all set to look for a newer less rusty Duetto. 
The Rienza we have now took its place and it works for us if bigger than we really wanted.

Thanks for your input guys, think I am having second thoughts about the Ford Duetto due to potential rust problems, I will up my budget and look for something a bit newer, I will be back to the forum.........

Don't give up on Duetto's, they're great. The Ford mechanical bits go on for ever, the sofa opposite the sliding door is, we feel, much nicer than a rear lounge, and the van fits in a normal car parking space (more or less). 

Just be aware of the rust issue, and check underneath very carefully.

Ours will be for sale next June.......

I didnt want to cast doom and gloom regarding our Duetto. Some of the others we rejected were in a terible state and shouldnt have been on the road. The worst one had a front indicator held in with gaffer tape and the carpets inside were damp. Ours was fine for the first two years until a windscreen fitter came to change a cracked windscreen. It was disheartening but we thought it was worth repairing. Little did we know how bad the rust really was. As I said it is a layout we liked and suited us fine for a starter into motorhome life. 
Maybe not in youre budget but the later  Duetto  were based on the Mk6 Transit as our Rienza is based on. 
 You might find one of that generation or go down the route of a Symbol if you dont mind the Peugeot base.

maybe a VW topaz, similar size and layout to the ford, seem to be bit more expensive but does not seem to have rust issues ( I may be wrong!). Any thoughts ?