Dollywobbler's Maestro Van - SOLD!

[dollywobbler]

I'm happy with it as is. He says having never driven in the dark.

 

I have driven over 150 miles in it though, and while it is noisy and quite bouncy, it's quite a nice drive really. Had fun down one of my favourite roads today, though it's crap over the rough mountain roads. Being a van just makes any noise that much worse! Cattle grids are especially painful. The seats even seem ok really. 

 

It doesn't respond well to trying to corner really quickly though. The back end feels skittish (thanks to rock hard suspension and no load) while the front gets very vague and understeery if you really try pushing on. Far better to settle for brisk rather than quick. I did overtake a BMW Z3 at one point though.

[drum]

Old Maestro van in poor road handling shocker . My hatchback under steers terribly too when pushing on. It feels quite modern otherwise so nearly caught me out on some twisties.

[Cavcraft]

Wait 'til you try cornering in the wet. It's sort of like the steering and front end decide it's a good idea, but the back half fights against it and just sort of pushes itself sideways.

[Alexg]

With 60psi in the o/s/r I'm not surprised!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

These Maestros have proper wooden handling at the best of times. They drive competently enough but there is absolutely nothing to get even remotley enthusiastic about in the driving experience I find. They really are like driving a car made out of wood. I wonder what one would be like if you managed to graft in some struts from a late 80's Peugeot to give a bit of 'fluididty' to the suspension.

[Ratdat]

That looks suitably shite. Congrats!

 

Hey, I've got a pair of front seats out of a Renault 16 in the shed if you want ultra comfort! Fitting 45 year old Renner seats into a Maestro van would be reaching new levels of shiteness.

[panhard65]

That looks suitably shite. Congrats!

 

Hey, I've got a pair of front seats out of a Renault 16 in the shed if you want ultra comfort! Fitting 45 year old Renner seats into a Maestro van would be reaching new levels of shiteness.

Oooooo are the 16 seats mounted flat to the floor as I need seats for the Juvaquatre. It has had a flat metal frame welded to the floor to mount seats on

[Ratdat]

Oooooo are the 16 seats mounted flat to the floor as I need seats for the Juvaquatre. It has had a flat metal frame welded to the floor to mount seats on

 

Yeah, the seat runners are totally flat.

[dollywobbler]

Well, I've covered a fair few miles and it hurts less than the Sirion did, so I'll take that as ok for now. It's amazing how the Sirion could make a totally flat road quite bumpy. Just like a Mini. 

 

Boll - you're spot on about the Maestro's handling. Even my hatch was frustratingly average. It could corner pretty quickly, it just wasn't pleasant to drive it like that at all. Maybe I should try grafting on a Freelander's running gear, see if that improves things and get the BL pervs excited.

[Cavcraft]

Hey, DW, any idea what PCD the Diedcatsoup has please?  I may feel obliged to bum the wheels/tyres onto Vauxhall's finest hour if I do scrap it. 

[dollywobbler]

Nope. No idea I'm afraid. I have no interest in such matters. Ratdat might know? You should definitely keep the tyres. They're most excellent. Can't remember what make they are, but it was telling that the Sirion felt more stable in the snow than the Discovery. My problem with buying winter tyres is that I rarely keep a car for two winters...

[Ratdat]

Not sure. Older ones are 4x110 but I've no idea about Sirions.

[KruJoe]

I think you might be lucky Billy; 4 x 100mm.

[Lord Sterling]

Maybe I should try grafting on a Freelander's running gear, see if that improves things and get the BL pervs excited.

Not a bad idea.....

 

[mat_the_cat]

http://www.chriswicks.co.uk/tandy01.html

 

Sadly it's not full of 80s hi-tech Realistic electronic equipment...

[cort16]

There's a guy who works at a local scrappies that has a maestro van with a t series turbo in it from a620ti. I'll try to get a snap the next time im up there

[skattrd]

Billy - Sirions are 4x100, so lots of wheels/tyres should be swappable. 

I was going to put some VW wheels on mine, they just need a small spigot ring to go on the Daihatsu hub.

[dollywobbler]

Van gets carpeted. I'd got some manky old carpet in random shapes, so I've fitted a load to the load bay to see if it'll quieten it down a bit. 

 

I also twisted the bonnet to get it to fit better. This worked! It's now flush on the driver's side. 

[beko1987]

Get some rubber backed carpet tiles in the same colour and do the outside? Use a heatgun to mould the tiles to the contours (all 3 of them) and sort out the water ingress problem too!

 

And you'd save a fortune* on car washing gear as you could hoover the outside rather than wash it...

[Guest Breadvan72]

Top bodging, wobster!  U haz da BLOKE SKILLZ.

[dollywobbler]

Incredibly, it doesn't seem to have any water ingress issues!

 

Even more remarkable - fitting a load of shitty carpet in the back has transformed it! I can drive over cats eyes again, without fear of permanently damaging my hearing. What a transformation. It wasn't just fitting carpet - I also wedged pieces into places where the ply side panels were moving too much. Dead chuffed!

[barefoot]

I had a Maestro van as my company hack many years ago and a particular favourite right hander that I normally took at 50

but if I was feeling adventurous, I'd rattle around at 60 in the 200T. I could barely persuade the van to do at a miserable 30.

It was diesel and starting it in a quiet street at 05:00 could wake the dead.

Would I have another?

A emphatic, No.

It ranks amongst the very worst cars that I have ever driven.

[Cavcraft]

That was the second one I had and both were great, neither were diesel but I'd be well chuffed with an old Perkins smoker.

 

Chris: cheers for the info on the wheels, to be truthful they'd probably look toss on the Corsa but they're cheaper then new tyres when that time eventually comes!

[Guest Breadvan72]

I used layers of old manky carpet in an old Landy to reduce noise, but had to throw them away after the life forms living in them started developing rudimentary forms of civilisation.  I think they were about to invent pottery or farming or something. 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Not a bad idea.....

 

 

 

Standard rapist edition, I see.

[KruJoe]

wheels... they'd probably look toss on the Corsa

We've probably all seen more toss wheels than those on Corsas!

They'll look ok unless the offset is way out.

 

 

LIVE* UPDATE from Yorkshire-shire...

 

Just papped this coming out of Skipton Cattle Market:

 

 

The clatter of the 'old Perkins smoker' was as grin-inducing as the sight of it.

Lovely to see, still earning a living.

[Cavcraft]

I bet the fuel is redder than the paintwork.

[twosmoke300]

Looks just like my dad's old one. Ex gec scales van

[dollywobbler]

Now with shockingly poor video!

[Rusty_Rocket]

I always enjoy your road tests Ian. 

My pal has three Maestro vans, two diesels and one petrol, although he only ever has one on the road. 

All are crusty around the 'screen, two have front doors that don't seem to fit the hole properly and all three are pretty scabby. 

They are relatively reliable but need regular attention.  Chief suspects are hub bearings, wiper motors and suspension bushes.  I must admit however, I've never noticed a harsh/ bouncy ride in any of them- in fact I find them very comfortable.