Dans Mk2 Transit thread. New carb.

[danthecapriman]

After having the dreaded mot day today for not one but two of my old shitters at the same time, both of them gaining another years ticket each I thought it about time I got some pics up on here of half of my fleet! I dont think either of them have had much of an airing on here yet.

 

Firstly, the dirty old Granny!

This old beast is totally natural and not faked patina or OMGRATLUKYO! It is genuinly battered and weathered in such a way that takes decades to achieve! It wouldnt look out of place on a 90's council estate!!

Peeling lacquer, dents, rust, scabby chrome, gaffer tape, mis matched rattle can panels, she's got it all!! And now pushing 200K miles aswell!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next is the Transit, much cleaner this time though.

 

IMG_0062 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

I hate MOT day! Its always a worry but yet ive never had any problems year on year!

 

No other reason for this post really, just a bit of a middle finger salute to the moderns that everyone absolutely must have because old cars are so unreliable and expensive arent they!

[twosmoke300]

Well done.

Love the tranny

[EssDeeWon]

Nice Granny, late one too and on Essex plates like all good Fords 

[Cavcraft]

That Transit is fantastic, have you done a thread on it on here and if not get a bloody move on!

[danthecapriman]

Nice Granny, late one too and on Essex plates like all good Fords 

 

Tis a late one, the mk3 jelly mould was already out on C plates. I think the last mk2s were sold at really good prices just to get rid of the last of the parts pile. Someone told me once you could get a well specced mk2 Granny for the same price of a mid range Sierra at the time in 85. If thats true or not I dont know...

 

This one was originally the MD's car of an essex based signwriter/printing works, which is where most of its mileage came from. It had already done some 70K miles by the time it got its first MOT! Its almost been scrapped once and banger raced once aswell, narrowly escaping both fates! I got it from the guy who was about to start stripping it for racing!

 

The Transit started life with the BBC, built new as a semi high roof, it went to be converted to a high roof by Ford, had windows installed and was kitted out as a mobile radio studio with a few other similar vans. They didnt get used much and sat in garages most of the time. This ones all original and only done 19K miles from new! Most of the equiptment that was inside the back had already been stripped when I got it, but I managed to strip out a huge DJ's mixer desk, which I later sold to a guy in Belgium for a nice little earner! Its in the process of becoming a campervan/dayvan type thing now.

[junkyarddog]

Loving that Granada

[DVee8]

Well done that man,the granny is fab it suites its battle scars.

[mercrocker]

Top class shite-ing!  That Tranny would make a superb camper and so tidy.  Always loved the LWB on singles for those really cool spats too.  As for the Granny....I lived on a council estate all through the 90s and it was chock full of 'em (including my two!).   World is a poorer place without Mk2s on every street if you ask me...

[Felly Magic]

That Transit is the mutts nuts, would deffo make a perfect campervan

[trigger]

Lovely pairing!

[danthecapriman]

Top class shite-ing!  That Tranny would make a superb camper and so tidy.  Always loved the LWB on singles for those really cool spats too.  As for the Granny....I lived on a council estate all through the 90s and it was chock full of 'em (including my two!).   World is a poorer place without Mk2s on every street if you ask me...

 

When I went to collect the Granny from the garage, sat outside was a mk3 Mondeo estate. It had clearly just had some welding to the sills as it was now sporting a black tidemark around its lower sides! It stood out because of this (just like all old bangers had when they got old) but it just didnt look right somehow! almost like it was 'playing at it'. I remember when all older cars looked rough and were maybe just kept going on a shoestring, maybe the next mot would be its last. Cars just dont look like that anymore, shame!

When I was a kid, the neighbours had an R reg mk2 Capri, it was white with a brown vinyl roof and lovely brown interior. It was covered in rust spots and streaks of rust running down from behind the side trim strips, It had the obligatory 'black death' tidemarks on the sills, the vinyl top was ripped and peeling off. It was stunning! Im convinced that is the car that started it all for me! Eventually it disapeared, probably to the crusher to be replaced by a mk3 Escort (which went the same way!). Cars like that were everywhere at the time but rarely seen nowadays.

[maxustaxus]

I know what you mean about MOT day....I get so nervous before, and then relieved if the car passes. I kind of feel it as a personal failure if my car does not pass!

 

So having two pass on the same day is ficking brill.

 

The Tranny is awesome BTW.  Could be used for outside broadcast logistics at Basildon's charity half marathon day, or to take the residents of Sunset Pine residential home to Southend for the afternoon (but put covers on the seats first).

 

A versatile example of Chod.

[mercrocker]

I never understand folk who have to have everything looking concours.   What's a paint job nowadays - £2/3K?  And it deteriorates the minute you get it home.  Stuff like the Granny can be kept, as you show, in this condition almost indefinitely - certainly if you are prepared to spend the cost of that paint job over say 4 or 5 years in sensible maintenance.   I try and keep my motors like they were at say 10 years old rather than showroom-fresh - it never looks right when they do those TV serials and everything is gleaming and on age-related plates with modern mirrors.   The true spirit of street-look - Love it!

[vulgalour]

That desire to see cars in the condition of the fabulous Granada above is strong at car shows I've attended in the Princess.  It's almost like there's a palpable relief that here is a car that looks as rough as everyone remembers, still lurching along doing what it was designed to do, nestled almost offensively amongst the rows of super shiny restored stuff.

 

There are those that get more joy from wandering around a scrapyard than around a car showroom.  Trouble is, I actually want my car to be all lovely and shiny and new looking but I have to tolerate it looking like a shed, at the minute I feel it's gone just over the edge from shabbily shite to just plain shit and it's pretty depressing.

[In The Pit]

When I went to collect the Granny from the garage, sat outside was a mk3 Mondeo estate. It had clearly just had some welding to the sills as it was now sporting a black tidemark around its lower sides! It stood out because of this (just like all old bangers had when they got old) but it just didnt look right somehow! almost like it was 'playing at it'. I remember when all older cars looked rough and were maybe just kept going on a shoestring, maybe the next mot would be its last. Cars just dont look like that anymore, shame!

When I was a kid, the neighbours had an R reg mk2 Capri, it was white with a brown vinyl roof and lovely brown interior. It was covered in rust spots and streaks of rust running down from behind the side trim strips, It had the obligatory 'black death' tidemarks on the sills, the vinyl top was ripped and peeling off. It was stunning! Im convinced that is the car that started it all for me! Eventually it disapeared, probably to the crusher to be replaced by a mk3 Escort (which went the same way!). Cars like that were everywhere at the time but rarely seen nowadays.

The thing is in 2014 a 15 year old car doesn’t look much older than a new one, a 1999 car doesn’t look that dated.  However in 1994 cars from 1979 looked to be from another era completely with chrome bumpers and hubcaps, vinyl roofs,  lairy interiors or totally black on basic models and  body colours like yellow, beige or orange.

[danthecapriman]

Thanks for all the positiveness!

 

I often consider doing all the work to bring it up to a good standard (maybe not concours!) then get it sprayed. But then again that may ruin it slightly? maybe its better to stay as it is now, and just keep it going, repairing as needed? I really dare'nt take it anywhere near a car show though! It'd be laughed at and bood away! unless of course it was an autoshite show!

Do people actually not mind or even like seeing cars in this sort of condition at shows and such?

 

The Granny wasnt actually that sound when I got it though! Realistically it was better as a spares car or racing (and it wouldnt of lasted long on the track!) This is what I found on removing the wings back in 2008!!

 

 

 

And in the process of repair!

 

It took a fair bit of time to put it all right again, but now im confident its pretty solid where it counts, even if it is still a bit frilly around the edges.

[mercrocker]

My Oxford and cowley are both sheds really.  I have contemplated (only in moments of insomnia) getting them fully restored.  But then, a job that I would be happy with would leave me £20k in the red.  Are the cars going to drive any better?  Probably not.  Look better?  Yes, for sure but for how long?  I have seen a good few cars get restored and they lose something in the process.  Drive them and enjoy them and there are enough different people in the world to appreciate the cars however they look.  Point is they are saved and being used - that's one less piece of modern shit to have to look at.   Like I said earlier, I like my cars to look as if they are 10 years old and ten year old cars back in the day were almost finished, only dogged determination kept them going.  Shiny is good for those that want shiny but it does not add up  financially for me and nothing I do stops them being "properly" restored by someone else in the future if that is what they want....

[Partridge]

Thanks for all the positiveness!

 

I often consider doing all the work to bring it up to a good standard (maybe not concours!) then get it sprayed. But then again that may ruin it slightly? maybe its better to stay as it is now, and just keep it going, repairing as needed? I really dare'nt take it anywhere near a car show though! It'd be laughed at and bood away! unless of course it was an autoshite show!

Do people actually not mind or even like seeing cars in this sort of condition at shows and such?

 

I don't. If they're at a show chances are they're owned by an enthusiast anyway.

[Luckythirteen]

Scabby old cars like that, make me smile too. It's earned that look, it can't be bought.

I don't see the problem with cars like that at shows: rows of super shiny summer day toys can get tedious!

[Bobthebeard]

Scabby old cars like that, make me smile too. It's earned that look, it can't be bought.

I don't see the problem with cars like that at shows: rows of super shiny summer day toys can get tedious!

Rings true here also.

I don't often visit car shows, but soon tire of walking down rows of gleaming 'pride and joys' with the owners sat proudly on a camping chair next to their cars. A car in original, used in the real world, patinated condition is actually far more interesting, evoking real memories. Plus the owner would be unlikely to be on a camping chair, unless it was in the beer/burger tent. Fair play to the proud owners exhibiting pristine restored examples, but I know what I would rather coo over in truth!

[Craig the Princess]

I like the Transit, but love that Granada. Always wanted my Dad to buy one (Granada Mk2 estate) in the early/mid 90s when I was a kid, kust love the look of them.

 

+1 on the non-pristine cars at shows, far more interesting.

[FredTransit]

OOOO a LWB single wheel, you just don't see many of em any more. Very nice.

[garethj]

You're a brave man having both cars MoT'd at the same time, I don't think my stomach ulcer could take the pressure!

 

The Granada is a lovely thing, those late 2.8s seem to last quite well.  Maybe because people have always made the effort to keep them going compared to the gutless 2 litre.

 

The Transit is epic, I really don't remember when I last saw one on the road, but they used to be everywhere.

 

Here's a picture of my Granada and Transit that first hit the road (ok, Scalextric track) last weekend

[danthecapriman]

Well, my joy at pissing two MOT's was short lived!!

Just got back home in the Granada and as I pulled up the drive heard something go pop, then a vile smell of burning and smoke coming from under the bonnet! Got out and noticed a big streak of red oil on the floor behind the car!!

First thoughts were that ive wasted the autobox! On checking however it seems that one of the power steering hoses has failed at the compression joint between metal and rubber sections. Everytime the steering is turned and the system fully pressurised it squirts a jet of oil straight out onto the HT leads and exhaust manifold!

Fortunatly it happened as I got home, and thank fook it wasnt the autobox. However now ive got to get to Pirtek to get new ones made up (not available new anymore!) and clean shit loads of oil off the bulkhead and underbonnet area. Good that it happened after the MOT too!

Hopefully Pirtek should be able to make the new ones, at a good price.

 

What a bitch!

[Lord Sterling]

However now ive got to get to Pirtek to get new ones made up (not available new anymore!)....

Hopefully Pirtek should be able to make the new ones, at a good price.

Pirtek are great at making new pipes. When I had the power steering hose go on the White 820e I had a couple of years ago I ended up having to go to Pirtek. I took the original pipe with me so they could get measurements and the right size fixings. It cost me £60 which is a bargain to be honest.

[danthecapriman]

Pirtek are great at making new pipes. When I had the power steering hose go on the White 820e I had a couple of years ago I ended up having to go to Pirtek. I took the original pipe with me so they could get measurements and the right size fixings. It cost me £60 which is a bargain to be honest.

That sounds good. We use them at work for various things and always found them good, never enquired about the costs though as I wasn't paying! I'll get the old pipes off and give them to Pirtek to use as patterns. Maybe I'll ask for them in galvanised or stainless if possible, should last that way.

£60 is a bargain, I'll bet new or repro ones from the dealers, if you can even get them, cost vastly more than that!

[danthecapriman]

Finally managed to sort the Granada out!

New PAS pipes made up by Pirtek, and fitted without any drama. This was pretty straight forward really and cost £80 to have the supply hose and return hose made up. The new ones are in rubber now instead of the old steel pipes which were rusty. Just reusing the old end and unions.

 

While the car was on the jacks, I decided to treat it to an oil and filter change, using a genuine oil filter and Castrols finest!

 

Then an automatic transmission oil and filter change.

This was a messy horrible job! I tried to keep everything, including myself clean but it never works with gear oils, it always manages to go everywhere! There is no drain bung on the Ford C3 autobox, so I put a nice big drain tray under the sump and removed all bolts on one end, then gradually loosened all the others so the sump pan tilted but didnt fall off. This let alot of the oil drain out. Then once no more oil came out I undid the last bolts and removed the sump.

 

Skanky old gasket, that was weeping from one end. Theres some shit in the pan but not as much as I was expecting.

 

The bottom of the autobox with the old filter still in place. Excuse the crappy photos, there wasnt much room or light under there.

 

Nice new oil filter and cork gasket. The only thing that was missing was the small cork seal for the joint between filter and pick up into the gearbox. Fortunatly my old one was in very good unmarked condition so was cleaned and reused.

 

Nice clean sump pan. The new gasket was stuck to this with a very thin layer of instant gasket, just to stop it moving when trying to put it all back.

 

The filter was changed, just 3 10mm bolts that hold it in and the sump bolted back on. Refilling with nice new ATF and running up to temperature to get a good level.

The old oil wasnt too bad at all really, still had a good red colour (not brown or black!) and smelt ok too. The old filter however was clearly very old! Most of the gause filter mesh inside was pretty well clogged with crap. The only little issue found was that some ham fisted twat had managed to cross thread one of the sump bolts! How they managed to screw that up I dont know but the ally gearbox casting was easy enough to re-tap and the bolt cleaned up went back in fine.

New V old filters!! quite a differance!

The important thing here is to keep everything as clean as possible, and any grime,grit etc out of the gearbox!

So with the oil levels topped up and PAS system bled, I took it out for a test drive. The autobox is so much better now. It wasnt bad before but the new oil makes the gear changes much smoother and it feels slightly quicker now too.

All good now and it didnt exactly break the bank either.

[beko1987]

That's amazing! I'm too young to have seen these about in the flesh (rust) sadly.

[phil_lihp]

It's good to see a nice, honest Granada, that's exactly how I remember them looking in the mid-nineties when they were still fairly common.  Long may it live!

[danthecapriman]

Thread resurrection time!

 

There's not been that much to report on either of these two. The Transit is still fine and still undergoing work to become a camper. It's really getting there now and should be finished this summer.

 

The Granada is still here too, no problems since the last report except recently one of the front brakes has started sticking.

I've stripped that side down and found nothing out of place so it must be the calliper piston beginning to stick. I've tried pushing the piston back and exercising it a bit which did fix it for a while but it's now doing it again.

 

So, time to spend some cash!

I've decided to get a pair of recon callipers, new pads and pad wear warning wires, and pad fitting kit so this should sort the brakes.

I've also decided to give the cooling system an overhaul so I have various new gaskets, thermostat, new thermostat housing (still on order). I've also found the rocker covers are leaking so I've got a pair of new ones and a crankcase vent valve for the rocker cover too.

 

 

The bonnet on the car has been in a bad way for as long as I've owned it, I put some gaffer tape over the rusty front edge a couple of years ago to cover the sharp edges but recently this has started peeling off and the rust underneath is starting to get very crunchy!

So I've finally managed to find a good used bonnet, it's got a couple of small rust holes in the frame underneath which I'll clean up and weld but the outer skin is perfect.

The new bonnet is from Germany, which was expensive postage but I couldn't find one here!

Once the welding is done, it'll get a repaint into Mineral Blue metallic (by rattle cans). I think it will look crap if I left the bonnet green but a rattle can paint job should be good enough for the cars 'weathered' look.

After that I'll fill the front edge up with cavity wax to hopefully stop it ever rotting again.

 

 

 

I've got a week off work now so hopefully should be able to get most of this done.