The Mighty Sherpa (LDV etc)

[oman5]

I always wanted an LDV, if I'm honest I was curious to see if they really were as shite as everyone said. I bought an ex- RM Leyland daf 200 with the 2.0 Perkins diesel. It was absolutely fucked. Top speed was maybe 72 mph going downhill, and long uphill slogs had to be completed in stages as it would overheat when working hard.

Most of the time I kept to 55 m.p.h, above that it was impossible to keep in a straight line because of the slack in the steering.

Turning the heater blower on involved hot-wiring two bits of wire together as most of the controls were missing.

It's quite honestly the slowest thing I've ever driven, and that takes some doing considering I've owned a Sierra 2.3d and a Mercedes 307d van.

The overall impression was that for working in town, it would be OK, but pounding up and down motorways would be sheer hell.

It never actually let me down, but it kept going, I think, through sheer bloody mindedness. Mid 30s mpg and the amusing trait of lifting a back wheel off the ground when cornering hard.

The end finally came when the back brakes needed rebuilding and I couldn't find the parts to do it anywhere, later Pilots were different. So I've had one. I don't want another.

[500tops]

Have passed this a few times. Looks mint. Some price mind!

 

http://www.edenmotorhomes.co.uk/used-motorhome-devon-motorhome-496

[Royale80]

Four of us bought  a Sherpa from Merthyr Car Auctions in about 1983 _TAX 639S.

 It was a red 1800 ex council.

Took us 18 year olds all over South Wales doubling up as sleeping accommodation for up to 12.

Went like the clappers-had to change the head gasket though.

 

Years later school where I work bought a brand new J reg LDV high top minibus to replace the old CF. Deputy head teacher proudly showed us around on the first day it arrived.

Fellow teacher the following day takes a trip with kids to Penarth. There used to be a multi-storey car park on the front where he used to park the old CF.

Tried the same with the new "pride and joy" and got it wedged under the roof. Had to let the tyres down to get it out. Fibreglass roof was "slightly  scratched" - it was as flat as a pancake!

Deputy head nearly cried.

 

Had to have a new roof which always leaked. Not may female teachers would drive it due to the appalling gear change! 

 

Replaced with a new S reg Transit - which was in a different league- although I reversed it into a lamp post when it was a couple of weeks old!

Steve

[timolloyd]

This thread brings back a lot of happy memories of my Grandparent's (mark 2?) Sherpa campervan. Must have been an early 80s model I think.

I loved that thing, mainly because I couldn't get my head around the size of it (my parents ran a Metro at the time) and the fact I could sit in the back with no seatbelts - on the bench/bed/living area.

I still have the tin of boiled sweets they used to carry around in that vehicle, but no photos of it to hand.

Unlike the early campervans pictured in this thread, it seemed to be more of a van conversion, but very professional (branded) and possibly with a pop-up roof. Creamy/beige colour.

[Pillock]

I remember Max Power featuring a head to head between a Cosworth powered Transit, and a Rover v8 "Fright Rover". Can't find pics though.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

How come ford let them use the transit engine, given they were a competitors?

 

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[twosmoke300]

If you had driven a smiley transit and and ldv you would know that ford didn't see them as a threat 😄

[They_all_do_that_sir]

If you had driven a smiley transit and and ldv you would know that ford didn't see them as a threat 😄

Ahhhh so "they are going bust anyway, we may as well make some money flogging them engines before they do"

 

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[wuvvum]

Here's one with a B series diesel for sale on the Bay.

 

 

Of the three 200 serieses I had, only one was boggo Prima powered, and that was fairly grim performance-wise (although it did have sliding doors which made up for a lot).  Of the other two, one was a 2-litre petrol O series, and one had a turbo Prima out of a Montego fitted - both were quick enough that they ran out of handling before they ran out of power.

[Yoss]

I am enjoying this thread! The overall consensus seems to be they're not very good but we (nearly) all enjoyed them. That's certainly my take on them anyway.

[Walter White]

I had a 2005 LDV Convoy 400 crew cab tipper, ex Glasgow City Council 2.4 D. I liked it, it was slow, no turbo on mine and cheaper than a Transit of similar age and condition made up for the old design for me.

LDV and previous Leyland Daf, Freight Rover and BL really were the donkeys for the self employed once the utilities, Councils and Royal Mail had finished with them. A Sherpa or any later derivitive at work really should have the caption of " getting stuck in and having a go". The Sherpa and it's following models appeals to my liking of things that do the job without frills, like that Lagom that the Swedes live by meaning just the right amount or sufficient. Plus I was driving a British built truck.

Here is my old Convoy

 

Had fun looking for images, here they are.

[Cavcraft]

There is, or was, a Sherpa forum on the net. I'm sure the lad who built that 'mini-truck' one was on there.

 

 

Might have been this one, I can't remember

 

 

http://www.ldvforum.co.uk/

[twosmoke300]

I didn't think the 2.4 was available without a turbo ?

The 2.5 di yes but the 2.4?is the Duratorq tddi isn't it ?

[Walter White]

Yes it was a duratorq but definitely no turbo on mine. Maybe a fleet special spec to go with the vinyl seats.

[twosmoke300]

They didn't make a non turbo duratorq

[Guest Lord Sward]

Late Convoys drove really nice.  I can't comment on the Pilot as I've not had enough experience. 

[Yoss]

Surprised we've got this far with no real mention of the V8.

 

I live near Southampton General Hospital and they used to have a fleet of V8 ambulances. I don't know too much about them but I know they made a nice noise. If I saw one coming I would always wind my window down to get the V8 burble. I also remember sitting in The Woodman pub on the corner of Coxford and Lordswood Roads (now a Tesco, like so many other pubs) watching and listening to these and the Atlanteans (the Southampton Citybus fleet was almost entirely Atlantean then. You could hear them coming from miles away, but that's for another thread.)

 

I wish I'd got more pictures now but it seemed a bit macabre to photograph ambulances in service. I used to wander round Southampton taking pictures of practically anything that moved, even a milkfloat once because it had a registration very close to the Northern General Routemasters, but not the ambulances.

 

But by pure chance I came across this emergency services open day type thing at Town Quay though and luckily had my camera with me (it's not like these days with phones, this was a decidedly bulky Canon T70, but I still rarely went anywhere without it.) Excuse the quality I've just used the phone to take pictures of the photos in poor light. Using the flash helped but has left a white spot.

 

 

I even asked one of the ambulance crew if I could have a look under the bonnet. He was all to pleased to oblige and happy that I knew what was under there.

 

 

First time I've looked at these for some years and I was surprised to see it's running on twin SU's! By my maths J reg is about 1992, we were well into fuel injection by then weren't we. Was this for cheapness or reliability. God only knows what else was done to the chassis to take the extra power. They would surely be lethal if you just dropped the V8 in and left the rest.

[Guest Lord Sward]

There was the initial batch of Sherpa V8s, hand built for the Police, then there was the second generation.  These were engineered for general production and could be an ambulance, riot van, whatever.

 

I remember being in London as one roared away with the lights on.  Class.  The British equivalent of the Ford Crown Vic for police chases.

 

They used to end up in the auctions and sell for less than the V8 was worth.  From memory, the second generation V8s had airsprings on the rear. 

[eddyramrod]

Ohhhhhhhh a V8 Convoy.... yes please!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Forgot about the v8!!!

 

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[Richard]

Ohhhhhhhh a V8 Convoy.... yes please!

 

V8 power.

 

DSC_1797 by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

I'll be back up here a week tomorrow, do you want me to put a note under the wiper for you?

[UltraWomble]

 

 

[eddyramrod]

I'll be back up here a week tomorrow, do you want me to put a note under the wiper for you?

That might be slightly more "project" than I'm able to take on just now, but thank you for the kind offer.

[holbeck]

There was the initial batch of Sherpa V8s, hand built for the Police, then there was the second generation.  These were engineered for general production and could be an ambulance, riot van, whatever.

 

I remember being in London as one roared away with the lights on.  Class.  The British equivalent of the Ford Crown Vic for police chases.

 

They used to end up in the auctions and sell for less than the V8 was worth.  From memory, the second generation V8s had airsprings on the rear. 

 

The V8 was a catalogued model no?  

 

In the early 90's I got the LDV brochures from the Motor Show, ISTR there was a V8 400 series panel van listed.

[dollywobbler]

The V8 ambulance is a major highlight of my childhood.

 

I used a Maxus to move house and I really liked it. Drove well, was bloody quick and had a stupid central speedo. I was warned to be gentle with the gear change,and the panels were as thin as those on a 2CV, but it certainly wasn't dreadful.

[twosmoke300]

I look after a maxxus pick up and it drives well enough but parts availability and prices make your eyes water .

[Guest Lord Sward]

The V8 was a catalogued model no?  

 

In the early 90's I got the LDV brochures from the Motor Show, ISTR there was a V8 400 series panel van listed.

 

 

Yeah, second generation were catalogued as it'd been engineered for regular production by then.  The first generation was a one-off batch at the Met's request. Why it was never done before is anyone's guess considering Ford always offered a V6 Transit.

[Guest Hooli]

I'd forgot the V8 too. I remember seeing one very sideways & sounding beautiful on Worthing seafront years ago. The driver just kept his boot in & took up as much road as possible, I'm damn sure he was grinning as much as I was.

[Guest Lord Sward]

I think they had a LSD ( which was also available on the 200 series.  Why?)

[Lankytim]

Has that V8 ambulance got a restrictor plate on the inlet?