I like your old stuff better than your new stuff! - Mk2 Transit LWB MOT pass and a lucky save

[DodgeRover]

Well as there seems to be a bit of interest i've pulled this together from other threads i have running around the internet.

 

Going back to when I first went full time self employed I have wanted a decent big van from the 80’s ideally a LWB Transit or CF. I picked up the older work vehicle bug from my friend Jim Lee (RIP) in Chesterfield who used a variety of elderly Mini vans and Pick Ups for his sign shop, the amount of people who used to come into the shop having seen the vehicles was unbelievable to me (who never really got what anybody saw in Minis anyway)

 

After about 4 years of chasing round and missing out back in November 2013 I finally managed to by myself a van big enough to fit my tools in, this actually turned up offered via FredTransits Mk1Mk2Transit forum and was local to me coming from Bromley

 

 

 

 

 

After spending virtually 24hrs straight on the phone I managed to get it insured and drove it home, first impressions were good unladen the 2.0 pinto is amazingly torquey and the steering is nice and light!

 

I started compounding and polishing

 

 

At least I could see where I had been.

[DodgeRover]

Thats about all that happened apart from building a bulkhead, ply lining and fitting shelving until June 2014 when a flying visit to my parents got my dad out of retirement to do a bit of tidying up on the van whilst I sorted the LPG that was fitted (ish) but not working.

 

Back doors - both were as bad as each other

 

 

just keep adding more spots of weld until finished - or you get bored and run a seam....finish with lots of grinding off a touch of filler/ primer/ paint

 

 

OS wing was not pretty and I had bought a used one to fit but my dad was keen on saving this one, gas welded

 

 

 

 

I never got around to cutting a deathproof logo for the bonnet so the matt black was primed and painted

 

 

 

Drivers door had the same as the rear doors too, bottom 4" replaced and the frame repaired.

 

Metal sheets were cut and tiger sealed into the window openings for security.

 

 

King of Obsolete magnetic vinyl sticker from watching too much Ice Road Truckers

 

CB install - this one didn't last as water from a leaky screen spoiled it

 

 

All this time I had been running it on petrol, it averaged 18mpg I had kind of expected that though. Next up get the LPG working.

[DodgeRover]

More as I find the photos

[danthecapriman]

Brilliant looking old beast that is, and hero points extra for actually using it as a work van too!

They're great old things to drive, nothing like modern vans. They feel big and old with that big steering wheel and long gear lever, I love driving mine.

 

If I'd known of you earlier you could have had my old genuine bulkhead. I removed it as I wanted the whole van 'open plan' as a camper.

My screen seal leaks too. I'll have to do something with it soon as it's starting to rust.

 

Did you ever get a twin choke carb on yours?

[DodgeRover]

Embarassingly enough its still in the shed! I did make up some bits for it and do the manual choke conversion last month and was planning on putting it on soon The LPG installer I know is seemingly keen on seeing what happens when we put boost and gas through the twin Weber from the Janspeed kit too....

[wuvvum]

Does yours have overdrive?  That seems to make quite a difference to fuel consumption out of town.

[DodgeRover]

Does yours have overdrive? That seems to make quite a difference to fuel consumption out of town.

No just the 4 speed, it desperately needs o/d so I'm on the look out for one along with the prop and crossmember

[holbeck]

Great thread DodgeRover. I do hope there's more to come.

[DodgeRover]

More tomorrow, highlights including lpg and annual top end rebuilds in the snow, photos are being a bit elusive thanks to photobucket and having about a million pictures to look through on the hard drive..

[Sir Snipes]

What do you do? It's a big van for one person!

I'd love to run an old mk3/4 Escort van.

[DodgeRover]

What do you do? It's a big van for one person!

I'd love to run an old mk3/4 Escort van.

I'm a carpenter so have to be able to carry 8x4 sheets, 3m lengths of worktop etc inside the van as well as all my tools. I managed with a Corsa combo previously but it was permenantly on maximum load with just tools and a few bits of materials on the roof rack

[SiC]

 

That red button is too tempting.

[DodgeRover]

 

That red button is too tempting.

Lol, everybody says that, it's the fuel and ignition cut off from when it was a school bus. It's an official ford option as well, it's still got the tags on the loom.

[Cavcraft]

Don't the later (Mk3) DI 5 speed boxes fit these?

[mr_fish]

what a win bus! Great to see one in daily use.

 

Don't fancy a diesel conversion then? I expect using LPG is just as/if not cheaper

[sierraman]

When I was at school we had a Transit like that.

[r.welfare]

Fantastic thread, more please!

[danthecapriman]

When I was at school we had a Transit like that.

So did we. Same spec, colour, reg, everything! It got sold to a church at the end of my road after that for day trips for elderly people etc then it disappeared. Maybe this is it!?

[mat_the_cat]

There was a good thread on RR with a similar van, I vaguely remember reading it a while ago. I like vans in general, especially old ones. There's something appealing about a vehicle which is built for pure functionality.

[Pillock]

My primary school also had a Tranny like this. I remember it was handed down from the local comp so it had been ravaged by teenagers, half the foam was missing from the grey vinyl seats so you sat carefully unless you wanted a pothole to put a metal seat frame right into your arsebone.

If we were good, we were allowed to clean it after school. So kind of them!

 

Also, if it went over a bump going around a corner the back door would pop open. They had to have a teacher sat at the back on "door closing" duty (usually without stopping, this was before Health and Safety or any sort of common sense)

[wuvvum]

We had a C-plater at my school.  That did have overdrive.  The PE teacher timed it from 0-60 once - 28 seconds with a full load of 9-year-olds, which I didn't think was too bad at the time.  It got nicked once - turned up a few days later with the school name crudely painted over with white Dulux - it stayed like that for months.

 

The "other" minibus was a W-suffix LT35 which was rough as a badger's arse but would leave the Transit for dead.

[wuvvum]

I like vans in general, especially old ones. There's something appealing about a vehicle which is built for pure functionality.

Couldn't agree more.  The concept of a purely functional van seems to have disappeared (at least in western Europe) with the passing of the LDV Convoy, which is a shame.

[Guest Hooli]

Love this, it's a proper Transit. Just as vans should be.

[cort16]

Great thread. I loved the facelift black panelled front when they came out and my opinion hasn't changed since . This the no 1 grade a transit to me.

[stripped fred]

Enjoying reading about this. Good work!

[cobblers]

A twin wheel mk2 transit in faded melancholy blue is the absolute pinnacle of vans, fucking beautiful. Just enough balls with the big rear arches, combined with just enough misery. There's not a vehicle that embodies early 80s industry than this. Brilliant!

[inconsistant]

I spotted one of these last year near where I live on the walk to the station. Turned out it was this actual one.

Gr8 van would spot again.

[binhoker668]

This is great - more updates please!  Best vans....

[oldcars]

Love this, The big plastic rear arches are class. Used to see these all the time when i was at school.

[tooSavvy]

As everyone else.... Dreamy!!

 

 

 

TS