DodgeRover Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 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. Tickman, inconsistant, Junkman and 35 others 38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 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. Vince70, johngarty, wuvvum and 31 others 34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 More as I find the photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 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.... danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Does yours have overdrive? That seems to make quite a difference to fuel consumption out of town. Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 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 Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holbeck Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Great thread DodgeRover. I do hope there's more to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 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.. Lacquer Peel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 What do you do? It's a big van for one person! I'd love to run an old mk3/4 Escort van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 20, 2017 Author Share Posted September 20, 2017 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 That red button is too tempting. LightBulbFun, Braddon81, alf892 and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 20, 2017 Author Share Posted September 20, 2017 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. BorniteIdentity, Junkman, SiC and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Don't the later (Mk3) DI 5 speed boxes fit these? chaseracer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_fish Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 When I was at school we had a Transit like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Fantastic thread, more please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_the_cat Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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) danthecapriman and mat_the_cat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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. eddyramrod, LightBulbFun and puddlethumper 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Love this, it's a proper Transit. Just as vans should be. sheffcortinacentre 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripped fred Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Enjoying reading about this. Good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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! BorniteIdentity, mat_the_cat and oldcars 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inconsistant Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 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. eddyramrod and DodgeRover 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binhoker668 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 This is great - more updates please! Best vans.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcars Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Love this, The big plastic rear arches are class. Used to see these all the time when i was at school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 As everyone else.... Dreamy!! TS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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