David_Ba11sack's Mk1 Renner Trafic love-in

[Mr Bump]

Some pretty good history on the Trafic / Arena over on Vauxpedia

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-a97---arena

[anonymous user]

 

Love it. That looks like the perfect place to while away an afternoon trundling through the countryside, munching a baguette, while off your face on pastis.

EFA

[sporty-shite]

http://autoshite.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=171666"image.jpeg

 

Seeing this is giving my inner child a poke, and telling him that a drastically lowered shitty old van would be the ideal summer tool to annoy dubbers.

[wuvvum]

I've had two Trafics, but both have been 2.1 Ds so never driven a petrol one.  I think the really early ones had either the 1397 (detuned to 48bhp ) or the 1647 from the 18 - the 1721 came along later.  Would imagine a late 2.2 petrol would be a decent steer.

[mk2_craig]

Where does this thing fit into the lineage, is it more to so with the Master than the Trafic? Screenshot taken just now by the way so probably SFS.

 

[quicksilver]

That's a Messenger, basically a bigger heavier twin-wheel Master I think. Bizarrely when Renault Trucks was sold to Volvo the Messenger was included so we ended up with Masters being built by Renault's car division and the very similar Messenger built by the now-unrelated Renault Trucks.

[Jams]

These remind me of my old mukka Craig!

 

Many Many moons ago he had one as a works van! Trouble is he didn’t have a license and his boss wasn’t arsed!!

 

It was a glazing van so had that massive scaffolding on one side I don’t think it had seen an mot of a fair number of years either!!

[406V6]

I remember seeing a P reg Vauxhall Arena in Llangollen in 2014. It was a bit of a heap but still in use and memorabel because I'd never noticed one of them before. According to howmanyleft there were 56 swb and 56 lwb registered in 2017 so you've still got a chance.

[wuvvum]

The Messenger / B110 was basically a rebodied Iveco Daily, so completely different chassis and running gear (engine aside).

[chaseracer]

Some pretty good history on the Trafic / Arena over on Vauxpedia

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-a97---arena

 

Rabbithole warning!

 

I never knew the early Trafics could be had with both FWD and RWD.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I really want a petrol trafic now!

 

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[mat_the_cat]

I never knew the early Trafics could be had with both FWD and RWD.

 

And 4x4:

 

[vaughant]

Boy I knew had one for years, but it was a total shed back in the early 90's. I think that was a 1.4 pez but to be fair he had for years and seemed to drive it everyday with no major bother. Same as the Dingles colour scheme as well, his was a b or c reg.

He did get done years later for something to do with MOT's so that could explain why he had it so many years!!!

[DVee8]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAUXHALL-ARENA-CAMPERVAN/202259406978?hash=item2f1799a082:g:7y4AAOSwam1ap7ua

 

[egg]

I like 'em. The Motor factor my dad worked for ran a Mk1 Master in the 90's for the 'long distance' runs. We used to go in it sometimes, the gearstick had loads of gaffer tape round it from memory.

[quicksilver]

The Messenger / B110 was basically a rebodied Iveco Daily, so completely different chassis and running gear (engine aside).

You have done me a learn, I didn't know that at all. Italian running gear and French bodywork, the best* of both worlds.

[Steve79]

Heres a typical UK example

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/camper-van-renault-trafic-project-spares-or-repairs-petrol-camping-motorhome/323139332730

Knew an old boy called Trevor about 10 years ago who had one identical to this but in worse condition and totally wobbed with fibreglass. He used to visit the owner of a yard in bristol where i kept a few cars stored.

 

Me and the yard owners mechanic were mucking round with the cars one day and thought it'd be a great laugh to light an acetylene bomb to put the shits up Trevor as he was a moany old fart. This was achieved by filling a latex glove with acetylene and tying a knot in the end.

 

We chucked it on top of some old newspapers, lit them and legged it up the other end of the yard to a safe distance.

 

Not sure how but the glove ended up rolling pretty close to Trevors van when it went off! The noise the explosion made was insane. Poor old Trev had a brown trouser moment and me and mechanic were crying with laughter when we pointed out to him that the shockwave had not only blown a shite load of rustflakes and wob from underneath the van, but had also blown the rear lamp clusters clean out of the body so they were just dangling by the wiring harness.

 

Luckily no major damage done!

[cms206]

Where does this thing fit into the lineage, is it more to so with the Master than the Trafic? Screenshot taken just now by the way so probably SFS.

 

Screenshot_2018-03-17-14-46-44.png

Did the B110 not come about in the UK to "replace" the 50-Series? Up here at least they only ever seemed to be bought by local authorities, Dumfries & Galloway Council even had Leicester Carriage Builders-bodied welfare buses on B110s, though panel vans weren't uncommon either.

 

IIRC the AA had tilt/slide B110s too.

 

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[Lacquer Peel]

I've not seen a B110 before.

 

Someone my dad worked with buried an early flat face Trafic on a building plot, it's still vacant, might be worth digging up.

[andrew e]

Some pretty good history on the Trafic / Arena over on Vauxpedia

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-a97---arena

There is an ace picture of a high top rwd traffic with a full height tailgate there!

 

[scruff]

Somewhere I've got the road test of the Mk1 Trafic by TRUCK (same dudes as CAR), if memory serves they liked them a lot.

[Mr Bump]

There is an ace picture of a high top rwd traffic with a full height tailgate there!

 

That’s fap worthy material right there. We didn’t get that in the UK?

[wuvvum]

Did they ever sell the RWD Trafic over here?  Can't say I've ever seen one.  Kinda defeats the point tbh - one of the main advantages of the Trafic, like the Estafette before it, is its very low loading height, and that goes out of the window if the floor has to be raised to clear a diff.

[lesapandre]

I have both aTrafic - a '93 Petrol 1.6ish and an 89 Master 2.2 petrol. These rust esp the Master which is built on a very interesting lightweight frame. The latter is in for welding at the moment they have very vulnerable leaf spring hangers at the rear. Both are ok to drive but the Master is a bit slow - about 60mph and 20mpg fully loaded. I took cast iron gates and an 8 CI radiators to France last year. These are fun. Not many Masters about now tho. Best buy one in France. Some nice ones still about and lots for sale. This spotted last autumn. It's the short wheelbase. If you go for a petrol they are very cheap because of the mpg issue. Most are diesel in France. For extra usability buy an old minibus. The Trafic was owned by some French monks.

[lesapandre]

The orange Madter is the 2.2 diesel short wheelbase which I'd reckon is the best of the bunch. 'Commanding' driving position and a bit less unwieldy. The secondary windows make junctions much safer.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Is it possible to get classic insurance on something like this?

 

Would be tempted to have one as a third conveyance.....would be awesome for MTB duties

 

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[lesapandre]

Yes. They go on a classic commercial policy. Not expensive. I only use them for domestic stuff - much cheaper than hiring a van from time to time as well. 

[Rod/b]

Hey B011 i used to have to lug washing machines about in a 1.4 pez Trafic, it was FUCKING MISERABLE. 0.2/10 Wud not rekkermend

[lesapandre]

Mine were 500 quid each  Old vans that survive tend to have odd histories. The Trafic was used for carpet deliveries in Somerset and did about 1000 miles a year. The Master was owned by a lawnmower repair company who welded it up ( very well) year after year. That did about 250 miles a year for 20 years. Though in a earler life it had been to Spain and back. Coincidentally I am taking back to Spain this Spring...if it makes it. 

[lesapandre]

Yup the 1.4 must be pretty gutless. Really only designed for local runs in France by the local baker etc.