Worlds Fastest Van

[Pillock]

Bugger, missed it. Hopefully it'll be on catchup.

 

I hired a new shape Transit at the weekend, it was bouncy but you had to be careful not to do silly speeds. Part of my brain senses me getting into a van and makes my right foot heavier as they only do 72mph flat out, right? Ooops.

[warren t claim]

 

VHS TRACKING FAIL

[Dan_ZTT]

Just finished watching, really enjoyed that. I'm a big Guy Martin fan anyway, the programs are usually interesting and he seems to have the right outlook on life, just enjoys building and fixing stuff.

 

No spoilers but there is a van in it and it goes faster than a van would normally be expected to go.

[chaseracer]

...they only do 72mph flat out, right?

 

Only if you never go above second gear.

[chaseracer]

No spoilers but there is a van in it and it goes faster than a van would normally be expected to go.

 

Crikey, I wasn't expecting THAT!!!

 

[warren t claim]

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/guy-martin-the-worlds-fastest-van

[warren t claim]

Update Flash...

 

Disable ad blocker....

[warren t claim]

Guy Martin is the Fred Dibnah of the 21st century. He has a love of engineering and made a living doing something dangerous.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Yeah, the brake disc thing. Chances of all that happening: 0%. 

[andy18s]

My Vanette Cargo was just as slow laden as unladen, it's a torquey very old fashioned diesel with low gearing in a light van, they're quite good at their jobs of being vans.

This ^^

I had the Cub version. Twin sliding doors and a good load space swallowed a load of stuff

Loved the veg oil as well

[Richard]

The bits I flicked through seemed pretty standard Channel 4 documentary style, approximately 4% content. They can fuck right off with their adverts though. 

[barefoot]

I haven't watched Guy Martian since he was doing something with a canal boat in Stoke. 

He just nipped over to Birmingham & back to fetch something in it.

 

Bollocks.

[Mrcento]

The bits I flicked through seemed pretty standard Channel 4 documentary style, approximately 4% content. They can fuck right off with their adverts though. 

 

I like Guy Martin, but that sums up most his programmes i've seen lately.

 

The show runs for an hour, but if you strip all the filler out, probably 15 minutes of good content.

[The Moog]

We are going to be the record - fastest van evar ... well fastest transit.. well fastest transit in black.   Lets run on the salt flats, oh the tyres dont work well so no record. Who would have thought it. 

 

Will he ever get the record ( about 75 mins run time so I suggest he may) 

 

Advert

 

Now we are going to set the ring record - at 9 mins 58 currently in a modified transporter

The Transporter was loaned by Northgate Vehicle Hire, the UK’s largest van rental company, and was left with its standard 148bhp diesel engine with no modifications to prepare it for the track.

 

To beat the record, Guy's van is currently pushing out 700 horsepower and is extensively modified , but will he get the record. Find out after the break. 

 

Advert

 

Guy has put together a team of mates and built it in his shed. Oh he has an idea, perhaps lets make it mid mounted - why didnt the experts he spoke to mention that, luckily Guy had the idea all by himself

 

He now puts it on his rolling road in his shed. Will it all come together in time? 

 

Advert

 

Just checking and the brake discs are cracked. We can get someone to drive them over and will have them at 5 am - which is a rush for a track time of 11:30am.  Oh we have found some and just had to extend the brake caliper housing to fit. 

 

Will his van be up to the task to take the record from a rental van with 550 bhp less and no skyline gtr brakes..

 

Advert

 

On his first lap his van takes 30 seconds off the lap time without trying. It catches fire - will he be back (yes he will) 

 

 

Roll credits ....

 

 

 

Overall could have been an hour without the padding.I like the guy but I think the youtube stuff shows that you dont need false jeopardy to make things interesting 

[Vin]

If Guy Martin wasn't involved I would probably have watched this.

[Mally]

Guy Martin is the Fred Dibnah of the 21st century. He has a love of engineering and made a living doing something dangerous.

 

Although this is true, Fred used to be seen making and repairing things, picking red hot bits up in his flat cap etc.

Guy dropped an engine in a hole in the floor of a van and fired it up.

I've no doubt whatsoever that he has engineering ability, but I'd like to see more on display.

 

The lady with the eyes was complete bullshit to me.

[dollywobbler]

I might give this a miss. The last Guy Martin thing followed exactly the same format of dramatic voice over, repeat of the action you saw five minutes ago, sod all happens, more breaks, more recap. SHIT TELLY.

[barefoot]

I think this is better/faster/quicker/shiter & the bloke who drives it isn't an arse.

 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Unfortunately for a "big" channel like CH4 to make a programme like this appeal to enough viewers to make it viable, they have to make it like this.

 

Maybe a follow up on his YouTube showing the engineering involved would have bridged the gap. "Catch up with guy on YouTube after the show" etc.

 

The fact that they left guy to film the techy bits on his own with a camcorder (or at least a mocked up camcorder) shows how little interest they had in that side.

 

Other points

 

Guy's "shed" is a proper workshop with a rolling road, even my Mrs who was only half watching scoffed at that bit.

 

The simulator may have only been a playstation but the track is captured accurately enough to help learn the layout. Shows how far video gaming has come on.

 

The disc was pure nonsense, they had another support van visible in many shots loaded with spares and tools.

 

What were the rear wheels off? I imagine they differed from the fronts because the new rear hubs had a different PCD or whatever.

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I might give this a miss. The last Guy Martin thing followed exactly the same format of dramatic voice over, repeat of the action you saw five minutes ago, sod all happens, more breaks, more recap. SHIT TELLY.

You should take the invacar over

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[dollywobbler]

You should take the invacar over

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

 

I'm not sure I'm brave enough to take it on the motorway, let alone the Nordschleife!

[dollywobbler]

Oh and if you want to see stupid engineering with a van covered in detail, this might do the trick.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Oh and if you want to see stupid engineering with a van covered in detail, this might do the trick.

 

The last* episode was just released too.

 

 

*hopefully there will be more to come.

[MorrisItalSLX]

There was and it was actually the testbed for the XJ220 engine:

 

In the US, Ford do the Transit with a Twin Turbo 310hp V6.

 

It is pretty quick.

 

[BorniteIdentity]

 

VHS TRACKING FAIL

 

Here's a genuine screenshot.  It looks like Claude Monet had to do an artist's impression like in a courtroom, and also a bit like one of those sketches you get done on a machine at the seaside.

 

[The Moog]

I think the budget was spent on hire of the ring for 2 hours or whatever.  The shakedown was at a Javelin track day at Cadwell, home shot on a camcorder so no expensive crew needed. 

 

Its an interesting concept and as always different people want different things.  Its like builders watching grand designs and complaining that the (insert generic building materiel reference) doesnt get laid that way, would Ike to have seen (insert experimental building material here) and that mccloud fella hogs all the limelight. 

[forddeliveryboy]

Yet another example of how too much TV is in fail mode. I switched off after 10 minutes, probably 5 minutes later than should've, but was thinking, "it can't carry on like this for long". This fella can present some good telly, the WW1 tank episode was pretty watchable. I'm imagining some pretty clueless producer who doesn't know his or her little end from droplink.

 

Colin Furze on YouTube provides infinitely more fun.

[Dan_ZTT]

Looking back at van runs, Sabine Schmit managed 10:08 in an older Transit with 130bhp and a few small pieces removed to compensate for the weight of Hammond.

The stock VW with 140bhp managed 9:57.

Guy Martin had a 700bhp mid-engined van with upgraded aero, brakes and suspension which had been on a crash diet.

For about 3.5 seconds a mile improvement...

 

 

In fairness though he broke the record on his first and only lap, you got the impression if it hadn't caught fire then the 2nd/3rd laps would have been a fair bit quicker.

 

[2MB]

In fairness though he broke the record on his first and only lap, you got the impression if it hadn't caught fire then the 2nd/3rd laps would have been a fair bit quicker.

 

Was it his first ever lap of the ring? If so he would've got much faster on subsequent ones. All the virtual practice in the world can't prepare you for your first lap

[Felly Magic]

Maestro 2.0 diesel with a turbot, no contest, nice and loud too LOL