I very much think this is a bad idea. A Morris Camper?

[catsinthewelder]

I love the irony of this thread title,  I went to look at the cheap slow one earlier.  Took the girls and travelled over in the 405 as I find its best to show you like old cars when looking at other ones which was a good plan as he liked it and recommended a local specialist to me who I didn't know of despite sharing a name.  He really should be on here being as he owns 14 Sherpas/LDVs.  Its a bit crusty around the edges but seems solid where it counts.  The interior is a lot cleaner than I expected and as spacious as I hoped so I should be able to fit seatbelts for the girls.  The electrics weren't as bad as the description made out so I asked if he wanted me to bid or make an offer.  He replied £450 and its mine so I said yes, he took the £20 I had on me as a deposit and I'm going back tomorow with the rest.

We can worry about minor details like keys, MOT, V5 and where to keep it later on ?

 

[LightBulbFun]

26 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

I love the irony of this thread title,  I went to look at the cheap slow one earlier.  Took the girls and travelled over in the 405 as I find its best to show you like old cars when looking at other ones which was a good plan as he liked it and recommended a local specialist to me who I didn't know of despite sharing a name.  He really should be on here being as he owns 14 Sherpas/LDVs.  Its a bit crusty around the edges but seems solid where it counts.  The interior is a lot cleaner than I expected and as spacious as I hoped so I should be able to fit seatbelts for the girls.  The electrics weren't as bad as the description made out so I asked if he wanted me to bid or make an offer.  He replied £450 and its mine so I said yes, he took the £20 I had on me as a deposit and I'm going back tomorow with the rest.

We can worry about minor details like keys, MOT, V5 and where to keep it later on ?

 

Woo! I look forward to prodding/piloting  this around the FoD  

(and I look forward for the 3 days to do 20 miles/climb a hill collection caper  )

[beko1987]

Awesome! Hopefully you'll be able to knock it into something functional in short order then start on the work it needs over time! 

[500tops]

This is great news.  I love this thing.  Probably due to the fact it's a 200 rather than a 400.  200s always look better proportioned to my eyes.

 

Can't wait for the collection and resurrection thread. ?

[catsinthewelder]

It's, insured and booked for an MOT so we're good to go once we've collected the kittens.

??

[phil_lihp]

Yes!  Love it!

[Uncle Jimmy]

On 9/2/2020 at 10:28 PM, wuvvum said:

I've never found LDVs that unpleasant to drive.  Slow, sure, and the seats are rubbish, but they're not actively horrid.

I used to drive an LDV Pilot regularly; often long distances, a B powered version.

As a panel van back in the early 90s it was alright, pros were a good gearchange, impressive load carrying capability and good brakes. Cons were the very narrow body, heavy steering that needed constant correction and above all noise- an awful lot of it!

They are no worse than most other vans of the time but pay out £6k for one? No chance, even in good order I wouldn't pay more than half that.  

[wuvvum]

55 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

It's, insured and booked for an MOT so we're good to go once we've collected the kittens.

??

Superb work!!!

[catsinthewelder]

Unconventional pez shot on the way to pick it up ?

Collected

The drive into Ludlow was helpfully held up by a tractor so I couldn't do more than 30mph anyway which disguised that I was sticking to that speed due to a horrible noise I thought was coming from the OSF wheel bearing.  Might have been further back though as the van cut out on a junction.  A Lancia Delta Intergrale was stuck behind me at this point.  He roared past and I got it going and stormed around the corner which caused a horrible noise and a reduction in top speed to 15mph.  Fortunately I was only 400yds from work so pressed on to find this.

Jacking it up was a nightmare but it's changed now.

Not certain about driving home without a spare tyre though ?

[Wack]

On 8/24/2020 at 4:01 PM, eddyramrod said:

I've driven both, although granted the Sherpa was a B-series.  There's no contest, I'd buy the Sherpa every time.

My only experience of sherpa's is a minibus in 1978 , hired to take us to a custom car show in Manchester from kettering 

It made it as far as hilton Park services before it shat itself , one of the lads was an apprentice mechanic so borrowed some tools and set about it

Took a plug out , shouted turn it over and a shot of water just missed his face

OK it's fucked 

[catsinthewelder]

Made it home ?

Now at the chippy getting dinner ? 

 

[beko1987]

6 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

Made it home ?

Now at the chippy getting dinner ? 

 

In the van I hope? 

[eddyramrod]

Cats, you are a hero, well done.

[Mrs6C]

Awesome!!!

Are you bringing it to the FoD?

[Matty]

On 9/6/2020 at 5:00 PM, catsinthewelder said:

I love the irony of this thread title,  I went to look at the cheap slow one earlier.  Took the girls and travelled over in the 405 as I find its best to show you like old cars when looking at other ones which was a good plan as he liked it and recommended a local specialist to me who I didn't know of despite sharing a name.  He really should be on here being as he owns 14 Sherpas/LDVs.  Its a bit crusty around the edges but seems solid where it counts.  The interior is a lot cleaner than I expected and as spacious as I hoped so I should be able to fit seatbelts for the girls.  The electrics weren't as bad as the description made out so I asked if he wanted me to bid or make an offer.  He replied £450 and its mine so I said yes, he took the £20 I had on me as a deposit and I'm going back tomorow with the rest.

We can worry about minor details like keys, MOT, V5 and where to keep it later on ?

 

Brilliant. And at that money surely an almost risk free enterprise! Best of luck with it

[catsinthewelder]

Pics from the better half

And bits which fell off when I tried to use them ?

Unfortunately the internal lights don't work and the table is missing so we went inside ?

[catsinthewelder]

I'd love to bring it to the FoD, let's see how the real MOT booking on Friday goes ?

It does at least have a fuel supply that doesn't require the window open now.  Unfortunately it's still from the Jerry can so needs somewhat more permanent.

I got a high* speed run home, saw 45mph on the flat with a bit more to go and 5th gear downhill was fairly quiet?

[phil_lihp]

This is just brilliant.  Keep the updates coming please!

[HMC]

What a brilliant end to the thread 1111/10

I’m in awe, especially of the rear overhang/wheelbase. Epic.

[LightBulbFun]

Amazing stuff!

happy to hear you managed to get home with it without it disintegrating (too much)  

I look forward to seeing how you get on with it and hopefully seeing it in person some day!

I do love how slightly ridiculous  and shonky it looks  

 

(do let me know what fluorescent tubes you find inside its interior lights if it has any!)

[Asimo]

On 25 August 2020 at 1:29 PM, barrett said:

I would love an early Sherpa panel van. I would even consider converting a camper back into a van except the lovely ribbed roof is the best bit and impossible to replicate. Maybe I'll find one when I go to Malta at Christmas

I like the Sherpa roof as well, I think it might be the same pressing as an Austin J4.  As for replication, I wonder if this icecream van has a moulded roof, taken from the original, or the original steel roof, unzipped and wobbed up on a spacer? This van works around here, I guess I need to try sheep ice cream and carry a magnet on a stick...

[catsinthewelder]

I'm sure they used to have a Morris Ital ice cream van for maximum shonkyness ?

Weirdly my van has been converted from a panel Van rather than a chassis cab, there's the rotting remains of a rear Valence underneath.

[N Dentressangle]

Just perfect for the Sherpa lovin 'shiter:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/333835457698518

[Jikovron]

These have really deep box section chassis rails but it's still a surprise that it's not a chassis cab given the extra work in sectioning out the van shell and presumably abit of structural box section to replace the lost strength, imo personally speaking these are the definition of a mechanically well specced work horse.

[catsinthewelder]

^^ Well that Transits probably faster and quieter than mine ?

Got a couple of hours tinkering time today although the promised help from the kids swiftly evaporated.  The bonnet now opens and shuts without needing a screwdriver but is really rusty, I asked the PO about buying a spare from him but he didn't want to sell, I have remembered that a mates employees other half has a few LDVs cluttering up a yard nearby so fingers crossed.

Checked the tyre sizes and the spare I put on is a 185/14c when all the others are 165 so rang the tame garage to ask if they had a partworn.  The bosses wife answered and kept assuring me that it should have a number in the middle so I thought sod it and drove it down in the 405.  They didn't have either size but not a wasted journey as I asked them about my silly plan to flush the 405s power steering with diesel and was told not to as it would knacker the seals.  Went home and tried to work out how to drain it but probably a job for the yard and the ramps.

Back to the 200 I lobbed 4 litres of diesel into the actual fuel tank and it didn't leak out, the pipes above felt alright  so I figured I'd try and run it from the tank.  Apparently the fuel system is a twat to bleed but I have a headstart as if I connect the pipe from the tank up to the mechanical pump I can continue running the engine from the gravity setup until it comes through.  Unfortunately I can't find the fuel pipe and in looking for it I found a lot of rust in the passenger step I hadn't noticed before.  Should be able to remake it with some box section if it exists in roughly the right size though.

[catsinthewelder]

Some views underneath showing the half arsed van conversion ?

[somewhatfoolish]

What's up with your 405 power steering that it needs flushing?

[catsinthewelder]

6 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

What's up with your 405 power steering that it needs flushing?

Really horrible juddering, the car seems to drive in a straight line but the steering wheel moves side to side in my hand.  It's not so bad at speed but is awful to drive slowly.  I need to get it up on some ramps to find somewhere that I can drain the fluid out as all the connections I can see are crimped.

[beko1987]

Does the clutch pedal still pulsate too? 

[somewhatfoolish]

Best to flush it with PS fluid rather than owt else, the pumps run constantly and need lubrication.