Mercedes 207D / 307D vans - need pics!

[Guest]

Even though they were tough engineering, they were awkward for drivers. I feel sorry for the drivers of the Merc minibuses still running in these parts...

[Vin]

Only experience of these was when I helped out with my Gran's house move in 1989. My Uncle borrowed a Luton one from his work.

 

He was constantly complaining about the shit gear change too, as it was best starting off in second. We also assumed it was because it had a gazillion miles on the clock as the van had been doing Hull to London and back three times a week for years.

 

Here is a scan from a MB Commercial range brochure I have. Brochure is dated Oct 1978.

 

The van is registered 'UHN 611S'

 

[Guest]

Although Vans core shoes were selling well, the wide range of products that the company now offered had drained the companies’ resources, and with Vans not able to overcome its debt they were forced to file for bankruptcy.

 

Vans Sale

[warren t claim]

Although Vans core shoes were selling well, the wide range of products that the company now offered had drained the companies’ resources, and with Vans not able to overcome its debt they were forced to file for bankruptcy.

 

Vans Sale

 

Oh for FUCKS SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cavcraft]

Although Vans core shoes were selling well, the wide range of products that the company now offered had drained the companies’ resources, and with Vans not able to overcome its debt they were forced to file for bankruptcy.

 

Vans Sale

 

Perhaps you'd care to demonstrate this by stepping out in front of a fully loaded Sprinter doing 75mph? Fuck off you twat.

[Mr Lobster]

Great.

[Justin Case]

[Lord Sterling]

[cms206]

I'm with Cavette, I like the 609/611/709/711/811/814s FAR better than those bloody awful 207s and 308s. We're still running a handful of them as service buses, they all go out every morning to do an 11 hour shift, they all come back in every night and use between 30 and 45 litres depending on who's been driving. Our Dennis Darts are using 120 litres a shift on the same work.

 

In the year and a half or so I've been driving for the company I currently drive for, I've not yet seen one not make it back to the depot under it's own power other than the bloody awful 03-plate Merc Vario O814Ds. They really are shite...

 

For extra shite points, Mercedes L608Ds contain the most win. They literally dissolve round about you, but what a machine. I loved mine to bits, would have another - maybe a beavertail - in a minute.

[fotorabia]

we attempted a Berlin to London in our mates..their band bus..its was a piece of poo..it was blowing its injectors off..so we knew when we got to the ferry at Calais..that once

at Dover it would be stone cold and wouldnt start..a no no as far as boarding..so we snuck on last..on arriving..yep..it wouldnt start..and we tried bumping it the length of the ferry about 5 times until the nice ferry men pulled out their port tractor thingy..and towed it around in circles much to the amusement of the crowd..until it started in an explosion of smoke..

when we came back to berlin..the friend we brought with us was out lost on the town pissed..and he found an identical blue one..nicked..mint and minus windscreen..so he re-nicked it..brought it back to the squat..one windscreen change over..and number plates..bingo..new tour bus...they eventually ended up with a 1968 408..a UK model..lasted forever..and ive seen the engine recently which is now powering a canal boat on the Hackney canal..

[Minimad5]

Just picture seeing a gap at the Bromborough/Little Chef roundabout off the M53 and trying to change gear with both hands in blind panic as 38 tonnes of Scania's finest was bearing down on you.

 

I imagine that being quite a "Fun" experience

[Guest Tony Hayers]

South Wales Transport used these (converted for bus use, of course) for the outreach locations back in the 80's knicknamed 'kermits' by the drivers The 14 to Pennard, 11 (IIRC) Northhill circular and the 3 to Oystermouth via West Cross craphole. Replaced about 1992 by the Alexander/Dennis Darts, and they have now been replaced by shonky as fuck Marshalls with low floors. Wank.

 

Cant find a snapshot of one so have this model. The real thing had tin cladding on the roof for local advertising (South Wales Evening Post, Len Charles, Ashmoles FIAT, House of Kent etc etc)

 

 

Infact some M plate ones still do Service in Pontardawe Depot & in places like Cwmafan and Abercregan/Glyncorrwg from the Port Talbot Depot although they are in the First (Cymru) livery. Will get a photo when I see one next.

[warren t claim]

Is the Vario still in production? Snap-On tools used to run a fleet of them IIRC.

[catsinthewelder]

I saw one at lunchtime today while cycling to work. It was a navy blue Luton, sign-written up for a removals company and was taking the roundabout on the bypass slightly too fast, the back wheel was half disappeared under the bodywork I haven't seen one in good nick for years, it was a proper flashback 10 years sort of sighting. Then I get home and this threads popped up.

[AnthonyG]

Aren't these (or a very close copy) still made in India by Tata?

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

Not quite on topic( ) but there is definately a Mercedes truck which uses the same Valeo headlights as the big rectangular "fishtanks" on the Jaguar XJ40 Sovereign and Daimler models. I just can't seem to remember which one it is...

[cms206]

Bus content - look away now!

 

The Vario, bizarrely, is still in production, apparantly due to consistent high demand on the continent and the chassis' popularity in the UK as coach chassis, for the Northern Irish Education Boards and as Local Authority buses; latest versions are Euro 5 spec badged as x13D and x16D spec, respectively replacing the older 614, 810 and 814D variants. Must be another one for the longest lived award - IIRC the Mercedes T2 range was introduced around 1985/86 replacing the T1, with the Vario (T2W?) replacing the T2 around 1996. Same cab, more or less the same chassis, different engines and interiors.

 

Jetronic - the SWT Mercs with the boards were 608Ds, the majority bodied (converted is probably closer to the mark!) by Robin Hood. There were various mainstream converters for the major SBG and NBC operators including Alexander, Reeve Burgess, PMT, Rootes and Robin Hood, though some utterly bizarre conversions took place and at least two were rebodied by Dormobile in the early 1990s with coachbuilt bodies to the then-current 'Routemaker' design for MK Metro IIRC. The later examples such as the model were Reeve Burgess 'Beaver' bodied 709Ds, later followed up by Robin Hood and Phoenix bodied examples.

 

Some examples for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of http://philtomnibus.fotopic.net/c1649692_37.html

 

C206 LTH when new...

http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=ywja79&outx=820&quality=100

 

D221 LCY with advert boards...

http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=ywj27r&outx=820&quality=100

 

... and ones I didn't know about - apparantly some MCW Metroriders (proper bus shite) ALSO recieved the boards.

http://newimages.fotopic.net/?iid=ywxoab&outx=820&quality=100

 

(** edit ** Fotopic's being a thundercunt - click on the URLs then refresh, they *should* show then!)

[Cavcraft]

Varios were just posh/newer 609s iirc? I know when I had the 609D I was told I could lob a a 4.0 turbo lump straight in if needed.

The 4.0 n/a engine was bloody ace, mine had been to the moon and back and still pulled away loaded in second gear. I did notice second hand engines and boxes for them fetch huge money, though mine seemed unbreakable to be honest.

[cms206]

Varios were just posh/newer 609s iirc? I know when I had the 609D I was told I could lob a a 4.0 turbo lump straight in if needed.

The 4.0 n/a engine was bloody ace, mine had been to the moon and back and still pulled away loaded in second gear. I did notice second hand engines and boxes for them fetch huge money, though mine seemed unbreakable to be honest.

 

Same cab, same chassis IIRC, some mucking about with suspension and they ruined the steering which was already pretty duff. The turbo mill from the bigger 811/814D would bolt straight in, not sure on the Vario lump. Too much techo wizardry to go wrong!

 

The n/a lump was more or less bombproof, the turbo only slightly less so. Our oldest 811D is a 33-seater Marshall bodied thing allegedly weighing 7400kgs unladen, it's the only one I've ever had to use first on and even then only when fully loaded.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I was amazed to see an 09 plate Vario a while ago. Sure enough theyre still for sale, check it out here:

 

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_website/en/home_mpc/van/home/new_vans/models/vario_670/vario.flash.html#chapter=1

[Cavcraft]

Bloody hell, they even still look like the older models!

 

CMS: mine had no power steering which took some getting used to. Was recently half-arsedly offered an 814 with a slide bed and spec lift, but no storage and the change in law on recovery drivers not using tachographs etc killed that idea right off.

[warren t claim]

Bloody hell, they even still look like the older models!

 

CMS: mine had no power steering which took some getting used to. Was recently half-arsedly offered an 814 with a slide bed and spec lift, but no storage and the change in law on recovery drivers not using tachographs etc killed that idea right off.

 

What change in the law? Recovery drivers are tacho exempt within 62 miles of base arent they?

[Cavcraft]

Yeah but they could go anywhere at one time and didn't need a tacho.

[AnthonyG]

Aren't these (or a very close copy) still made in India by Tata?

 

I found the Tata website:

 

Tata SFC looks like a Vario but the pictures aren't very good:

 

http://cv.tatamotors.com/showcase/lcv/

 

There is also the 'all new' Tata 'Winger Platinum' - the original shovel nosed Renault Trafic!

 

http://www.wingerplatinum.com/