Sherpa Freight Rover LDV alert

[warren t claim]

Believe it or not this is still on the road. The owner must have bought a bent ticket.

[warren t claim]

1 minute ago, Snipes said:

My school had a (i guess) LDV 200 minibus. I don't recall a great deal about it other than the distinctive graphic down the side. "Combi", possibily?

Prima?

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Saw this magnificent beast in Whitfield (Dover) a couple of months ago.  I got very excited.

[500tops]

[Dyslexic Viking]

4 minutes ago, 500tops said:

I want to do unspeakable things to that. 

Much want.

[Matty]

Had a Convoy pickup with the duratorq when I worked on the powerlines. Then later in another job, a hi-top lwb with the 2.5 di WITH TURBO!! I'd assume a bit of a rare thing. Loved em both. No photos sadly.

[ProgRocker]

General LDV

 

[grogee]

26 minutes ago, 500tops said:

I need to know the story of that. I'm assuming it's LR SIII bits used, that front axle looks familiar. 

Also, I'd bum that to kingdom come. 

[500tops]

[Dyslexic Viking]

12 minutes ago, ProgRocker said:

General LDV

 

The UK version of Dukes of Hazzard seems a little different. I'm guessing Nicola Sturgeon plays Daisy in it?

[500tops]

This is amazing 😍 

[ProgRocker]

3 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I'm guessing Nicola Sturgeon plays Daisy in it?

Can't be a pretty sight. 

[motorpunk]

13 hours ago, andy18s said:

Does anyone else play that game where you put the word anal in front of a caravan to make something amusing?

[Dyslexic Viking]

2 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Does anyone else play that game where you put the word anal in front of a caravan to make something amusing?

Anal Hobby

Hobby is a  German caravan and no I dont do that.

[eddyramrod]

13 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

The UK version of Dukes of Hazzard seems a little different. I'm guessing Nicola Sturgeon plays Daisy in it?

EWWW!  Now I need to bleach my mind!

[Dobloseven]

Quite a few Sherpa memories.Ran a Q reg ,though 1982/3 in the early nineties,for a few years.Ex military,drab olive 1.8 diesel minibus.Was a slow old thing.4 speed with overdrive.Used to tow a largeish caravan with it which made it even slower.Eventually,it developed a hole in a piston,which caused it to runaway spectacularly.Replaced with a 2.5 Transit.Had a look at an ex Police V8 riot bus at a local van dealer.Oil light came on a lot.There'd just been an article in Practical Classics about the Rover V8 engine,with some details of "experts".Phoned one and he advised not to get involved.Don't think they were actually very quick as the engine was in a sub Landrover state of tune,and once turbo diesels became available,they were redundant.Looked at buying a new SWB Convoy minibus in the early noughties.At the time LDV were selling a Devon camper version called the Sahara through their dealers.They had a stand at the NEC Caravan Show and I got talking to one of their guys about minibuses.He sent me some brochures and his contact details.Found him most helpful with some questions I'd got about towing with one.Local dealer brought one to the house for me to try.Didn't actually seem a bad old thing.By then they were using the 2.4 Ford Transit turbo diesel in various states of tune.At the time we were running a LWB VW T4 with the 2.4 5 cylinder diesel.Ended up with an eighteen month old Renault Master.Was very sad when it all ended.We used to see the vans all lined up at the works,from the M6.Think for a good while,they had a nice little niche,with the 200/Pilot for folk wanting a narrow van,ie the Royal Mail,and the 400/Convoy for those who needed a wide one,ie for a minibus.They were popular for camper conversions,as good for sleeping across due to the width and squareness.Think the Sherpa holds some kind of record for being sold under the most different brands.Leyland, briefly Morris,Freight Rover,Leyland Daf and LDV.

[Matty]

40 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Does anyone else play that game where you put the word anal in front of a caravan to make something amusing?

Anal Sprite? How about Anal Buccaneer 😆?

[TMP_319]

1 hour ago, ProgRocker said:

General LDV

 

Must be the same one as this legendary old YouTube video. Rover V8?

[TMP_319]

52 minutes ago, 500tops said:

This is amazing 😍 

"LDV - More than you bargained for". I wonder if they saw the irony of that at the time?

[andrew e]

5 hours ago, New POD said:

So I showed this picture to a volunteer at the Daf Museum this afternoon.  And said "where are the vans" 

Unfortunately I don't think they like to be reminded of their history. Edit: look carefully in the picture to the left of the organisation chart. It looks like the Daf400 ? 

Sorry about the shadow above. 

They only had 2 vehicles that would be in the same size class ; a Pickup

And a police van 

I only asked him to wind him up. 

Last September they were there! Its a great museum, so good I've been 3 times! Never seen a 200 there though.

 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

2 hours ago, ProgRocker said:

General LDV

 

Does this imply the existence of a Sergeant Maxi?

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, motorpunk said:

Does anyone else play that game where you put the word anal in front of a caravan to make something amusing?

See also yacht manufacturers.  'Anal Sunseeker' has a certain ring...

[JMotor]

A friend of mine has a Convoy Minibus. He was given it for free if he could be pick up otherwise it was for the oval.

Lots of fresh metal was let in. I showed him the some basics of welding and let him have at it. He's gotten is pretty decent at welding now 🤣. Roof had to be replaced as it was damaged and a rather large hole cut into it for a log stove flue.

 Now back on the road. It's a laugh to be in and to drive, he loves it. This one is staying as minibus spec. My goodness that N/A Banana lump needs a good shove of the loud pedal to keep her on boil.

[Supernaut]

My abiding memory of LDVs is when we were jump starting a flatbed one at Saabnut's farm during SF18.

Ghosty forgot he wasn't driving an auto and the fucking thing lurched towards a whole group of us.

I would have only had roughly a calendar month to avoid it if he hadn't dumped the clutch.

[Saabnut]

Had many over the years, good trucks if you remember their limitations and that from the doors backwards they are the same body as the late 50s/early 60s Austin J4.

Currently I have two, the tipper (not flatbed) referred to above but it is not long for this world. Mechanically brilliant (NA banana engine, 5 speed manual and a mini bus rear axle for relaxed cruising) but very rusty. Spent the last few years being a motorised wheelbarrow for track maintenance but now replaced with a Grey Fergie and tipping trailer.

I also have this 1978 example, powered by the B series 1800cc engine, in single carb form

This one is a bit unusual. It has been a camper for over 30 years, but I do not think that is what it started out as. Most unusually it has a rear side door on the nearside, but this door is not full height so not a passenger door. It appears to have started out as a metallic blue in colour, though there is some evidence of metallic gold at some point. Both rule out a post office connection. On the logbook it is a Leyland AM Sherpa, the AM being Austin Morris. If anyone has any theories on the side door, please let me know!

[grogee]

What is the front suspension arrangement on the 2wd Sherpa? Is it BL trunnions or high tech ball joint/MacPherson strut? 

My Sherpa memory involves a trip from Devon (HMC land) to Reading in August 1991 for the Reading Festival. I know it was then because I remember phoning home from a phone box to get my GCSE results, which my Mum read out to me (I did OK). 

Mate's dad had a horticultural business and ran an old blue Sherpa for odd jobs. It was a proper nail. I think there were 5 or 6 of us in it. ISTR we got through 2x 5-litre containers of 20W50 there and back. I doubt it had any piston rings left at all. 

Lame to fame: we missed Nirvana because we'd never heard of them and stayed in the van instead. Regrets, I've had a few. 

[New POD]

23 hours ago, New POD said:

 

Traffic light is still there. 

20 hours ago, R Lutz said:

 

 

[New POD]

19 hours ago, 500tops said:

This is pretty much the approach to making trucks at Leyland.  If you can verbalise what you want we will give it to the special vehicle engineering team, and they will design it.  And then the homologation team will check it and then sales will give you a price.  I reckon on any day 1/3 of all XBs on the line are specials. 

Companies like the post office get exactly what they want.  

[rob88h]

A hedge near me owns a Sherpa 

At least that’s what I think it is. It’s completely hidden in the summer months. 

[JMotor]

3 hours ago, grogee said:

What is the front suspension arrangement on the 2wd Sherpa? Is it BL trunnions or high tech ball joint/MacPherson strut? 

The pinnacle of engineering prowess. Nothing but the best!

With lever arm shockers too?

Also to add. A gentleman called Sean Turnbull in Cumbria direction is serious LDV fiddler and bought a fair stock pile of Ex-factory parts. 

He's also been in contact with a fella in Turkey about having repair sections produced for these Vans using the leftover pressings for the BMC Levend.