Ford Transit 60 yrs today.

[Drago]

The new 2.0 diesels ones are worrying though because of the stupid wet belt, but are still really nice to drive.

Theres a way round that. Buy the Transporter instead.

Model for model about 4% less expensive than its Transit brother, but comes with 5 years free servicing, MOT and warranty. After that either bin it for a new one or change the belt.

 

[Cavalol]

Didn't realise they were the same van. What you say makes perfect sense ref. the belt. Do VW and Merc still share the Crafter/LT platform? I think the engines were different but rest pretty much the same.

I did drive a Trafic 2.0 Sport (I think it was the Sport, anyhow) last year and that was a close rival to the Transit in terms of driving.

 

[DRM]

Didn't realise they were the same van. What you say makes perfect sense ref. the belt. Do VW and Merc still share the Crafter/LT platform? I think the engines were different but rest pretty much the same.

I did drive a Trafic 2.0 Sport (I think it was the Sport, anyhow) last year and that was a close rival to the Transit in terms of driving.

Yes The Fordwagon Transitporter are the self same van, other than the plastic bumper/grille assembly & the layout of the rear lights, Mercedes & VW share the same van body for the Sprinter/Crafter as well as the M.A.N TGE, while the Stellantis vans are all available in Citroen, Peugeot, Toyota & FIAT versions

 

[Drago]

Well, aside from the styling the suspension and steering rates differ to givemit more of a VW feel, whatever that might be. But yep, essentially the same vehicle.

I believe the Crafter, now in its 3rd generation, has diverged from Mercedes Sprinter and is once again VWs own product. The MAN is the same vehicle but less expensive for some reason so campervan builders often seek them out over the Crafter.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Thursday 25th

Spotted on the way home from work
Probably a fisherman, or a ‘bargee’

Note the banded (original) steels

 

[Profpointy]

I hired a 2023 SWB Transit for the day recently, it was nicer to drive than my car!

Likewise. It was genuinely a delight to drive and very comfy too.

 

[hobo]

First vehicle to get diesel direct injection in 1984.

 

[fossyant]

Likewise. It was genuinely a delight to drive and very comfy too.

Vans are very good these days, surprisingly so. Mine is fast, powerful, a delight on the motorway, but you have to take corners more carefully than you would in a saloon. Being an auto makes life so easy.

 

[Drago]

Apart from being perched up high my 6.1 is very car like to row along. Electric PAS, light gear change, decent brakes, more toys than most cars I've owned.

 

[gbb]

Vans are funny things and if you were buying a second hand one, you could very easily end up with either a quite inappropriately specced one...or one that surprised you.
Driven Mk1 and 2 and remember hiring a Mk2 that was so fast and well geared, it was perfect for long motorway journeys, no doubt the perfect engine, transmission, species out for that purpose.
And look what they've become, a former colleague had/has one, 2019 plate lovely van he said, did a lot of miles in it...and then you see constant youtube videos about wet belt failures, debris in the oil.pick up that siezes engines, etc etc. It seems nowadays you're looking at a couple grand expense on vans as low as 50k miles...just on what id call maintenance. Where did it all go wrong ?

 

[Cavalol]

Vans are funny things and if you were buying a second hand one, you could very easily end up with either a quite inappropriately specced one...or one that surprised you.
Driven Mk1 and 2 and remember hiring a Mk2 that was so fast and well geared, it was perfect for long motorway journeys, no doubt the perfect engine, transmission, species out for that purpose.
And look what they've become, a former colleague had/has one, 2019 plate lovely van he said, did a lot of miles in it...and then you see constant youtube videos about wet belt failures, debris in the oil.pick up that siezes engines, etc etc. It seems nowadays you're looking at a couple grand expense on vans as low as 50k miles. Where did it all go wrong ?

It's a throw away society. The wet belt is a stupid idea, despite Ford saying if you buy Castrol oil that's about £350,000 a litre and changing it at the specified intervals, they'll still just surprise you one day.

The Mk3 Di was a fantastic van in its time, and the 2000-ish on 2.0TDci even better.

 

[MichaelW2]

I use different vans from the car club.
The brakes are setup for heavy loads, so unladen are very fierce and sudden.
I rented a Vauxhall Vivaro van, a tad smaller than Transit but much more car like controls.