My Ford Transits

[Eugene Speed]

My two Ford Transits, both very rare and both hard as nails! Armoured Transit on the left, County 4x4 on the right.



Firstly, the 1990 Ford Transit County 4x4. 2500cc diesel, 5 speed manual 'box, NP208 transfer box with high and low ranges, Dana 44F front axle, Salisbury 53 'G' rear axle, 5.83:1 diffs, Deestone 7.50x16 tyres, sand-filled custom bullbar, remote engine start/stop, aux tank, water tank, alarm/tracker system with GSM control, CB & PMR radios, GPS speedometer, bucket seat and 5 point harness for driver, crewcab with bench seats and storage, triple battery system with solar charging and split charge relay, multiple work/spot/alley lights, front and rear strobes, onboard air/power/welding plant, inverter, Windows 7 carputer with 7" touchscreen, front and rear cameras with IR nightvision, DRLs and multi-function siren/PA.



Next is the armoured 1988 Transit 130. 2500cc diesel, 5 speed manual 'box, bulletproof windscreens and side glass, fully lined and armoured doors and cab floor, armoured rear loadspace with spy windows, roof hatch, ventilation system, attack alarms, engine protection panels, reinforced front bumper, anti-riot bullbars and windscreen protection grilles. This van is a rare survivor, most armoured security/CIT vans were crushed or cut up so villians couldn't get their hands on them and work out how to break into them! It has been in film and TV work, most recently in the Guardian newspaper's 'Three Little Pigs' advertising campaign. Bullbars, grilles and police logos are removable, as are the rear wheel spats.



Both sport the rat look, 'Mad Max' styling, and have plenty of potential for BOVs. Hope you like!

[Eugene Speed]

More pics to follow, just need to resize them for the forum!

[majorhavoc]

Firstly, the 1990 Ford Transit County 4x4. 2500cc diesel, 5 speed manual 'box, NP208 transfer box with high and low ranges, Dana 44F front axle, Salisbury 53 'G' rear axle, 5.83:1 diffs, Deestone 7.50x16 tyres, sand-filled custom bullbar, remote engine start/stop, aux tank, water tank, alarm/tracker system with GSM control, CB & PMR radios, GPS speedometer, bucket seat and 5 point harness for driver, crewcab with bench seats and storage, triple battery system with solar charging and split charge relay, multiple work/spot/alley lights, front and rear strobes, onboard air/power/welding plant, inverter, Windows 7 carputer with 7" touchscreen, front and rear cameras with IR nightvision, DRLs and multi-function siren/PA.

I really like this one. 4x4 5-spd diesel with transfer case? Do like. Closest thing I've seen to a slightly more modern VW Syncro.

I don't think we ever got that model over here. This is what most North Americans think of when the think Ford Transit:



No exactly an aggressive looking candidate for a bad-ass post apocalyptic road warrior vehicle.

[Tater Raider]

So purdy...

[Eugene Speed]

I really like this one. 4x4 5-spd diesel with transfer case? Do like. Closest thing I've seen to a slightly more modern VW Syncro.

I don't think we ever got that model over here. This is what most North Americans think of when the think Ford Transit:



No exactly an aggressive looking candidate for a bad-ass post apocalyptic road warrior vehicle.

What you have there is known over here as the Transit Connect, they do make an all-wheel-drive model but it is more for slippery roads than off-road mud-plugging!

The Transit County will out-perform a Syncro in the mud any day, even Land Rovers get left behind. Those dually rears really get a hold of the mud, you don't get dual rears with the Syncro, or the Merc Sprinter 4x4. It performs well on the tarmac too, I thought it would handle like the Bismark but actually you can throw it around a bit without mishap, even get it up to 70mph on the straight stuff. I love it and it is my daily driver, I'm hoping to be fitting an ex-police 100PS turbodiesel motor next month that will give her a bit of a pick-me-up!

[Eugene Speed]

And before I get called out on the photo of the County, yes it is the same photo as is on Wikipedia, that is because I posted it to Wikipedia! And I wrote the stub on the 4x4 Transit section. This pic has properly done the rounds, I've seen it used on websites, in magazines, even had someone else claiming the van and photo to be theirs!



http://www.passsmart.com/blog/picking-a-car-to-survive-the-zombie-apocalypse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Transit#County_4x4

And the armoured van is in this video, around 1m18s
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2012/feb/29/open-journalism-three-little-pigs-advert

[Dooms]

I don't think we ever got that model over here.

2013 will be the first year for the U.S. to get the full size Transit, supposedly being called the T-Series here. It's replacing the venerable E-series/Econoline.

Engine choices are reported to be a twin-turbo 3.5L V6 (Ecoboost) and an unknown diesel. On the downside though, we likely won't get the manual transmission option offered overseas. I also doubt we'll get any kind of 4x4 version, at least until some other company (like Quigley) figures out how to do a conversion.

[Eugene Speed]

The 4x4 or 'AWD' option will be available on your side of the pond, the hydraulically activated AWD system has been developed by Countytrac, who took over the Transit 4x4 development from County Tractors, and should be a factory option on all models. The system is similar to the one on the Connect, it doesn't feature high lift suspension and chunky tyres (tires?) but has standard ride height and is designed to be capable on slippery/icy roads, not axle-deep in mud. Youtube videos of testing in the UK and Germany: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szRjuirXPiI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCRI1kV90_A

The 'unknown' diesel will probably be the 5 cylinder 3.2 turbo lump, much revered here in the UK where we have to make do with the 2000cc or 2400cc DuraTorq units in new vans. You are lucky to have the big 3.5 petrol motor, we have to resort to pulling V6 engines from Ford Scorpios if we fancy some good old gasoline fun!

[Eugene Speed]

STOP PRESS!!!

New V8 Transit, now available in short body style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGAgtZm39bg&feature=related

[Dooms]

We don't get the AWD system on the Connect either. I'm hoping and praying they offer something on the full size vans, but with my luck they'll only offer it on short-wheelbase 1/2-ton vans (like GM does), which is useless for us.

Funny to hear a 3.5L referred to as big. The diesel in my current E-series is 7.3L, they also offer a 6.8L V10 gas engine. Smallest engine I've got in any of my work trucks is 5.3L. These new downsized Euro/world engine options take some getting used to. I couldn't imagine a 2L engine in a full size van, I mean, hell, my lawnmower has a nearly 1L engine.

[Eugene Speed]

Big petrol engines are a thing of the past here, unless you are talking Range Rovers or big BMWs etc. I have done my time with larger gas engines, 4000cc is considered big round these parts, it just doesn't make sense to have them anymore. You would be surprised how much grunt you can squeeze from a suitably-turbo'ed common-rail diesel 2400cc engine, coupled with the new 7 speed ( I think it's seven) transmission it can pull very well indeed. I never thought I would go over to the fuel of satan, but it's a fact now that oil-burners are in the majority and I wouldn't go back to petrol. Veg oil is a good option too, around 50% cheaper than diesel at the pumps. Saying that, a chap around the corner from me has a huge Dodge pickup with something like a V10 turbodiesel under it, sounds like someone upset a thunderstorm when it revs up, and it takes off like a stabbed rat!

[Eugene Speed]

Just found a non-turbo 7.3l diesel Ford lump with auto transmission on fleabay, have punted the chap an offer!

Be funny to stick it in one of the Transits, though I'm not sure which one?

See what the seller makes of my cheeky offer!!!

[AeroNautiCal]

Hello & Welcome!

Good to see a fellow Transit Forum member on here.

[Shadebringer]

Now see, I would get the bigger diesel, and while everything is apart, take the stuff out of the unarmored one and put it in the armored body to creat one bad-arse off-road zombie-killing BOV! Just my $0.02

[Eugene Speed]

Now see, I would get the bigger diesel, and while everything is apart, take the stuff out of the unarmored one and put it in the armored body to creat one bad-arse off-road zombie-killing BOV! Just my $0.02

Now this has already been considered, make the two vans into one. However, as there are only a small handful of security/armoured/CIT vans left on the roads (as most ended up in the crusher), I have been advised to try and keep the armoured one as original as possible, it already gets a little film/TV prop work and is on a film prop vehicles register, messing with it will lose these little jobs that can pay quite well.

It's looking like the 4x4 will get the new lump, as long as the dimensions add upp and I can get insurance cover for the modifications.

[Desolo]

Now THOSE are freaking AWESOME! Ive never seen a set of vans that are that darn cool

[Eugene Speed]

This should make you all smile. I am laid up at home for a few days after having a small op last week, and I get a phone call this morning from my work colleague at our shop at Sadlers Farm yard, just outside of Basildon, Essex. He tells me that a full compliment of armed anti-terrorist police had shown up at the yard over the weekend and proceeded to make their way to the truck compound at the back of the yard. This yard is where the armoured van currently lives, and was the object of the police's attentions. Apparently, the police helicopter had been flying over when they noticed the roof markings (it has a huge 'PV18 POLICE' graphic on the roof, left over from the tv commercial). They looked closer, saw police logos and massive battering ram bars on the front and came to the conclusion that someone was planning to use it in some sort of terrorist activity around the Olympics site (about 15 miles down the road)! Thankfully the chap who owns the truck yard was there to explain it was a tv prop, showed them all my crap loaded in the back, and they went away feeling a bit daft. I do, however, now have my definitive answer on whether or not I can keep the police graphics on it! You couldn't make it up!

[greenear123]

Life imitating art? That is funnny! But they do have to check it out, right? Just doing their job?
So as a bad guy I'm going to leave the rig out where anyone can see it? Don't they know that the badguys always have a garage or warehouse to hide in? I know, cause I seen it in the movies.
I am surprised they went away without seeing that the logos were removed or covered over. Great looking rigs by the way. Keep us posted on the power plant upgrades.

[Eugene Speed]

On private land I can have whatever logos I want on it, just not on the public highway.

They were just being jumpy due to the Olympic mountain bike event that was taking place that afternoon at Hadliegh Farm, about three miles away from where the van is stored, and also the Olympic closing ceremony which was in Stratford, about 15 miles up the road from us. To be honest I take it as a compliment on the look of the vehicle if the anti-terror feds think it looks like it means business!

As for the engine swap, the vendor who has the 7300cc V8 is not up for a haggle, he didn't like my cheeky bid. I will have to look elsewhere for a new power plant.

[Eugene Speed]

More pics of the armoured van here and some pictures of the County 4x4 here.

[Viper shtf]

Y'all got the 7.3 across the pond? I didn't think they would sell it there, due to the size, and fuel consumption.

Edited due to typo.

[Murgatroy]

Y'all got the 7.3 across the pond? I didn't think they would sell it there, due to the size, and fuel consumption.

Edited due to typo.

I am not familiar with much of Europe's laws, or Britain's or how they pertain to one another. However, I am pretty sure that it is available as a truck engine (or Lorry as they are called over there,) as Ford is a pretty big player there.

Ford has made a lot of really nice things available over there that aren't here at home. The RS2000, the good Escorts, the good Focuses, or would that be Focii?

It wouldn't shock me at all to find something that big over there.

[Eugene Speed]

The 7.3l came out of an ambulance that was imported from your side of the pond. It has been scrapped and the engine/transmission was saved and put on fleabay. He wont let me have it for less than £500 so it's going to have to wait for now.

[Viper shtf]

That's a fair price, if it's in good shape, running with no problems.