browndog

Not whinging at all, you have a few issues to sort, thats all:) Okay looks like you might still have a 1300 rad fitted. Put a pic showing the front of the engine, looking towards the ground, to show gap between rad and fan. I don't think you are too far off there. I had an original RS2000 some years ago, and that shroud was mostly still there, just had the top of it cut out a bit more as rad was larger than what you have there. Fan always ran very close to the rad on that car, maybe 15mm? Alternator is not original Pinto, which wil explain alignment problem. They usually had Lucas ACR type, or a Bosch one fitted.Similar to: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/ford/electrics/auction-741934450.htm The adjuster bracket bolts to a threaded lug on the water pump. Throw that alternator in the bin and get a Lucas type one, they are pretty reliable anyway.

In one of your pics, looking through the front of the grille, it looks like the rad is tilted back towards the top of the engine?????? It should be bolted flat to that front panel, not tilting backwards. Bottom crossmember should be cut out (like yours is) but boxed in with sheetmetal.

find me a pair of black fishnet Recaro's!!!!

The front pair of side windows have been blacked out on mine, painted inside I think. The rears have preforated black vinyl on them, so very dark too. I could live with zero light getting in there I think. Here ya go! Basically the whole original panel that the 1300 rad attached to has been cut away, and the 2.0 rad bolts flush up to the front panel. Pics probably explain that better..........

here is what your brake discs SHOULD look like

//oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/43966-brown-dogs-1980-escort-van/ discussify

seems there is a bit of an Escort van thing going on, so here are a few pics of mine, that I bought this week. Has a 2.0 Pinto and type 9 5 speed, and goes pretty much like you would expect one to (now that it gets full throttle and not just the half it had!) Someone has spent a lot of money on it (not me for a change) and it is quite a nice old thing to drive. Thinking about panelling over side windows, and converting to "proper" panel van. Not sure I am sold on the 14" Minilite replicas though. I think I like these old 13x7 Cheviot Tridens with BFG's better, for a bit of 70's style bling! Longer term plan is to fit Mk1 bubble arches, and 15x8 Miniltes. Also sport quarter bumpers, and a couple of big Cibie driving lights. And basically anything else that you did to an old 2.0 Escort!! Conrad discussification thread: //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/43967-brown-dogs-1980-escort-van/

yep, especially when there is a fresh project waiting!! Went and picked mine up today, and drove it around this afternoon - loving it too! You are right about it being a Mk1 with a Mk2 front grafted on, and I don't think it would be too difficult to convert into a Mk1. Front guards, bonnet and front panel would just about nail it I think. The RS 4 spoke wheels were from the right era, first seen on Mk1 RS1600's, RS2000's and RS3100 Capri's in the early 1970's. But getting a bit "common" now that those MWS (?) replica wheels are everywhere. What engine/box does your van have?

ditch the Modgies, and put some proper old school wheels on it Would cost a fortune to change offset and rechrome them. Would look good with a set of 7x13 RS replica wheels, which are cheapish anyway

That is actually Coco, my first brown lab, not Lola, extreme closeup:) The fishnet Recaros are for the Escort, as you have probably guessed by now:) I will put some pics of the van up soon, but will start another thread, so I don't hijack:) Conrad

at a guess those are discs from a Mk1, which had 12 inch wheels. Find a pair of Mk2 discs, which you should get for next to nothing (or buy a new pair, which will work better) and that will sort the disc issue. (all Mk2 discs are the same) Can you ditch the spacers, or is wheel clearance a problem? Nice that yours is a proper panel van, with no side windows. I just bought one yesterday (with side windows) also with 2.0 and 5 speed:) Will go pick it up when it stop raining!! Conrad

thats a bargain! Yes needed pedals sorting out, and I thought it felt a bit gutless, must have been that intake gasket! Two Transits eh? A sick man!! I have a contact in Ireland who I bought some NOS panels from, might be helpful? Conrad

was that the white one on TM with the Turbo mags? Bloody good deal at $10K or whatever he paid. I have driven it, needed a little bit of work, but very tidy, owed the guy about $30K.

Yep I know the feeling, mine is hoovering through a lot of money, but I always knew it would! Unfortunately I am in Auckland, so a bit far to travel for a look Tell your man to send me an email at browndog@ihug.co.nz My van has a nine inch diff fitted to the Transit axle tubes. I might be interested in selling this one and building another. Conrad

wow, looks great! and I thought I was the only one crazy enough to want to build one of these old things!! Whereabouts in NZ is it? Would love to go and have a look. The LDV was NZ new, but built by the LDV special order dept for the police, fitted with Rover V8 and (in this case) manual gearbox. (most V8's had ZF 4 spd autos) The box is called a R5-150 gearbox. It is essentially a 2WD version of the LT77S found in mid nineties Discoveries, and was basically the last version of the LT77 which was in SD1 Rovers, Triumph TR7's etc. Externally looks identical to any LT77 box. Later manual vans had the stronger R380 box, but none were dogleg.

forget 11's, we wil have 1111's

I sold the whole rolling shell, I advertised some of the parts on TM, and someone said they wanted the whole car (or remains of) so that was nice and easy

I have one actually, its a 1995 400, ex police van, V8 manual, quite rare in that configuration.

I figured it would not stay around for long, so went over and bought it straight away. (another one sold last week through Turners DVA for over $15K !) I removed the parts I needed from the wreck, and sold the rolling shell to recover some of the outlay. yes please do, interested to see this:) Conrad

Time has been scarce lately, but finally spent a few hours on the old bus this weekend. I put the engine in position, supported by blocks of wood, and after moving it many many times I finally have it in a position I am happy with. I have had to swap the sump pan for one from an earlier model Falcon (BA) which has the bowl at the front, as mine came with a rear bowl sump pan. But this did not present any real problems, my block even has the front dipstick position in the block with a bung fitted I did a check against my Mk2 (which is fitted with a Pinto 2.0) and the crankshaft centreline is 130mm LOWER on the 6 cylinder installation than the Mk2/Pinto The front axle and steering drag link will clear the sump pan on full bump compression, and the trans is fairly tight underneath, but overall it should work okay. A few pics as always. I have drawn up the trans mounts, and will get those laser cut next week, and also begin work on an engine crossmember, to which I will attach the engine mounts. Conrad

where is it (and you) from?

Got any pics of it? I don't recall seeing a red one.

Back in the olden days bags were tyres And BF Goodrich T/A's are very much olden day tyres (although these are new and surprisingly soft!) Grandparents neighbour isn't an older bloke named Andy? Silver Mk1 transit?

Round black rubber things turned up today on the courier, just waiting to get rims painted so I can fit 'em:) Getting some quotes next week to get panel and paint done. discussion:http://oldschool.co....gs-mk2-transit/

I have thought about slapping a turbo on it, 8.3:1 compression should work well:) . If I can find a nice old turbo conversion kit I may put it on, just low boost, nothing too silly. But for now probably just stick with the low comp Pinto. Got the Mk1 if I feel like driving a fast van;)