Mk3 armoured van

[FredTransit]

I can go one better than that. Last time we had the bullion van out, Armed Police turned up. We were shooting a reconstruction of a wages robbery in St Helen's. Due to lack of communication the Chief Constable of the area didn't pass on the info about the production. A member of the public saw the van and actors but not the camera. Armed response came at 120 mph from Merseyside and said that, if they had seen the 'guns' they would have opened fire without warning
You just got me thinking, I have seen the police chopper over our storage, wonder what they think??? There's no ident on ours, but we do have a fair few blue lights on the lot.....

[Eugene Speed]

Finally I have managed to get the van insured with NFU, just waiting for Essex Safety Glass to get back to me regarding replacing the ballistics glass from the drivers door. Passed her MOT with no advisories although he did mention the misted driver's door glass.

Going to take the police stickers, bullbar, window grilles and wheel spats off and give her a good clean as she has been sat at the back of a lorry yard for the last ten months! Now I can take my County 4x4 off the road for some much-needed welding, she is getting new extended rear wheelarches, new outer sills, new front spring hangers, new door skins and new front wings/arches. Hopefully this year I will get both vans in better shape!

[AlanN]

Keep the photos coming, do like an overhaul

[gottobedeisel]

Insurance seems high, what it like for your County where you live

It does just got a quote for the toureno from compair the market fully comp under £200 price doubled for tpf&t tho

[Eugene Speed]

I have found her 'sister' van on this webpage, looks like a mk4 built by the same company, slight differences in the windsceen and the side windows. There is also another one, slightly different again with a hatch in the rear door, both vans together here. Looks like they get some film/tv work, maybe I need to start touting my one around!

Just found out that the van on the left in the shot of the two Transits from the rear is actually my van, just with the wrong plates on! The plates were changed for filming. The one on the right is a Mk4 that is seen elsewhere on the page, it has a fully flat single piece windscreen and single pane side windows, as well as the hatch in the rear door.

On the subject of insurance, NFU were cheapest at £660 with all modifications declared. I would say 90% of companies, including the so-called 'specialist' insurers just refused point blank.

Going to set about getting the police graphics off tomorrow with the heat gun. Good thing is that there are a whole bunch of unused ones in the cab so if I do make it to a show this year I can dress her up again.

[Eugene Speed]

Got both vans at work today.

[ChequeredRoof]

[Eugene Speed]

Finally got a shot of the roof graphics that caused all the trouble with the plod.


Also, to top it off, I've been asked to bring the van to 'Policing Through The Ages 2013' in Portsmouth as they have a selection of TV cop cars coming including KITT, Starsky & Hutch's Torino, and many others. They figured the van deserved a spot after someone posted pictures of it on the 'UK Cop Humour' Facebook page!

[Vandalism]

whens that show comming up?

[Eugene Speed]

October 5th at Gunwharfs Quay, Portsmouth. Not sure on the full format but it looks interesting enough.

[Vandalism]

hmm might take a trip to that

[karl mcghee]

Wot a classic van

You would get pulled day in day out round Manchester especially when then do the f***** vosa and hm customs checks for diesal

[FredTransit]

funny never had a problem with our Mk2. Even went to the bank in her once!!!

[Eugene Speed]

funny never had a problem with our Mk2. Even went to the bank in her once!!!

I actually use mine for going to pay the shop takings in at our local Santander, and for picking up and dropping off customer's jobs. I was parked outside our local motor factors last week when two traffic coppers popped in to speak with the shop owner. One thought the van was brilliant and wanted to know why Essex police DON'T have one, the other pointed out the door graphics and muttered something about seizing the vehicle so I recounted the story of the armed chaps turning up at the storage yard last year and my unhappiness at how they conducted themselves and he soon wound his neck in. I have been driving it every day since the County lost it's exhaust system and I think the plod are starting to get used to it. I'm hoping to get signed up with one of the historic police vehicle clubs which will get me the cherished letter from the ACPO so I can keep it in it's police guise.

Just looking at the bullion van, do you have any idea who constructed/converted it? I only ask as it seems to share a lot of similar features to mine, the split screen is almost the same as are the vents above the screen. Or were these all made to a similar design? I don't imagine there were too many outfits converting these vans, and ours seem very different to the Bedwas conversion that Securicor favoured.

[FredTransit]

Ford did offer most of the elements of the security van as SVO ( see the brochure I posted in the Mk2 section). BUT ours was made by the bank, probably in house at thier garages. Each one of the plates is stamped with a number and position like 'left'. No bodybuilder's plate either. I know the bank had two, but searching the DVLA website for regs 20 either side of ours there's only one come up not found so I assume that's the sister......