Mk3 County 4x4, 4.0 litre V6, 5 speed Auto

[ChequeredRoof]

New Year’s Resolution: Start a Progress Report (Better late than never. It’s only taken 5 years )

My Mk3 County 4x4 pops up now and again in the 4x4 section, but I though it was time to bring everything together.



Since acquiring the van in January 2007 as a direct release from the MoD Fire Service, I’ve made a few improvements, the main ones being:

Ford 4.0 litre V6 engine, 205bhp, 250 ft lb torque (Details here and here)
Ford 5 speed Auto Gearbox
Power Steering (Thread here)

..and all the associated jobs to make it work. It has a bespoke cooling system (ex Mustang 4.6l V8), side exit exhaust and twin fuel tanks.

Along the way I’ve also done a lot of reconditioning and minor improvements. I’ll add some pictures and details later.

The main thread which sets the scene starts here.

It’s also been around the Top Gear track – a County 4x4 first? Pics here.

Here are a few pictures to get started:

[Luke]

my favorite county transit be nice to see this at a show one day .......... maybe north weald........... and run it down the strip

[barabas]

Top notch! Loving the horns crammed in on top of that lump too

[ChequeredRoof]

be nice to see this at a show one day .......... maybe north weald........... and run it down the strip

I plan to get to at least one show this year. That was the plan for the last few years as well. Not always easy as I work most weekends.

As for a run down the strip..... part of me would love to find out what it'll do, but I'm too afraid of breaking something. More specifically, I'm too afraid of busting the transfer box, which would not be good news. I've built a big lazy cruiser rather than a sprinter. But maybe if it's wet....

[AlanN]

About time you started this thread, always been one of my favourite County's, more please

[transitandy]

very nice m8 as they say better late than never

[ChequeredRoof]

Big thanks for your comments

Here's a few from the archive...



The black gungy stuff visible on the washer bottle covers the whole underside, and has done a wonderful job of protecting it. I imagine it was an MoD requirement.



All done outside, on a slight slope...
And I've just noticed that the blue beacon was still in place back then



The engine was tricky to support, as the rear lifting eye is tucked well under the bodywork. It could only be supported from above right at the front of the engine, so I had to make up a wide spreader bar so I could run a strap down to one of the engine mounts. Of course, the front beam axle gets in the way of supporting it from below...

[noah]

i like that lots

[ChequeredRoof]

Barely enough snow here to play in, but we still had some fun...





Video clip here of wet, grassy slope, roughly 1 in 4. The County 4x4 is supremely capable - copes with this quite boringly.



You can see which panels I haven't T-cut yet



Tried some 4WD drifting, not very successfully, but good fun. Video here.

If you're wondering what's with the helmet, we'd just been tobogganing, County-style...



Video here.

I'm no expert with the videos - for some reason the picture has come out squashed up. Anyway, good enough for a laugh...

[AlanN]

Just seen your video on facebook

[ChequeredRoof]

Another video here, only 22 secs, and I've got the aspect ratio sorted now .

This one is a much longer snowy slope, approx. 1 in 4. With a County 4x4? No problem

[ake]

Carlsberg don't make 4x4 Transits but if they did .........................

[tonypastie1]

loveing the videos mate and your engine

[AndyG]

Hmmmmmmmmm Could be tempted

[transitandy]

transit