Australian Mk1 transit project

[blue74]

I have always liked the English Fords and have been casually looking at Mk1 Transits in the classifieds for the last couple of years. Being a commercial vehicle many were stored outside in the elements causing them to rot and not being all that popular over here it wasn't viable to repair them so not many come onto the market however in May this year I saw this one come onto Gumtree and bit the bullet and bought it.
It was still registered in Victoria however as that state has no yearly registration (MOT) check didn't mean it was roadworthy. After talking to the owner who had several no show buyers he agreed to hold it till I could drive down to Victoria from Canberra and buy it.

So my dad and I loaded some tools and spares into the trusty Pajero and made the 730km drive to Geelong in Victoria to go and pick up the van.

On first viewing of the Transit I must say I was disappointed. The owners idea of "not much rot" was quite different to mine however I had committed to buying it along with the owner buying 4 new tyres for it so I could drive it home so the cash was handed over.

The drive home was a bit daunting at first as the front brakes were grabbing wildly which made driving in traffic challenging however the rest of the 730km journey surprisingly went without a hitch.

The task of repairing the van ready for registration (MOT) then began!
Just got to work out how to post pictures.

[blue74]

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[00353theking]

Any more pictures

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[Altransit]

Does that have the Essex V6 engine, or do they fit something different over there?

[00353theking]

In line 6 cylinder 4.1 i think and it comes into the cab

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[Altransit]

In line 6 cylinder 4.1 i think and it comes into the cab

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Ah OK, that front I always called the "piggy" front, was either fitted with the 3 litre Essex V6 Petrol, or the diesel engine, over in the UK.
The 'flat' fronted one had the Essex V4 engine.

[00353theking]

The v6 would have made more sense to me ,
More leg room and as far as i know a 3 speed auto was common in them over here, wouldn't a cosworth boa v6 and the auto fit in there just lovely

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[blue74]

It does have the Falcon 6 cylinder engine as it is a "76 model, originally a 3.3L however according to the old guy I bought it off it had been replaced with a 4.1L and automatic Borg warner 35 transmission.
The van had been set up for duel fuel, primarily run on LPG, seemed to go ok on my drive home however I have removed the LPG and will only run petrol. As the engine was set up for gas the exhaust valve seats have been replaced with hardened seats, that will also suit unleaded.

One of the reasons for using the Falcon engine was for a tax reduction, if the vehicle used a certain amount of Australian content the tax was less. The rear cylinders do protrude into the cabin somewhat and is covered by a fixed box. The Mk2 version had a removeable cover.

The first transits sold here had the flat front and V4 engine, perhaps a little better looking however a bit slow compared to the 6 cylinder ones.

[blue74]

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You can see from this picture the rust problem from the drip rail down.

[Altransit]

That all looks quite fixable, what about underneath

[blue74]

That all looks quite fixable, what about underneath

Yes it is fixable, a bit more work than I was wanting to do. The underside is pretty good. We don't have salt on the roads to contend with over here so the chassis usually stands up pretty well.
I have made some progress and will post some more pics when I get a chance.

[00353theking]

They rot from the top down over here and the bottom up over there

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[MinorMatt]

They rot from the top down over here and the bottom up over there

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Thats because you guys are upside down....

[00353theking]

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[blue74]

The LH sill was the first part to receive treatment, started out a small area below the fuel filler and ended up replacing the whole sill.

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