What do you want from a Transit? What is your ideal Transit?

[martynx]

oh yeah

[ake]

oh yeah

[Vee4]

I don't often read this far down the Forum, usually just the technical sections, but here's my opinion: definitely the Mk5 that I have now.

If you read some of my other posts, you probably would be fed up with me going on about the incredible reliability of the Mk5, especially when contrasted with the Mk7. It's still going strong at 270,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance and a damn good leaving alone.

My plan when I bought it:

1) Buy new, so don't have to deal with abuse by former owners.
2) Basic spec, so less to go wrong (i.e. 76PS banana, no turbo, no 'drive by wire' nonsense, no PAS, no electric windows, no central locking, etc.).
3) Have it serviced at the specified intervals (10,000 miles +/-1,000 in this case) without fail by a Ford Commercial dealer with a proper workshop.
4) Don't be cheap with replacement parts, tyres, etc. - if it needs to be done, do it.
5) Drive it gently, so less wear and tear and lower fuel bills.
6) Don't mess with it if there's nothing wrong.
7) Try not to hit anything, so no distortion of chassis or opening of seams.

12 years later:

1) Towed in once only: gearbox failure while driving to dealer for 100,000 mile service, so it was going there anyway!
2) Engine still 100% stock apart from routine replacements (such as the cam belt). Never had the head off.
3) New alternator at 220,000 miles but other peripherals original. Starts 'before I turn the key' so little wear on the starter motor.
4) Still on its third set of tyres: 80,000 miles on factory set; 120,000 miles on Michelin Agilis 81; current set of Agilis 81 will see the van out.
5) Rusty wheel arches and back doors: the ravages of time.
6) Only damage is due to others colliding with van while parked, annoying but fortunately nothing serious.

If I could buy another one exactly the same I would. I want a van to be a van: I want to be able to hear the engine, I want to be able to feel the road through the steering wheel and the seat of my pants, I want to know that I'm driving the van and there isn't some computer trying to do it for me (HLA, ESP, ABS, etc.). I could go on ...

Should the Magic Transit Fairy offer me three wishes, my second wish would be a showroom condition Mk1 LWB twin-wheeler with 2-litre V4 and my third wish would be my own oil well and refinery to feed its hungry maw with 4-star.