Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Zelandeth]

Yep, very low ratio dog leg first. Will have to experiment a bit to see if she's happy pulling away in second, though it's a big old body so probably will just be kind to the clutch. It's a heavy old lump for a 75bhp engine to pull along (OM601 I think in this, bonus...no timing belt), though the gear shift feels like such a proper bit of old fashioned German engineering it's a joy to use. Proper spherical bakelite gear knob too.

It's fair to say that the T1/TN series Mercedes vans are probably my favourite of that sort of vehicle. There's just something difficult to quantify that feels "right" about being behind the controls of one. Reckon anyone who likes commercial stuff should try one someday. Despite similar origins in principle and timescale, they're almost totally different in every way to the Transit of the same time. Though I have never driven an 80s Transit! VW T25 and LT, yep...Renault Extra, Traffic and Master, Mk I and IV Transits, but the 80s ones...never had the chance. The VW LT probably does get the award just for "nicest noise" though if in six cylinder form. Smoothest engine ever fitted to a standard van? The downright hilariously noisy DI engine used in the Transit does even make me somewhat nostalgic nowadays though!

I know that the front panel comes off pretty easily provided the fasteners aren't knackered...if it will play nice, I'd bank on that being repainted less than 48 hours of it being home! The bit under the windscreen I'll probably entrust to a body shop, likewise the repairs needed to the bonnet itself (they always rot at the corners).

This is definitely a vehicle I'm willing to spend a few quid on getting spot on for the long run.

Just wish it was forecast to be cooler. I'd really rather not be doing a 100+ mile pickup journey in a vehicle I've not driven more than a few miles in on a day like that, makes me nervous of overheating even in cars I know...and there's only so much you can do to "take it easy" in a two and a bit tonne vehicle with well under 100bhp and an aerodynamic profile that makes a shed look streamlined.

I apologise in advance for the sheer level of photographic spam you'll be subject to when it arrives!

Even just to look at for me, there's just something right about the old Mercs. Think it's that sort of "life sized kid's toy" vibe somewhat which is also a big draw towards the early XJ series Cherokees too.

Totally different animal to anything I've owned so far... definitely true that we never grow up, the toys just get bigger.

Oh, yes by the way. It will definitely be getting used. Both for camping, and most likely just to drive at any opportunity that I can come up with.

[Gibbo2286]

Pinched this from last night's episode of 'The Last Leg'

[Zelandeth]

Missing a wiper blade...must be an early one if it's on a black/silver plate too.

Can't see the wheels - but that would confirm a pre 1973 car (they ran 12" wheels up to then before switching to 10" Mini items).

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

as you'll almost certainly already realise, anticipation & timing will be key when driving something with a considerably lower power to weight ratio than even my 405na (only slightly less bhp and half the weight), including to not quite come to a stop whenever possible to permit setting off off in 'Second'.

I'd wrongly guessed it to be a petrol, largely due to having mis-read the Wiki page which related to the vans which appeared over a decade prior. Apparently back then sales of DERV's were very slow indeed and Joe Public was delighted when petrol options were offered.

Hows the top end for motorway use, 60-70mph reasonably ok without thrashing it? Gentle uphill slopes newly noticeable and equally unwelcome? Is it used to high speed runs, or has it been pootled and probably got coked up? I've always taken a 'gently increasing revs thru the gears over a period of weeks' approach to de-coking, with great success.

Nothing like a nice Gearknob. My 405, after repeated self-destructions of standard Knobs, usually in the space of about a year; now sports a non-standard VAG knob and awaits a custom made Gaiter to suit, much nicer and hopefully won't self-destruct after 10k.

Have driven 70's and 80's Transits, the former being very old & grotty when I got behind the wheel. You haven't missed much and of course if you ever do, Ear Defenders would be useful; as was painfully the case all day in an unladen Perkins powered 2.0 Maestro van back in the day. Recollections include getting an extra 2mph from Transit Lutons on the motorway, (58/56mph) by leaving it in 4th, which wasn't usually for long as -2mph was preferably to the noise of revving it hard.

An aside re Dog-Leg 1st: one of the few occasions I ever picked up a Hitch-Hiker was in a VW LT DERV Luton with such a configuration (lovely noise also, wouldn't've thought it was a 6 pot tho). It was from him I learnt that 1st was a crawler in this particular configuration. Saw one recently in Horsebox config.

Do ask the bodyshop for photos, both for your History file, adding value to it in the form of a 'job done' and so's you got a cast-iron guarantee of a job done properly.

I could do with it being cooler too. I intended a cooling dip in the paddling pool last night, and did indeed get in, with SWMBO, a Can of Lager and a Choc Ice at about 8:30pm. Unfortunately the water temp was anything but cool !! A very weird experience.

Looking forward to the 'photographic spam' !

NB: prize for 'low speed' went to an almost new Uno Selecta 1.3 CVT Auto on an 'F', I had the misfortune to have to drive it about 40miles and couldn't get 50mph out of it no matter how hard I thrashed it. Soon after I did the same run in a Ducato Minibus and the comfort was equally memorable.

[Zelandeth]

I've not driven this one on anything other than a country lane yet, but I've driven a mechanically identical (though higher miles) one with an Auto Sleeper body on, and it was reasonably happy at 60. The old Mercs are quite sensibly geared so aren't too dire pulling away etc.

Definitely not the slowest thing I've driven...the 1929 Albion bus gets that award! 6 tonnes give or take, and about 50bhp on the rare occasions when all four cylinders have decided to fully join the party. Oh...and cable brakes. Plus a crash box with ratios spaced such that you're about to blow up in one, and near stall it the moment you get into the next cog. Plus it's perpetually trying to both gas you and bake you to death. Driving that thing was a massive exercise in forward planning!

Here's a quick snippet showing the newly revived Invacar moving under its own power in a couple of decades probably.



Will obviously get something better once I've got the one dodgy engine mount replaced, a fuel tank...oh...and brakes.

[Zelandeth]

She made the journey home without missing a beat. Given she's only done a few hundred miles in the last few years I've been taking is pretty easy, but even so she will sit quite happily at 60 or so on the motorway, and will do 70 if asked.

Good deep clean and end to end examination will be the first orders of business.

Oh...and figuring out what the wheels would have originally worn so I can bin the £5 Halfords special wheeltrims.

[Zelandeth]

Nothing like a nice Gearknob. My 405, after repeated self-destructions of standard Knobs, usually in the space of about a year; now sports a non-standard VAG knob and awaits a custom made Gaiter to suit, much nicer and hopefully won't self-destruct after 10k.

Here you go, this falls under the heading as nice I think.

Obviously the text will be properly detailed again in due course, it should be highlighted white.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

Congrats on getting it home, Zel and fingers crossed for the detail examination. Yes, do like the Gearknob, I agree it falls under the heading of 'nice'.

Is that an opening engine hatch suggesting pretty good access?

Also, surprisingly quite like the hum of the Invacar at low revs; though I know from Hubnut's video that it sounds a lot less melodic at real world speeds.

The mention of the Albion Lorry reminds me of a chat with the driver of the Chivers' 1912 (approx, from memory) wagon at one of the HCVS London to Brighton runs, along similar lines with also a mention of this one also rather 'wandering' on its solid tyres.

Halfrauds wheel trims look out of place don't they, though are in line with current fashion is for fussy wheels on just about everything. I wonder about something really plain, these BX Trims (Google image) won't be readily available, but something along those lines maybe.... or perhaps simply painted wheels, blue to match the lower body

[Zelandeth]

I suspect the wheels will wind up getting painted - probably silver on the outer with the hubs blue to match the body detailing.

The whole cowling over the engine in the cab comes off, giving pretty good access from what I remember. Hoping to give it a bit of a clean today, then will get some more photos.

[Zelandeth]

Astonishing what just a going over with a vacuum cleaner and a wipe down of the plastics can do...

The carpets will really need to come out of the cab for a clean. The seat covers, helpfully, are just covers. So will probably wind up in the wash shortly.

Will need to give the exterior some attention shortly.

[Zelandeth]

Discovered yesterday that the seats in the cab of the Merc aren't actually velour... they're covers. Just very convincing covers. Bonus of this is that they can easily removed to be cleaned. Especially given that the driver's seat was quite grubby.

Quite visible how much they've faded, though after 28 years you can't complain!

Removing the cover revealed the sort of plaid pattern with such colour clash as could only come out of a German carmaker in the 80s.

Also picked up some oil and a filter so it can get a service soon.

Air filter looks brand new - but she's only done about 500 miles in the last few years so no surprise.

Seat covers look to have survived their wash...looks to have removed a good chunk of the grime, and at a glance the colours look a bit more vibrant.

Will see if there's a visible difference once it's back in the van.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

certainly looks brighter Zel

[Xantianut]

Loving the Merc camper van!!!

[Zelandeth]

Got the freshly cleaned seat cover back on the driver's seat in the van.

It was as you would expect, a total faff to get back on but worth it in the end. Hard to tell from the photo but it does look massively better.

I noticed while out today that the nearside front indicator wasn't working. This was quickly traced to the fact that the lampholder was rolling around in the inner wing, lighting up the engine bay rather than the indicator. Solved by stuffing it back into the lamp housing where it belonged. Have also noticed that the wing repeater on the offside isn't working - it's taped up though due to a cracked lens so is a task for another day. Also need to poke the internet to see if I can find a replacement lens.

In a random moment of "hey, there's a hinge there, I wonder what's under it..." I stumbled across the electrical nerve centre.

Oh... it's been got at too...

No surprises there then. Seems my decision not to let it anywhere near mains power any time soon was wise. The random wire heading out of the fuse box I reckon would be the feed to the fridge (it's about the only thing using mains).

I'm still missing a huge chunk of DC wiring though. I've found one bundle of chopped wires in the corner of the kitchen, but have yet to work out where on earth the other end originally connected to!

If we do wind up keeping it longer term, I reckon a modern battery management system will be invested in, so the leisure battery is automatically kept topped up whenever either the engine is running or the mains hookup is connected.

[Zelandeth]

Hey look, same day update!

The bundle of spaghetti dangling out of the ceiling was bugging me, and I was bored. So decided to go see if I could make any sense of it.

While rummaging around in the rear locker, I decided to pull out the extractor hood that was stored in there, cue discovering a major bit of information I'd been missing.

This ain't no ordinary cooker hood...

It also happens to contain the main control system for all the DC electrical stuff in the living area. The reason I'd not been able to find the other wires that connected to that lot is there weren't any - it was a control panel I was missing.

Cue a quick rewiring session (once everything's working I'll go back and use crimps and heat shrink) to reconnect it to the vehicle.

Hey look, life!

Let's see what else works now...

Main saloon lights...

The light outside the side door...

Bathroom lighting...once I'd forced my way far enough in to reach the switch anyway...

Heater...

Fan runs at least...the heating bit I can't really test until I have a gas supply, that was also crudely hacked off so needs to be remade.

Also proved the water pump runs and the TV works.

I couldn't initially get it to work off the aux battery though. Working on a hunch I returned my attention to the one random red wire that had obviously been added after the van left the factory. I swapped that out for the original aux battery feed, and suddenly it would work off either the vehicle or aux battery. Lovely!

So it seems there's a break in the original wiring, I'll investigate that further later on.

The rat's nest under the driver's seat stalled play though. It looks like the original aux battery harness has suffered from some rewiring at some point. Sadly said wiring looks to have been done by Homer Simpson...I ended up having to disconnect everything I found there just to convince myself that the van wouldn't spontaneously combust overnight.

They appear to have at some point needed to add more live lines at some point, but didn't have space on the original wiring, which is also awkwardly short. The solution? Daisy chain battery terminals! Just leave the original pair floating around in the (metal) battery box, still connected, they'll be fine, surely?

Plastic bags added by me to stop things shorting out while I tried to make sense of the mess.

Yeah...I didn't have time to rewire that lot tonight, but unceremoniously snipped the positive lines all off and terminated them in some screw terminals (which I then also stuffed in a ziplock bag) so they're safe and won't cause any issues until I can sort it out. Not sure what the mystery red wire emerging from the floor is yet either, that wasn't connected to anything when I started out, it was just dangling in mid air.

Seriously, if you don't know what you're doing with electrical stuff... don't go there!

Why do I get the feeling that undoing nonsense like this is going to be 99% of my challenges with this van?

... definitely makes a proper service seem more urgent too, as if that's the quality of their wiring, not sure I trust their choice of fluids and filters very far.

Still, feels like really good progress now and like it's come far more back to life now.