Classic Mk1 Ford transit V4 motorhome.

The repairs and rolling restoration of a Mk 1 CI ford transit campervan.
Years ago I bought an old mark one ford transit coachbuilt motorhome.This is the story of its mechanical repair,modification and bodywork restoration.Click on underlined text for links to suppliers of transit Mk1spares and replacement parts , other sites to do with caravettes,motorhomes etc and the ford essex V4 engine .More links to spares,parts,forums and club websites etc at foot of page .


	The camper van was bought on eBay,it is a CI motorhome originally registered in 1976.The seller had described it fairly,mechanically the camper van was quite sound and really for a motorhome over 30 years old the bodywork and interior looked half tidy although there was plenty of welding to do. The idea was to get the van back closer to its original condition with a rolling restoration and without spending a fortune.The work was done outside with no garage or pit,I fitted an overdrive gearbox from a transit ambulance,rebuilt one engine later replaced with another modified,reconditioned one and converted the front brakes to disc. With its original drum brakes,cart springs all round and the often criticised 2000cc Ford essex V4 petrol engine which was shared by some Ford Corsairs,Capris and Zephyrs, driving one of the Mk1 or Mk2 transits is like stepping back in time a few decades,.
The door steps. Front wheel and door removed to make life easier,the step was loose and rusted through at the front edge.It had been repaired with patches a few times in the past.At the time the steps were available as relatively cheap pattern repair panels. The inner wings on both sides had been plated previously and a couple of rust holes needed welding, I mig welded bits of sheet metal from my old mercedes van in here,vorsprung durch technic etc.
	The step and sill,part of the chassis section and wheel arch inside the cab had rotted and broken away from the floor.I think it's as easy to weld a big hole as a small one so all weak metal was cut out.The areas round the hinges were strengthened with the doors jacked up to force the hinges back into position,both had dropped quite a bit.Doors on old vehicles tend to sag,as do body parts on old people.
The off side wasn't quite as bad but the whole step was removed with an angle grinder.The chassis section in front of the seat was thin with corrosion and replaced.When finished all the chassis sections were treated with Waxoyl internally,the outside painted then undersealed.I was working outside and used a Sealey gasless welder on these repairs.
	Headlamp bowls. Both headlamp bowls had rusted through at the bottom,using the top half to make a pattern new pieces were made and welded in.The funny little sidelights on top of the wings were removed and the mounting holes welded up.The bonnet had been badly patched with riveted repairs along its front edge,rusted bonnets are a problem with early transits.I bought a secondhand Mk 1 bonnet from ebay in better condition and repaired it.
In places there were holes where fairly localised rusting had simply been covered with filler.Rather than replace the whole panel (even if they had been available and affordable) the damage was cut back to sound metal and repaired by patching with new metal. First the rot was cut out and the hole 'squared'.
	Using a paper pattern a small piece of sheet steel was cut and bent then filed to get an accurate fit in the hole.The metal was ground back around the edges and the plate tacked in place .
The patch after it had been tacked in place. The welds were then ground down flush.It would have been more satisfactory to have joggled the edges of the plate,it was far too easy to blow a hole where the panels joined.
The coach built living part The only bit of the alloy body that needed work was an old repair to the front nearside covered with a riveted patch.Water had penetrated the wooden framing but the damage was localised and easily repaired from inside with the old interior panelling cut back.You never really finish a job like this work is still going on but the vehicle is now in use.
	Door skins. Both doors were a bit grim,the bottoms had rotted through along their entire length.I plug welded in long thin lengths of sheet steel to keep the inner and outer door skins together.To try and keep the bottoms straight I clamped a piece of angle iron along the base.Before removing the doors I measured the amount the outer skins would have to be brought back in by for a reasonable fit.
Getting the engine running. The water pump bearing was worn and I removed the front panel to make replacing it easier.The panels fixing bolts inside the wheel arches were corroded and the captive nuts broke loose as soon as they saw a spanner,I cut them all out with an angle grinder.Corrosion from water running from the wing channels either side of the bonnet meant the landing panel had six inches missing either end this was repaired.I later removed all the horrible underseal in the engine bay and repainted it.
	The front valance. The box section behind the front valance was badly corroded.I had to remove the top part to get access to the rotten front section.The valance was repaired after the cross member had been welded and new mounts made for the bumper irons.
I had a few problems with the engine not starting when hot.Eventually it was traced to a brand new battery that would fail when warm.Oddly occassionally it would work fine even when hot,
	New engine rebuild. Later,the original engine developed piston slap when cold.It was loud when cold but virtually vanished at running temperature,testing by removing plug leads,or squirting oil down the bores etc suggested it came from the two pistons on the left hand bank although when the engine was dismantled they were not seriously worn or damaged.It got no worse and probably would have carried on like it for years but removing the engine also meant it would be much easier to weld the weak areas on the front cross member.(see above).I bought another engine and rebuilt it ready to swap over. Fords Essex V4 as fitted to the MK1 transit,Corsair and Zephyr 4 was never a quiet or smooth engine when new,they are rough and unrefined compared to modern engines but fitting an inline engine in a flat front Mk1 is difficult without altering the bodywork by fitting a diesel front panel and bonnet for example.

The bores and bearings on the replacement engine were good,the engine was fitted with new rings and bearings and the heads replaced with gas flowed high compression ones.The valves were renewed and the inside of the manifold smoothed and polished.One problem I did have was removing the big end bolts,the heads of which had been damaged by a previous dismantler using worn spanners.I found it impossible to buy new ones and ended up importing some aircraft spec socket (or allen) headed bolts,these are slightly heavier than than the originals and I domed the heads on a bench grinder to reduce their weight.They are much stronger than the originals.To overcome problems with exhaust valve seat recession on unleaded petrol,I've been using Red-ex lead substitute I really can't be bothered to fit the cyinder heads with hardened valve seats.I must have pulled dozens of Ford Essex engines to bits (usually for head gaskets I seem to remember) the cooling system is adequate rather than good and overheating is a problem if the system is neglected..The radiator cooling fan is now electric,controlled by a datsun switch fitted to the thermostat housing the Essex engines were prone to blocked waterways and corrosion can be a major problem if no,or poor quality anti freeze is used.I've fitted Pazon electronic ignition which uses the conventional points but they are fed with far less current,it seems to make the engine run smoother.All of the metal brake pipes were replaced with copper pipes.The rear suspension was beefed up with a pair of coil over shock absorbers,make unknown they were bought at an autojumble sale and fitted after a bit of modification. By changing the mounting,shortening the propshaft and remodelling the exhaust down pipes,I fitted an overdrive gearbox to try and improve fuel consumption and lower the revs when travelling on a flat road..High m.p.g was never the V4's strong point especially in the heavy Zephyr 4 or transits but I'm reluctant to take the vehicle too far away from original by changing the engine for a diesel or inline four cylinder OHC pinto,which would involve using a diesel "bullnose" front panel and bonnet.I have fitted disc brakes using the two pot calipers and solid disks from a Mk2 and a axle that had been scrapped some years ago.The hydraulic flexible pipes are different but this is an easy swap.

A mk3 transit servo fitted under the bonnet of a Mk1.

Originally I didn't notice a big improvement over the standard twin leading shoe arrangement untill I changed the original Mk1 servo and master cylinder for one out of a Mk3.The servo is much larger and greatly reduces pedal pressure.The bonus is that parts for Mk3 transits are somewhat easier to obtain than the earlier Mk1 and 2's.

I sealed the rear of the front wing/scuttle joins,water getting in here rots out the inner wings and door hinge panels,water ingress under the bonnet was a known transit failing,a shower could soak the engine and even let water into the inlet manifold via the air cleaner fixing screws.Trying to start an engine with water in the inlet can cause a hydraulic lock in the cylinders which could damage the piston or con rods. I welded a plate on top of the air cleaner so this can't happen.Mk1 and Mk2 transit spares are getting harder to find steel bonnets,wings and other bodywork are virtually non esistent,although fibreglass panels are still available.I soon realised that the days when transits,ford corsairs and Mk 1 cortinas were common in scrapyards and car breakers has well and truly gone for good,and of course in these days of the nanny state you can't find heaps of old cars to clamber over even if you want to.I'm always interested in buying new or secondhand spares for the early transits.There are links to part suppliers etc below.

A ticking noise that quickly got worse turned out to be a crack in the off side exhaust manifold.When I unbolted it a lump of the mating flange fell off one side.I was unable to locate a spare manifold so I tried to arc weld it with nickel rods.

This didn't work and made the problem worse as the parts no longer fitted closely together.The casting was very porous and thin.The welding looked OK but had not keyed to the casting and was easily broken.

Eventually,by heating the whole manifold to cherry red with an oxy-propane torch and then letting it cool slowly surrounded by scrap metal I was able to braze the parts back together.The finished job isn't pretty but the manifold is strong and doesn't leak.

A few years back and a late summer evening at Gt Yarmouth,a collection of motorhomes parked for the night.Yarmouth council has like other seaside towns banned such activities.The area pictured is now part of the new Yarmouth inner harbour. Gt Yarmouth is a rather grotty sea side town that says it wants to encourage summer visitors.To be fair though,it's not the only town obsessed by motor caravans.Southwold and Aldburgh are amongst others who have banned them and their occupants.

I found out the hard way even old camper vans don't escape the attentions of car thieves.Luckily an alert neighbour and quick police action prevented some of the damage but the campers exterior was badly vandalised.The transit has now been treated to a state of the art alarm system.Because of the weight and size of this van some garages cannot carry out MOT tests on it I used T and J commercials in Lowestoft.
There are companies who specialise in Motorhome Insurance you can get a quote online from Safeguarduk. . I can still get hold of new track rod ends,king pin kits,gaskets,shock absorbers,wheel cylinders,flexible hoses and brake linings etc at sensible prices.I also have a lot of wheel and master cylinder repair kits for any transit and other early fords (Classic,Popular,Prefect,Anglia etc).If you're stuck for transit spares mail me or try the links below. I am always interested in buying early transit (Mk 1or 2) and fairway taxi spares. I can normally arrange collection etc and will not mess about you can E mail me here

Links to other transit sites,spare part suppliers,clubs etc.I've used some of these, but not all.The comments are mine,true and accurate. Transit MK1 and Mk2 repair panels,wings,bonnets etc.

Smith and Deakin , good quality,strong fibreglass wings and bonnets for early transits and other early cars etc.Have had good reports from customers.

Hadrian. No Mk1 wings but sills,arches and suspension repair plates etc for transits.Helped with my Mercedes van queries and supplied repair sections for the door steps on my transit. .

Spares from Germany. German company (old-cars de) supplying spares for Mk1.These vans (using cologne engines) were used in Germany as fire service support vehicles.

Essex V4 engines,gearboxes and running gear,new and secondhand.

Tickover , Some early ford capris used the 2 litre V4 engine and tickover know all about capris.Carry some spares for the V4.Replied to my queries quickly and gave good advice.

Essex engines. Engine spares for the Essex V4 and V6 as well as the Cologne series engines.Sell the hard to replacements for the fibre timing gears.Newer ones are normally alloy and much longer lasting.

Speedy Spares , a suprising amount of mail order spares for all types of classic cars and other vehicles,friendly fast service when I used them.

Burton Power, specialise in tuning parts for modern fords but supply some parts for older Fords including replacement timing gears for the Essex V4 and V6 engine.

Specialised Engines , spares,repairs and rebuilds of the Ford Essex V4 (and V6) engines.Replied speedily when asked about availability of ford engine parts.Reconditioned V4 engines still available.

Pazon Ignition ,now based in New Zealand make electronic ignition conversions for classic cars and motorcycles.No irreversible modifications,triggers the standard coil with a much reduced points voltage.A doddle to fit too.

Fairford Classics, spares for early fords and other older vehicles.

Midland Classic parts , all sorts of spare parts for classic cars,well worth a look.

Truck busters , specialise in light commercial vehicle parts, mail order anywhere..

Ford classics , covers all old british fords.

Dudley Transit Centre ,Breaking all transits and selling a wide range of new and secondhand spares.

Restore online , collectors and classic cars and adverts for spares and parts etc.Be warned that some adverts are very old.

Suspension,brakes other mechanical spares.

Jones Springs , repairs and new leaf springs (made to pattern) for all ford transits no matter how old.Quick to reply to queries and friendly too.

Owens Springs, another company specialising in repairs and refurbishment of leaf springs.New ones made to pattern.

Gaskets for all cars. Gaskets,sealers,gasket paper and gasket making materials.

Brake parts still list linings and pads for the earlier transits.Mail order both quick and efficient.Handy diagrams and dimensions of pads and linings on their web site.

Brake world . wholesale only but they'll give you the number of nearest retailer to you.List a lot of older stuff,handy for part numbers and pictures of pads and linings etc if nothing else.( I can source brake cylinder rubbers for early transits).

Bosal Exhausts . online catalogue,gives parts numbers and pictures.V4 transits now considered obsolete,but later ones are catered for.Handy for working out what other exhaust bits you might be able to use to custom build an exhaust or repair an exhaust system.

Trim,windscreen rubbers,door seals and window glass etc.

Woolies , specialise in mail order of all rubber parts,door and windscreen seals and interior trim,when I ordered some rubber sections for the transit doors I found them helpfull.

East Kent trim, useful little catalogue gives dimensions of the trim they stock,mail order both quick and efficient.

National Windscreens. quoted me £90 to supply a Mk1 transit screen or £115 to supply and fit (summer 2005).The Mk1` and Mk2 windscreens are the same,the screen rubbers slightly different.Phone 01733 552244. I have some spare new windscreen rubbers for Mk 1s.

Clubs for old camper vans and motorhomes,spares,repairs,general old car sites,forums,insurance etc .

Classic Camper Club , a must see site if you are into restoring,repairing or using old,classic camper vans,caravettes and motorhomes etc.

Transit Forum.Do you need help or advice about your transit or do you just want to chat with other owners from all over the world?.Joining this forum should be an esential part of your transit ownership.Absolutely free,no catch.

UK camp site , A brilliant web site,includes a forum with loads of info on transit Mk 1 and Mk 2,camp site guides and loads of other stuff of interest to campers,motorhome owners etc.Free to join,seem very friendly.

Motorhome Parking This index is a ‘fast track’ to any part of the country, detailing places to park your motorhome including town & city centres, caravan sites, supermarkets, and each location is supported by a Multimap link.

Motorhome Insurance quote online from Staveley Head. Insurance for campervans and motorhomes.

Waveney Motorhomes. Near me in Lowestoft,repairs servicing for motorhome and an online shop.Small family run business who also operate a mobile service.

T and J Commercials Lowestoft. It can be a problem finding a garage equipped to undertake MOTs on large motorhomes.These can MOT ones of any size and you can book online.

MotorHomes UK offer fully equipped Motor Home rental hire in Yorkshire and the rest of the UK.

Caravans and motorhomes for sale.Lots of motorhomes and caravans for sale,popular site and a big selection.

Bus to Motorhome. One mans self built motorhome that started life as a Volvo coach,an inspiring site.

Buses and coaches to Motorhomes Converting double decker buses and coaches into motorhomes. .

Motorhome links.Loads of links to all sorts of motorhome and campervan sites,well worth a look.

DIY mig welding. Welding tips,welders compared and tested,handy for welding wanabees,even a forum.

Using a mig welder A mig welder is a handy cheap method of repairng rust holes or fitting new panels read about them here.

Baconsdozen tool auctions , auctions for new and obsolete,metric and imperial tools at the right money.

Ex-pressed steel panels , these produce new body panels for older fords.Cortinas,Mk 1 Escorts,Anglias,Prefects,100Es etc.No transit stuff as yet though.Keep watching.

Ford corsair owners club , the corsairs (1700 and 2000cc) also used the essex v4 engine some also used an inline 1500cc engine.

Collectors car parts ,specialising in older fords.Exhausts,shock absorbers,struts and engine parts.Based near heathrow airport.

Old Ford Auto Services ltd ,fibre glass wings and body panels for some older fords,suspension mods and parts.

Classic cars, used cars at ClassicsAndCustoms.com Classic Cars and Trucks for sale, Muscle Cars, Street Rods and More.

Preloved, all sorts of secondhand gear and car and commercial vehicle sections

Leaded petrol , adverts now dropped but still worth a look..

Early days,the transit on the way to its new home. Transit heading for its new home.

Ford Transits a potted history and spare part swapping etc. The V4 Mk 1 Transit was current from 1965 to about 76 when it became the Mk 2, when along with other mods the V4 engines were changed to the OHC inline fours.( A few MK1's were fitted as standard with a fourcylinder inline engine) Very early (to about 68) models had different clutches,after 1970 the pedal assembly was completely changed and moved from the floor to the bulkhead.The pre 1970 modles have a solid rod actuating the clutch,the later ones use a conventional cable. The V4 engine (called the Essex because thats where it was built) was used on some Ford Corsairs and Capris (as an alternative to straight four cylinder engines),it is not the same as the Ford Taunus V4 (known as the Cologne and also fitted to Saab V4) although confusingly German built transits did use the Cologne V4 engine.(Australian transits used much larger engines see the transit forum for pictures and details) The 2000cc and 1700cc versions of the V4 engines are virtually identical externally,their internal components aren't as the increase in capacity was gained by using a crankshaft with greater throw and different pistons.The Ford V4 is inherently unbalanced and uses a seperate internal balance shaft to try and absorb engine vibration,when the bearings of the shaft wear,vibration and noise become apparent.Ford V4's had Autolite,Zenith or Weber carbs,the Zenith and Ford are swappable the twin choke Weber (which was used on the 2000E Corsair) needs its own manifold.The 2 litre OHC meant a redesigned front panel and bonnet,disc brakes also appeared on the front wheels.1986 was the next big change.Late Mk3 and subsequent transits use independant front suspension with coil springs the early ones use a beam front axle and leaf springs.The suspension components on Mk 1,2 and early Mk3 are swappable,the doors and glass are as well. Most Fords of this era had common door handles,bits of interior trim etc so any auto jumble is always worth a look for spares.The road springs on pre 70 vehicles were a different rating to the later ones although many will have been changed by now.Rear axles vary in type as does the prop shaft,on long wheel base versions a two piece shaft is used.The current ford transits share their name only with these early versions. A popular swap with transit owners was to copy some ambulance and police vehicles and replace the V4 with fords 3 litre V6 usually by using a transit diesel front panel and bonnet,uprating the front suspension to carry the extra weight..The resultant beast was as fast as it was thirsty and loads of fun.The Essex V6 was fitted in ambulances up to about 1988 often with an overdrive gearbox,the V6 found its way into a lot of other cars from AC's to Reliant Scimitars and Fords own Granadas and Zodiacs.The V4 is in some ways a V6 with a couple of cylinders missing as the six cylinder engine was developed from the four. The V4 engine is rubbished by some sections of the classic motoring fraternity, its a bit rough and not very efficient,but its also one of the only engines that will fit under that short bonnet and the engine design is now well over 40 years old..I think some of its reputation for unreliability was a result of its use in the very underpowered Zephyr V4,where a hard working engine and low radiator gave frequent air locks and over heating problems.The fibre timing wheel driving the camshaft and fragile oil pump drive are weak points.The timing wheel was weakened if the engine overheated and apparently shrunk at very low temperatures.The original all fibre timing wheel was superceded in the mid 70's by a wheel using nylon teeth but this was not a total cure.It's possible to replace the timing wheel with an all steel one although these are expensive (mail me for details or use the links above) and using modern lubricants and avoiding revving a cold engine should help the oil pump drives survival rate.The engine was used in the Corsairs,a few early Capris,the odd Marcos and at one time sold as a conversion for the NSU R080,it also turned up as an industrial engine driving waterpumps and generators etc. The German ambulance and fire service used Mk1 transits with Cologne V4 engines suprisingly recently.(one is often featured on the transit forum,there's a link to the transit forum site above). I accept no responsibility for errors in the above,I'd welcome other owners input and comments.I'm also trying to put together a list of parts from more modern vehicles that will fit these early vans and welcome suggestions.Please e-mail me. You don't need much in the way of special tools for the older transits.I sell hub nut sockets to fit the transit range (and IVECOs) here .A mig welder,tin snips and a hammer and chisel will take care of the body,a decent tool kit the mechanics.All you'll need then is time and enthusiasm.
Transit summer 2009

Buying an older transit van or camper. Finding a van is probably the hardest bit.Have a look on the transit forum (link above) which is also the place to ask any questions you might have.Ebay is another selling place or the ads in any local paper,theres ad trader and lots of other places to look,try and look at as many as possible,try to avoid buying the first one you see (unless its a bargain of course).Keep asking questions,if it all goes wrong you could end up with a very large and heavy lump of iron thats impossible to get rid of.Bear in mind your neighbours might not be thrilled to have a rusted old van parked in the road outside. Rust on transits can get a serious hold on the front cross member and the front spring hangers and is the first place to look,it can be very difficult to repair.The sills and chassis sections are easier to repair but the rear spring hangers are also difficult and a current MOT should never be relied upon as to the structural integrity of any vehicle.The body panels are expensive and very rare in steel,even fibreglass parts will make a big hole in any restoration budget.Although some mechanical components are hard to source the early transits are quite tough mechanically.The springs will have almost certainly settled after thirty odd years and replacement is expensive,try and get at least three fingers between bump stop and the axles.Axles whine especially on overun but generally carry on for years even so but the noise can drive you potty on a long journey.Gearboxes should be quiet,the clutch musn't slip as replacements are now difficult to find.The early transit drum brakes aren't really up to modern standards and finding the hydraulic parts to repair them is tricky.The first transits had pedals emerging from the floor rather than the later pendant type pedals and parts for these are scarce.It is possible to convert the early type,but the bulkheads are different so the conversion is somewhat involved.The ford essex engine isn't smooth or silent at the best of times but look for blue smoke (worn rings or valve seals) and heavy knocking noises and vibration (worn bearings). Check the coolant for oil (head gasket problems) also have a look at the exhaust system as the twin down pipes and front silencer are now unobtainable.The very early (before 68) engines are the least reliable and some of the internal parts like oil pumps are now unavailable,a badly worn one will prove an expensive job to put right.Don't be afraid to ring or contact any of the people above to check on the availabilty and prices of parts before deciding to buy any particular van.I recommend joining a club for help with spares and advice.You'll not do much better than 25mpg and you'll need a lead replacement compound (unless the owner tells you the engine has been converted to lead free). Don't get put off by the first bit of rust you find or the first parts storeman who says "I thought they'd scrapped all them by now".Enjoy owning,driving (and repairing) your own little bit of motoring history.I've now started work on restoring an old london taxi and a Rover P5B . The Mk1 transit on holiday in Norfolk.


Baconsdozen home page.	Imperial and metric sockets	My tool auctions on Ebid.	Spanners,

I've tried most rust proofers and preventers with varying results over the years.I decided that the marine industry must know more about corrosion than most,given they use steel boats in salt water.Lanolin (obtained from sheep wool) is used in many of the treatments used on oil rigs,boats and shipyards.One that was recommended by various sources and is used by the American coastguard is Eureka Fluid Film.Made in California it is approved for use on submarines and the space industry.It is not cheap. It is solvent free and non toxic it has been extensivly tested in the hostile enviroment of the sea for some fifty years.It does not damage plastic or synthetic rubber and does not evaporate or harden.I have bought a number of aerosols and gallon (US gallon) cans. Please contact me if interested.

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