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I wonder how reliable something like this would be, I would use it for weekends only.
from the article:
This 1973 Ford Transit (chassis GB81NP11341) is said to have been used previously by a German fire department up until the late 1990s which is likely when it was imported. Equipped with a 1.7L V4, 4-speed manual, and dually rear axle, a mild mechanical restoration was done in the past 3k miles with rebuilt heads, cleaned fuel tank, and sorted brakes. Total mileage is said to be 28k but we suspect the odometer may have rolled over before.
I dig it. I don't know anything about the Ford V4, but as long as it was put together right when they did the "mild mechanical restoration" I don't see why it wouldn't be reliable. I had a 65 IH Metro that sat for 10 years before I got it. I took care of the things that needed attention after sitting all those years, drove it around town a few miles and then took it on a 1300 mile trip because I moved with only minor issues. I then used it as a work truck and would sometimes put 200 miles on it a day. It was fun but not something your wanted to drive daily.
28K miles is probably genuine, all of these German fire vans had very low mileage, and most are really good condition. Friend of mine imported one into NZ about 10 years ago. I drove it, 1.7 V4 wouldn't pull a soldier off your sister, struggled to hit 60, which seemed to be its maximum speed. Will be a 4 speed with probably 5.89 diff ratio, so not economical either. Timing gears can strip (friends one did) but apart from that they are fairly reliable. I have a SWB version of one of these with a 302 V8 in it, it's much more fun!
Those things are as reliable as they are slow
The V4 is the base of the Cologne V6, so dropping in a 4.0 out of an Explorer is a simple task. They're plenty over here and be bought for cheap, mostly low mileage fire department vehicles that were well taken care of.
Triton 6.8L V10 with 5speed automatic. And air conditioning.
Oooh yeah! Although you will be sitting alongside the engine, much like you do in an Econoline! The engine bay is very short, as the V4 engine was tiny, so you are cutting a big hole in the floor to fit anything larger in.
Here's a pic of mine, 302 Cleveland/C4 auto/9" rear end. These things are very light compared to your US vans, the fire van above would weigh a touch under 1500kgs (3300lbs in your old money!) so any repower will make it boogie. Would look great with alloy duallies on it, although originals are only 14", so you might have to fit 16" diameter with low profile tyres?
engine cover:
Or you could just do what Ford did in 1971 and mount the engine in the back, a la Supervan
When I met my wife in 1983, she was driving a '72 SAAB Sonett (their 2 seat sports car) which had a 1.7 liter Ford V4. It was indeed a cut-down version of what became the Capri 2.6 and morphed into the 2.8, 2.9, and 4.0 V6's. The V4 needed a balance shaft. Even in 1983, parts were not too easy to find.
There is no reason why it wouldn't be mostly reliable, but at 202" long, it has to have some heft to it and the V4 would be really, really slow. The V4 had ~65 horsepower and the Sonett weighed about 1800 lbs and had a tiny profile. I doubt that the van would go 70 mph.
The major caveat re the "reliability" is if something breaks, where do you get parts? I have had my share of much newer (at the time) but extinct vehicles (Sunbeam Alpine, Austin Healey 3000, etc.) and even when they were 10 years old parts were near impossible to find. The Internet has certainly made it easier to find parts, but you would be shipping a lot of stuff over from Europe.
For instance, where would you get a new windshield if the current one broke? Tires/wheels/brakes/rotting rubber parts?
