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Tuesday, 27 July 2010 20:53

1971 Ford Transit Supervan V8 Featured

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1971 Ford Transit Supervan V8

It’s Easter 1971 and representatives from Ford are at Brands Hatch race circuit to launch their new racecar. However, this time around it’s not a car. It’s a van.

A Transit Van to be exact. Built by Terry Drury Racing and dubbed the Supervan, the former load lugger was powered by a 400BHP 5.0-litre V8 similar to the ones Ford used in their GT40 Le Mans racers.

The Transit entered motoring folklore, spawning two spin-offs, and now we at PPC have decided we can do an equally good job.

Having decided an original Mk-1 Transit would be the only way to go the search for the right van commenced.


project2_2
Mk-1s are rare, but luckily Will found a local one on eBay. Local if you’re German anyway, but regardless a trip to Frankfurt to pick up the van followed.

The Transit was a German fire brigade example, and because of this was maintained regardless of cost. Aside from a damaged nearside front wing and broken headlight it was spotless, so one cheap flight and £740 later Will and Kev were driving the 1.7-litre V4 Transit back towards Calais. Except that the trip lasted 30 minutes before the local police stopped them, demanding that the headlight and wing were fixed before the van should be allowed to go any further.

After a trip to the nearest garage a friendly German panel-basher bashed the Transits panels roughly back into shape, bodged the broken headlight and sent Will and Kev on their way.
project3_2
Unfortunately this didn’t last long either, with the V4s balancer shaft pulley giving up the ghost in Belgium, still 60 miles from the ferry port.

A lack of European breakdown cover didn’t help matters, so at £4.50 a mile for the next 60 miles the transit was towed by a grinning Belgian recovery truck driver to the ferry port, before eventually making it back to PPC towers in the Midlands via an RAC truck.

It took approximately 20 yards from the pick up point in Germany to decide that the V4 engine needed replacing with something decidedly more manly, and so the Will Holman philosophy of ‘stick a V8 in it’ came to the fore and another eBay search began.
project4_2
It didn’t take long for a suitable candidate to appear. A brand new 4.6-litre V8 Mustang engine that was destined for an MG ZT was purchased, and the healthy 260BHP and 300lb/ft of torque it produces should be plenty to start with.

The engine had the option of a factory supercharger, taking it to 400BHP, so that will be something for the future when it’s decided that the van is again too slow. Since the purchase Kev has relieved the Transit of it’s poor V4 in readiness for the new engine.

Next on the agenda will be lengthened front panels from a Mk-1 diesel Transit to create the extra space for the Mustang lump. Following that we might even have a go at fitting it.

Check out the regular updates of the Transit in PPC magazine every month.

Last modified on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 20:39
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Published in 1971 Ford Transit Supervan V8
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Practical Performance Car (PPC) is a monthly magazine aimed at real car enthusiasts interested in affordable performance tuning. At PPC we pride ourselves in providing the most entertaining, informative and inspiring features for petrolheads everywhere. Each month we feature an eclectic mix of affordable performance cars, great driving adventures and world-class technical features for the DiY tuner. Our editorial team is headed up by well known Will Holman who has a deserved reputation for 'stick a V8 under the bonnet' attitude to life. His editorial team is stacked with experience including Dave Walker (speciality engine management), of the sadly missed Cars and Car Conversions (CCC) magazine, David Vizard, the legendary engine tuning guru, and Kevin Leaper - ex technical editor of Practical Classics.

Have a look at the online Staff Cars section to give you a flavour of PPC but for the real thing go to your local newsagent, WHSmiths, Asda, Tesco or Sainsburys - PPC is on sale the last Thursday of every month. Better still visit our subscriptions page for the latest offers and discounts to have PPC delivered direct to your door at a fraction of the cost.

Examples of magazine features: brakes uprating, suspension improvements, engine transplants, buyers guides, ECU management, kit car builds, car event coverage (including PPC's own show, PPC in the Park) and much more. Examples of some of the staff's cars: 27 litre Rover SD1, 5 litre Capri, track day Rolls Royce, MK1 Transit and more.