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Commers are well cool. They had the engines under the seats like cabover lorries, and they remind me of the UAZ vans
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Retro vans?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Aug 22, 2004 11:46:21 GMT
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Wow. It would look so cool slammed. I know nothing about Commers - all I remember is seeing the BT ones going round as a kid (along with Vauxhall HA's). I take it they're British? They just seemed to disappear within the space of a few months! Might have a Google in a bit....
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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Retro vans?Davenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Aug 22, 2004 11:50:52 GMT
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Don't forget the old Ford Thames vans, or the mini van for that matter.
I think they made the old HA Viva vans right into the late 70's early 80's. My dad had 2 Y reg ones
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Aug 22, 2004 12:44:19 GMT
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Like one of those 'Soldiers of fortune'..... If you have a problem, if no one else can help you, and if you can find one, then you should buy.....  A Talbot Matra Rancho! Not even 4WD! Not many around as many where used as builder vans after the 'Kings Road/ Chelsea mums' set sold them on. But how neat would this be? An alternative would be a Talbot (Simca) 1100 Panel van. Again rust would be a issue......maybe you should stick with a tranny! |
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Aug 22, 2004 16:00:18 GMT
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Wow. It would look so cool slammed. I know nothing about Commers - all I remember is seeing the BT ones going round as a kid (along with Vauxhall HA's). I take it they're British? They just seemed to disappear within the space of a few months! Might have a Google in a bit.... Yep, they're British. Rootes Group to be exact. They made lorries too, which were great, and some of them had two stroke engines which sounded great. A lot of the vans had the Rootes cast iron 4 cylinder as seen in just about every 4 cylinder Rootes group that wasn't the Hillman Imp range. Which come to think of it had a Commer version too, which a magazine said was like "driving a cathedral" because of the room inside. That's a Commer Imp van in the middle, a saloon like mine on the left, and a Stiletto (fastback coupe) on the right.  |
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Retro vans?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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OK this question will probably make me look like a dope, but... Where's the engine in that Imp van? Can't see it being in the same place as a regular Imp?  |
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Doesn't it sit under the floor at the back, which is slightly raised to accomodate?  |
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Aug 23, 2004 10:52:40 GMT
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Anyway Benz, have you ever seen a Volvo 145 Express, which was an estate with panelled in sides and raised rear roof? There used to be one round Chiswick a few years back I think, and it was owned by an Amazon specialist. That would have been Tony Barrett's Express, which has done over 500,000 miles  BTW, Tony does all the maintenance etc on my Amazon. |
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Aug 23, 2004 14:39:49 GMT
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The engine on an Imp van is still at the back, only very slightly lower, and the floor of the load area is higher than normal. You can get to the engine either through the floor hatch in the interior, or through a removable slatted cover on the back, under the tailgate. But yes, the engine is more or less in the same position. And no, there are no overheating problems with it where it is, and you can still check the oil and change plugs when the van is fully loaded. See, Commer thought of everything!  |
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Aug 23, 2004 14:43:32 GMT
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Must make the handling somewhat interesting when fully laden? |
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Aug 23, 2004 14:51:21 GMT
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Surprisingly well actually, all Imps handle very well, especially with wide wheels and wide radial tyres on them. I know someone with a Commer Imp, and he still won't sell it to me!  But if I was to get my hands on one, I'd have the aforementioned big wheels, say 13x7 like my rally Imp uses, as apposed to the standard 12x4.5, and maybe twin carbs from a stiletto, and while we're at it, for comfort, I'd take all the basic van interior out, and have the leather seats, walnut dashboard, and two functioning quarterlight windows and sun-visors from a Chamois saloon. (upmarket luxurious Imp) |
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Aug 23, 2004 14:53:13 GMT
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 Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure there was a car version of the van. Hillman Husky??
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Aug 23, 2004 14:59:15 GMT
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Aah! He's catching on! Must be my influence! ;D ;D
Yes, the Hillman Husky was a kind of Imp estate, only the interior was more in tune with the base model Imp saloon than the more basic van, and the Husky had four seats, the van two (although one seat was an option) and so was the engine, the van was set up as a low power, low compression engine that can run on two star,
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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BTW, Tony does all the maintenance etc on my Amazon.
But if I was to get my hands on one, I'd have the aforementioned big wheels, say 13x7 like my rally Imp uses, as apposed to the standard 12x4.5, and maybe twin carbs from a stiletto, and while we're at it, for comfort, I'd take all the basic van interior out, and have the leather seats, walnut dashboard, and two functioning quarterlight windows and sun-visors from a Chamois saloon. (upmarket luxurious Imp)
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure there was a car version of the van. Hillman Husky??