Hey guys,
So you've seen my rapid BMW engined 2cv, but this is what lives with me at the other end of the scale..
So what is it UMM ummmmmmmm.....?
Not just the sound that most people make when they see him, he is an H plated, UK supplied UMM Alter II short wheel base station wagon. A Portuguese built 4x4 with 6 seats, a ton of ground clearance and minimal departure angles. The reason for the ugly sloped face (character - I love it!) is the view you get from the drivers seat - you can see exactly where you are going to put the wheels when you are offroading - genius!
Why didn't I just get a defender? Well I was looking but decided they were overpriced and a bit common (don't get me wrong - I still love them!). Also I was just idly googling one day and came up with this... which brought me back to childhood memories of holidays in Portugal when my sister and I would scream out UMM whenever we saw one of these ugly bastards. It was easy.. I had to find one...
A bit of UMM History
Designed back in 1960 it was drawn up in France and built as a Cournil to be used by the agricultural community as a multi purpose vehicle. It was very successful in France and in 1970 the design rights were sold to first SIMI (at this time a few were imported into the UK as SIMI Cournils) and then in 1978 to Uniao Metalo Mecanica in Lisbon, Portugal. These guys modified the original design to accept Peugeot diesel engines, and started selling them all over Europe.
They were imported into the UK by Transterrain in Ely, Cambridgeshire who were also the main agents for Argocats - those well known multi wheeled vehicles. They were badged as the UMM Transcat or Transterrains and were using an Indenor Diesel 2.3 (XD2P) and Dana gearbox - although we already know that Land Rover had the market share already wrapped up with a home market built vehicle - the Series and following Defender models. Transterrain went bust in 1984/85.
I'm not sure who the next importer was but they brought in another model of the Transcat but with a Peugeot 2.5 diesel motor until 1986 when the Alter arrived (now commonly referred to as the Alter I), this was an updated version with the same motor as the Transcat and a ZF gearbox with a Spicer transfer box. In 1986 this changed to a Peugeot 2.5 diesel and 504 gearbox and hydraulic clutch with UMMs own chain drive transfer box.
In 1989 the new importer - SMC of Bristol brought in the Alter II.. The short wheel based (100 inch) Station Wagon like mine was introduced as a model to compete with the lower end of the Land Rover Station Wagon range, and there were also SWB pickups as well as a high-capacity Station Wagon on the longer 121-inch wheelbase - and pickups on this too.
They both had options of either a Peugeot 2.5 na diesel (XD3), as fitted to a 504 GRD Saloon or the more common Peugeot 2.5 intercooled Turbo Diesel (XD3TE) as fitted to the 504 GTD Saloon. Interestingly in the Portuguese home market they also fitted a V6 petrol and offered it in a Rally/Safari/Dakar trim!! Youtube it! Braaaaaap!
Two levels of trim were offered, basic with vinyl floor mats and seat and Deluxe (whoo!) with cloth and corduroy carpets.
All imports stopped in 1994.
A few stats of my UMM Alter II:
Chassis - 6mm steel
- semi elliptical leaf springs with 8 dampers (2 on each corner)
- pre built to fit a winch tray in-between the front crossmembers
Body - 2mm steel, the body is welded onto the chassis
- fold down front windscreen so you can shoot on the move
- removable hardtop much like the Landrover series of vehicles, truck cabs & soft tops available
- lift off doors
Top Speed - 88mph.. at which point you are very much riding ontop of it.. and mostly in control..
Consumption - 23mpg
Weight - approx 1.6 tons
- I always remember Newtons 2nd Law; F=ma ... as here.. there is a lot of m.
- towing capacity 3.5 tons
- payload 1.1 tons
Motor - 2.5tdi Peugeot XD3TE intercooled turbo diesel
- 110bhp at 4,150rpm with 177b.ft at 2,000rpm
- full width crossflow radiator and oil cooler
- intercooler mounted over the engine with the air intake around the edges of the drivers side headlight
Driveline - Peugeot 5 speed gearbox with UMM chain driven transfer case, option for PTO
- selectable high and low ratio in both 4x4 or rear wheel drive only (locking front hubs)
- live front and rear DANA Spicer/GKN axles, diffs (LSD rear) - sourced from the Jeep CJ range
- 10' ground clearance
Cabin - fetching corduroy carpet
- fibreglass dash with Peugeot instruments from a 504 pickup
- switches & door handles & steering column from a Peugeot 406
This is just after I bought him as one of the last vehicles sold by Country Vehicles of Silverton, Devon who were the last UK UMM parts supplier.
Up at country vehicles in 2011.
I just love the interior! Pure function and actually very comfortable seats. The dash instruments are mostly Peugeot supplied. He has fold down bench seats in the rear.
Lets get personalising..
First things first... bigger tyres needed with some proper mud terrain tread!
During fitting - old tyre on the left, new tyre on the right!
After fitting
The only thing that alarmed me at first was the steering being quite wayward... I'd driven better series landys and boats! So the steering box was sent off to a family refurb business based in Callington, just over the border from me in to Cornwall.
Ohh and the noise... it was hellishly noisy inside so the floor and roof were dynalined and the floor dynamatted as well... not cheap but worth every penny!
Yes as well as the dynamat, that is a hidden toolbox - there is also a safe hidden in the vehicle as standard - big enough for ammo and pistols.
He is mostly used to haul bits of other cars around, boats, kayaks, bicycles and all sorts of house renovation tat! Here loaded up for a weekend adventure.
It turns out Plymouth is a bit of an UMM hotbed, when Brian at Country Vehicles in Silverton sold all his spares back to Portugal he gave my contact to Emma and Lance across town.. they gave me a call and I popped over to meet their collection - the UMMbulance (an Alter II ambulance built for St Johns) and their long term keeper the Transcat (precursor to the Alter) - friends ever since!
I had parts sitting around for months but finally got around to fitting bits...
Carling switches from Devon 4x4
Winch and winch tray fitting
Winch fitted but no wire spooled on yet.
Funny story about spooling the winch wire on... involving the Police..
Much travelled
Winch fitted and visiting my folks in Sussex - hence the other 2cv.
Devon to Bedford in a day - Oooo I was feeling it.. but the truck wasn't...
Fully packed as well as towing the boats!
The only breakdown - my fault!
The only one time he has let me down - and it was my fault. I had been hearing a squealing belt for a week or so and not bothered to check it... as El's and I were bombing along in the fast lane at a what 80mph I saw a dash light flash up red, que instant turn off, indicate and veer across the middle and slow lane to the hard shoulder... simultaneously.. whilst the power steering was dying... Luckily caught it straight away so no damage but no more driving that day - the belt had split and it was the one to the water pump!
Time for some love
So currently I have worked him hard over the last four years but have now bought a new T5 for long distance and boat towing duties so now UMM has been given some time off for some mechanical love and the chance for some useful upgrades...
New vented front discs and gaiters for all the transmission controls.
A rear disc brake conversion
New clutch and front brake pads
I will have the springs sent off to be retempered and a new main leaf made to give him a 2" lift, thus the new bushes for the springs. Seen with new flexible brake lines.
Spare waterpump as these are just for UMM.
Otherwise I need to pull the motor at some point due to a leaky core plug, I also wouldn't mind giving the head a once over as they are notorious for eating head gaskets. I'd love to get a bigger front mounted intercooler after this and have the turbo rebuilt or substituted for something with a little newer tech. All in good time though.... I won't be selling as I'm not about to use the T5 off road!
Now I no longer need an enclosed van i am contemplating copying the frame off of Emma and Lance's transcat and making up a rear hood and tilt frame for the loadbed. An UMM friend from up north has promised me a UMM truck cab so I can fully make it a pickup conversion.
I think that's about it for the moment, any questions from the audience?
So you've seen my rapid BMW engined 2cv, but this is what lives with me at the other end of the scale..
So what is it UMM ummmmmmmm.....?
Not just the sound that most people make when they see him, he is an H plated, UK supplied UMM Alter II short wheel base station wagon. A Portuguese built 4x4 with 6 seats, a ton of ground clearance and minimal departure angles. The reason for the ugly sloped face (character - I love it!) is the view you get from the drivers seat - you can see exactly where you are going to put the wheels when you are offroading - genius!
Why didn't I just get a defender? Well I was looking but decided they were overpriced and a bit common (don't get me wrong - I still love them!). Also I was just idly googling one day and came up with this... which brought me back to childhood memories of holidays in Portugal when my sister and I would scream out UMM whenever we saw one of these ugly bastards. It was easy.. I had to find one...
A bit of UMM History
Designed back in 1960 it was drawn up in France and built as a Cournil to be used by the agricultural community as a multi purpose vehicle. It was very successful in France and in 1970 the design rights were sold to first SIMI (at this time a few were imported into the UK as SIMI Cournils) and then in 1978 to Uniao Metalo Mecanica in Lisbon, Portugal. These guys modified the original design to accept Peugeot diesel engines, and started selling them all over Europe.
They were imported into the UK by Transterrain in Ely, Cambridgeshire who were also the main agents for Argocats - those well known multi wheeled vehicles. They were badged as the UMM Transcat or Transterrains and were using an Indenor Diesel 2.3 (XD2P) and Dana gearbox - although we already know that Land Rover had the market share already wrapped up with a home market built vehicle - the Series and following Defender models. Transterrain went bust in 1984/85.
I'm not sure who the next importer was but they brought in another model of the Transcat but with a Peugeot 2.5 diesel motor until 1986 when the Alter arrived (now commonly referred to as the Alter I), this was an updated version with the same motor as the Transcat and a ZF gearbox with a Spicer transfer box. In 1986 this changed to a Peugeot 2.5 diesel and 504 gearbox and hydraulic clutch with UMMs own chain drive transfer box.
In 1989 the new importer - SMC of Bristol brought in the Alter II.. The short wheel based (100 inch) Station Wagon like mine was introduced as a model to compete with the lower end of the Land Rover Station Wagon range, and there were also SWB pickups as well as a high-capacity Station Wagon on the longer 121-inch wheelbase - and pickups on this too.
They both had options of either a Peugeot 2.5 na diesel (XD3), as fitted to a 504 GRD Saloon or the more common Peugeot 2.5 intercooled Turbo Diesel (XD3TE) as fitted to the 504 GTD Saloon. Interestingly in the Portuguese home market they also fitted a V6 petrol and offered it in a Rally/Safari/Dakar trim!! Youtube it! Braaaaaap!
Two levels of trim were offered, basic with vinyl floor mats and seat and Deluxe (whoo!) with cloth and corduroy carpets.
All imports stopped in 1994.
A few stats of my UMM Alter II:
Chassis - 6mm steel
- semi elliptical leaf springs with 8 dampers (2 on each corner)
- pre built to fit a winch tray in-between the front crossmembers
Body - 2mm steel, the body is welded onto the chassis
- fold down front windscreen so you can shoot on the move
- removable hardtop much like the Landrover series of vehicles, truck cabs & soft tops available
- lift off doors
Top Speed - 88mph.. at which point you are very much riding ontop of it.. and mostly in control..
Consumption - 23mpg
Weight - approx 1.6 tons
- I always remember Newtons 2nd Law; F=ma ... as here.. there is a lot of m.
- towing capacity 3.5 tons
- payload 1.1 tons
Motor - 2.5tdi Peugeot XD3TE intercooled turbo diesel
- 110bhp at 4,150rpm with 177b.ft at 2,000rpm
- full width crossflow radiator and oil cooler
- intercooler mounted over the engine with the air intake around the edges of the drivers side headlight
Driveline - Peugeot 5 speed gearbox with UMM chain driven transfer case, option for PTO
- selectable high and low ratio in both 4x4 or rear wheel drive only (locking front hubs)
- live front and rear DANA Spicer/GKN axles, diffs (LSD rear) - sourced from the Jeep CJ range
- 10' ground clearance
Cabin - fetching corduroy carpet
- fibreglass dash with Peugeot instruments from a 504 pickup
- switches & door handles & steering column from a Peugeot 406
This is just after I bought him as one of the last vehicles sold by Country Vehicles of Silverton, Devon who were the last UK UMM parts supplier.
Up at country vehicles in 2011.
I just love the interior! Pure function and actually very comfortable seats. The dash instruments are mostly Peugeot supplied. He has fold down bench seats in the rear.
Lets get personalising..
First things first... bigger tyres needed with some proper mud terrain tread!
During fitting - old tyre on the left, new tyre on the right!
After fitting
The only thing that alarmed me at first was the steering being quite wayward... I'd driven better series landys and boats! So the steering box was sent off to a family refurb business based in Callington, just over the border from me in to Cornwall.
Ohh and the noise... it was hellishly noisy inside so the floor and roof were dynalined and the floor dynamatted as well... not cheap but worth every penny!
Yes as well as the dynamat, that is a hidden toolbox - there is also a safe hidden in the vehicle as standard - big enough for ammo and pistols.
He is mostly used to haul bits of other cars around, boats, kayaks, bicycles and all sorts of house renovation tat! Here loaded up for a weekend adventure.
It turns out Plymouth is a bit of an UMM hotbed, when Brian at Country Vehicles in Silverton sold all his spares back to Portugal he gave my contact to Emma and Lance across town.. they gave me a call and I popped over to meet their collection - the UMMbulance (an Alter II ambulance built for St Johns) and their long term keeper the Transcat (precursor to the Alter) - friends ever since!
I had parts sitting around for months but finally got around to fitting bits...
Carling switches from Devon 4x4
Winch and winch tray fitting
Winch fitted but no wire spooled on yet.
Funny story about spooling the winch wire on... involving the Police..
Much travelled
Winch fitted and visiting my folks in Sussex - hence the other 2cv.
Devon to Bedford in a day - Oooo I was feeling it.. but the truck wasn't...
Fully packed as well as towing the boats!
The only breakdown - my fault!
The only one time he has let me down - and it was my fault. I had been hearing a squealing belt for a week or so and not bothered to check it... as El's and I were bombing along in the fast lane at a what 80mph I saw a dash light flash up red, que instant turn off, indicate and veer across the middle and slow lane to the hard shoulder... simultaneously.. whilst the power steering was dying... Luckily caught it straight away so no damage but no more driving that day - the belt had split and it was the one to the water pump!
Time for some love
So currently I have worked him hard over the last four years but have now bought a new T5 for long distance and boat towing duties so now UMM has been given some time off for some mechanical love and the chance for some useful upgrades...
New vented front discs and gaiters for all the transmission controls.
A rear disc brake conversion
New clutch and front brake pads
I will have the springs sent off to be retempered and a new main leaf made to give him a 2" lift, thus the new bushes for the springs. Seen with new flexible brake lines.
Spare waterpump as these are just for UMM.
Otherwise I need to pull the motor at some point due to a leaky core plug, I also wouldn't mind giving the head a once over as they are notorious for eating head gaskets. I'd love to get a bigger front mounted intercooler after this and have the turbo rebuilt or substituted for something with a little newer tech. All in good time though.... I won't be selling as I'm not about to use the T5 off road!
Now I no longer need an enclosed van i am contemplating copying the frame off of Emma and Lance's transcat and making up a rear hood and tilt frame for the loadbed. An UMM friend from up north has promised me a UMM truck cab so I can fully make it a pickup conversion.
I think that's about it for the moment, any questions from the audience?
