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Ford Transit Van


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Just a few photos of a little project that I have just started.

It is going to be a long wheelbase Transit, possibly with twin rear wheels if I can find anything suitable.

I managed to acquire an Esci Paris/Dakar van for a reasonable price but every time I went to make a start, I just couldn't attack it with a hacksaw in case it all went wrong, so I made a couple of resin copies of it.

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The original body shell

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My resin copies. I think they turned out well.

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Resin body shell marked up ready for cutting

A couple of hours later and we have it looking somewhere near.

The roof still needs to be raised and curved off at the edges and it needs some filler on the joins etc. but you can see the basic idea.

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I think it has turned out well so far.

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Another really interesting one Neil!

Any chance you could let us know how you did the resin copies as they look most impressive & I need a couple of copies of the Mk2 Escort master I've ''nearly'' finished!!

Kee

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Keef

You need to take a silicone mould of the body shell, both the inside and outside.

It's not quite as easy as it sounds as you need to cover the windows and other holes to stop the inside filling up while you mould the outside and vice versa.

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Hi Neil

I am still racking my head as to which kit I got the duelies from that make up my crewcab, but I think it was one of the American pick ups.

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Really looking forward to seeing how your long wheel base van works out. Love the molding from the original. Gives you scope for lots more conversions from the basic shell.

Nige

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Nige

To be honest mate, It was your build that gave me the inspiration to have a go at converting the Transit.

I had thought about just doing one like yours, but I though a van might be easier to begin with (not so much chassis on show!!)

I will probable have a go at a tipper/dropside if this turns out well.

I have had a look at the wheels from a 1/32 Canter deliver truck which I think may be suitable as they are the six stud type and are not far off the right size.

Is your build finished now? It would be great to see some photos of it.

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Nige

To be honest mate, It was your build that gave me the inspiration to have a go at converting the Transit.

I had thought about just doing one like yours, but I though a van might be easier to begin with (not so much chassis on show!!)

I will probable have a go at a tipper/dropside if this turns out well.

I have had a look at the wheels from a 1/32 Canter deliver truck which I think may be suitable as they are the six stud type and are not far off the right size.

Is your build finished now? It would be great to see some photos of it.

Hi Neil

Thanks for that, but I have been the same as you, inspired by loads of other modellers and their builds that give me the thought that I might try summit new too.

Tee hee ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, like many of my builds right now it was plagued by interuptions due to house move, alterations, family and starting other stuff. With this one, I destroyed my cargo bed accidentilly which I was not fully happy with anyway. It got a brake fluid bath and is stripped of its paint with the paperwork and all my build notes gone walkabout during the house alterations.

Why does life have to get in the way of our hobbies.

I think you are braver than me with doing a mold of the kit ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and you have pulled it off perfectly too !!!!! And the stretch is looking great too !!!!! Is that the centre section of one of your resin bodies matched into the middle of a cut and shut, second resin body ???? How did your mold hold up ??? Will it still be able to give you more bodies for your bucks ????? It would be good to see what the molds look like and how you do your casting.

Will be following this one to the end. More chance of seeing yours finished than mine. Even my Landrover lightweight has stalled cause my wife spent 5 days in hospital and we are still getting back into our routine.

Nige

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Nige.

Hopefully you can get your build back on track. It would be good to see it finished.

Maybe my build can help kick start yours!

The long wheelbase van is made from 2 resin bodies. I made two to begin with, the roof of the first one being virtually transparent!!

That one got cut up to provide the side panels for the other.

The mould is holding up well, so I could produce a couple more bodies for my other conversions.

I have been following your build of the Landrover. I really wish I could scratch build like that!!

Hope the Mrs is Ok and that you can start building again soon.

Neil

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Neil

You should do a mold of the long wheelbase body when you have the shell all flush. With your skills of molding the important parts, wheels, seats, dash, etc you need after that are there for your own multiple copies.

Got the making of your own transit fleet there.

Nige

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Hi neil one observation the rear wheel arch looks too far foward i worked at fords bodyshop for years and repaired a few the canter wheels are 17.5 inches in real life transit mk2 are 14 inches made by dunlop with 185/14 c 6 pr tyres

simon

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Simon

I managed to find a brochure for the Transit on Talkford.com and checked the measurements on there.

The plan that I was working to shows a wheel to wheel centre of 3000mm and a measurement from the centre of the rear wheel to the outside of the rear bumper of 1450mm

I converted those to 1/24th scale and worked from there. that gave me a wheelbase of 125mm and a rear end measurement of 60mm.

The total overall length is shown as 5310mm which equates to 221mm in 1/24th.

I have made the bodyshell to those dimensions so I'm not quite sure how I got it wrong.

Any advice or info. that you have would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks

Neil

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hi neil go to the trasit forum loads of pics now your lwb body looks right if you are going to build a single rear wheel lwb and you could use the kit wheels but make the tyres to 205/75/14 also the swage line around the rear lights needs moving in front of the rear wheels look at the pics on the forum i own a mint mk1 minibus with 28k on the clock

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I hope someone comes up with some wheels, so I can get my carlyle body transit bus going!

Rick

I have that set on my transit crewcab that I am willing to post to someone who is good at casting, if they fancy casting some for those needing sets of duelies !!!!!!!!! As long as I get them back !!!!!!!

Any one out there fancy a go pm me ???

Nige

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Hi Neil

I hope to have a small package of bits start winging its way to you tomorrow. Any more progress on your LWB van yet? Will be looking in to see how it is getting on. Hope to see some new work very soon.

A Transit group build sounds a great idea. There have to be a good few of these kits still stashed in lofts, under beds, unbuilt or part built waiting for the famous round toit to appear again. A bit like my own efforts with the crew-cab.

Come on guys,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and galls ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,bring out your vans !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nige

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