RE: Shed Of The Week: Leyland Convoy
Discussion
As a PO worker (harsh stereotyping) I have driven about 100,000 miles in these, the gearshift was always vague at best, was utterly gutless, leaked through the windows (all of them) when it rained, the rear brakes had a habit of locking on with the slightest tap when cold and in summer the heat soak from the engine was murderous.
However for space per £ they couldn't be beat, had a decent payload of around 1300kg aswell, I used to load one up with 1300kg daily and climb very steep hills in it, no matter what you threw at it, it managed.
Immobilisers were often an issue for us too, one day it wouldn't start whilst I was parked next to a plane that wanted to take off, poor timing.
However for space per £ they couldn't be beat, had a decent payload of around 1300kg aswell, I used to load one up with 1300kg daily and climb very steep hills in it, no matter what you threw at it, it managed.
Immobilisers were often an issue for us too, one day it wouldn't start whilst I was parked next to a plane that wanted to take off, poor timing.
Itsallicanafford said:
suffolk009 said:
I remember renting and driving one for a couple of days, full of fellow Uni students in the late 90s.
It had a cassette player, the radio didn't work, and we had to listen to the same Oasis tape for two days.
tell me it wasn't 'Standing on the shoulder of giants' It had a cassette player, the radio didn't work, and we had to listen to the same Oasis tape for two days.
Helped a friend move house with one of these, it was on an 06 plate, so must have been one of the last. It was 3 years old, and the heater was jammed on full heat. So it was a very hot, very noisy, very long drive down the M6 with the windows down.
Had to endure them as school minibuses too, some bright spark had stood on the roof to load the roof rack, so the dented roof vibrated horrendously on the motorway.
Had to endure them as school minibuses too, some bright spark had stood on the roof to load the roof rack, so the dented roof vibrated horrendously on the motorway.
I used to drive p155ed students around in Manchester at night, as part of which I drove a 17 seat LWB version of this, but also a VW Caravelle, a Transit and a Renault Trafic.
Of all of them, I'd say the Renault and the LDV were equally unpleasant to drive, although the Trafic that I drove had had a very hard life. The VW was a joy to drive but was brand spanking new and to be honest, trying to compare a large LDV with a VW Transporter is like telling me that a Lada Riva estate is not as nice a drive as a BMW 3 series touring. It's bigger, cheaper and was always designed to be completely utilitarian.
Personally, mechanically i would opt for a Sprinter van but the MB water-based paint means the bodies are fit for work as sieves pretty quickly... and still make more money than the Shed. My neighbour sold his p-plate, untaxed, dented, rotten, MOT-expired 230k mile ex-courier Sprinter recently for £750. So, if someone wants a cheap, big van, I say go for it!
Of all of them, I'd say the Renault and the LDV were equally unpleasant to drive, although the Trafic that I drove had had a very hard life. The VW was a joy to drive but was brand spanking new and to be honest, trying to compare a large LDV with a VW Transporter is like telling me that a Lada Riva estate is not as nice a drive as a BMW 3 series touring. It's bigger, cheaper and was always designed to be completely utilitarian.
Personally, mechanically i would opt for a Sprinter van but the MB water-based paint means the bodies are fit for work as sieves pretty quickly... and still make more money than the Shed. My neighbour sold his p-plate, untaxed, dented, rotten, MOT-expired 230k mile ex-courier Sprinter recently for £750. So, if someone wants a cheap, big van, I say go for it!
The RAC used these for a while back in the day.
When my dads SD1 rover came to a halt the RAC man arrived in one of these.
He gave us a lift home and it couldnt get up a not to steep hill. Dispite several attempts and long run ups it just couldnt do it.
Older Transits went past without any trouble.
Had to take the very long way home instead.
When my dads SD1 rover came to a halt the RAC man arrived in one of these.
He gave us a lift home and it couldnt get up a not to steep hill. Dispite several attempts and long run ups it just couldnt do it.
Older Transits went past without any trouble.
Had to take the very long way home instead.
djbobbins said:
Personally, mechanically i would opt for a Sprinter van but the MB water-based paint means the bodies are fit for work as sieves pretty quickly...
To be fair all current car paint is water based (EU directives being what they are). Mercedes went through a bad patch where they switched steel providers and struggled to perfect paint resilience, with disastrous consequences, the paint thing has been resolved now.Blakewater said:
My school had a minibus version of one of these donated by DAF. It was too tall to fit in the garage like the 1992 Volkswagen LT it replaced did and it got torched one night.
Our one got done at school too, must have been part of the curriculum.I want one, got a transit the same age at the moment with the worst bodywork you have ever seen and love it.
The transit engines in these are turbos and not as bullet proof as you think. Though they were also used in London cabs and I've got one with 480k on the clock still going.
They were actually the widest vans you could buy. There's a mint one still in use by the P.O. In Bethnal Green if anyone's interested lol.
I always had the feeling that the only people who were surprised that LDV went under were LDV themselves. Everyone else knew they were s
t.
Never driven one, but have been made to suffer sitting in various school minibuses. Even Transits were in a different league when it came to comfort & NVH.
t.Never driven one, but have been made to suffer sitting in various school minibuses. Even Transits were in a different league when it came to comfort & NVH.
Strawman said:
djbobbins said:
Personally, mechanically i would opt for a Sprinter van but the MB water-based paint means the bodies are fit for work as sieves pretty quickly...
To be fair all current car paint is water based (EU directives being what they are). Mercedes went through a bad patch where they switched steel providers and struggled to perfect paint resilience, with disastrous consequences, the paint thing has been resolved now.
I worked at LDV for fifteen years and the Post Office kept us going for most, if not all of that time.
The storage parking was then a sea of red most of the year, as many drivers passing the factory northbound on the M6 will probably remember.
The Convoy was tough, resilient to abuse and rough treatment and cheap, no more no less.
Admittedly slow compared to modern vans but the ride isn't bad, the engine does have some potential headaches, Fords engine management related and I will guarantee soggy cab floor mats(they never successfully resolved that one)
The Shed might want to explore the more interesting versions built by us, the Rover V8 versions built for the Police, Ambulance service and the BRSCC as a race track rapid response fire and rescue vans.............
The storage parking was then a sea of red most of the year, as many drivers passing the factory northbound on the M6 will probably remember.
The Convoy was tough, resilient to abuse and rough treatment and cheap, no more no less.
Admittedly slow compared to modern vans but the ride isn't bad, the engine does have some potential headaches, Fords engine management related and I will guarantee soggy cab floor mats(they never successfully resolved that one)
The Shed might want to explore the more interesting versions built by us, the Rover V8 versions built for the Police, Ambulance service and the BRSCC as a race track rapid response fire and rescue vans.............
Edited by Hugh stinquer on Friday 7th August 22:08
Edited by Hugh stinquer on Friday 7th August 22:18
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