Little Red van, most cost effective way to transport 1/2 ton known to man!

[Doctordiesel77]

I just realised that I've not posted anything in here about what is one of my most often used Maestro/Montegos these days. Some old pictures here from a trip to Barcelona (via dieppe and Andorra)

[Doctordiesel77]

Little Red van to the rescue of a Scania with a dead battery (just in case of any doubt, new batteries in back of van, rather than tow starting the lorry )..

[Doctordiesel77]

Winter tyres are agood plan if going over Hartside...it was raining at home...

[Doctordiesel77]

Little red van seems convinced it is a coal lorry..... In this case it was taking Coals to Newcastle, from what is now the only mine in the North of England. Just in case anyone is wondering, it is a right royal pain getting coal into those daft little bags & it was only done for ease of handling at the other end of the trip..

[Jeff Turbo]

That van does take a lot of abuse

[Doctordiesel77]

That van does take a lot of abuse

It is a thin line between use and abuse, I'm allegeing use, and I'm sticking to that story Still amazed at how well it goes for a non turbo and how little fuel it uses...not tried towing much yet, but maybe that would get me onto the wrong side of the thin line

[Jeff Turbo]

Just shows you how good they were

[Doctordiesel77]

Just shows you how good they were

Yes, every so often I come across this https://www.classicandsportscar.com/...livery-maestro and wonder how much ford must have spent on 'incentives'...the mk3 escort diesel was a gutless little pram.. I once put a timing belt on one...first time I drove it was after I'd done the belt...it performed so badly that I was convinced it must be a tooth out & rechecked everything I'd done. Eventually the owner came & took it around the block and said it was going better than it did before! His previous van had been a Maestro diesel which he said had been far better than the escort, until it went down with tinworm. If he still had the escort, I'd hvé been tempted to do some back to back comparisons with the Maestro, I think they had done a similar number of miles.

[Soulcharger]

Yes, every so often I come across this https://www.classicandsportscar.com/...livery-maestro and wonder how much ford must have spent on 'incentives'...the mk3 escort diesel was a gutless little pram.. I once put a timing belt on one...first time I drove it was after I'd done the belt...it performed so badly that I was convinced it must be a tooth out & rechecked everything I'd done. Eventually the owner came & took it around the block and said it was going better than it did before! His previous van had been a Maestro diesel which he said had been far better than the escort, until it went down with tinworm. If he still had the escort, I'd hvé been tempted to do some back to back comparisons with the Maestro, I think they had done a similar number of miles.

Some of my old friends back in the UK who work in London's catering circles (or did pre-Covid) told me that the Maestro Van is so trendy (circa 2017/18) and lamented that nothing comes close to the retro 1980s AND is a great workhorse than the Maestro.