Sorry if this is I the wrong place but its not really a tech question... Can someone running standard suspension tell me how high the van sits (arch to floor etc) Reason I ask is, my mate imported a van last year and he believes that it has been raised at the front. It does seem unusually high but I've been underneath and can't see anything obvious unless its been cut and turned under all the grime. I only have photos from when he first got it, i'm not sure if its an optical illusion as the cut rear arches don't help. Basically it's now fully restored and sadly he needs to sell it and is debating if he should lower it or not, it's the aesthetics versus the cost of doing it but the van is also very original with lots and lots of history.
The reason he's looking to lower it is because he believes its been raised, so does it look standard?? Reason for the thinking behind it being raised is that the van was owned by an engineering company and there was a lot of ski'ing paraphernalia and snow chains etc plus the rear arches cut and snow spikes in the tyres! So he thinks its been raised for clearance purposes. Found a recent photo but don't have one from the front, Bit of a difference, The original rear bumpers for sale if anyone's interested apparently it's a proper period conversion/bumper?? but I'll leave that for him to sell.
By "proper period bumper" I take it you just mean its bog standard. They're pretty common.... Its the bumper brackets that are like hens teeth. Looks standard height to me.
Look again at the first photo Nothing standard about it but its not a cobbled home made thing either, was told once its from a conversion of the time but I can't remember what it was.
I stand corrected! I hadnt noticed that hideous thing in the first photo! ;-) Was that really a standard bumper on some conversions?
Apologies, it's technically (sorry for the pun :-[ ) not a technical question more a general question but im not complaining!
Just bear in mind that mine is sat on the original 30 year old suspension. So yours may be a tad higher.
Mine's stock height and has had the bum sag taken out. On standard tyres: 75cm at the front, about 60cm at the rear, top of (flat) wheel arch to the ground. Don't forget the front will sit higher with noone in the driver's seat - they always look odd.
It's either a bike or ski rack, with the skis propped at the rear of the van. Seen many in Austria with a similar thing many years ago.
It all depends on the weight of the interior. I removed mine, and the old girl rose up and nearly went through the strip light in the garage ceiling!! Tony
That rear bumper is an aftermarket unit that used to be available for tradesman's vans. It was called a Tow Step or something similar and I think a company in Wales used to manufacture/deal in them but I don't think they exist anymore. They also used to do van roof racks and plywood linings for most makes of van. We had one on the back of our workshop service van and it doubled as a tow hitch, step and rear protection as it was fairly well made. A lot of vans had the rear number plate under the rear doors in the valance, so when these tow steps were fitted the rear number plate used to re-locate in that middle part and the vans original number plate lamps re-located from the lower valance and fitted either side of the number plate to illuminate it. Chris
