1973 FORD TRANSIT panel van with dual wheel rear axle

1973 Ford "TRANSIT" panel van with dual wheel rear axleThis van was built at the FORD factory in Cologne. Germany. Ford has been building automobiles at this location since the 1920ies. "Transit" vans were built and are still built today as commercial delivery vehicles and also saw a wide use in Fire Departments and as ambulances. For Fire Dept. use the roof height was increased by about 4 inches. New Ford Transits are officially imported now into the US and sold at Ford dealerships. This van was used by a voluntary fire brigade in a small town named "Bruck" in Bavaria. Germany. It carried a portable water pump and water hoses as well as a few crew members. It was in active duty until about 1998. The fire dept. equipment on the outside of the vehicle is still complete such as the European blue emergency light. a wooden extension ladder mounted on the roof on a galvanized rack and the original hand painted fire dept. writing on both front doors including the State of Bavaria crest. After its official use the vehicle ended up in private hands. The formally blank interior walls in the rear of the vehicle were insulated and a very attractive grey velour material was used to cover the walls. On both interior side walls wooden storage boxes were installed. a thick plywood panel creates a sleeping platform. a thick futon mattress makes a comfortable bed for 2 people - the sleeping platform is 7 feet long. In front of the platform up to the dividing panel in the back of the front seats there is an open space measuring 3'2"- it could be used to transport a motorcycle. bicycles or to place a table and 2 chairs. The van is powered by a V 4 gas engine with a displacement of 1. Liters. Gas economy = about 25 to 30 MPG. Transmission is a manual 4 speed on the floor powering therear axle with dual wheels. The rear fender extensions are factory done in metal. The only basic round instrument (5 1/2" dia. ) is the speedometer in both km and miles read-out. a few warning lights for low charging and low oil pressure and a set of switches for lights. wipers and below the panel at the air box controls for airflow and heat. Low and high beam adjustment is done with a floor mounted button. This vehicle has been driven for a total of only 27500 miles. I imported the van into the US in 2001 and have been using it mainly in California. Recent works and new parts are:about 3000 miles ago cylinder heads rebuilt with new valves and hardened valve seats for unleaded gas. nbsp; about 2000 miles ago installation of a new master brake cylinder. nbsp; new rear brakes with new brake cylinders and new brake shoes about 100 miles ago. gas tank cleaned and flushed and reinstalled with new connecting hoses and hose clamps. nbsp; new radial tires all the way around in the slightly oversize dimension from the factory of 205 R 75 X 14. nbsp; there is also anew set of brake hoses and a new set of engine seals since I bought a complete set of engine seal set and only used the cyl. head seals. nbsp; extras include an AM/FM cass. deck radio and a trailer hitch with 1 7/8" ball. overall dimensions: length 202". height 93". width 78"Unique to the fire dept. issue of this van is a small aluminum platform mounted on the rear left side of the van for a fire man to stand on. If you plan to participate in any parades. this is a very useful extra. This vehicle is in very original shape. The van has never been in an accident. The paint is decent und useful but shows a few slightly different shades of red paint at various places. In typical fire. dept. fashion. when there was a small dent to repair. the repair was done and the spot repainted even if the available paint did not match 100%. The seats are grey industrial vinyl. have never been reupholstered and are un very nice condition. The vinyl lip on the dash edge is all original. still very pliable and soft. shows no splits and is in very good condition. Even the rubber floor mats in front are factory originals with the Ford logo imprint. The floor in the cargo deck is covered with grey vinyl. This is a very unique vehicle. it draws lots of attention and positive reaction from people. This van could be the only one of its kind in all of North America. This van is also very practical with its ability for sleeping space for 2 people and lots of cargo space (I had 10' 4X6 beams loaded in it). There is also the possibility of a nice advertising logo on the spacious side panels or back panel. Even though this vehicle was not officially imported into the US. ordering mechanical parts here is possible from import parts dealers or even NAPA since the same engine was supplied by Ford to SAAB for its sporty Sonett and other models. The van has a clear title from the State of California. There are lots of spare parts to go with the car such as:a complete and working 4 speed transmission. nbsp; an almost complete spare engine consisting of: engine block with pistons. crankshaft and camshafts. nbsp; cylinder heads with internal parts. nbsp; valve covers. nbsp; complete clutch. external accessory parts such as: starter. alternator. fuel pump. distributor. air filter housing. one spare hub cap and numerous small parts.