Undoubtedly retro. An older Ford Transit camper provides as much nostalgia as a Volkswagen Westfalia and provides more room for arm swing inside the vehicle.
Retro camping with a bit of glam?
A Pilote 360 Motorhome body on a Ford Transit mk2 was a great vehicle in the early 80s. We don't know if the car pictured is original or renovated with good taste and skilled craftsmanship. It wasn't for sale, but it might give you some ideas for other Transit projects? A quality body can be renovated and possibly upgraded to today's standard. It's not as motivating to spend time and money restoring a similar caravan without having a "matching" car. The advantage of a Transit project is the overall impression.
Ford Transit mk2
I won't exaggerate my joys with the Transit, though. Inside, the driver's seat with its hard 80s plastic is hardly the most pleasant place to be. I read in a forum thread between a potential buyer of a Transit mk2 Campervan and two owners, - one with a 1982 petrol model and one with a 1985 diesel model. Technically, both cars were OK, but it should be in the cards that you don't acquire a 40-year-old Transit without considering it as a project . What owners of Transit campervans were least happy with was the engine noise and that the vehicle had little power to offer at speeds above 80 km/h.
Engines
Ford offered several engine choices for the Transit. But the camper vans of the early 80s seemed to have either the following engine choices: 2,0 "Pinto" engine with 78 HP or 2,5 diesel engine with 67 HP. By today's standards, that's not a lot of power for a vehicle with a curb weight of almost 2 tonnes.
About the pictures
All the cars are photographed in France. The car in the main photo is pictured outside Le Boulou in the South of France. The beige-yellow is photographed in Céret where it is in daily use. The white car with extended wheelbase and superstructure with a brown "belly belt" is photographed at the beach in Argeles-sur-Mer.
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