newcomer

[moonman]

Hi guys and girls, i am a complete newcomer to the motor-home scene.

After being washed out on my latest trip to " The Isle of Sky " been going up there for 30 yrs. i decided enough was enough.

I don't mind water beds, but when your sleeping bag starts floating about? that's it.

I am retired, so be gentle with me.

After a lot of searching about i found a very nice one, it's a 1990 Ford Flair, all the goodies in it, mains hookup etc. etc. three way fridge for my beers, B-)

Two questions, first it has a Pinto engine in it, 5 speed box, 2Ltr this sounds like a gas guzzler, i mainly tour the West coast, i come from Aberdeen-shire, so a diesel engine will be on the card's this winter.

Next, the driver side front wheel arch, just the rim edge, also the back one, same side, has been rubbed down and sprayed, but looks very ragged indeed, is there any sort of strip that i can simply click on? just to make it look tidy for summer?

It sailed through its MOT today, so no rot.

Sorry for the long post, the next will be shorter. Cheers.

[davenewellhome]

Hi Moonman (Victor?) and welcome to the madhouse, we're generally a friendly bunch though so don't be too worried. Your Pinto engine won't be the most economical motor to use but if you take it steady it should be acceptable. Unless you plan on doing lots of mileage its very difficult to reclaim the costs of conversion to diesel. The other problme is finding a good engine to put in it. If you do go for a diesel conversion I'd suggest you strongly consider the turbo diesel variant as the naturally aspirated isn't going to excite you with its power. Whatever you do decide to do enjoy your new found freedom. ;-)

 

D.

[Mick H.]

Hi Moonman

Dont know much about Ford Flairs myself,actually dont know much,I,m a Hymer Chappie actually and we just drive around with plastic flowers on our bonnet.However I dont know if Ford Flair has the same backup as Hymer(YOU COULD PROBABLY BUILD A NEW 80,S HYMER WITH THEIR SPARES)but try and find a group that suports your make and see what they come up with.

As I'm a Wiltshire man looking to travel to west coast Scotland at some not too distant future and you seem to live there, any tips for quiet outstanding areas in that part of the country.

Good luck with your travels.

Mick H.

[AlfM]

Hi

Ive got an A/S Legend on a Ford Transit with the Pinto engine, as a coachbuilt it will have more wind resistance than yours, but depending on the weight of my right foot I get between 20 and 23 mpg. Never had better or worse. I dont think a diesel engine will be worth the expense even at over £1 per litre for unleaded. I doubt if you would get more than 29mpg after changing.

[Derek Uzzell]

Moonman:

 

I also think that you should reconsider your idea about replacing your Flair's petrol motor with a diesel engine.

 

The usual complaint about the Pinto motor when fitted to a motorhome was poor overall performance (lack of oomph, rough running, high fuel consumption, etc.) and much of the blame was placed on the factory-fitted Ford carburettor. A Weber replacement carburettor was available (and probably still is) and this was said to make a significant beneficial difference. It's worth adding perhaps that the 2 litre Pinto has often been used as the power-plant in kit-cars and responds excellently to traditional tuning. So, (assuming your Flair's motor is in good condition) if you do find fuel consumption is high or performance is lacking, you may well be able to improve matters for a relatively small outlay.

 

I looked at MMM contemporary road-tests for petrol and normally-aspirated diesel versions of the Auto-Sleepers Legend as owned by AlfM. Fuel consumption for the former was quoted as 19.84mpg over 17100 miles and for the latter as 30mpg (no mileage specified). The normally-aspirated 2.5 Transit motor is lethargic, noisy and, as Dave Newell suggests, best avoided. The turbo version is much better performance-wise, though still pretty loud.

 

You'd need to confirm what's entailed technically in going diesel, as it's not just the motor that would need swapping, you'd also need to change the gearbox and very probably the prop-shaft and rear axle (plus, of course, lots of ancillary bits and pieces). Then there's the extra weight of the diesel motor on the front wheels that will affect the steering adversely. The best way forward would be to obtain a donor vehicle from which all the necessary parts could be transferred, but finding one that isn't totally knackered could prove impossible.

 

I suggest you contact the Auto-Sleeper Owners' Club for advice on this - if anyone has carried out the petrol-to-diesel conversion you are considering it's likely to be an ASOC member. And, of course, if you've got a specific Flair-related query (I seem to recall the double bed-construction is a mite mysterious) then the ASOC should have the answer.

 

Try GOOGLE-ing on "wheel arch trim" for products that might do the job. I know exactly what you are looking for - it was readily available from car 'customising' firms some years ago and it's used around the rear wheel-arches of my 2005 Hobby motorhome. But I can't tell you where to lay your hands on it.

[Tony Jones]

Hi Moonman, and welcome.

 

I've got a 1989 Transit hi-top, but it's a home conversion job. It's got the same engine as yours, but with the Weber carb Derek mentioned. It'd be well worth getting one fitted if you can get hold of one.

This chap may be able to help - he fixed me up with a "service kit" for my carb a few months ago: http://www.carburettorspecialists.com/

 

If I behave myself (long runs, 5th gear as much as poss, not too heavy on the right foot) I usually get 26-27 mpg from it. It's also the first camper I've had that can keep up with traffic, instead of holding everyone up like a tugger!

 

Given the age of the van, I don't think a swap to diesel would pay for itself within a sensible period (eg the van's useful lifetime!).

 

Just enjoy it!

 

Tony

[Derek Uzzell]

A brief follow-up to my earlier posting.

 

On reflection, I'm near certain that the odd bed-making I mentioned related to the Auto-Sleepers Frisky not the Flair. So please ignore that comment...

 

I notice that MMM published a 'full' test report on a petrol-engined Flair in the July 1987 issue and there was also a one-page piece on a second-hand Flair in November 2006 MMM. You'd probably find the former useful (reprint available from MMM), but not the latter.