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Ford Transit Connect

piper1

piper1

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
" Up to 135 cubic feet of cargo room " compared with a Sprinters 600 cubic feet, how about what happens when you cross a Sprinter with a mailbox. Even an Astro had more cargo room that this!
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Driving three of them, including one of the hybrid super secret test vehicles, they are too small to be anything except an overrated caravan. The full size Transit, which is larger than the larger sprinter we have here can make a difference IF they market it right. Seeing that Dodge/Freightliner/Mercedes sprinter is in a state of flux (who knows where it will land again), Ford has a great opportunity to take maketshare from the sprinter. Remember Ford didn't close dealerships and has a large network to cover repairs.
 
LDB

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Ford also has no government noose around it's neck unless I'm mistaken. If they work smart they should definitely solidify their position. I saw the Transit Mini at MATS. It's not a CMV in any way but looks good for certain small business applications and maybe some personal applications. I'd like to see their bigger than Sprinter version, especially if they have a 9999 GVW model.
 
guido4475

guido4475

Not a Member
Kind of related, does anyone know where I can obtain the serpentine belt routing diagram for my 03 -e-350 7.3 ? I cannot find one anywhere, and the sticker is gone under the hood.Chilton's and Haynes shop manuals do not include info on ford vans with diesels.Thanks in advance.
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
guido4475 said:
Kind of related, does anyone know where I can obtain the serpentine belt routing diagram for my 03 -e-350 7.3 ? I cannot find one anywhere, and the sticker is gone under the hood.Chilton's and Haynes shop manuals do not include info on ford vans with diesels.Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Yea that's simple, go to the dealer and ask for one. they can pull it up on their parts computer or the service manager and get it for you with the service system, they can then print it off for you.



As for Ford not lik'n the diesel, well that's not true. They will market the thing if it makes money. Seeing that they, north american operations, are so convinced to think like they are still the big three, they won't entertain the idea of bringing the Ford Diesel that they have in the Fiesta here and selling it to other manufacturers. They are still thinking inside that "we are the motor city" box and refuse to work with the government motor companies.
 
moose

moose

Veteran Expediter
Looks like a good competitor ...:

Buyers' Guide to 3.5-tonners - Transport News Network


Ford Transit TDCi 350 LWB high roof
Ford Transit TDCi 350 LWB high roof
Merc-Benz Sprinter 311 CDI LWB high-roof
Merc-Benz Sprinter 311 CDI LWB high-roof

Ford Transit TDCi 350 LWB high roof

Basic price: £21,854 (ex-VAT)
Engine: four-cylinder/2402cc
Max power: 137hp at 3800rpm
Max torque: 375Nm at 1800rpm
Weights: GVW 3500kg, payload 1400kg
Dimensions: Load space length/width/height 3.40m/1.76m/1.89m
Body volume: 9.69cu-m
Warranty/servicing: three years/100,000 miles
Oil change interval: 5000 miles

Where Transit scores is in the breadth of the range, covering both medium and heavy van sectors. Buyers have a good choice of engines, while body choices include three wheelbases and three roof heights for the van and a range of off-the-shelf body conversions including dropside, tipper and box bodies.

Popular engine choices include the 2.0-litre front-wheel drive diesel with or without common rail injection, or 2.4-litre variants of the same engine with rear-wheel drive. Petrol and LPG variants are also available.

The 2.4TDCi common rail 137hp Transit delivers an acceptable blend of performance and economy with refinement - the TDdi variant without common rail, less so.

A 1400kg payload falls midway up the 3500kg GVW payload spectrum.

Ford will doubtless have something up its sleeve when the new Mercedes Sprinter and VW LT appear next year. Expect a mid-life facelift to keep the Transit fresh in buyers' minds.

Merc-Benz Sprinter 311 CDI LWB high-roof

Basic price: £21,285 (ex-VAT)
Engine: four-cylinder/2148cc
Max power: 109hp at 3800rpm
Max torque: 270Nm at 1400-2400rpm
Weights: GVW 3500kg, payload 1340kg
Dimensions: Load space length/width/height 4.25m/1.74m/1.86m
Body volume: 13.5cu-m
Warranty/servicing: three years, unlimited distance
Oil change interval: 14,000 - 25,000 miles

It's due for replacement early next year, but the Sprinter still has a lot to offer. For a start, it is one of the few vans to feature an electronic stability programme (ESP) as standard offering additional safety in slippery conditions.

Body styles include three wheelbase lengths and two roof heights. Engines include two common rail diesels with a total of four power ratings and one petrol. The petrol 314 is also available with an LPG conversion.

Standard transmission is a five-speed manual, although a six-speed automated box, tagged Sprintshift, is also available. Then there are four-wheel-drive models too.

Inside, successive facelifts have helped to keep the Sprinter abreast of the competition - the gear lever has moved up to the dashboard improving cross-cab access, while the instruments are similar to those in a Mercedes car.

Now if they can bring on the right TEXAS sized one ...
 
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guido4475

guido4475

Not a Member
greg334 said:
Yea that's simple, go to the dealer and ask for one. they can pull it up on their parts computer or the service manager and get it for you with the service system, they can then print it off for you. Thanks, Greg. Why didnt I think of that? Wat was I thinkin?



As for Ford not lik'n the diesel, well that's not true. They will market the thing if it makes money. Seeing that they, north american operations, are so convinced to think like they are still the big three, they won't entertain the idea of bringing the Ford Diesel that they have in the Fiesta here and selling it to other manufacturers. They are still thinking inside that "we are the motor city" box and refuse to work with the government motor companies.
Click to expand...
Ford has been in the works deveoping their own v-8 diesel for at least 5 years now. I delivered a few engine blocks for this diesel to a place in Wisconsin.It was interesting what the engineer showed me there.alot of insight.
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
They have two V8's and one V6 testing right now in Allen Park but nothing yet looks like production ready.

It is not new, they have been trying to figure out how to build them within the cost range the exec's demand. Their alternative is to buy the Diesel off shore (from Brazil) to stick in the trucks. The real issue from what I was told is the phasing out of heavies in the vans and trucks and focusing on the smaller van's like the Transit.

Who knows?

Ford has changed their minds so many times now that some think they are working for GM.

They had great opportunities to bring the transit here in the last year but stopped short in the DOT/EPA work on the heavy end of the line and focused on the small (connect) version for now to counter the possibility of Mexican built VW ute's.
 
OntarioVanMan

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
strange the Transit was touted as a light to medium duty van on British web sites....

and a 4 cyl for this long highway work? Great for inner city.

@ L21,000 depending on the exchange at time of purchase approx $40,000 US...
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
The brits are a different country, we have language in common and that's about it. Their commercial market and laws are different, they have more in common with Greece than they do with anyone else.

Look at Ford.de
 
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