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Picture Information
URL: http://riceornot.ricecop.com/?auto=92678
Submitted by: DiRF
Comments: 16  (Read/Post)     Favorites: 0  (View)
Submitted on: 03-14-2015
View Stats Category: Other Vehicle
Description:
Dear US Postal Service,

You need a replacement for the Grumman LLV? Here you go. The Ford Transit Courier.

It's already manufactured in RHD, has efficient gas engines with available diesel powertrains. It may be a European design, but it's an "American" brand. It's based on the B3 platform, same as the Fiesta and Mazda2... a nice, solid, well-engineered chassis.

Best Regards,
DiRF Vergenbuurg


   Comments

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#1
3-14-2015 @ 09:29:56 PM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
If the US Postal Service goes with some other existing vehicle that doesn't suit their needs as well, or spend tens (or even hundreds) of millions contracting a firm to design a bespoke vehicle, they're idiots, IMO.

#2
3-14-2015 @ 09:31:10 PM
Posted By : Low-Tech Redneck Reply | Edit | Del
It did strike me just the other day at the post office that they haven't refreshed their fleet in any real way since the Grummans displaced the Jeeps, and I was like, what, ten? When that happened?

#3
3-14-2015 @ 10:57:17 PM
Posted By : ricerocketboy Reply | Edit | Del
#1, YES.

Funny, enough, I was thinking that this, or either the Fiestavan would be great postal vehicles.


#4
3-15-2015 @ 12:02:00 AM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
#3, This has basically the same footprint as a Fiestavan, but far more practical and useable interior volume... I would think this would preferable.

#5
3-15-2015 @ 01:53:29 AM
Posted By : ricerocketboy Reply | Edit | Del
#4, Ah, yeah that makes sense.

In other news, I peeked inside a Chevrolet City Express today at the auto show. I couldn't believe how chintzy it was, especially for $26,000.


#6
3-15-2015 @ 02:44:21 AM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
#5, The skyrocketing prices of pickups and commercial vans is staggering to me... I'm just left asking, WHY?!

If the prices keep going up like this, I do wonder if some ambitious company may try importing commercial vehicles, chicken tax be damned, because the domestic ones are stupidly high priced now. (Yes, I know the City Express is a Nissan in disguise)


#7
3-15-2015 @ 02:47:56 AM
Posted By : ricerocketboy Reply | Edit | Del
#6, The Nissan is more expensive yet. :/ I sat in a bare-bones C/Express today and asked myself.. "Who the fuck would buy this?"

#8
3-15-2015 @ 02:54:55 AM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
#7, I don't understand how the Express/Savanna twins are sticking around... even with the Econoline as its main competitor, fleets overwhelming chose the older Econoline, due to its durability. Every Express/Savanna I see has horribly peeling paint and visible rust... whereas many Econolines, even older ones, appear to be coping with harsh use and environments very well...

But now it's a whole new world... Freightliner/Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Ram ProMaster, the new Ford Transit, even the slightly disproportionate/ungainly Nissan NV... all of these EASILY outclass the GM vans.


#9
3-15-2015 @ 03:06:43 AM
Posted By : ricerocketboy Reply | Edit | Del
#8, C/Express = City Express; I think the big GM vans sell on reliability and discounts (where offered). Also, most of their mechanicals have been around for a good while, and most vehicles sharing that powertrain have multiple-hundred-thousand miles and are still going strong.

The GM-Twins sell on that alone.


#10
3-15-2015 @ 11:47:59 AM
Posted By : wannabemustangjockey  Reply | Edit | Del
#8, The company I work for has two 2012 Expresses in their fleet. As long as you don't slice yourself open on the molding seam of the driver door interior grab handle, you should be fine. It's great fun to drive in the rain and beats the hell out of the shambling '08 Caravan C/V I have to drive two days a week, or the '05 Astros my boss has since sold off. We also have a Dodge Sprinter which I've driven on one occasion. I think I've driven all six of our '11/'12 Transit Connects at least once. I fear what those will be replaced by since I hate virtually all of the new compact "city" vans.

Lest we forget that the Postal Service did partially replace the LLV years ago with the Ford/Utilimaster FFV.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7252/...d13b63afb_b.jpg


#11
3-15-2015 @ 06:25:54 PM
Posted By : Obsidian Reply | Edit | Del
#8, I highly disagree about the GM vans. While the paint on our took it's time to flake and the body had rust coming through - it started every morning of those 14 years and had plenty left of steam left in it when we left it with 352K kms.

Around here - you cant find a single Sprinter older than 3 years that isn't suffering from body rust; the small pimples that become a grapefruit sized patch of rust after the winter - and we can't afford to have body work done ever few years.

As for the old Econolines - their LWB versions are worthless. Ford simply grafted an extra 3' on the rear and never bothered change the wheelbase length like the Express. If they aren't loaded properly - they get ass heavy and have the handling dynamics of a forklift.

As for the new Transit and ProMaster - we can't accept FWD.

We have a new Express now (15') - and while it's dash isn't beautiful and its rear headroom sucks - I have little reason to think it won't outlast the old one.


#12
3-15-2015 @ 07:33:06 PM
Posted By : wannabemustangjockey  Reply | Edit | Del
#11, Did you use yours for business or personal transportation, passenger or cargo variant? Our work Expresses have surprisingly good road manners for their size and I like that they have four-wheel disc brakes. We used to have a mid-2000s Econoline but that was sold after it passed the mileage threshold (usually 150k) and it blew a coolant hose while parked. I never got to drive it but I did get to clean up all the antifreeze.

#13
12-17-2018 @ 09:22:59 PM
Posted By : wannabemustangjockey  Reply | Edit | Del
The stumbling block with work vans, for me, is brakes. The Transit Connect I drive daily for work has light duty brakes that do not like the start-stop-start-stop of delivery duty. When they get hot they squeal and they wear out pretty fast. Our Transits also used to eat front wheel bearings. Now imagine starting and stopping at every house, all day long, on a postal route. I imagine the Fiesta Courier would have similar brakes unless it were retrofitted with heavy duty parts.

#14
12-17-2018 @ 09:23:08 PM
Posted By : wannabemustangjockey  Reply | Edit | Del
#13, The Nissan NV200s in our work fleet haven't had mechanical problems *yet* but I don't trust the longevity of the Nissan CVT. They also go through tires ridiculously fast. Our Ram ProMaster City also goes through tires like crazy and doesn't have a spare. A former employee once got a flat tire and the manager sent me to assist with my Transit's full size spare, not knowing that the bolt patterns are totally different. My former coworker also utterly failed at using the factory flat repair kit and sprayed tire sealant all over the inside of the cab.

#15
12-18-2018 @ 05:05:05 PM
Posted By : Obsidian Reply | Edit | Del
Mister DiRF Vergenbuurg;

None of us at the US Postal Service even know what a Ford Transit is.

Did you that bob here in ME sorting warehouse #2 here in Bangor can swing a hammer and hit a nail WITHOUT using his hands? I bet you can't figure out how he does it.

See ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya!
OBS - federated incorpoerted certified bonified us potasl inpector fist class totallly officicla.


#16
1-16-2023 @ 02:32:04 PM
Posted By : DiRF  Reply | Edit | Del
#1, Well, I was right. They contracted Oshkosh and spent HALF-A-FUCKING-BILLION-DOLLARS to develop a brand new truck that has been a complete fustercluck.

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