Leaderboard

Well Ladies and Gents.... after getting tired of searching for info from over seas, and/or trying to order a GAZ coilover setup from the UK for my 2015 TrannyVan. After mucho research, parts cross referencing at Ford .... I've ALMOST nailed down the perfect setup... with slight modification of course. Still hunting for that TRUE bolt on rig that requires the LEAST amount of modification, which leads me to this: Was curious if you guys wanted a write up, considering I took TONS of pics and busted quite a few knuckles in the process. The picture upload format for this forum is...um...well... terrible to deal with, but if I get enough interest I'll definitely go through the trouble. Here's a few pics of the finished product attached below (with better shoot coming soon) - Hope you guys dig it EQUIPMENT: MEGAN RACING EZ STREET@ coild over setup 18x9 ROTIFORM VCE Monoblocks on 205/40's

After I sold my Ford F150 super crew I needed something to haul my small trailers, bike, pressure washer etc, and this little van is perfect for my needs. After purchasing this I put sound deadening on all the walls, then 1 inch insulation, covered it with Masonite board, and carpet to quiet it down some. Before I did a 7 state Journey I bought seat covers with extra padding. Carpet just rolls up and there’s a hard wood floor underneath. I’ve had this a couple of years now (13k) and really love this thing but I have 2 complaints, hard seats, and that damn chime system (what brilliant engineer came up with that?).

For those that don't know, I take my van racing at SCCA rallycross events. Some of those events run into dusk, and even into the night. I shopped around for some extra lighting to supplement the headlights on those dark runs. I researched the pros and cons of halogen vs LED vs HID, compared prices, looked up reviews, specs, and warranties. I narrowed it down to either Hella LED or KC Hilites Apollo Pro halogens. Both the same cost, similar warranties, similar light output, but one is LED while the other is halogen. I decided to go with the KC halogens. In the end, I liked the look of the grill guards over the LED with plastic covers. Installation was not too difficult. The kit comes with all the connectors and harnesses you need to simply connect, mount, and flip the switch. But before I did that, I first needed to find a place to mount them. There are a few bull bars for the TC out there, but I could not justify dropping several hundred dollars on what I would consider a mounting bracket. I found an inexpensive bracket on Amazon that mounts where your front plate goes. $20 and some easy drilling led me to this. The only thing I dislike about this bracket is the lack of rigidness since it's mounted on the plastic bumper. But it will do for the application. The bracket came with pre-drilled slots and holes to make mounting lights, or whatever else you want to add a breeze. The most difficult part of wiring the lights was getting the wires from the engine compartment to the cabin. Luckily, there is a route in the back corners of the engine bay that runs into the cabin. There is a hole behind the plastic triangle in front of the side mirrors that feeds you right in to the a-pillar. Only issue is feeding all of that wiring through. KC gave me a lot of length, so there is about two extra feet of wiring tucked underneath the dash. I drilled a hole right above the headlight knob, and installed the switch for the lights. I had an option to wire the lights either directly to 12v power, or through an accessory source. One means the lights will stay on even when the engine is off, the other will shut the lights off when the engine is off. Final product looks great in my opinion! Took some time to adjust the beam position, tightened everything down. Like mentioned with the bracket, there is a lot of jiggle when driving. Currently figuring out a way to keep that front end a little more solid. Metal or plastic bracing between the back of the bumper and the subframe is what comes to mind. Now it's a RallyVan!

Yes

2019 connect.

Hi everyone- this is my first post showing my new (used) 2016 Transit Connect Cargo that I bought a few months ago with 26,000 miles on it. I haven't owned an American car since the 1970's and I have to say, this van feels tight, it's quiet, handles great and has really good power- very peppy and fun to drive! I'm getting about 27-28MPG on road trips. A job well done by Ford in design and build quality. I had a 2001 Isuzu Trooper for 18 years and this has so much more room and handles so much lighter. I'm using it for my Carbon Cleaning business and as an everyday driver. As you'll see in the photos, I'm also getting it ready for camping this fall. The bed platform in the back is removable so I can load my business machines or set it up for camping. I can't wait until autumn to try it out! Feel free to ask any questions about the stuff I've built inside. I still want to mount 2 more eye hooks in the front of the roof for my camping awnings to clip onto- I just have to take the time to pull the headliner down so I can bolt them on inside. I'm gonna tint the rear and sliding door side windows too and maybe a tint strip along the top of the windshield. As you can see, I've upgraded the stereo to a Kenwood double DIN unit with 2 USB inputs for Apple CarPlay off my iPhone and I use my iPad for navigation. The drivers door armrest has one screw holding it in but the passenger armrest simply slides down between the seats and it's base sits on the floor- it's rock solid. They were easy to make out of pine. I have a Thule box for the roof too for longer trips. The VanTech rails came with the van. My craftsmanship isn't as fancy as some I've seen on here, but it gets the job done

Paint is going on this weekend on Saturday. As for the roof, I haven’t noticed any drastic temp changes as the air is still ice cold from the AC. I did get a chance to clean her up a bit this past weekend. Here are some more pictures. If you would like to follow follow my IG handle, it’s @MFCOFFROAD . There’s more Jeep content on there as that’s my business, but sometimes post for the Slamsit. Also to note, was driving on the interstate this weekend, and it was incredible to see the amount of picture takers, high fivers and people admiring it. To be honest, you never see a slammed work van. You will see in the pics how the front lip needs a filler in the corner. Found a canard that will close this gap perfectly.

You can see the custom M3 skirts here pretty well. The lip dig up some gravel due to the drop. Still have some work to do some filler to some sections, along with a few canards. The front lip is from a 2001-2001 Jetta GLI

Hello everyone! My name is Alvin and I just purchased this gently used (prior rental fleet unit) 2016 TC XLT LWB Wagon on Wednesday April 12th 2017. Background: I'm coming off of a 2011 Ford F150 XLT 4X4 Supercrew. I have spent hundreds upon thousands of hours digging around forums, and watching youtube videos and visiting dealer lots looking at all types of vans for the past 2 years. Sprinters, Full sized Transits, Sportsmobile conversions, Class B RV's, and Airstreams. I loved my Ford truck, but in 6 years of ownership I only used the 4x4 option maybe 3 times, and I never towed a single trailer with it even though it had the full trailer package and trailer brake. Also, I ride motorcycles and maybe had to haul my motorcycle only a handful of times in the bed. Made the life decision that it was time to downsize and get something that was more practical and useful for my use and hobbies. I purchased a mountain bike this past January and it turns out I drive to the trail a lot,,,2 or 3 times per week,,,30 minute commute minimum. I also own 2 beagle boys that are show dogs and we travel to dog shows sometimes and we also travel to Lure Coursing Trials in and out of state. We bring my electric Onewheel with us everywhere we travel so that will be mounted in the van somewhere as well. Why Transit Connect? The things about the Transit Connect that appealed to me most was the rear lift gate hatch that seconds as an awning to hide from the sun/rain, the slider doors on the driver side in addition to the passenger side allowing me quick access to the rear, the front passenger seat forward flip tray function, and the large open space in the rear of the van. I really wanted the cargo van with lift gate but it turns out that those are super rare and the single nearest unit was about 6 hours away. I liked the idea of the wagon to get the rear A/C and heating vents, and the liftgate. My original plan was to carry my Mountain Bike inside the van. After I got the van, I decided against it because it would be way too messy with a dirty, sweat covered bike. Going with the hitch mount is perfect because I can hose the bike off on the rack when I get home, and the rack has a lock built in as well. Plus I won't have to clean a dirty van. I am not opposed to storing the bike inside the van if the bike is clean, so I am going to keep that in mind during the build. Build/Teardown: So, lets start with what I have done so far. As of 4/14/17 this is what I have done to the Wagon so far: Removed the second row and 3rd row seats including all of the brackets. Completely removed both 3rd row passenger seatbelts from the rear most of the Transit. Installed a Uhaul Class 3 Hitch Receiver 2" Max Towing Weight 3,500lbs, 525lb tongue weight. Purchased from Uhaul Part Code 78578 $149.95 Purchased and installed Qty. 2 Pawslife Quilted Bucket Car Seat Covers purchased from Bed Bath and Beyond for 19.99 each. Purchased and Installed a Thule T2 Pro XT Hitch mounted Bike rack. Purchased from my local bike shop. MSRP: $579.95 Limo Tint is going in all of the rear windows next week along with regular legal tint on driver and passenger side windows. Currently Researching: Flooring options. Raised sleeping area with storage underneath that double as a bench seat (3 box style as many have seen online). Fresh water tank installation option. 5 Gallons at most. Canvas privacy shades for windows and cab partition with either a velcro or button style mount. Electrical,,,well first I need to find a full blowup of the electrical diagram so I can get my meter and figure out what everything does. Theres a cool fuseblock in the back that I would like to try to leverage as a hub if possible. I have about 19 years experience working directly on low/medium and high voltage switchgear and control circuit applications in the field so I'm not afraid to wire, solder, troubleshoot, trace, etc. but vehicular systems are kind of their own beast. I am more afraid of cutting into sheet metal that is painted. Lithium House pack/Inverter combo and solar panel to keep my Onewheel juiced up on the road. That's all for now! I'll try to keep this thread updated the best I can. Enjoy!