1982 Bedford CF CF1 Pick up Goes for a Drive
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- Опубликовано: 9 июн 2024
- The Bedford CF was the second best selling medium/large van in Britain for nearly 2 decades, it was built to take on the Transit and became a favourite across Europe.
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Aussie CFs were also available with Holden inline sixes in them like the Aussie Transits were available with Falcon sixes.
I’ve got one! LWB van, 202 4 speed.
same in New Zealand
We here in NZ had those same choices of vans. The Holden 202ci was not only retro fitted, but endorsed by Vauxhall / Bedford.
The Australian 86-87 CF2 exported the inline 6 for inclusion of the chassis cab for NZ St Johns ambulance contract via the UK 🇬🇧 then sent to NZ as a CBU chassis cab for St Johns to coach build.
The NZ importer was Jones Locke Holden in Takanini, South Auckland. ❤😮
Our CF has a stock 173 Holden Red Motor, with all Holden transmission,brakes etc.
@@kenwatkins7097 the 173ci would have been 2600cc used for LC swb Torana ( holden ) in my native NZ.
They would have been a quick turnaround for retro fitting in CF's in mk1 form 😉 l.o.l
Remember them as postal service vans in Denmark as far as well into the 90’s. They had a sliding driver’s door as well and the postman usually just drove around with the door open 😃
You used to see that in the UK too, but it was always British Leyland Sherpa vans.
@@Zeem4 was just going to say the same! Health and safety would have a heart attack now if they saw that.
Back in the day I thought these were the better option than a transit . The rack and pinion steering was precise compared to the set up on the transit and the bodies didnt seem to corrode anything like fords . The engines were not as accessible to work on . Great to see one on your channel Matt.
What a beautiful example of a van that used to be everywhere but now...isn't. Great history and review of this classic van.
My parents had a 1970 Transit with a CI wayfarer conversion with the 1600cc v4 which was as slow as treacle in winter, it was replaced by a CF with the 2300cc engine and had a large coachbuilt Dormobile body on it, it felt like Porsche performance after the Ford. Good test.
I remember these being absolutely everywhere in the early 80s (along with Sherpas), definitely more common than Transits until that became the VE6 one-box design. Excellent find Matt!
Transits outsold the Bedfords in the 60's, 70's and beyond. The mk1 and mk2 Transit were everywhere back in the day, I remember seeing a lot more Transits than Bedfords about.
I grew up with my family using both, the Bedfords were troublesome and a lot more unreliable than the Transits were, they especially loved to eat gearboxes.
Sherpas, 10 a penny in the post office.
Transits allways by far the most popular vans on the road in the uk.much more popular than sherpas and bedfords put together.
I drove a pre-facelift panel van which, as you said in the vid, was spammed up, with a black roof and base and white around the mid, topped off with spotties on the front grille and roof line front and rear. Went like stink too, leaving many a surprised car driver in its wake.
You weren’t joking about a heavy clutch either. The clutch cable needed regular adjustment and replacement when it had stretched too much, and I had to lock my knee straight at lights and junctions. However, that van took me, the band I was in and a ton of gear to London and back twice, as well as local and more distant gigs, and only cost us 350 quid. Probably long melted down now, but Betsy Bedford lives on in the memory! We loved her.
I’ve drove many of these for Sunderland Council excellent vehicles on the petrol engine the engine was a bit of a weakness Half a v8 or the slant 4 but the bodywork would go on forever the main rival was the Ford transit had a brilliant engine but the bodywork was terrible.Thank you for this video brings back memories and also very interesting
Worth doing an EV conversion in it, loads of space for battery pack, I-Pace or Prius transmission under the rear, 250/275 mile range would be respectful and usable...
@@kylereese4822wouldn’t get anywhere near 250 miles.
I was in Beavers/Cubs/Scouts in the 80s and 90s and our late group leader had the minibus version of this van. Tomato red, vinyl bench seats in the back (sans seatbelts obviously). Goodness knows how many days out or camps we went out in it, bouncing our way along. Skipper knew the roads to the local campsite in Commondale like the back of his hand and so he could absolutely blast it along. Fun, care free times.
He also had the pre facelift version which was used by the Cubs and Beavers while this version was used mainly for Scouts. He proudly told me how the earlier version had no reverse lights and so he wired his own in. Good times
The timber yard that two of the characters worked in in Threads had a pair of these
When my old man started up his business in the late 70's he bought an ex local newspaper (Sunderland Echo) panel version one of these as his first van. L reg as i recall, it had sliding cab doors and a massive hole in the passenger foot well. I used to go out and about with him in it during school holidays. Happy nostalgic days.
Great video! My mum and dad had one of these in the 90s when I was a kid. Watching it and showing her bits of the video doing a lot of remembering hahahah
I actually loved these old ones. Especially the previous model. The sound of the rasio was really nice and you felt like you were safe. Lovely to see them still on the road.
My dad had a fleet of these in the 70's / 80's. I remember picking up a brand new LWB van from Chatham Motors ( I think it was) in about 1983, having just been painted dark metalic blue 2.3 petrol. The Petrol tank imploded on the M2 motorway bridge due to the wrong non vented petrol cap being fitted at the dealers. Getting recovered was an exciting event for a 3yr old me :)
That's a great vauxhall story if I ever heard one.
Was that the Vauxhall dealer in Chatham where Wickes is now?
@@phil955i I believe so. My Dad got all his vehicles from there so it would make sense. I was only 3 but one of my earliest memories haha. Apparently it was his idea to fit a chrome petrol cap to match the chrome hubcaps on his new van 😂 I also remember it was the fella that painted the Swains lorries, signwrote the van in the same gold script. I believe a Chevanne was purchased at the same time / colour combo.
@@piercee100 In about 1988 I popped in there on the off chance they might have a cylinder head gasket for the 1963 Vauxhall Cresta PB I was running at the time. And they did, it was covered in dust but I was pretty amazed they had one on the shelf lol. I think that dealer closed not long after that.
I had a brand new one in 82,pick up. The west wilts district council had a fleet of them.
Well I wasn't expecting one of these to turn up on the channel - what a unusual treat! I have often driven these things in the past and they were commonly referred to generically as ' Transit vans'' - much to the annoyance of both Bedford and Ford management I expect.
The engine note brought back instant memories of being a passenger in one as a 16yr old on a YTS scheme delivering T.V’s for the CoOp.
I drove one, they had a weird seating position. A bit rattly as well. The seat belts were kangol euroflex, some of the most comfortable belts ever fitted to a vehicle.
on a side note, portuguese CF's never left the factory with seat belts.
a great vid, i had a 74 cf 1800 in 1985, much better than the transit i had to drive for my job, when the 1800 broke, stuck in a 2000 victor engine, when that went bang stuck in a magnum 2.3, it went quite well, loads of torque, then i got hold of a rover v8 so that made it go really well except the cost of fuel as i did not change the diff ratio from the 1800 one, i had a bull bar, extra lights, 2 roof spoilers, wide custom wheels and jacked it up 3in all round! i miss mine, would love another one.
Memories my dad had a 2.3 1976 cf van traveling in back with my brother we went everywhere in it in 1992 I got a 1977 Bedford cf camper with a pop top roof had drum brakes all round great vans all the best donny
Last time I drove one of these was 2004, it was a 5 peed with a dog leg box and a tipper body, loved driving it unlike everyone else on the building site
The 2.3 engine was also used in the Panther Lima (which was based on a Vauxhall Viva/Magnum/Firenza floorpan), and the block was used by Lotus, with their own 16V head
I see the owner has put extra sealant on the rocker cover. That was pretty much essential with those slant four engines. They did like to spew oil onto the exhaust manifold, which my old Victor did several times causing much smoke and a significant risk of fire.
I spotted one on these the other day on a V plate. It was still working collecting scrap in Manchester. Not seen one for years.
Nice
The best looking British van, ever.
Great idea driving this Bedford! I can remember having seen them here in the Netherlands back in the day, but only as Bedford, not as Opel Blitz. Blitz means lightning bolt by the way, and it refers to the horizontal blitz in the Opel logo. Not to the Blitzkrieg or some ww2 logo 😅
That makes sense! Although the 1970 was closer to the war than 1970 is to today so memories were still fresh at the time
@@furiousdriving Worth doing an EV conversion in it, loads of space for battery pack, I-Pace or Prius transmission under the rear, 250/275 mile range would be respectful and usable...
My parents had a 1980 (pre-facelift) with a RV body on it (in the Netherlands). We went even to Bedford club events with it. Somewhat needed as well as there was a tendency for break downs. Ran out of adjustment for valve clearance in NL, carburator issues in Scotland (the Vauxhall dealer was just in the process of removing the Bedford signs) and in Denmark the driveshaft failed. That and the rust repairs made them sell it. The Bedford club still exists and CF campervans and RV's are still the primary members.
PS: When about 10 years ago I want looking for my own campervan I could not find one to my liking and price. They got rare. I ended up with a 1979 VW LT which was great but maybe even less reliable and for sure more rusting. The LT drove more truck like than the CF. In the end the noise on highways drove us to a modern Citroën Jumper/Relay.
At one point as a kid one grandparent had a Midi, the other had an older CF. The Midi was around the same size as the CF and felt considerably more modern. The lift up tailgate was a joy when loading and unloading in wet weather. The problem with the Midi was parts. The van was imported in bits and assembled in the UK which mean when something went wrong the chances of Bedford having a spare seemed to be slim.
A lot of people think the 2002 Scooby Doo movie used a GMC van but it was actually a Australian Bedford CF
These were very common in New Zealand. When I was a kid, I remember our family artist visiting with an old CF, parking in the driveway. When he went to leave, the ignition jammed and the key broke off. Anyway, with a combination of drilling and chiselling with a small cold chisel, I had the lock off to free the steering in about 5 minutes. I twisted a few lengths of heavy household wiring together and put them in the connector, by trial and error the engine was started. Entertainingly, six months later, he was still driving around using the same wires to start the van.
Vauxhall/Bedford keys were at this time aluminium ( aluminum ) , for the Americans.
Keys broke 💔 in their ignition all the time.
Heard of stories of scissors ✂️ jammed in the steering column to make them start 😂👌
I drove one of these for a while when I was a GM apprentice back in 1972-76. Mine was a panel van. Barn doors at the back & sliding doors up front. Unfortunately it only had the 1800cc slant 4 engine with a 3 speed gearbox which was OK around town but woefully undergeared on faster dual carriageways & motorways. Fond memories camping out in it with the girlfriend at brands hatch on race days. I also drove a flatbed version similar to your one for a while as a saturday job delivering hardware. I found the clutch on that one (4 speed) much stiffer to use. Fond memories of simpler times.
Well, that's a bit different, Matt! Here in NZ, we didn't see much of the Transit at all, although there were a small number about and a couple of imported Campervans......but NOTHING like the number of CFs. They were THE go-to for most things who needed a vehicle with plenty of pep and plenty of room. The police, ambulance, road workers / councils (if they werent using JO or J1 Bedford trucks), schools - everyone pretty much! We got the basic short wheelbase (SWB) CF van, the SWB cab and chassis (although most dealers sold them with a flat deck on the rear that you could take the sides and tailgate off) and we had the long wheelbase (LWB) version in either single or tandem rear axle. The LWB was known here as the CF Jumbo.
Jumbos were the ones locally turned into Ambulances, Mini-vans (as in 12-seater coach) or used by tradies with a lot of electric tools. The flat deck was used almost exclusively by the likes of builders, bricklayers and such (my Uncle had a '72 flat deck with a 2.3). Engine offerings - like the UK - were the 2.0 or 2.3 slant, although there were very few 2 litre units sold and over the years most had been replaced by the near identical to look at 2.3.....or a Holden 186 or 202 cubic inch straight six. This was the most common repower for the Beddy and was also done in the coach-built Ambulances. A less common but still often found at the time swap was for a 308ci Holden or 350ci Chev V8, which usually appeared in the Custom vans rather than campers or similar. A few were done with manual gearboxes, but most were auto.
Both the SWB and LWB van were used for customising and in the early 80s, there were many A-Team clones done with a Beddy....and I've even seen a Mystery Machine (Scooby Doo) psychedelic layout on one! More often than not though, the customisations were a metallic paint job of either a single colour and much hand pinstriping or two-tone with a custom body-line stripe, much dark glass, replacement of the rear barn doors with a single metal panel and wide window that did not open, large or porthole side window, a bed of some large size in the rear, much mood lighting (fairy lights or wall lamps), wood panelling and / or shag carpet everywhere. Chromed marker lights across the front of the cab was mandatory, as were a brace of spotlights, the Cheviot / Aunger Turbo, Trident or Hustler style of mag wheels.....and if you had a metal sunvisor and / or 6" rear aerofoil, you were really cooking.
Speaking of cooking, Jumbos were the more popular for turning into campers and my Dad did exactly that with our one. I have photos of him and a mate cutting the roof just behind the seats and raising the whole thing up by two and a half feet. She served us for many years, did that Jumbo - and Dad being a bricklayer, loved taking it to work because it was a place he could sit in comfort, make a cuppa and keep his tools safe. Mum drew the line with him chucking the concrete mixer in there though! Pop-top campers were also common over here and many a Jumbo was converted in that fashion. We didn't get the factory CF camper, but a few were imported or came over with people emigrating from the UK.
I loved the old Bedford CF and when I look at campers - dreaming of the day my wife and I retire and tour the country in one - it is always the CF Jumbo I look for first.
When I worked for the NZR Road Services in NZ, we had both the Transits and CFs and both had the slant 4 engines. Moved to Aussie and theirs had 6 cyl Falcon and Holden engines.
It wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Minder. Love it. 👍
Pretty sure Des had one in one episode.
The van version of this was sold in Australia with a straight 6 Holden 202 C.I. (3310) engine in them. Our neighbour had one, converted into a Sunliner camper van. It was always kept in immaculate condition. It would be quite a collector's piece if it was still around today, as it had all the bells and whistles.
We've still got our 1979 GMH assembled one, fitted with the 173 straight 6.
I have an old Finnish pre-facelift Bedford Blitz commercial on my wall! It was indeed called a Bedford Blitz but the commercial advertises the new "silent, durable and economical" Opel Diesel engine! :)
The van modding community was on fire over here in nordic countries as well. CF's and Chevy/GMC vans domitaned that scene but there were many Econolines and Dodge vans too. Cool as hell paintjobs and interiors.
I'm in Australia. The facelift never made it here. I have a LWB, single rear wheel van with a 3.3l Holden 6 and a 4 speed manual. Love it to death. It has been fitted with vented front discs, greatly improving the stopping situation. Being high roof, there is plenty of headroom, even for 6' 4" me. Great to see a Bedford on the channel!
I envy you. Here in the Uk these things are like rocking horse shit.
@@antman5474 They have no rust protection at all. An Englishman I met was amazed mine still had arches. They rust here, but not as badly, and repairable, or replaceable ,mine has a fibreglass bonnet for example. The MIG is my friend!
Thanks, good video!
My grandfather was a milkman in Belgium and used a Bedford CF, a white one with a roof rack.
Spent some happy hours with my grandparents in that van.
He switched to a Renault Trafic after that.
As a kid , I always felt like the Trafic had to work harder to get the job done, it felt lighter and tinnier too.
I had a long wheelbase CF Van with a 202cubic inch (about 3.8 litre) 6 cylinder Holden engine as standard, coupled to a Toyota Supra 5 speed and a 9 inch Ford diff. People kept leaving" sell me your van" notes under the wipers and I sold it for more than I paid five years later.
They were terrible rust buckets and very basic inside. Appart from the rack and pinion steering they were about a million years behind the Transit and about two million years behind the Japanese competition. The Hiace I replaced it with shat all over it in every way.
The one you've got is one of the last ones but mine was a 78 model so didn't have any dashboard or anywhere to put a radio or anything. I had to build my own dash shelf where I built a place for a radio and mechanical temperature gauge because the standard one didn't work and I cut a hole in the back of the dial next to the Speedo where I fitted a rev counter. It would do a bit over an indicated hundred and sixty KPH (about a hundred mph) and about 15/20mpg.
What a really appealing van! Never seen a road test of one of these so definitely a first for me! Love the noise, basic interior and the mad wiper arms lol. Great video Matt!
My Dad had one in the late 80’s. Almost exactly the same as that one but for the bed sides painted black. His was a tipper. I vaguely remember going to somewhere north of Manchester (from Liverpool) to pick it up with him. He did “man with a van” stuff with it for a couple of years. Brings back some memories.
Lots of happy memories! Jurgens caravans imported a few hundred into South Africa to build campers there was the CF250, the same chasis as this in the video and the CF350 on a dually chasis. We had A CF350 with a 6 berth camper body and did a few rallies with the Jurgens club as well as other holidays. Although it had the same 2,3L engine as shown in this video and a 5 speed gearbox, first gear being a crawling gear and the other 4 for normal road use it could very easily get to 140 km/h an cruise at that speed with 4 people and all thier katundi for a weekend.
GM themselves didn't sell the CF much in South Africa and probably stopped in about 1980.
Oh dear I do feel old now, this van was registered the year I left school, I remember the older version but not this newer one. Great video Matt, you always seem to find something a bit different.
You brought back some memories. In early 90s I used to put up a local. News papers display out to shows in the summers. We had the panel van. Great Times
Great to see another CF, thanks for the video Furious Driver. I’ve been the proud owner of a 1982 Bedford CF280 ex-ambulance for 23 years. When I bought it towards the end of the last Millennium it was already converted into a camper but it had a Vauxhaul slant engine that was only a 1.8L and if a hill was too steep then forget it, I’d have to go a different route. So when the clutch went in July 2000, I thought now is a good time to put a diesel engine in the ‘Ambi’. So I fitted her with a 2.3 Opel/GM engine. Lots of adventures, trials and tribulations over the past two decades. . . .
At this present moment in time I’m having the engine (a Perkins 4.154 I fitted about 15 years ago) completely overhauled and should be back on the road in a week or so. I’m making a video of the Ambi’s story (it really should be a full length feature film. : ) so will post it up soon.
P E A C E : )
This van is mine. The 2.3 slant petrol in there laughs at any hill.
@@Landie_Man Y reg . . same year as my CF. The 0.5L more would make a big difference. Your van looks great, good to have it reviewed in this video. My ‘Ambi’ appeared in a pilot for a tv series quite a few years ago called Tidal Rave. The lead actor, Warren Brown, played a local character living by the sea in a camper van. Unfortunately the program never made it to air but the Ambi did earn herself £100 for playing her part.
@@FUNKINETIK nice mate. She’s looking way better after a hot summer of tinkering!
That’s a brilliant story. Is it available online anywhere?
@@Landie_Man Ahh cheers, no , I’ve searched for it recently but nothing, I was promised that a dvd of would be sent to me, but it wasn’t. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I searched for the actor’s name. I knew he’d been in The Bill and a short series with a story line of Big Brother contestants being unaware that the outside world had turned into zombies. After finding his name I was impressed with the various roles he has played.
Yep your CF is looking great, it doesn’t look ‘old’ . . such a good design. I’ve been giving my Ambi the attention she deserves. I was really lucky last week. . I was struggling to find any info on a replacement bushing in the steering rack and when Adrian Bailey (I assume you know of him) told me that Bedford never supplied a replacement bushing. And then luckily found a complete reconditioned steering rack on EBay. So looking forward to getting back on the road.
@@FUNKINETIK yep I know him. Lovely guy, knows his prices but a nice chap and very helpful! My CF has since had a new front bumper with spotlights, the rear bed rebuilt and painted, plus an H frame with spotlights on it to illuminate the bed (rear work lamps). Plus a bit more polishing! I love these vans. They’re very useable
I remember that wonderful sound. They used to be everywhere. Greengrocers, School Minibuses, Ambulances, Fire Services used the LWB vans. My Brother in Law customised an early CF with a Rover V8 , 3 speed automatic and Jaguar XJ rear subframe.
Bedford CF or Opel Blitz ( Blitz means Lightening in German ).
You loved this didn't you Matthew.
Always had a soft spot for the CF. I remember the ice cream van and cider refreshers.
Nice to see a Bedford getting some love , cheers :).
I remember these as school taxis in the early mid eighties taking me to and from my village shool here in finland. I recall them being named Bedford Blitz .
Guy down the street from me has one of these it's the panel van with windows, he screams by sometimes and I know it's him as I can hear that engine giving it the beans!
I last drove a CF (ice cream van!) in 1999. 2.3 slant-4 the same as this. The sounds brought it all back. Even with a massive freezer full of lollies slung over the back axle it could shift. Thirsty though, as I recall.
love this, my mate had a car transporter one for his banger racing cars, it was a diesel one that was so under power'd with a car on the back he fitted a 2ltr pinto in it.....my dad had a 1.8 slant 4 in his magnum....loved that car!
I have driven, many years ago, a battery powered Bedford CF panel van that had a 50 mile range and the charger was nearly as big as the van. It was a prototype given to bus company's as a demostrater to see if their was a market for it in the 80s.
It had a raised bed in back to accommodate the battery's.
Jong.
I love commercial vehicles they bring so many memories of shops and firms flooding back.
My father worked for Dormobile in Folkestone and I rented Dormobile caravanettes through him sometimes for a good rate off season. My very favourite was the quite luxurious (for the time) Bedford Calypso, with a wide side view window, and I had some memorable touring holidays in it.
Great stuff - I'm glad a few people want to keep the commercials going! 👍🏻
Fantastic video Matt.
As a child of the 80's I remember these being everywhere, especially panel vans. I think the longest lasting versions would be the ice cream vans which were still occasionally are seen working only a few years ago.
My best mates just bought one!
Camper heaven when it’s finished!
I had a twin wheel extended chassis 1974 CF truck with a Perkins 154 cu in Diesel and a 4 speed gearbox . I used it to collect scrap cars in '83 /84 .
40 mph top speed , but it towed my mates broken down Transit when both were fully load with absolutely no effort . Eventually the chassis rusted out right behind the cab .I worked it until the head board touched the cab then sadly sold the engine and gearbox for export and scrapped the rest . I preferred them to Transits because the cab of the early models was big enough to store tools and ropes on the floor .
Great to see a CF, I work for Vauxhall normally in Ellesmere port but am currently working in Luton in the plant where they were built.
On my previous job back in the 80's I drove a CF 1 2.3 Luton van (went like a rocket) a much newer Transit Luton (low power gutless) and a CF2 panel van. The CF2 was fitted with the Opel cam in head engine used in the Manta & Mk1 Cav. The only problem was it didn't have a gate into reverse which was next to 1st!
My Dad had a blue 1976 CF 250 panel van in 1982 and while not old at the time it had been laid up for a few years with running problems and he got it cheap and used it and could never fix the misfiring problem.
Remember the reg MWO374P, he always said it was very fast 😅
Went to the breakers in 1985 unfortunately.
Loved the CF and bought myself a 1980 CF coach built camper van in 1997, it was great and pulled well and was super nostalgic what with my childhood memories of my dads Bedford van.
I done lots of mods and it done plenty of trips to Devon from West Sussex where I lived.
Would love to own a CF 350 twin axle panel van in mint condition if the lottery ever comes?
Lovely British vans from a great time before everything went foreign ❤️😅
Great nostalgic video to start my day. These were everywhere when I was growing up - as you said in the video (several times 😊). My grandad had a Bedford CA Dormobile for 20 years (he had 4 kids, it was almost the only option back in the late 50’s’) which I absolutely loved going on adventures with him in. Could be a good project camper? Keep up the good work Matt!
My dad had a CA in NZ back in the 50's & 60's.
I drove many CF's in NZ, both four & six cylinder.
I owned a CF350 tandem wheeled jumbo with the ZF box 📦 which really worked hard over those years, the 90's.
Their were many CF2's in NZ, as special request back to UK by large fleet buyers, namely Auckland Electric Power Board 🔌 and Saint Johns Ambulance 🚑 in my native New Zealand 🇳🇿 😀
These looked identical to the Transit at the time imo. The headmaster of our primary school had a first gen camper that he drove to school every day, I remember him saying he struggled to get more than 16 mpg out of it lol.
In Australia the CF kept the original styling for the entire production run & they all had the Holden Inline Six in them, quite a large engine hump intruding into the cab.
The Holden inline six was a very primitive engine at that point, OHV with siamesed ports(3 inlet, 4 exhaust), only the same power ranges you quoted for the Vauxhall slant four, but probably never reached 100hp in any state of tune as originally fitted to the Bedford CF, I'd have to imagine it did offer more torque to justify using it instead of the Vauxhall engine, unless it was to satisfy a government mandate for minimum local content.
Well that was different Matt, thanks for that, I remember the CF’s well, a friend of mine had one sitting on his drive for years in the 90’s and it never moved, it had corrosion here there and everywhere and the engine and brakes were seized.
It’s a shame the Bedford brand is no longer with us, the CF as you said always played “second fiddle” to the transit, but they were everywhere at one time, most survivors are camper vans and ice cream vans nowadays, it’s rare to see a pickup or panel van.
My father had a Bedford CF in Portugal in the 80's with a Vauxhall logo. As a kid for me it look to me as short version of the A-Team van, and yes as every kid sat on the middle seat. Sometimes I see a CF in rural areas of the country as well as the small Rascal model.
I love these older vehicles. So much character.
Back in the early 90’s I was a service engineer for the YEB (Yorkshire electricity board) and I used an electric CF van. It had the rear diff turned 180 deg and had an electric motor fitted directly to it and the floor was full of normal 12 volt batteries.
I could only get about 40 mile range and for the winter it had a paraffin heater!
You have open up a whole new road of reviews her Furious, Sherpa/LDV pilot next please😁…… love your work😎.
I have a memories of an early CF diesel with a Luton body, noisy and slow doesn't describe it! Flat out, empty we saw 48mph on the clock, loaded it wouldn't pull a hen off it's nest! Later I serviced Transit laundry vans with automatic gearboxes, and seemed fast after that CF Luton!
I have a 1980 cf 1 in my shed bought it from a local sale years ago only had 11,000miles on the clock it is a twinn wheeler lwb with a 1 .9 diesel ( original ) used it for work then now in store still now got only 38,000 miles on clock . Lovely original vehicle loved driving it
Great review Matt, I remember these as Ambulances and ice cream vans much more ice cream vans on a sunny Sunday afternoon at my granny and Grandads.
Fascinating, my first school had an original M reg one as a school minibus in the early 80s which was eventually replaced with an A reg Transit mk2 which seemed a world away at the time.
I did drive one of these for a milk company back in the 80s the seating position drove me mad it was replaced for a transit with a pinto I found myself in a much happier place, great review lovely to see one in such nice condition, great review 👍
We had a CF2 Motorhome 1986 - it was a fantastic vehicle
Actually it's a CF Facelift - there never was a CF1. The round nose gave way to the facelift in 1980 and then the CF2 in '84. I run three CFs, all from '76 to '78, a twin-wheel flatbed, a pop-top camper and a panel van, all with Vauxhall slant-four engines. Great Video!
Love these bedford cf2s my dad had one many years ago but sadly had to sell it due to parts finding was hard.
When i worked for Millers of Poole they had a fleet of diesel CF and i had a CF camper in around 1983 was a great van and the engine pulled well and was good on fuel. I also had 2 FE Victors with the 2.3 engine.
Hello Matt. Thanks for the reference to the Bedford CD. I googled up a photo of a clay model. Neat! On CF body styles, there were 2 vans. One of normal length and roof height and a long wheelbase version with high roof. Within those were many variations too - swinging or sliding front doors, side rear door or no side rear door, and dual or single rear wheels on the LWB vans. For a campervan, a single wheel LWB would be ideal if you can find one! In Australia, CF's were powered by Holden 6's up to 3.3 litres, and Transits by Falcon 6's up to 4 litres
I have driven both four & six cylinder CF's, a past acquaintance of mine owned a 4.1 Transit in my native NZ, all these models both in swb & lwb were more common across the Tasman in NZ than you think 🤔
Along with their successor the CF2 Opel Petrol powered 4 cyl and 202ci CF2 in rear wheeldrive form only.
I understand an Opel diesel powered CF2 4WD for the british military in small numbers back in the UK.
Nearly forgot, as a teen I helped out on a scrap round and the guy had an older CF tow truck with a three litre Perkins diesel. Plus a two litre Transit too of course!
This drive brings back memories.
I worked for what was The Milk Marketing Board back in the early 80s. I used to drive a panel van version on a daily basis, that particular van was a 1982 X reg with the 2.3 engine.
Ten or so years ago a mate of mine had a CF tipper with the 2.3 and drums all round. It was a rarity then and I wish I'd bought it off him but had no real use for it to be honest. If it had been a panel van I'd have been all over it. Done up like a 70's Chevy custom van, oh yeah!
I went to a local ice cream company recently and they had loads of CF's. I saw more that day than I'd seen in the last twenty years!
Round the back were the remains of some CA ice cream vans and even a panel van, complete but rotten.
Brilliant!!! Love an old van. Something a bit different. Thanks
Brilliant truck. Im a transit man myself but do like these. Would be great to see some pics inserted of a Bedford CD the camper and the first cf1. I have to keep stopping the video to Google search these things you are telling us about. Brilliant video as always.
We had a cf van with sliding doors, we used it for transporting race bikes and sleeping in at race tracks, great vehicles and easy to work on inside without getting wet
Back home in Portugal we had loads, all versions, the MK1 and 2 with the rear double doors and etc and they where called Bedfords too
Haven't seen one of these for a long, long time, sir. That engine does sound quite pleasant, actually.
The closest we got to a chevy van
The first CF even had a 3 speed manual box on the base version. This was supplied to
the Department of the Environment, Shornecliffe in Folkestone [who I worked for in the 70's] in primer. We painted them in-house, and not very well!
For those of us watching from America something different from the Uk like this is very interesting!
A tiny Chevy van!
There's a beige CF camper on a 'B' plate that is still in use about a mile from where I live.
Great old truck Matt.I drove an automatic diesel version up Stone Street many years ago. Just about kept pace with the pedestrians!
The electric CF used a complete drivetrain bought in from Lucas. There was one for sale on eBay a while back - formerly used at Luton airport. There was also an electric Freight Rover van (later version of the Leyland Sherpa) which used the same drivetrain. It would be interesting to do a comparison test, but I suppose the biggest problem would be finding one of each. The only electric Sherpa I know of is in Ipswich Transport Museum.
A chap near to where I work owned a electric cf he had a spare one for parts when they finally died he purchased a electric berlingo from a power station
I had a panel van with front sliding doors and sliding windows ( like a mk1 mini or TWC ) and I can't remember what year it was .. mine was a 1600 petrol . I paid £140 worked it for 1 summer then scrapped it after a 3 page failure sheet on the MOT ..
Ahh memories ..
Peace and love brother 👍🏻☮❤
Mr. Rossi, my local ice cream man still drives his CF. Same one that I bought ice cream from thirty odd years ago!
I googled the Bedford CD concept and your right Matt, they should have made it, it looks so cool.🚚👍
That was a lot of fun even though these were never seen here in The States. Cabover pickups didn't catch on, probably because we have wide open spaces. I briefly owned a '57 VW single cab pickup in the eighties, people would ask, "did you build that from a Microbus?" Keep the content coming, most enjoyable!
This isn’t a cab over as the wheels are in front of the driver. This is a similar van to the 70’s Chevy van as both are GM products except this CF has the flat bed body instead of the usually fitted panel van body.
Bedford CF! I learned to drive in one 🤣.I remember having to be carful when selecting 1st gear and not reverse 😅
yes, that central 1st position is kind of odd
I love the variety of vehicles you get hold of.
There use to be a guy in my street when I was a kid had 6 Bedford cfs on his drive all having work of some sort and that was In the 90s they were everywhere ice-cream vans especially fond memories 😊
Reminds me of A Team van, can see some of Vauxhall GM parts bin on switch gear, reminds me of a very first Vauxhall I had (1983) Nova .
I really enjoyed that. More commercial vehicles please!!!!
Still a few around in Portugal, especially small villages, with the wooden rear cargo area. Popular with builders and farmers
A better climate for them to survive I guess!
I distinctly remember my neighbour, (who was a builder), having one of these in the early 1980’s, it had the previous style grille that you mentioned, and was a very drab shade of beige, also. like the one featured here, it had the drop side body, being a very young girl at the time, I thought it was absolutely huge, however, seeing this one now, I think it would be more accurate to say, the van wasn’t huge, I was very small😊.