Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

VW is £30k more. That's significant. I'd need to swap some stuff around in the back, but that's part of the fun.

Sounds like an easy decision.

Takes away a big chunk of risk, is 30k cheaper, is a (somewhat) more car based platform (Vito chassis with passenger car suspension under the V-Class body), I could drive it away next week, and the modular stuff in the boot can be easily modified to have four bikes and three rear seats, two bikes and a single bed plus three rear seats, no bikes and a double bed and three seats, or a double bed and two bikes, plus in various combination a kitchen and storage area.

Now, how do I convince them to remove the 2.2 litre diesel and fit a 6.3 litre petrol V8?

S'easy, simply wave a large number of banknotes.

Well, yes. I suspect rather more banknotes than the van costs though. Sadly.

VW is £30k more

That's a whole lot of:

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Given that the alcohol free champagne-a-like that Sainsbury do is £2.50 a bottle, it is indeed.

On a more serious note; the rear glass popping open is cool. Something I used to really like on my e91. Slinging a bag in when you can't open the boot or don't want to expose all your worldly possessions.

Perfect for wakey wakey morning sunrises without losing all your gear out the back. Or venting a fart. :)

And I don't believe this gen of Vito-Class rust. So that's a bonus.

petrol V8

Settled for 6.2l and then finance by way of YouTube subscriptions for your omg LS swap in an Addison Lee. Am I crazy? channel.

I think it would be easier to stick with OEM parts tbh.

Your post does suggest the next question though- the place I went to yesterday has a black one and a silver one, which would people choose?

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Silver, for the same reason as above.

Though, for the savings, you could get it wrapped in any colour you like.

Silver one is on 9,450 miles, black on is on 4,540 - so not a huge amount in it.

Silver one looks nicer in the pics though I love that both of them are angled so that the awning is doing fuck all.

Being British I assume the awning is to keep rain off.

Another silver car?
Could it be time for a change?

Sadly the blue one sold - in terms of these conversions there are two left and they're both on this page.

It would mean I have exclusively silver cars it is true, although the E63's colour is remarkable for hiding that it's not been washed for months, which I have to say is handy.

I could drive it away next week, and the modular stuff in the boot can be easily modified to have four bikes and three rear seats, two bikes and a single bed plus three rear seats, no bikes and a double bed and three seats, or a double bed and two bikes

Can you? Granted I'm going by squinting at their info-free website, but it looks to me like you can squeeze one bike in by removing one of the bed pods. The bike bods they sell are 1400mm but the bed pods in that van are only 1000mm, and they don't appear to be designed to coexist.

The black one looks like a taxi/minicab and the silver awning bar on it looks silly. Also, solar gain.

There will be some work needed I think, but bear in mind that the stuff on the Blok Pod site is for SWB VW T5/T6, not a LWB V-Class, apparently they made some changes.

But yes - I think (with the second row of seats in) there's a bed/bike exchange required.

My understanding is that you can get two bikes per tray, so remove one of the beds to leave a single and you can get two bikes in.

I'm going to call Blok Pod tomorrow to talk through what exactly they fitted and what they think is possible, with some measurements of my bikes to hand.

Silver - practical
Black - for looks

Full black for that sick Addison Lee vibe

My lack of “I am become death, destroyer of worlds” sticker would give the game away I fear.

@Dammit - your story about the van conversion firm reeks of "we're about to fold"

Is this the firm based in Weston Super Mare?

https://cjlleisure.co.uk/

Silver - practical
Black - for looks (for about a minute after washing)

ftfy ;)