About the van
the van is a 1990 Vauxhall Rascal (or more accurately a Bedford Rascal since back in those days Vauxhall sold their vans under a different brand name)
The engine, hidden under the front seats, is a 1 litre (970cc) petrol 4 cylinder coupled to a 5 speed manual gearbox. When new it boasted 44hp. We've yet to test the 0-60 time, Orkney's winds do affect acceleration. All that can be said is, it will go the speed, but it may take a few moments to get there!
Designed with torque in mind and having the aerodynamics of a fridge, this city van unfortunately averages 25-30mpg. We're looking into a fitting an SU carb to hopefully improve that!
The bodywork was done by Planet Performance in Ayrshire. The van was silver when bought but resprayed blue (RAL 5007). The other colours are in fact vinyl wrap, with a top clear coat paint applied all over to seal it in.
The interior was done by us, we applied DynaPad and a simple stretch fabric to cover most of the metal. A rear bench seat has been added, the legs of which where fabricated by T A Tait in Finstown. The seat can be easily removed to allow for more cargo space.
We also did most of the mechanical overhaul, documented on Retro Rides. The van is largely standard, with the only upgrades being an electronic ignition kit fitted in the distributor and an improved wiper stalk (which gives the van intermittent wipers, very modern!)