Quote:
Originally Posted by 745 TurboGreasel
I have never seen an LT, and the dealer here does not know what one is.
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The Mk1 VW LT was the big brother to the VW Transporter T3/Vanagon. It could be got in a gross weight load rating from 2.8 tonne to 5.5 tonne (that's what the number behind the LT indicates) All 4x4 LT's were either LT40 or LT45, so rated for 4 or 4.5 tonne. There were also non 4x4 LT40 and LT45.
They were build from 1975 (4 years before the launch of the T3) until 1996 and that's where the original D24 and D24T engine comes from.
Volvo made a deal with VW for that engine to go into the Volvo 260, 740, 760, 940 and 960 as their diesel offering. They also agreed with VW, that VW never would use that engine in a car, so that the Volvo would be the only car with that engine. If you ever open the bonnet of your Volvo, you'll see, that a lot of parts are badged VW/Audi. That's because it's a VW engine in the Volvo.
Other vehicles with that engine are for example the Pinzgauer.
VW LT's were also build on license or rebadged in Spain by Pegaso and named Pegaso Ekus.
The 4x4 variant (like mine) of the VW LT were originally developed by a company called Sülzer who build the first (I think 156) 4x4 VW LT's. All which had the 6-cyl petrol engine.
The drivetrain and chassis is based on a normal LT40 or LT45 with leaf springs front and back. The chassis is lifted, 26mm anti-rollbars are added to cope with body-roll and the axles are replaced. A transfer box from New Process was installed in the drivetrain, which is propshaft-driven and cable-operated. The same transfer box can also be found in Chevy Blazer and Jeep Cherokees.
The axles were replaced. The first 6 Sülzer LT's had Dana axles, then production was changed to axles from the italian company Clark-Hurth. All 4x4 LT's came with rear and center diff-lock standard, front diff-lock optional. From 1991 and on, front diff-lock also was standard.
VW eventually took over Sülzers development and build another 1250 or so 4x4 LT's in either tin-top, high-top, single-cab or double-cab pickup. They also added the D24 and D24T options to the portfolio of the 4x4, which already existed in the normal LT from day one. (well, I think the D24T came in the early 80's. 82 or so.)
The D24 option was soon dropped, as it didn't have enough power for the 4x4 drivetrain. So most 4x4 LT's are either the 90 bhp 6-cyl petrol or the 102 bhp 6-cyl D24T.
From 1993 then, VW introduced the D24TIC with 95 bhp, but more torque, for the LT (and LT 4x4).
At the end of the day, there's about 5 million Mk1 VW LT's build, where the majority have the D24 or the D24T engine. Out of these, there's only 1250 4x4 LT's build from around 1982 and onwards.
In 1996 the Mk2 LT was introduced, which shares the body with the Mercedes Sprinter, but has the 2.5 TDI engine, that also is in the VW EuroVan (or T4 as we call it in Europe). That same engine also sits in the Volvo 850 TDI's.
The current successor of the VW LT is called VW Crafter and is as of 2 years ago also officially available in a 4x4 variant.
/M