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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo 
        
(Message started by: rob_reznik on Mar 4^th, 2014, 8:34pm)

Title: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by rob_reznik on Mar 4^th, 2014, 8:34pm

Hi - My names Rob and I recently bought a Scorpio CM Limo for a trip through Scandanavia, Murmansk, Moscow, Mongolia, China and 'home' to Laos where we have lived for the last 3 years.

Need a bit of help - the car will be left as standard apart from maybe fitting an LPG kit (28p ltr in Russia), more aggressive tyres and I want to lift it at least a couple of inches. I'm lucky in that the previous owner fitted some air adjustable rear shocks but want to know if there are any springs that are taller that I can use so the shocks aren't doing all the work - also is there something similar for the front springs? Does anyone know what Tyre pressures should be in this longer heavier car and whether I can use the figures for tracking from a Scorpio estate or whether they are different.

Thanks in anticipation

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx143/rreznik/photo.jpg (http://s750.photobucket.com/user/rreznik/media/photo.jpg.html)

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by Matt on Mar 5^th, 2014, 4:40pm

Hi Rob

Gozz will be the fella to answer your questions as he ran scorpio limo/herses in the funeral trade

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by rob_reznik on Mar 5^th, 2014, 7:13pm

Many thanks

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by gozz on Mar 6^th, 2014, 12:04am

on 03/05/14 at 16:40:15, Matt wrote:

Hi Rob

Gozz will be the fella to answer your questions as he ran scorpio limo/herses in the funeral trade

Rob.
All Coleman Milne limos and hearses from the factory were fitted with Ford self levelling rear suspension lifted by a compressor behind the left side front bumper and controlled by a load sensor interposed between the right side rear suspension arm and the body via a relay in the left side fuse box,there is a built in time delay to prevent excessive operation as the vehicle traverses rough terrain.
Any car sent to Coleman Milne by the customer for stretching,which was not fitted with self levelling,would in almost all cases not have the system,but these are uncommon.
ALL CM vehicles are fitted with much stronger springs all round,and are only available from Coleman Milne,unless you can find out the firm who makes them,which used to be in Sheffield.There is nothing to be gained from fitting any sort of Ford springs made for the Scorpio because in comparison with CM springs they are all thin and weedy with far less coils.If you want to put the back end up in the air you could remove the relay and put a hand pumped system in the boot with a little gauge to set the pressure as in Monroe Ride Levellers,or you could remove the connector rod to the load sensor and operate it by hand to the height required,then either lock the sensor arm in position or remove the plug from the sensor unit to prevent the dump valve in the compressor head from operating.The previously mentioned relay(R20 brown)in the aux fuse box will prevent the compressor motor from operating if removed,in normal operation the engine must be running and a slight delay allowed for the compressor to cut in,the dump valve however only needs the ignition to be switched on to operate if the sensor sees that the ride height is above normal.
As a matter of interest,whether or not the 24 valve engine is fitted in your limo,these cars usually have 24v brakes all round to handle the weight of eight passengers.
Good luck
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by Scorpio on Mar 6^th, 2014, 12:16am

Gozz,

That's a great write up and fantastic info.
I will bookmark this for future reference.

Oh, welcome to the forum Rob.

Thanks

Adam

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by gozz on Mar 6^th, 2014, 8:29am

Please see my upgraded rantings re the rear suspension,sorry for any confusion,I think senility is setting in,or it could be the Scotch ::)
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by rob_reznik on Mar 6^th, 2014, 8:36am

Brilliant info thanks! ;D - I'm pretty sure all the original self leveling stuff has been removed and there is the Monroe air adjustable valve and gauge in the boot - I just didnt want the shockers on the rear doing all the work when lifting and was interested in raising it front and rear by a couple of inches along with fitting taller more aggressive tyres - do you know if they are fitted with an lsd on the rear as that would also be useful and if not may find one from an old Cossie - many thanks again!!

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by gozz on Mar 6^th, 2014, 9:05am

No Rob,the Scorpio did not have LSD,if yours is a 24valve engine it will have traction control as standard,which superseded LSD.
By the sound of what you say I think a Defender would fill your needs exactly,rather than trying to beef up a limousine which after all was designed and built as a comfortable following car for the bereaved.
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by rob_reznik on Mar 6^th, 2014, 9:55am

Sorry GOZZ I already have a 110 which I could take but that would be easy and the Limo would be worth a small fortune if I could get it over there as would be sold to one of the big Hotels - If there are major problems on route I can always dump it subject to paperwork and it didnt cost much so wouldnt lose that much money - its making the trip a bit different and have traveled a lot over the years so would like to think I know what I'm doing ? - its the 12V and yes I just jacked up the back, spun the wheels and no it doesnt have lsd - many thanks again

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by luokyio on Jun 18^th, 2014, 7:33pm

Hello,

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I'd like to ask couple of things about Dorchesters. I'm a huge frogeye fan and even have two regular type sedans myself, but I would really love to have a limo version. And I happen to have a possibility to get a vehicle imported from UK to Finland by my friend with low importing costs, so my eyes are glued to Dorchester listings. Couple of things I would like to know though, which are really important for me:

1) are the front seats and their moving range the same as the normal ones? The Towncar limos I've driven have really low amount of adjustments due to the wall behind the front seats. And since I'm really tall, I have to keep the seats as far back as I can, and if Scorpio loses some of its adjustments due to the stretch, I cannot drive it anymore comfortably.

2) Do the middle seats have belts? I cannot see any kind of belts in the pictures of listings currently on ebay.co.uk. I've got three kids and three rows would really reduce the amount of fights in the back seats, but naturally they cannot use the middle row if they don't have belts at all...

I would really appreciate any input, since I have no way to find these out directly at cold Scandinavia, since we quite probably have none of limo Scorpios here.

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by gozz on Jun 18^th, 2014, 8:03pm

The central division does restrict drivers leg room,you could always remove it,there were a few made with a fixed centre seat,mostly the top spec Grosvenor,but they are few and far between,cars with folding seats don't have belts.
Prime Limousine Services has just taken a P reg Dorchester in part exchange from a funeral director,it's one I used to own,2.3 16valve,it drives very well.If you have any interest,call Peter Prime 01733 223293,it will come cheap.

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by luokyio on Jun 19^th, 2014, 8:32am

Thanks gozz, I appreciate your answer a lot! Good to know that the leg room restriction isn't permanent, as the division isn't really needed in a family hauler :P

I'm in market in couple of months, as my friend travels to UK in August, and then I'll be able to move forward. First I need to try to find an answer on how to get a stretch registered in Finland, as they're not factory made... And our bureaucracy is quite stupidly strict on anything modified.

Title: Re: Hi - Scorpio Dorchester Limo
Post by amigafan2003 on Jun 19^th, 2014, 10:44pm

In case the OP is still looking, Google "GRAYSTON COIL SPRING ASSISTER GE15".