Transit Flair - 1995 / 96

Hi all,

New owner/ member here! We have just put a deposit down and collect our Ford Transit Flair next week and I’m trying to do some research to prepare for working on it. It’s in really good condition but I want to get to know it well before heading out. 

I am struggling to find much info on this model from this time period across the forums and was just wondered if there was anyone out there that has previously owned one and could point me in the right direction?

The details I have best are;

- Ford Transit smiley faced model (mk5?), 2l petrol engine
- AS Flair 
- two rotating front seats, bed combines those, the sofa and the single belted seat all folded out / down 
- the kitchen is on the passenger side at the back
- the drivers side has wardrobe, air blown heater and then at the back, fridge high and below a pull out rotating toilet

Will have some pictures when actually have it in our hands next week - very excited!!

Thanks all for any help 

Mark

Hi Mark - it's not too common a model because a lot of buyers seemed to go instead for the alternative LWB model - the Duetto.

But there have been a few Flair owners on here - I'm an ex-owner, having had a 1999 mk5-based one for 10 years.

If you're unsure about anything then you'll probably get an answer here, because a lot of the fitted equipment was shared with other models of the time - so someone will probably know the answer.

Thanks Roopert, 

Good to know someone else has had this model - they certainly seem rare! I have now found two previous owners and you both had them for long periods so hoping that is a good sign.

We specifically went with the SWB version so we can fit in on the drive and there is only two of us (plus dog) to fit in!

Thanks for the help, once I get my hands on it and start figuring out what needs fixing I’m sure I will have questions for the forum.

Don't wish to discourage, and hope you enjoy your new truck, but...

Do try the beds formed by rotated front seats etc, we just sold a Harmony (similar layout) as we simply couldn't get on with the beds.....

Hope OK for you though..............

Scruffyman75 wrote:I have now found two previous owners and you both had them for long periods so hoping that is a good sign.

We specifically went with the SWB version so we can fit in on the drive and there is only two of us (plus dog) to fit in!

I thought it was an excellent van - reasonably good economy, good driving position and parts availability is very good - though the only things I needed parts for were the brakes (mine had stood for a long period as the previous owner was unwell) and some panels for the rusty bits.

Don't be misled by the "rotated front seats" comment - as far as I can recall, you don't rotate the front seats to form the bed on a Flair - the seat slides forward and the back is reclined fully down to form the front end part of the bed.

You are correct Roopert, just remembered ours didn't need to be rotated, just pushed fully forward, then backrests reclined to "horizontal"
Still couldn't get on with them though!

IanH wrote:You are correct Roopert, just remembered ours didn't need to be rotated, just pushed fully forward, then backrests reclined to "horizontal"
Still couldn't get on with them though!

No doubt it depends on how tall/wide you are. The thing that I was unimpressed with was the wobblyness of the passenger seat back when fully down - enough so that I bothered to make up a three-sided folding wooden "bridge" that sat under the seat back to stop it wobbling up and down!

But most of the time I would slide out the centre section and make up the double bed, sleeping diagonally across it - comfortable enough for one person but maybe not ideal for two...