Restoring a Grumman LLV Mail Truck. It's terrible. I love it.

My dream cars are, in no particular order:
- Lancia Stratos HF (Alitalia rally spec)
- Spyker C8
- Grumman LLV mail truck
Only one of those costs less than a house - after nearly 3 years of searching, I'm a proud (?) owner of a Grumman LLV USPS mail truck.
This episode is a brief tour, a briefer history lesson, and a desperately needed deep cleaning.
Next videos upcoming:
2) Painting
3) Maintenance and Repairs
4) Unnecessary Cosmetics / Rice
I'm no mechanic, so suggestions are greatly appreciated, and occasionally heeded!
#grumman #usps #mailcarrier #restoration #truck

[@PostalDog94]

Woo! Glad to see someone else found one! I don't have time at work right now to finish watching this video, but get ahold of me and I can help you find parts. I'm currently swapping my LLV to the 4.3L v6 👍

[@musewolfman]

I did what you said and came here to show support. Where's my cookie? Real talk, thos is super cool, and im glad to have found out about it on the first episode.

[@PostalDog94]

​@@musewolfmanRight?? Here's to hoping I can send more people his way and support this restoration!

[@MattWinkler1]

Thanks man! It's funny how small the non-government LLV world is, I swear 90% of the info I could find online was just you and the "LS Postal" lol. Wishing yours a speedy recovery haha

[@user-kx3xd8sv7e]

I need to know how to replace the back door lock

[@kybble]

Good color secret service black.

[@karenstein8261]

What a great way to illustrate why American industry is in the doldrums! Every flaw you mentioned is readily solved. Not only did Grumman fail to gradually improve the truck over time, but the industry in general failed to seize upon a design that promised to be ideal as a small truck for contractors, tradesmen, and servicemen. Look at the top - easy reach for ladders, just right for a few sheets of plywood. Look at the cargo compartment - low deck, easy reach, easily organized for storing parts and tools. Easy to secure.

[@EllaPerry-ir5gr]

Had to rewatch this. Late Last night I thought I was watching Ronald finger and was confused because I thought he was working on a 80s car.

[@MattWinkler1]

Haha, well it is an 80's design, and the engine *is* the same as some Fieros!

[@drcerberus6058]

It's always nice to see these things in private hands. The best and worst government vehicle ever made slow and underpowered but a hell of an icon

[@donjulio5045]

Low torque to increase engine life...

[@ambulance_boy3834]

Loved the video. Thanks for keeping history alive.

[@mr.tomraypaz6085]

Saw lots of these for most of my life. It’s amazing how long they have been used. My next door neighbor was a mailman and he drove one…he got to take it home with him.

[@MattWinkler1]

It's truly remarkable how they just keep trucking along, nearly 40 years in service and I still see them putting in work every single day!

[@timruskowski4923]

Still driving one in 2024 for the USPS. My office is slowly getting more Mercedes Metris’ though. I’d much rather drive the LLV tbh

[@MattWinkler1]

Still see quite a lot on the road, especially in rural areas! I'm curious, why do you prefer it? It certainly isn't powerful or well insulted haha

[@dancinginfernal]

​@@MattWinkler1 If you're still curious, the answer is handling and practicality. The LLV might be like driving a tin can, but you can turn on a dime, and do a three-point tighter than most vehicles I've seen. In addition the direct access to the back from the driver's seat and larger vertical space allows for better organization, less back pain/overextending, and faster reorganization as you move mail and packages for the route without exiting the vehicle and with more headroom. For Rural Carriers especially, very useful in helping you keep moving during your day!

[@MattWinkler1]

@@dancinginfernal Great reasons, thanks! Yeah the turning radius is outstanding

[@NovandLapel]

Facts😂

[@SarahWilliams-es2yl]

Holy cow the horn works. None of the LLVs I’ve driven have had working horns.

[@MattWinkler1]

Hah that might explain why I've never heard one honk! On mine at least, it's like the actual horn button is a tiny switch hiding in the corner of the big horn "button".

[@paulwoodman5131]

I'm sure this LLV is much more practical. When I was younger they had a Jeep type vehicle then that I was fond of.

[@MattWinkler1]

The postal Jeeps are very cool, they have the same timeless function-over-form charm - but yes, the LLV can carry twice as much lol

[@tuffman1970]

Paint it deep black and call it black mail. Have a mural painted on it of a pit bull snacking on a mail carrier.

[@ivanofski]

Great work my dude Cant wait to see what you do with it :D

[@BobRoden-vy8oi]

Strip it and polish to a shine…

[@ianhoyt2638]

Quick question. Could you point me in the direction of the law that says you can't drive the van with a USPS livery? I'm sure I just missed it. I can't wait to see what you do with this!

[@MattWinkler1]

Good question - there probably isn't a law *specifically* against just having the livery on a truck, but it's a serious federal crime to impersonate a postal worker - better safe than sorry! Wouldn't want to be blamed for any lost packages while just driving around town either haha

[@furgulley8077]

This must be an older llv. It actually has the 2 grab handles still installed on the rear on each side of the rear gate. These are literally 2 door 1st generation s10 blazers so drivetrain parts are plentiful. You could swap in the 4.3 or even a v8 pretty easily. Also the suspension parts would be pretty easy to upgrade. I drive one at work every day and would love to get my hands on one. Lucky you. Im guessing the guy who owned it must've been a rural carrier. I've never seen that livery ever on a postal llv. I'm also surprised the tray is still in it. Good score.

[@MattWinkler1]

I didn't know the grab handles were removed from other models! Mine's a '92, so not really early in the 1986-1994 production run. And yes I believe the previous owner was a carrier in (very) rural PA, it's obviously a very old paintjob and I'm still not sure if the livery was unique to a specific locale or just very old.

[@furgulley8077]

They had to remove them because in urban areas skateboarders and bicyclists would grab on to them and hitch a tow. It was a safety hazard because the rear visibility is so bad. That's what I was told years ago in my training anyways. Being a 92 that's a newer llv in the run. My understanding is they went from 86-94 before they were replaced by the FFV. If you look at the number on the front or rear of the mail vehicles, the first number represents the last number of the year it was built. That being a 92 the first number would've been a 2. I drive a 93 llv so my number is 330383. If you see a newer Mercedes metris they will likely start with a 1 or a 2 for 2021 or 2022. Pretty useless info I guess.

[@MattWinkler1]

@@furgulley8077 I wonder how common that actually was but I love the story. Seems like they'd be better for skateboarding than delivering mail, they're too low to be of much use - anecdotally, anyway.

[@nicki8731]

If you think these are rare in private hands, check out the LLV's younger brother, the FFV. There is literally ZERO info online apart from photos from news articles, a few stock photos, and a short Wikipedia article. I can't find ANY mechanical information about it, other than it was based on a ford explorer, but I don't know what was changed. To my knowledge, there are none that are privately owned, as any that are in bad condition are immediately scrapped. I seriously very much want one, but I don't think there's a chance in hell I can get one.

[@MattWinkler1]

There are almost as many FFVs as LLVs still in service near me - surprising given how short their manufacturing run was! If any postal carriers want to weigh in on the difference between the LLV and FFV in comfort and practicality I'd love to hear more. (I still think the LLV is cuter though and will not be swayed)

[@nicki8731]

@@MattWinkler1 Oh for sure it's cuter, it's smaller and stubbier. From what I've read on Reddit, it's narrower inside, meaning it's more cramped.

[@captnkarl2477]

I want to try to turn one into a simple RV for the homeless. Can you imagine a better way to repurpose all these that MUST come out of the market soon.

[@MattWinkler1]

I love the idea! I think the odds are unfortunately low that it would work all that well for a couple reasons - first off, there's near zero insulation, so it's not much better than starting from scratch in that regard. Second, as I understand it, very few were ever issued VIN numbers and no official safety testing was ever done, so the post office crushes the vast majority of them rather than auction them to the public at the end of their service life. Still would love to see some camper conversions since they are so space efficient :)

[@kevincox8549]

paint it a warm color! it would be really cool, if it was yellow or orange.

[@MattWinkler1]

The second video with the full paint job is up! I kept it relatively down low, at least for now, but orange would certainly be interesting. The Canadian postal LLVs were red for a time and do look pretty cool

[@donjulio5045]

Lucky...these are hard to find

[@MattWinkler1]

A little bit of luck, and a little bit of looking for nearly three years!

[@danielsellers8707]

What Postman Pat would drive if he was American:-)

[@bnsf4884]

Great video! Do you plan on engine swapping it or leaving it as is? While the engine swaps are awesome, would be cool to see an original intact LLV. Good luck on your LLV project!

[@MattWinkler1]

Thanks! I've been doing maintenance and plan on keeping the original engine, at least until it runs into any serious issues - it sure isn't fast, but it's reliable and original

[@bnsf4884]

@@MattWinkler1 Sounds good! Good luck!

[@mistervacation23]

Is everything all right postal worker Newman?

[@MattWinkler1]

Yes sir, I believe everything is all squared away. Isn't it, Mr. Kramer?

[@mistervacation23]

@@MattWinkler1 giddy up

[@user-kx3xd8sv7e]

How do I replace the back door lock?

[@MattWinkler1]

Not sure, the back door lock on mine is one of the few exterior parts that didn't have any issues to work on haha

[@davidbertram4608]

There is a cover on the inside of the door,take it off you'll see the lock mechanism .if I remember right there's a u retainer holding it in

[@HaddaClu]

Please promise us you will at least replace the wiring so you dont have a fire these things are so well known for having as they get older.

[@MattWinkler1]

Thankfully this is at least a '92, being the "newest" that still had an Iron Duke engine. One of the main things that caused fires was having the wiper fluid reservoir right above the ECU, but it's already fixed and relocated into the dash. Already looking over all the fuses and grounds, and inspecting the fuel system to see what could use replacing!

[@liamdoyle2143]

Great to see another owner too, my little flying brick is abroad in the UK

[@MattWinkler1]

Love to hear it! I wonder if there are any others in the UK at all

[@liamdoyle2143]

@@MattWinkler1 6 were imported by the USAF for use between the bases, 5 survived one scrapped mine nearly became a Coke can too. Of those I know of two that remained stock, mine and a lady called Sue in Newcastle, one made it to Finland, another was covered into a disabled people carrier/camper still on the road. The last was slammed and rodded.

[@liamdoyle2143]

Also if you watch carefully in the movies you'll find the Grumman make quite a few appearances as it is so iconic and recognisable, dare I say like a red London bus. I was also nuts enough to own an ex-USPS postal jeep too...

[@bheberlie89]

That wasn't a s10 blazer... should have a 2.5 iron duke in it