17 replies to this topic

[FordPrefect]

Hello, in one of my rare visits here I thought I would share some pictures I took at the British Car Show held two weekends ago in Bronte Park Oakville.

Yes there was a Ford Prefect

Go Here

[jarama]

Ford,

very nice pictures, indeed.

Carles.

[Paul Medici]

Thanks Ford for the very nice photos.

Always wondered what my old MGA Coupe would look like with louvers punched in her hood.

Also still wonder why I ever sold her thirty years ago


PJM

[bobbo]

Ford:

Absolutely great photos!1 Good variety, too!

Just one complaint: Why only 1 shot of TR-2/TR-3s??;) (just kidding!!)

Bobbo

[David Beard]

Originally posted by FordPrefect
Hello, in one of my rare visits here I thought I would share some pictures I took at the British Car Show held two weekends ago in Bronte Park Oakville.

Yes there was a Ford Prefect

Go Here

The Ford Prefect holds no fascination with me..I was brought up in the back seat of a number of them. Their only amusing feature was windscreen wipers that slowed down just at the times one might want them to work....

[FordPrefect]

David my favourite feature was the front windshield that would crank out to give you a very primative form of air-conditioning.

[Vitesse2]

As we seem to have a sort of classic car thread here (nice pics Ford - any more of that Lotus Eleven?) I was driving back to work after lunch today when I saw something I'd never seen before - or even heard of - a Hillman Imp convertible! Was this a commercial conversion along the lines of the Crayford Ford ragtops or is it just a one-off? I only saw it for a moment as it was going the other way, but it looked to have a racing-type roll-over bar - full-width and braced. Of course, that might just be a way of stopping the body flexing without the roof to hold it together ....

[bobbo]

Vitesse2:

Way back in 1966, I had a Hillman Minx (Nit the Inp, sorry!) that was a convertible, leaked more with the top up! And was colder in the winter than with the top down! Just like my TR-2!

I guess this is what TNF does for me: stirs up some fun and interesting memories.

Would love to see that Imp ragtop!

Bobbo

[oldtimer]

Wot, no Alvises??. Thanks Ford Prefect for some great shots that bring back nostalgia. Incidently, my TA14 Alvis had a crank on the windscreen, and lots of things the Prefect didn't. Like brakes for instance...

[condor]

Were there any Ford Capris there?

I used to drive them all the time

[FordPrefect]

Originally posted by condor
Were there any Ford Capris there?

I used to drive them all the time

I suspect they all rusted

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by David Beard
The Ford Prefect holds no fascination with me.. I was brought up in the back seat of a number of them. Their only amusing feature was windscreen wipers that slowed down just at the times one might want them to work....

That must have been the 100E model... the one that looked like a baby Consul...



These had those dreadful vacuum wipers... as did other cars of the late forties and early fifties... the relied on engine vacuum, so when the accelerator pedal went down and reduced the vacuum in the manifold they lost power. Actually, they had a spherical vacuum tank fitted, but it wasn't enough to overcome the problem... Holdens didn't even have the tank...

But I believe the model that Fordy admires, the upright things with transverse leaf springs and a torque tube rear end, had electric wiper motors.

My outstanding memory of riding in the back of one of these was one day on a family outing in 1952... my parents in the front seat with my baby sister there too... and Grandma, dad's mother, who was fairly bulky, in the back with the other four of us. We got near to the Tom Ugly's bridge which had a 6d toll and Grandma was insisting that she hand the toll to dad to pay as he went over... but the toll had been cut out the previous week (or month) and the more mum and dad tried to convince the dear old thing the more she thought they were trying to prevent her paying!

condor... Capris would have rusted... especially the Consul Classic Capris...

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


That must have been the 100E model... the one that looked like a baby Consul...

These had those dreadful vacuum wipers... as did other cars of the late forties and early fifties... the relied on engine vacuum, so when the accelerator pedal went down and reduced the vacuum in the manifold they lost power. Actually, they had a spherical vacuum tank fitted, but it wasn't enough to overcome the problem... Holdens didn't even have the tank...

But I believe the model that Fordy admires, the upright things with transverse leaf springs and a torque tube rear end, had electric wiper motors.

No, no, no! The upright things with transverse leaf springs and a torque tube rear end, had vacuum powered wipers!!!

I'm beginning to feel guilty about discussing Ford Prefects in here

[Ray Bell]

Why feel guilty? ... they also raced...



I always thought they relied on Lucas for windscreen wiping... shows how wrong you can be...

You must appreciate, too, that derivatives raced on for many years... even today? Didn't Chapman get a start building frames for these engines? These and Austin 7s too...

[dmj]

...and most of kit car scene in late '50s that spawned Ginetta, TVR, Rochdale, Falcon and dozens of others dependend on these old rusty Fords, at least in beggining!

[condor]

Yeah My Dutton Melos was based on a Ford MK1

Don't think there were any Ford / VW based kit car pics though Fordy

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by condor
Yeah My Dutton Melos was based on a Ford MK1

Don't think there were any Ford / VW based kit car pics though Fordy

"Ford Mk 1"? I'm sure you're talking about a model a very long way removed from the car on the Leyburn grid above...

Side valves, 1172cc of raw screaming revs...

[Garagiste]

Principal donor car for the Dutton Melos is typically an Escort Mk1, UIVMM

Nice pics, FP.