Topic: 57 English Ford Thames 300e rat van (Read 18829 times)

Sky · « **on:** February 09, 2012, 10:05:25 PM »

Hey guys , This is my 57 Thames 300e van build so far .

Here it is as I found it .

Sky · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:08:53 PM »

Cut it out of the trees and drug it to a friends house to empty the crap . LOL what are friends for

Sky · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:14:31 PM »

Then brought it home

Started counting the dents and ( not joking ) I lost count . Well I pounded dents on and off and cleaned , stripped and covered the worst rust as this was a back burner project as I already had 3 other projects going

Sky · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:21:14 PM »

Then I started gathering parts for it as it sat for over a year while I worked on other projects and a few other peoples Anglias as well .

Then I started on repairing the sides where a butcher cut out for windows .

Sky · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:34:55 PM »

I pulled the 2.3 race motor and C4 from my mini stock car to use in the van

and continued to gather parts and work on it in my spare time away from my other projects .

a 105e rear end I'll through in for now but I want a narrowed 8 or 9 Ford or any decently strong narrowed rear end .

the front legs of the front clip on the unibody fame were accordianed from a wreck so cut it off and replaced it . I welded rectangular box that fit snug inside the old frame rails to strengthen the join and C channel welded underneath the join as well .

Sky · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:38:37 PM »

Sky · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:46:04 PM »

few bits gathered along the way
a rolling ball spedo

a set of chopper tail lights

and i used a carpet steam cleaner nozzle to make this

and I started making a new fuel filler out of the old fox body one from my mini stock car

will add the door later

Sky · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:51:25 PM »

after some floor pan framing and fabbing in the fuel tank I started on the rear roll pan

Sky · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2012, 10:59:13 PM »

continuing I moved the spring perches on the axle ( note to folks if you look close you'll see that my friend who cut off the old spring perches almost cut through the casing )

axle in

Roll pan and tail light openings

hotwheels · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2012, 07:30:22 AM »

Very kewl man........thanks for sharing the build pics.

Sky · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2012, 05:53:55 PM »

Quote from: hotwheels on February 10, 2012, 07:30:22 AM

Very kewl man........thanks for sharing the build pics.

No probs

Yesterdays

Choptop57 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2012, 06:27:58 PM »

Great pics Sky! Please keep us updated on your progress. Looking good man!

ezrat · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2012, 09:43:14 PM »

I'm really liking the looks of your ride. Looking forward to seeing it complete...

Greybeards Customs · « **Reply #13 on:** February 11, 2012, 07:45:21 AM »

That is some big time work going on there . Very impressive !

Sky · « **Reply #14 on:** February 11, 2012, 08:38:23 PM »

Thanks Choptop57 and ezrat I'll keep updating this thread .

Thanks for the compliment Greybeards Customs . Are you Greg or David or Todd or Hal or Jon

??

I'm just a back yard builder . I don't have your shops collection of well deserved trophys . Hell I don't even have a garage here , I work under the car ports I've built at my house LOLOLOLOL.

I used to have a couple of shops . In the one we bought high end cars and SUVs from the Insurance auctions and fixed them and resold them with salvage titles . Did this for 4 years with ZERO complaints on any of the cars we sold EVER !!! Which meant they were fixed right and SAFE !!!! Then me -n- my partner broke up the business , as I caught him playing with the books .

Then I made a new business partnership with a friend who had a shop but it was closed and being used only for his own projects . He was too old and alcoholic to have it open . I opened it and we started doing muscle cars hotrods /streetrods and a lot of Ts , As . Then he hooked up with this gal on Adult Friend Finder and she talked him into leaving his wife , his friends and our partnership .

So That was the last straw for me . The next time I do a shop , I'm doing it alone with NO FREAKIN PARTNERS !!!!!!!

Greybeards Customs · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2012, 09:55:26 PM »

Dude , I can dig it with the partner thing !! By the way , I'm Greg --- the one with the grey beard . You must have checked our web site , that's me in the bowling shirt with my Model A sedan behind me .

Sky · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2012, 10:15:43 PM »

Quote from: Greybeards Customs on February 11, 2012, 09:55:26 PM

Dude , I can dig it with the partner thing !! By the way , I'm Greg --- the one with the grey beard . You must have checked our web site , that's me in the bowling shirt with my Model A sedan behind me .

Nice to meet you Greg , as much as you can meet someone online lol

Sky · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2012, 06:06:26 PM »

Well it's ready for the lead now . At least the back half is coming together

Sky · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2012, 06:18:56 PM »

Well hopefully my sticks for my frame will be delivered this weekend and I can knock out my frame . Meanwhile I hacked out the strut towers and have all my measurements done so just waiting . I redid the passenger side where the old owner had butchered in a window , I never finished it before as I needed to get off my ass and shape a piece to weld in there . I just need to do a bit more grinding on one little patch section . When all the body mods and repairs are done I'll do the lead work . I was all ready to start a few days ago but I've realizes I was jumping the gun lololol I'm an impatient SOB !!!! Slow going now until I get the frame done .

Sky · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2012, 01:31:08 AM »

So after a bit of indecision I'm going with a 3.0 Essex V6 with the 3.4 conversion to be a future mod . For now a W plate under a Holley 500 , fast road cam , and a Bosch distributor , hardened valve seats . C4 trans with race goodies . Not a bad little gem only 26,079 miles as the car was totaled and been sitting in a carport since then . The shop says there is none of the expected over heating damage these usually have . They are doing a few tricks to give me better oil travel with the big bearings these little buggers have . Also there is no degradation of the piston ridges as is also common in these . I assume that happens from over heating . May get me a set of Fast Road Heads ( including 43.2 mm inlet Valves).in a few months saving my pennies :-D 540 British pounds -----OUCH !!!!!! that's about a thousand US dollars I might see how much can be done with a stock set of heads lololol

Sky · « **Reply #20 on:** March 03, 2012, 07:18:46 PM »

Got my 2X3 box tubbing today and have made all the cuts for my frame . Will start tacking it together tomorrow . Pics soon as I get some more batteries as mine have given up the ghost :'( DAMN rechargeables are expensive it

Sky · « **Reply #21 on:** March 04, 2012, 11:24:04 PM »

Well woke up to a mssg . My V6 at the machine shop has a crack . So spent the day running around trying to find one and finally did $ 100 dollars . Only 31,659 miles . Been sitting in a wrecked car for about 30 years in a garage . still had nice oil and antifreeze lol Someone took the distributor , exhaust manifolds , fan blade , and belts at some point but the old bloke that owned it stuffed rubber plugs in the holes Me and my mate took a breaker bar and socket and compression tester and checked the compression on each cylinder and spot on . So along with the headers I'm getting from my friend Ifan , it needs cam kit , gaskets , Offy manifold , Bosch dizzy , flex fan . I'm sure I'll find more I need lololol

Sky · « **Reply #22 on:** March 05, 2012, 10:01:21 PM »

My friend Ed is narrowing my Ford 9 " and I'm partly done with the frame . Pics of frame tomorrow when it's all tacked up

Sky · « **Reply #23 on:** March 18, 2012, 10:27:36 PM »

One rail done when the mig was stolen so I did the fish plating with the small mig which then decided to die will continue with the arc now I've gotten it home from storage . So in the morning I'll do the other rail and fish plate it and then hopefully baring and something happening to the Arc I'll weld the whole thing together . and then start all the gusseting

Greybeards Customs · « **Reply #24 on:** March 19, 2012, 06:43:49 AM »

Looking good , sorry about the welder situation , that bites !

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AuthorTopic: 57 English Ford Thames 300e rat van (Read 18829 times)