My new project,1961 Ford consul lowline

[stuvy]

Emm , have you seen the price of go-juice recently ? A one litre fiesta engine might be a better choice

unless youv got a family member in saudi you dont want bigger than a 2ltr turbo these days even then youl never get insurance for it! build a moggy minor rod or something similar. A lad in the next village built a vw baja bug when he was 15 had it ready for his 17th and looked cool as, even though he only had a 1300cc in the back it still wheelied!

 

[bill_gj]

Don't know whether any of you will remember, but the MK2 had a convertable.
I think it was a Consul 375 but I stand to be corrected.
A two-door body convertable, very nice, and also very rusty after a few years in the UK.

Found a picture of one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78002012@N00/3875275499/

 

[zx9]

Bill, were they made by Ford or was it a Crayford (or other) conversion?

 

[aametalmaster]

Love your old Ford. I have a '64 Fairlane thats been in my garage for the last 23 years, waiting...Bob

 

[Wedg1e]

I'd love to get someting like that when i'm old enough i quite like the american look british cars it would have to be a ford but then put a carbed 3.9 engine from a rover sd1 in it!

The SD1 never had a 3.9L in standard form The Range Rover did (once TVR and others showed them how) but the Rover V8 engine isn't the best way to get grunt these days; 250bhp from 4L is a poor show (although you have to be trying REALLY hard to break one).

Can't fault your enthusiasm though

 

[fuff66uk]

I would love the convertible model but they fetch big money now,so the saloon will keep me happy

Thank you Bob,i like it,they always remind me a little of of an old Chevy

 

[bill_gj]

ZX9 - good question. I don't know whather Crayford did their convertible conversions that far back. Worth checking. There was a company called Farnham that built estate conversions out of Consuls and Zephyrs. I somehow thout the 375 was a production job.

 

[bill_gj]

ZX9 - I found a quick ref to Crayford not starting conversions on Fords until about MK1 Cortina times:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/homer----simpson/4266382064/

I was suspicious of the Crayford involvment so did some digging, the following is a quote from an enquiry I made with the Classic and Capri owners club.
"Our view is that all convertibles are prototypes, and some significantly stronger than others. Many have tried, The failures are presumably long gone.
Crayford were not involved and possibly didn't exist until later than the end of Consul Capri production which isn't to say they never cut up a used Classic or 109E Capri for fun.
They are more associated with the Mk1 Capri. The generation of cars Consul Capri was meant to be part of were when altered generally Mk 2 Consuls and Zephyrs cut up by Abbott etc to make estate cars or convertibles and there was a private-conversion tax fiddle togo with that before the invention of VAT."
So, it could be, though not an official one but more likely not, probably a home conversion.

and....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Consul

 

[zx9]

Thanks Bill, I will have a good look at the Flickr Crayford group later.

 

[fuff66uk]

Here's a few more pics taken today,inner wing isn't as bad as i was expecting it to be.

 

[stuvy]

ZX9 - I found a quick ref to Crayford not starting conversions on Fords until about MK1 Cortina times:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/homer----simpson/4266382064/

I was suspicious of the Crayford involvment so did some digging, the following is a quote from an enquiry I made with the Classic and Capri owners club.
"Our view is that all convertibles are prototypes, and some significantly stronger than others. Many have tried, The failures are presumably long gone.
Crayford were not involved and possibly didn't exist until later than the end of Consul Capri production which isn't to say they never cut up a used Classic or 109E Capri for fun.
They are more associated with the Mk1 Capri. The generation of cars Consul Capri was meant to be part of were when altered generally Mk 2 Consuls and Zephyrs cut up by Abbott etc to make estate cars or convertibles and there was a private-conversion tax fiddle togo with that before the invention of VAT."
So, it could be, though not an official one but more likely not, probably a home conversion.

and....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Consul

Top work bill always good to know extra about fords.

 

[fuff66uk]

Not much progress but every little helps