I found this old car but what is it?

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I'm not familiar with any of the cars mentioned, but the transverse leaf spring suspension arrangement, looks very similar to the one that was on the front my Boxford HA van, which I had to change at least twice in the nine years that I had it.

Regards Nick.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Boxford HA….?

Do you mean the Bedford HA …?

I owned three Bedford CA vans, precursors to the CF; larger than the HA, with 1600cc Vauxhall Victor engines.

The CF had 2 or 2.2 litre engines.

The CA had in-line springs at the back; coil springs around telescopic shock-absorbers between wishbone arms at the front, if I recall aright. I fitted enough new king-bushes to 'em, using one jack to raise the vehicle and a second to compress the spring against the car's weight.

(Yes, with big timber blocks under the beam axle, for safety.)

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nigel, yes I do mean a Bedford HA, got mixed up with my lathe.

Regards Nick.

[SakuraParticipant @sakura]

Posted by Nigel McBurney 1 on 30/12/2022 11:52:48:

Best place for it,only rode in one post war sit up and beg Ford for a few miles ,awful ride, I was once asked to help a friend to get the rear brake drum off a similar Ford ,I could not get it off apparently a special puller was required as the drum and hub were in one piece and I was later told that it was a taper fit on the half shaft. Thats also just like the rear hub on a Triumph Herald ,taper and key fit,another friends car ,a really big screw puller would not move it, so it went to a local garage where they used a hydraulic puller and then had to nearly burn righ through the hub with oxy torch and it then flew off with some force.They did it and saved the half shaft.

That's not a fair comment. They were very cheap and we're built down to a price. Some models were cheaper than a motorbike and sidecar. For all their corner cutting which would you prefer in winter?

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

A LOT of work need to restore that one to concours condition!

Seeing the transverse springs, at both ends, and the torque tube made me think of an old side valve Ford, such as the E93 or Y type.

The brakes look to be rod operated.

The hydraulic shock absorbers may date it as a later one, (relatively ).

If the engine is anywhere about, the Y type drove the camshaft via gears, the E93 and 100E used chain drive.

The rear brake drums were cast with the hub, and were a TIGHT fit on the half shaft of the semi floating rear axle.

(So were the drums of the Vauxhalls of that time, and beyond,into the 50s and 60s Wyverns and Veloxs )

That feature and the struggle to remove the drum for a brake reline remained with the later 100E (Which had Girling hydraulic brakes ) You needed a puller which clamped onto the hub, rather than risking the wheel studs.

Having mentioned the Bedford HA, this was a van version of the original Vauxhall HA Viva. They could be prone to carburettor icing if driven hard! The later HB Viva used a Stromberg constant vacuum carburettor, which used a rubber diaphram instead of the aluminium piston used in the SU.

You will ,need a lot of time elbow grease and luck for the nrestoration.

Howard

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

The radiator, or what is visible, is the tall thermosiphon version that was fitted to the side valve Ford Popular. Dave W

[john halfpennyParticipant @johnhalfpenny52803]

A very basic car. No water pump, no oil filter, no dynamo charge regulation ( just a cut-out), no fuses, and in most cases no air filter. Vacuum wipers, which cease to work at full throttle, etc,etc.

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

Posted by john halfpenny on 31/12/2022 11:10:14:

A very basic car. No water pump, no oil filter, no dynamo charge regulation ( just a cut-out), no fuses, and in most cases no air filter. Vacuum wipers, which cease to work at full throttle, etc,etc.

You are right John, I learned to drive on a 1936 Ford 8 in 1952, it was raining during my driving test when I came to the hill start test I got the going without running back then had to do a quick release of the throttle get the windscreen wipers to give a quick sweep to clear the rain.

Picture of the car

[john halfpennyParticipant @johnhalfpenny52803]

Michael, that's a model 7Y which ran from 37-39. It would have had the spare wheel under a dome on the back. It looks like a later car, because it appears to have no running boards- but it may have been adapted after the deprivations of the war years. If the registration is ARJ, it dates to April 1938.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Basis of my special back in the late sixties. AKS (Alfa rip off) two seater fibre glass body. Low bonnet height meant a header tank for cooling, boiled regularly untill a 'Thames' radiator with two 'Kenlowe' fans behind it and a water pump solved the problem. Don't remember the chassis lightening holes but a cheap extra power trick, if you couldn't afford the 'Aquaplane' was to swap the 10 head for a 8 one on the E93A block and yes, the rod brakes were interesting.

Regards Ian.

Edited By Circlip on 31/12/2022 12:59:51

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

Posted by john halfpenny on 31/12/2022 12:27:17:

Michael, that's a model 7Y which ran from 37-39. It would have had the spare wheel under a dome on the back. It looks like a later car, because it appears to have no running boards- but it may have been adapted after the deprivations of the war years. If the registration is ARJ, it dates to April 1938.

John, Thanks for the info yes the registration was ARJ, my dad bought the car at the time for £40-00 to keep me away from motor bikes, it was in a bad state and he just about rebuilt it, the car had the spare wheel on the back but I don't remember it being under a domed cover however it gave us good service I only remember it conking out once with a blocked fuel feed.

Michael..

 

Edited By MichaelR on 31/12/2022 14:06:24

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

Posted by MichaelR on 31/12/2022 11:39:36:

Posted by john halfpenny on 31/12/2022 11:10:14:

A very basic car. No water pump, no oil filter, no dynamo charge regulation ( just a cut-out), no fuses, and in most cases no air filter. Vacuum wipers, which cease to work at full throttle, etc,etc.

You are right John, I learned to drive on a 1936 Ford 8 in 1952, it was raining during my driving test when I came to the hill start test I got the going without running back then had to do a quick release of the throttle get the windscreen wipers to give a quick sweep to clear the rain.

Picture of the car

That brings back memories. My first car, £15.00, it came with a burnt out exhaust valve. The chance of a brand new 100E engine still in the crate Ex-Fords UK for 10/- (50p) scrap weight was too good to miss. Using a 100E Gearbox casting and the gears out of the E93A box made this a good transplant. Plus the change to 12v electrics and electric wipers.

New rod brakes were made out of stainless steel, made following a breakage while going down a hill with a junction at the bottom. Luckily the handbrake was still connected to the unbroken linkage to the rear brakes. That plus the foot brake on the front wheels saved the day.

The chap I sold the car to eventually changed the 100E engine for a Ford Pilot V8 and the usual Jaguar back axle.

The simplicity of these engines is a far cry from today's engines, but even though I still prefer the comfort and reliability on my present car.

Regards

Gray,

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Circlip

I always wanted an aquaplane head for my 54 Ford Popular but never got round to getting one, did fit an auxiliary water pump to feed hot water from the thermo siphon cooling system to heat a heater that I fitted inside, I got the heater from a scrapped land rover and it warmed up inside and made it very habitable. I remember that on cold and frosty mornings it was always better to crank it up with the starting handle than use the battery, a distinct drawback was the 6 volt electrics which made the headlamps dismal. As a first car it had quite an impression on me. Dave W

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

I am out in an old slate quarry near Llanberis and I have found the remains of another old car. How it got up here is anyone's guess it really is in the middle of nowhere.

I have bet my son that one of you will identify it before we get back to our car so does anyone know?

Thanks.

1. 

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 07/08/2023 20:19:52

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

The back bumper, strut towers, waterpump thermostat location and inlet manifold look like it is a MkII Zodiac to me.

Brian G

Edit: Why did I think thermostat and type waterpump?

Edited By Brian G on 07/08/2023 13:15:21

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Well the engine is a straight 6 with the water pipe out the front

Can't say I ever worked on one of those, the strut tops look ford but didn't they all look like that, mcpherson strut

If it is a Ford it must be the only one in the world where the strut tops didn't rust before the rest of the vehicle

They were a major MOT fail item in the 1970s and 80s

Edited By Ady1 on 07/08/2023 13:45:41

[Adrian R2Participant @adrianr2]

I think Brian has it – inlet manifold shape and battery box location match this:

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/ford/zodiac/1957/681350

I suspect you'll have to ask some of the local youth (probably now middle aged or older) how it came to be there, appears to be fire damaged and then well weathered.

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

Yes I think you're right it does seem to be a zodiac.

Many thanks to you all

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

That poor old car seems to have been called many names, much like meself !!

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

My bet for the original post, would be a post war Ford E93. It has all the hallmarks, transverse leaf springing, A frame axle locations, and Torque tube.  Armstrong lever action dampers suggest post WW2. The brake drum/hub profile suggests Ford.

For many years, all vehicles with semi floating rear axles had the brake drum cast integral withte hub.

Removing a Drum/Hub from the taper on the half shaft required a powerful puller, and often heat.

I made up a puller for my Ford 100E rear drums from water pipe and a HEFTY forcing screw. That worked, cold, fortunately.

Fortunately, the later 105Es had drums which were separate from the hub.

Trying to remove the rear brake drums from a late vauxhall Wyvern initially resulted in my bending a shop made puller (1 x 1.5″ channel with 5/8 BSF forcing screw ). Straightening under a press, and a second piece of channel , back to back, failed, until a blowlamp was used.

Even then,,it did not come off immediately. Was giving up, when the heat soaked through to the hub, and it flew off, landing several feet away!

Judged by the condition of the chassis, “for spares” would be a good description.

Howard

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

I have now found this old engine at the back of my in-laws garage.   None of us have any idea what it has come from.
It looks like it could be a tractor engine by the size of it.
Does anyone know what it might be?

Thanks

[Author]

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