Bangers & Cash 1977 Saudi Corvette JNH 820T

phild

phild

CCCUK Member
Wow, that van picture brings back some memories. I was serving my apprenticeship with Ford back then at their training school in Harold Hill. I remember the apprentices working on a V8, mid engined, transit. It definitely had a Ford V8, 289 i think, in it and it was built for demonstration runs driven by either Barry Lee or Roger Clarke, maybe both.
They were good days, one of the other more memorable projects was rebuilding a Merlin aero engine.
 
Chevrolet

Chevrolet

CCCUK Member
phild said:
Wow, that van picture brings back some memories
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Think that every "Petrolhead" of a certain age will remember "the van." I can remember when Ford were displaying GT40s in their UK showrooms. Just 31 Road Legal ones produced according to this. Probably all in the States?

www.carscoops.com

Rare Road-Legal 1966 Ford GT40 Mk1 May Fetch Over $4 Million | Carscoops

Just 31 road-going examples of the iconic Ford GT40 were ever produced and next month, one is expected to sell for between $3.75 million and $4.25 million
www.carscoops.com www.carscoops.com

Then again, they were made in the UK and RHD? According to this only 7 went to the US for retail:

hypebeast.com

This Right-Hand Drive 1966 Ford GT40 Is One of Only Seven Models Sent to America

And one of only 31 ever built for the street in the first place.
hypebeast.com hypebeast.com
 
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funchi

Well-known user
Hi Roscobbc and phild thank you very much for your reply's, fantastic video.

I knew the club was full of petrol heads.

I am very slow at typing, this can't be the same Transit.

I have just spoken with my brother who has given me some great information about the Ford built Transit, my brother was one of the apprentices, and some surprising information about the Merlin engine.

The only way it could be the same Transit is if Terry Drury Racing bought the Ford V8 Transit and rebuilt it, but Terry Drury Racing seem to have built there Transit, watch this space.

I will add some very interesting updates here, but I have had enough of my keyboard, so should post tomorrow.

(Suttons Lane Hornchurch less its engine) Roscobbc you are getting a little to close for comfort that's only just over a mile away from me.

Hi Roscobbc I don't know if you cut down your video, but here is a link to a longer version.

At the end of the longer video they said what next the Nürburgring, that made me smile, give it Sabine Schmitz the Nürburgring Queen.

 
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funchi

Well-known user
phild great to read your reply (y)

Before I add my full update. I am curious do you know why Ford would be rebuilding the Merlin aero engine you could well do, my brother does.
 
Roscobbc

Roscobbc

Moderator
funchi said:
(Suttons Lane Hornchurch less its engine) Roscobbc you are getting a little to close for comfort that's only just over a mile away from me. :)
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Oddly about the same distance for me too!
Been having a chat with Barry George this afternoon - Barry was well 'connected' with some of the race teams back then - remembers the 7 or 8 Vette's on Saudia colours. Thinks it was to match the race car/cars driven by Alan Jones who he knew back then. Barry actually bought the Transit Supervan shell that I mentioned initially installing a small block Ford (later a Cosworth lump)
Barry originally built this model T in the Deals on Wheels shop at Leigh on Sea - some of us may recall the original shop in London Road Romford opposite Cottons Park (just along from Allens the Ford dealer)
He was telling me that one of the guys perhaps connected with the Ford Supervan has sourced a pristine Mark 1 shell and seemingly build a replica - owns the auto transmission shop opposite where the old LT bus garage was in Hornchurch Road.........small world eh?
 

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funchi

Well-known user
Hi Roscobbc (y) I am almost ready to post an interesting update. I will study your post more soon, I am surprised I have never seen your Corvette as you are slow close.
 
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funchi

Well-known user
Hi again Roscobbc and phild my update at last.

I wrote about the V8 engine before but my brother was not sure which engine it was, but phild added (It definitely had a Ford V8, 289) job done. (y)

I phoned my brother who said possibly it could have then been a US gearbox, but my brother was not involved with the drive train, but whatever gearbox it was, first gear was not working and it could have been a 3 speed automatic, I wonder if that is the gearbox we have already spoken about.

My brother left Harold Wood in 1969/70 to continue his apprenticeship at Ford Halewood, Speke, Liverpool, lodging across the river in Runcorn, and driving up in a 100E, I think he paid £10 for it but that’s another story.

Before I found the Top Gear link below my brother told me the Ford V8 Transit was Orange, and the reason he was 100% sure, the apprentice lecturer/instructor went out in a Ford company car to a Ford dealer to buy the correct Ford colour and the tin fell over in the car and there was an Orange trail on the road and had to buy another tin.

My brother knew the Ford built V8 Transit was included in the same Top Gear episode as Sabine Schmitz, Sabine is in part 2.


Watch close Orange Transit Lydden Hill and there are the Escort and Mini.

Now for the Merlin engine, my brother working for Fords Harold Wood and knew that Ford built some of the engines for Rolls Royce in the Second World War.

We all know Rolls Royce were specialist in hand built engines, so turned to Fords among others to build them on mass, it is funny to read below Fords at Dagenham had the Rolls Royce blueprints redrawn to there more demanding standards.

A funny anecdote my brother told me Fords were asked to put Rolls Royce rocker covers on some or may be all of their engines, may be a Ford rocker cover would not go down to well. Hooray Henry and all that, what a Ford engine old chaps.

Very brave young young pilots.

My brother with his Ford discount, ordered us a Blue MK 1 Transit with a driver side sliding door, but because of the terrible reputation the British car worker had, he had it sent down the production line when the best shift was on I think he watched it being built.


Ford-Merlin.JPG
 
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Vetteheadtony

Guest
funchi said:
Roscobbc (y) More from The Ace Cafe, with the well known Yellow C5 owned by the real Petrol-head Nigel Dobbie, now living in the USA and an author writing motor sport books.

When Nigel cuts himself Nigel bleeds high octane fuel.

The MOT on BL O3 JOB ran out in 2008 so I am sure someone here will know if Nigel took his C5 back home to the land of it's birth.

I beat you this time :ROFLMAO: Roscobbc just read that Nigel's C5 is alive and well in the USA and on it's third rebuild heading for 800 bhp.

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funchi said:
Roscobbc (y) More from The Ace Cafe, with the well known Yellow C5 owned by the real Petrol-head Nigel Dobbie, now living in the USA and an author writing motor sport books.

When Nigel cuts himself Nigel bleeds high octane fuel.

The MOT on BL O3 JOB ran out in 2008 so I am sure someone here will know if Nigel took his C5 back home to the land of it's birth.

I beat you this time :ROFLMAO: Roscobbc just read that Nigel's C5 is alive and well in the USA and on it's third rebuild heading for 800 bhp.

View attachment 4731View attachment 4732View attachment 4733View attachment 4734
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funchi said:
Roscobbc (y) More from The Ace Cafe, with the well known Yellow C5 owned by the real Petrol-head Nigel Dobbie, now living in the USA and an author writing motor sport books.

When Nigel cuts himself Nigel bleeds high octane fuel.

The MOT on BL O3 JOB ran out in 2008 so I am sure someone here will know if Nigel took his C5 back home to the land of it's birth.

I beat you this time :ROFLMAO: Roscobbc just read that Nigel's C5 is alive and well in the USA and on it's third rebuild heading for 800 bhp.

View attachment 4731View attachment 4732View attachment 4733View attachment 4734
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Blue C5 LeMans Z06 I
 
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Vetteheadtony

Guest
funchi said:
Roscobbc (y) More from The Ace Cafe, with the well known Yellow C5 owned by the real Petrol-head Nigel Dobbie, now living in the USA and an author writing motor sport books.

When Nigel cuts himself Nigel bleeds high octane fuel.

The MOT on BL O3 JOB ran out in 2008 so I am sure someone here will know if Nigel took his C5 back home to the land of it's birth.

I beat you this time :ROFLMAO: Roscobbc just read that Nigel's C5 is alive and well in the USA and on it's third rebuild heading for 800 bhp.

View attachment 4731View attachment 4732View attachment 4733View attachment 4734
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I believe the LeMans Z06 is my car when the 1st owner bought it over before it got procharged
 
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funchi

Well-known user
Vetteheadtony great that you have joined in. (y) When I ordered my Red on Red C5 coupe, I really liked the LeMans Z06 and my daughter preferred the LeMans Z06, but I always liked the big back window more, and was not really after performance.

Z06-1.jpgZ06-2.jpgZ06-3.jpgZ06-4.jpg
 
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funchi

Well-known user
1989 Bloomington Gold Illinois, Chicago, Niagara Falls.

Back to Bloomington Gold, Special Collection.


BG-1.jpgBG-2.jpgSC-91.jpg
 
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