1937 Austin- The 80s wants its street rod back...

[akku]

A mate of mine has a business buying and flipping cars. I don't know where he gets them from, he has some impressive finds and at some crazy prices.

Anyway, he mentioned he had a '37 Austin hot rod project coming in. Now I have always wanted a proper "brit rod" - the closest I have got so far is a late 50s Ford Prefect with a V6 Essex in it, which is now long gone I suspect.

So this seems to be the absolute hit of the 80s - Rover V8, Borg Warner auto, Jag live axle, some form of IFS. It seems to have been built in 1986 and the log book has it as an Austin with a 3500cc engine so I think its safe as far as registration goes. I wanted it, he is a good lad for doing a deal and now the pink stinker is now mine.

it needs a whole lot of most things, but I think I can get back to that mid 80s Street Machine vibe to it. Apparently it may have been featured in that magazine back then.

[akku]

The Prefect, mentioned earlier.

[grizz]

OK….

I am in.



533UXF
FORD PREFECT

Check another vehicle

Colour
White
Fuel type
Petrol
Date registered
20 July 1960
First MOT due
Unknown

[horrido]

Cool! Is that an Austin 14 Goodwood?
I like a bit of British bodied Hot Rod action.

[akku]

Nov 28, 2022 21:10:11 GMT grizz said:

OK….

I am in.



533UXF
FORD PREFECT

Check another vehicle

Colour
White
Fuel type
Petrol
Date registered
20 July 1960
First MOT due
Unknown

That prefect, I don’t think any of the details on the car match. What was on the V5. It was the Wild West back then as far as registering hot rod type cars went. No wonder they started clamping down.

[akku]

Nov 28, 2022 21:17:04 GMT horrido said:

Cool! Is that an Austin 14 Goodwood?
I like a bit of British bodied Hot Rod action.

It’s most of an Austin Goodwood! From a time when you can get away with that legitimately on the registration. Grandfather rights mean those cars are still legit today.

[crockpot]

Make sure you have the evidence for it being on the road in 86. Old MOT's, photos, the Street Machine article, anything really.
Change of owner, mods and not mot'ing cars where it's clear they should be seem to be causing DVLA to start sniffing around.
Be interested to see what you do with it.

[RumHam]

Looks awesome, well done excellent purchase.
I think it reminds me of an hot Rodded ant hill mob car from wacky races (although not pink obviously) which we all know was the coolest one!

[braaap]

This was once posted elsewhere here, maybe the spottet thread, and I recognized that rear end.
I can't remember if it was said what it was, but now I know. *

Tbh I'd prefer that darker color.




*At least I thought I knew.

According to a google search result, that's a 1938 Austin Ten Cambridge (with a 90' sierra ford 2.0), which is (was?) for sale for 18k quid.

[79cord]

I could well imagine that with early 90's ? Pale blue flames on the front & small projector headlight bullets floating over the fenders!
Hot rods are more about standing out than refined style anyway.

[horrido]

I think I'd be rebuilding it with one eye on the IVA test, while you're at it. Cheap 'insurance', should they decide to get funny about it.

Would respond well to a mild chop.

[MiataMark]

I've been watching old repeats of Heartbeat that fetures one of these in a dilapedated state, I thought it would make a good base for a custom.

[akku]

As far as I can tell, the car was either off the road and off the DVLA register, or the DVLA registered it as a new build when it was hot rodded in 1986. The V5 is "manufactured 1937, first registered 1986" with the engine size as 3500cc which to me seems fairly clear, but I have the original builder's name & address, and hopefully I can find the magazine if it was actually really featured as has been said.

My plan is to restore it to 1986 street rod spec, which is Porsche Guards red paint, black bucket seat interior and either the chrome smoothies or a set of polished slot mags.

Also no plans to try sell the number plate, turn it into a pickup or do any of the things which cause the DVLA to get peeky.

[devilishdesigner]

Wrong side of the pond, and probably not something you need, but I have the original 1.7l 6 for one of these

[akku]

I'm going to need some rear lights. None come with the car.

Back in the day it was common to fit VW Beetle or Morris Minor tail lights on the rear wings. I don't "feel" that.

I did think about a set of repro Model A rear lights, one of which would also then be the rear number plate mount. That was also a thing on all kinds of rods back in the day. But its not a Ford and thats a "very Ford" thing to do. Also its been smoothed at the rear and that doesn't go with that treatment

I had thought about reinstating the factory style "D lights" on the rear valance, but I'd like orange indicators.

In the 70s and early 80s Mk1 Escort tail lights Frenched into the rear valance would have been "the thing"

I'd need to French the rear plate as well and I'm not 100% sure thats the direction I want to go....

[kevins]

looks a great project and looks solid in all the important places. I can't see you will have any problems with registration with their own records showing it as fitted with the V8 in 1986 especially if you keep the same engine number, interesting it says 3500cc when I fitted one to my TR they insisted on it being correctly listed as 3528cc.

what about the early all red minor lights

[steve1275]

Such a great project, and I think you are right about restoring it to 1980s hotrod originality.

[Dez]

Tbh, it’s part of the problem of smoothing stuff. You smooth it all then have nowhere for the actual practicalities. Putting stuff back on always looks odd.

Tbh, as much as I hate it as a look, that thing is ripe for the proper 80s style look of holes/slots/random shapes cut through with the lights mounted behind.

[metalshapes]

Nov 29, 2022 9:42:47 GMT akku said:

I'm going to need some rear lights. None come with the car.

Back in the day it was common to fit VW Beetle or Morris Minor tail lights on the rear wings. I don't "feel" that.

Yeah, it would be the right mod for the period, but they just don't look good.

Although...

VW lights, frenched by reversing the housing may clean it up enough...

[akku]

Nov 29, 2022 10:47:31 GMT kevins said:

what about the early all red minor lights

Those are neat looking things, and I had thought about those, but I was hoping to have amber signals.