So, we're starting to think about our next project, or, more accurately, finishing one of our first.
This 1966 105e came in to my dads ownership some 30 years ago from another family member and we've had it ever since. It started out as a dark blue non-Deluxe saloon and had a few alterations over the years that probably sounded good at the time!
First off, my dad had the great idea to chop the back off and turn it in to a pickup, I think he was hoping that it would have made a good promotion for his garage. To be fair, he made a pretty good job; retaining the slant of the rear screen and moving it forward to just behind the front seats. The original idea was to have an open load bay as a mini pick up, but I think we might change that.
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The front end was also changed from the steering box to a full mk2 Escort based set up - cross member, track control arms, struts and steering rack. The engine bay was also cut out slightly to fit a 1600 crossflow and a Type-9. We actually had it running at one point, though never on the road.
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In the interior it's mostly unchanged from original, though it's stripped out. A bulkhead was added just behind the front seats to form the back of the 'cab' section. The window and surround is the original saloon item moved forward.
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Here's a view of the back. My dad was originally planning a pick up style load bed, but we're now thinking about having it covered with a long boot lid (hinged at the cab end, not the rear as it currently is now), so it becomes more of a 'coupe' than a pickup.
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So the plan as we're thinking right now is:The front end was slightly modified by my dad years ago - the original grill was removed and small insert used instead - so were the sidelight/indicator aperatures, as they were rotten. So we need to work out some neat looking indicators that will just fit on the front somewhere.
- Pull the car back out and in to the garage and make sure it's all still safe and strong - it was all done back then, but some of the panels were only primed so are showing surface rust, but, as you can see in the wheel/strut shot, it's sound under it all.
- Fit wide arches, either mk1 Escort bubbles, modified to suit, or from Deville.
- Convert the Escort mk2 struts to adjustable coilovers. Probably Gaz units.
- Princess 4-pots and 2.8i Capri vented disks (both from my mk1 Escort) and extended Escort alloy hubs.
- Fit a 2.0 XE and 45DHLA's (again, from my mk1 Escort).
- Mappable ignition (might try Megajolt, been a few years since I gave it a go).
- Rear axle, not sure yet - probably at least English, but possibly Atlas, depending on how wide we need to go based on the arches.
- Axle location mods - A-frame or similar, and some way of fitting some modern gas struts.
- Tub the rear arches.
- Wide Minilite style wheels, at least 8", but we're not sure on the size yet... 13" or 15"...
I'm trying to convince my dad to go with a deep aubergine purple colour, replace the chrome trim and perhaps gold or silver Minilites... but he's not yet convinced and is teasing me by saying he's going to paint over the chrome!
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