Perfect Conversion Base for StreetSleeper

[wildebus]

Going forward, could you get better than a Bedford CF to convert with Electric drive?

 

[RV2MAX]

Certainly better than the original slant 4

 

[mistericeman]

Better with a v8 stuffed in it.... Well I enjoyed mine anyway ;-)

 

[trevskoda]

Great van but not seen one here for 30 odd years.

 

[Millie Master]

I used to think our company van CF was a racing car, well it was compared with the FC Commers the firm also had !!

 

[Squiffy]

Was the first British vehicle to have a toothed rubber cam belt if I remember correctly . Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Powered by the prince of darkness doesn't inspire confidence.

 

[mistericeman]

Was the first British vehicle to have a toothed rubber cam belt if I remember correctly . Phil

From memory Think the Victor FD series was earliest... Released in 1967
CF was released slightly later in 1969...but used the same slant 4

Vauxhall made a big deal of the slant 4 being belt driven rather than the usual (for the time) chain

 

[mistericeman]

I came very close to buying one of these CF 4x4 FF (Ferguson formula as used in the Jenson intercepter ff 4x4)
3.5 ton....
The fear of breaking something in the driveline that was likely made out of solid unobtanium put me off, so I swerved it.

 

[wildebus]

I remember in the late 70's (probably before then, but that is when I was aware of it) there was a big custom van scene with lots of shows on.
Vans with full fur-lined interiors, porthole windows, superwide tyres and airbrushed paintwork.

What happened to that? did it just die away? (and if so, why?). Whenever there is any talk about modding vans, it is almost always to make into camper conversions - what about the funky stuff?

 

[mistericeman]

I remember in the late 70's (probably before then, but that is when I was aware of it) there was a big custom van scene with lots of shows on.
Vans with full fur-lined interiors, porthole windows, superwide tyres and airbrushed paintwork.

What happened to that? did it just die away? (and if so, why?). Whenever there is any talk about modding vans, it is almost always to make into camper conversions - what about the funky stuff?

The heady days of the 1970s/80s custom car scene....

Most drifted away from it and youngsters seemed more interested latterly in modding hot hatchesax power style...
And even that seems to have died on its arse now mainly...
Few modded smaller vans etc (speshially the VWs caddys etc)

Long gone are folks doing serious customising really Barring in the hot rod world.

 

[wildebus]

don't like van #1, but yes, 2 & 3 is exactly what I am remembering

Saxo/Corsa scene seems to about having stupid amount of base on their ICE and a tin can to make the 1.1L engine sound baaadddd
And yup, that's gone as well I think - is Max Power magazine still going?

I have got the CCC magazine since the 80's ... In the 80's it stood for "Cars and Car Conversions", but now of course it means "Camping and Caravan Club"

 

[mistericeman]

don't like van #1, but yes, 2 & 3 is exactly what I am remembering

Saxo/Corsa scene seems to about having stupid amount of base on their ICE and a tin can to make the 1.1L engine sound baaadddd
And yup, that's gone as well I think - is Max Power magazine still going?

I have got the CCC magazine since the 80's ... In the 80's it stood for "Cars and Car Conversions", but now of course it means "Camping and Caravan Club"

Max Power went some time back (thankfully)
Still folks modifying cars BUT nothing like the good old days of bell Vue custom car show.....

Mind John Baldachinos custom HA resurfaced not long ago as have a few others from back in the day.

My mate is still modifying his Geoff Jago Model T....

Though it's gone from Fad T Show car to pretty much a balls out Street legal dragster now running a 10.5l supercharged big block chevvy running on Methanol

 

[Millie Master]

Just around the corner from where I am now and finally so very fortunate to live there lives a totally honest and beautiful family who are totally bonkers when it comes to vehicles!
Amongst their totally eclectic collection of utterly 53 bonkers that they have modified and built themselves there exists some absolute bonkers classics of the amazingly idiotically bonkers machines including these:-
In the first picture the bike in the foreground is totally standard, whereas the strange looking vehicle at the back was (believe it or not), once a black cab London Taxi. Whereas in the 2nd photo is arguably the most bonkerist 4 wheeled device I have ever set eyes on, it started life as a Standard 8, but they decided to chop 12" out of the length of the chassis and body, making the body into a 5 window coupe and then whilst they were at it they threw away the old side valve Standard engine that produced about 18 hp and replaced it with a 1200cc Yamaha V twin turning out gaud knows how much power, but they left the brakes totally as standard!! Mind you it is for shows and not for the road!!

 

[trevskoda]

They also had a diesel engine which was from opel, we had one at work.

 

[mistericeman]

There's even one that earns you money when parked up...