Ford Prefect - RKX 407

[Elton]

I'm trying to find out a bit of history on my 1953 Ford Prefect - RKX 407.

I've searched all over the 'net, but can't find a thing. I'll add some photos of it in its current state. There's an NSRA plate on the bulkhead, which I'll get the details off next week. The car is currently in my mate's workshop, 50-odd miles away, and I didn't think to get a photo of that. I do remember, however, that the bit where the name of the builder goes was left blank.

The car is running a Rover V8 and I think the air scoop is fairly recent. Jag rear end. Other details are a bit patchy, but we're getting plenty of numbers as we take it apart for a bit of 'tidying'. (I say 'we' - what I actually mean is 'my mate and the bunch of lads he's training in car mechanics'. I've left it with them whilst I build a workshop at home. I'm a trusting kinda guy!).

The last owner was down in Wootton Bassett and had it since 2005, but I bought it blind and didn't get much information from him.

Any history and/or photos will be greatly appreciated. The car is my first hotrod (why the hell was I a 'voyeur' for so many years?!!) and has made me think how I'd like to build one from scratch one day. In the meantime, however, there's plenty on this that needs to be 'tinkered' with, as you may guess from the photos below!

Thanks again,

Elton

By the way, it can fly....

[Elton]

If Bob who sent me a private message about this is reading, I'm not sure if you got my reply. I'd love to see the photos you have, if possible - elton@anglersnet.co.uk

I really appreciate your help. The car is currently completely stripped - just hope it all goes back together okay

[Elton]

One last photo upload, just to see if anyone has seen it before. Maybe it's more familiar in this guise.....

The car has either been around a while, or has been resprayed every fortnight.

[MisteR Tee]

Not been on the scheme before, can't be many Prefects that have been modified like that.

[yellowboy]

I know it was on e-bay last year .
It was then bought by a biker and he brought it up the Griffin ( Bristol ) last year to one of our Tuesday meets . Have'nt seen it since .
Phil...

[Elton]

I did get a PM from a member who'd found three old adverts for the car - one black with flames, one black and one yellow. I'm just praying he'll log in soon and see my desperate plea, as he needed my email address to send them to. I must have viewed every Prefect on the internet in the meantime, thanks to Google, but not found this one anywhere.

The sheer number of different colours the car has been would indicate it had been around as a hotrod for a while, but maybe the previous owner(s) didn't take it out much. I plan to more than make up for that, as I want to put some serious mileage on the old girl and have some fun this year!

[Elton]

I know it was on e-bay last year .
It was then bought by a biker and he brought it up the Griffin ( Bristol ) last year to one of our Tuesday meets . Have'nt seen it since .
Phil...

The guy I bought it off (last September) had it since 2005, according to the V5.

Okay, I've delved a bit deeper since I typed that line - the name on the V5 was {something} Bryant, whom the seller said was his dad, but a search on his phone number gave his name as {something} Turner. Nothing unusual in that, as I have a different surname to my parents, but I wonder if he's the guy who bought it and decided to get shot quick, having 'forgotten' to send the logbook off when he bought it? Possible, I suppose. It would explain why I had to send off for the V5.

[MisteR Tee]

Has it had any number changes?

[Elton]

Has it had any number changes?

I'm not sure how I find that out. There's nothing telling me the current one is non-transferable in Section 3.

[Elton]

I just would like to say a massive thanks to the person who helped me via PM with something here and also Bob, who has emailed me a number of photos of the car in different guises. I am absolutely over the moon!!! What a result. Seriously, I owe you a pint or ten!

I can't believe how happy I am right now. Thank you SO much.

[Elton]

Thanks to Bob for these:

[yellowboy]

What an result , especially the picture of it unchopped .
Phil..

[Elton]

What an result , especially the picture of it unchopped .
Phil..

Certainly is. I bet I've seen that photo somewhere on my quest, but not even noticed it! It would be great to find out what modifications had been done at that point.

The purple advert is of interest, as the old phone number on it indicates that advert was before 16th April, 1995, when the '1' was inserted into dialling codes. I'd love to get hold of a copy of that magazine in order to put a firm date on it. I'm told it would either be Street Machine or Custom Car. It's quite possible that I even owned that mag, as I had quite a collection of them up until about '94, when I had to live in a flat and ditch a lot of my worldly possessions I suppose the only thing to do now is to keep my eyes peeled for any collections up for sale on eBay.

Quite good fun, this

[Captain Scarlet]

Result indeed Elton,i hope you get more,and well done for making the effort to reunite some history with the car.

[Elton]

Result indeed Elton,i hope you get more,and well done for making the effort to reunite some history with the car.

Cheers, Cap'n. I've sent off the V888 form and have printed off the online MOT's that were available, including the miserable sod I mentioned in this thread.

I'm away on holiday next week, so the search will be put on holiday for a while, but it's been an interesting exercise so far whilst the car is in pieces.

All this research could also prove handy already, as there's mention of a Robinson front end in the adverts, which I'm assuming is Andy Robinson. As I need a couple of bits for the front end, my mate (who's a far better mechanic than me and knows what he's talking about) is going to speak to Andy Robinson Race Cars to see if it's their front end in the car now and if they can supply any parts and/or information.

Unfortunately, the bearing in the diff is still giving us problems when it comes to locating one, but we'll get there....

[Captain Scarlet]

Could be Andy Robinson,lets hope its not a Heath Robinson front end http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson
Have a good holiday

[Elton]

The results from my V888 form have arrived and are quite interesting to read through.

The car probably began its life as a hotrod around 1986, when it was fitted with a 1600 engine. There were colour changes before then, however, so it may have been earlier.

The current V8 was fitted in February of 1989.

I'll take some time to look over all the photocopies I received and try to make better sense of them when I get a few minutes, but it's nice to know that the car has some pedigree.

It would be interesting to find out if the car was ever 'named'. I have an idea of what I'd like to christen it, if not, but need to check to see if it already had one, or if the name I want to use was ever used before.

Sad, I know, but it keeps me happy

[ianwatkins]

Hi there,

this used to be my car- I rodded it in about 1986- putting in the 1600 ford cross flow engine in. It wasnt rodded before then.

I have plenty of photos of me building it from a bare shell and chassis rails, and also when it was up and running.
Cheers
Ian

[Elton]

Hi there,

this used to be my car- I rodded it in about 1986- putting in the 1600 ford cross flow engine in. It wasnt rodded before then.

I have plenty of photos of me building it from a bare shell and chassis rails, and also when it was up and running.
Cheers
Ian

Hi Ian,

I love the internet!!!!

If there's any way I could get copies of some of those photos, I would really appreciate it. Of course, I'd cover any costs.

I still haven't got the car back from my friend's garage (long story); he has done a lot of work to it over the past 11-months, in between other jobs, as there were a few issues that needed sorting after 25-years as a hot rod and, I suppose like any hot rod, once one thing got changed, it had knock-on effects

I'd done some research on the car and got copies of the log book changes from when you first rodded it. I assume the V8 went in after you sold her, then? It's had the same V8 for quite a while now.

I absolutely love this car (even though I've only driven it about half a dozen times!). I've been a hot rod fan since I was a boy and fell in love with this one as soon as I saw it - I always thought my first hot rod would be a Pop (I still drool over Pops!), but something just made me want this car. I take my hat off to you - you built what is, in my opinion, a beautiful car!

All the best,

Elton

[Elton]

Sadly, I don't have many photos of the rebuild so far, but here a few of it before and the last three are more recent. A lot has been done since and I'll get busy with the camera next time I can. It actually looks like a car again now, so I should really get some photos!

Credit goes to my mate, Mark, who has done all the work. I just pay the bills, throw spanners in the works and make the poor sod pull his hair out. He has had to modify just about everything, including major things like fabricating and fitting a new bulkhead, floor, tunnel, dashboard, exhaust etc., turning the doors into suicide doors, making the front end completely one piece, re-routeing the steering, brake lines and fuel lines, relocating the servo, building a new pedal box, etc. etc. He's worked on cars all his life, mainly performance cars, and even spent a few years as a pit mechanic, but this has been a steep learning curve for him. I wish I had one percent of his mechanical mind!