JowettTalk

Just thought you might like to see some photos of one of the Bradfords I bought in October/November last year.
This is the complete one which I am NOT going to restore (yet). The other one looks in far worse condition, but as it is completely apart then it is easier to get cracking on it.
Already we have worked on the engine and running gear and have had the chassis blasted and powder coated. I will post some photos of the work soon.

Well done Hendrik,

Great to see pictures of your work. Is it going to end up in the corporate green we see one of your other vans in? Hard work and expensive but good to see. Keep it up

The company colours are dark blue and white so the van will be painted in the dark blue and will have white sign writing. There's plenty of work to be done before I even get close to that stage though!

What is that white box on the firewall where the coil goes?

I used to have a screen clean resevoir that looked like that. Am I right?

I have looked at the van and you are right it is a screen washer reservoir.
I assume that this is not an original feature on the car.

I bought mine for a Javelin in the early seventies. Please correct me if I am wrong but I am pretty confident it is a seventies after market add on and almost certainly not an original feature.

Have you turned the engine over with rhe crank handle?
A flush of petrol lines and carb, an elcheapo filter before the pump, change of oil in the gear box and engine...
Check pionts and tappets
I would not be suprised if she would fire up

As mentioned earlier here are some photos of the van I am in the process of bringing back to life!

This is the chassis just before it was to be put back together.



The body in its current state. I will have to replace all the woodwork of course.







Obviously there is a bit of work to do yet!

Cool pic of the chassis....
Reminds me of an old cartoon when everything just falls apart and goes flat

That the orginal tool box?
Its wood I assume?
Does it still have the orginal tools?

Or it could be a Keystone Cops kind of vehicle.
Unfortunately most if not all of the woodwork on this van has been replaced, and will probably need replacing again. It's the only thing keeping the van together! I don't have any tools for either van either, wish I did.
When they are done and I am bored I will probably go searching for the tools then.

"Keystone Cops" Thats what I thought just had a mental block to the name.
I know what u mean about the wood work...wish someone had actual pattens/profiles of each peice.
Met a retired guy at the local lumber yard the other week..
He used to fix Bradfords in the 50s....rot/accidents etc Their Body shop was across the road from the Turners Assemblers in Otahuhu Auckland.
He was saying they would get the new pieces, then measure up, then take them down to a cabinet maker down the road to make fit.

Luckily I may have found someone who can make a "kit" for all the frame. Otherwise it will have to be a lot of measuring to get the right frame dimensions! Fortunately I can either measure the other complete one or alternatively my wife's cousin has one at the Museum where he works, here in Bradford, so I could always check that one out.

I know how u feel, have had one under construction, 1st time.
Give me steel and Im fine...wood Im not that confident
I got all the dimensions, pics etc but felt I needed a Badford on site to work from. So I purchaces a runner ..but that was just doen right dangerous even thu it had a dicky WoF,,,so rebuild kingpins steering box ,gear box engine etc etc, and still need to do more.
Time work, building 2 houses etc has been hold up.

Im looking at it from the way we build hot rods...
This basic concept seems different to Bradford restos???
Rods are dumby setup on the chassis, and braced square with 1" box section. Everything is made to fit the The doors, boot lid etc rather than the other way around...
ie Doors are tack welded in place then the framining done from there..this ensures good door gaps etc from the start rather than trying to make fit later.????
Im also thinking maybe going to jarra, means every attaching hole needs pre drill, but it is a far stronger/stiffer wood and would never rot????

I do have 3 bradford ptojects on the books
The runner on the road now.
The resto project
And I have a truck way past resto, thu would like to Rod...Seamless tilt front end, body widened about 4 to 6", lowered, on a modern maza or similar ute chaasis and running gear.

I've got to say a hotrod truck would turn some heads, that would definitely be worth seeing.
It's always the case that something else gets in the way of a resto, in my case I'm dealing with sorting out/rebuilding/restoring another three classics, that's why I need to get on with it before I lose the enthusiasm or money!