Advice on buying a Convertible please.

[Stuartandsue]

Engine is from a 1968 to 1975 Ford... its a 1297cc Kent Crossflow engine, very reliable and easy to work on, plus its an engine I know.

Apparently a Ford fan would really want this engine, its had a engine and box rebuild including new engine crankshaft and unleaded head conversion etc...

its got the Ford type single carb and a K&N air filter which makes it sound really sporty.. I will replace that with something more traditional looking.

It has a full stainless exhaust and sounds lovely when you rev it...

It has a big electric fan between the rad and the grill with a hidden manual override and extra temp gauge.

The purists will be cringing but hey ho... we love it !! Its so much more useable on the road...

Every one who has seen it loves it, people gather around it when you park it out...

Bulkhead looks better than any other I have viewed... got a bigger Lucas battery for it with terminals to rear for safety...[frame][/frame]

[amgrave]

Very nice. I like the ford crossflow engine, simple and easy to work on and very reliable. I had one in an escort mk1 estate and when on the motorway ran it at 80 mph and it never complained. It's top speed was 92. I rebuilt it once a few years after I got it and ran it for 19 years before scrapping the car as the body was getting really bad but I would not mind betting the engine is still going even now. It's a good marriage I think a crossflow engine and a reliable moggy.

[Stuartandsue]

[quote="amgrave"]Very nice. I like the ford crossflow engine, simple and easy to work on and very reliable. I had one in an escort mk1 estate and when on the motorway ran it at 80 mph and it never complained. It's top speed was 92. I rebuilt it once a few years after I got it and ran it for 19 years before scrapping the car as the body was getting really bad but I would not mind betting the engine is still going even now. It's a good marriage I think a crossflow engine and a reliable moggy.[/quote

Thanks for reply yes, ours seems to cruise nicely at 50mph, we don't want to go faster as it starts shaking and rattling...

50mph seems to be the max but downhill, crosswinds permitting it can do 55 !

[Stuartandsue]

Very nice. I like the ford crossflow engine, simple and easy to work on and very reliable. I had one in an escort mk1 estate and when on the motorway ran it at 80 mph and it never complained. It's top speed was 92. I rebuilt it once a few years after I got it and ran it for 19 years before scrapping the car as the body was getting really bad but I would not mind betting the engine is still going even now. It's a good marriage I think a crossflow engine and a reliable moggy.

As you say they were a fantastic engine (time approved) and you can do so much to them however if I do get invited to come to a show by a local group we will keep the bonnet down...

[amgrave]

NO.....show it off, we are not all purists.

[Stuartandsue]

Please see my edit to the original thread starting post, I have told people of the good advice...

[Stuartandsue]

NO.....show it off, we are not all purists.

Great stuff...

[POMMReg]

Why is the body number plate black?

[XWL61]

Thanks for reply yes, ours seems to cruise nicely at 50mph, we don't want to go faster as it starts shaking and rattling...

50mph seems to be the max but downhill, crosswinds permitting it can do 55 !

Even the original side valve would cruise at 50 , so i would expect much more speed from the crossflow engine if it were mine!

Andy

[Stuartandsue]

Thanks for reply yes, ours seems to cruise nicely at 50mph, we don't want to go faster as it starts shaking and rattling...

50mph seems to be the max but downhill, crosswinds permitting it can do 55 !

Even the original side valve would cruise at 50 , so i would expect much more speed from the crossflow engine if it were mine!

Andy

We haven't had the throttle full down as yet we wanted to take it steady for now having just bought it.

We have only had it at a good speed for a couple of hours bringing it home so far...

At 50mph with hood down it cruised smooth and nice it was a sunny day over the Pennines but a bit windy (last Sunday)... at 50 - 55mph the roof started to billow up like a sail and lift up (we don't have a roof bag and we didn't strap it down or anything) so we pulled over and put the roof up...

All fine again but at 55mph the roof mechanism was rattling and it didn't seem too right to make it go any faster even though Sue didn't have the pedal fully down...

Thinking back about it we also had the car full of spare parts that we bought with it like spare clutch, starter motor and dynamo and tins of paint and all sorts of useful bits and bobs which were really rattling about in boxes in the boot and back seat, once we get another nice day we will take it for a proper road test without the rattly stuff in it.

[Stuartandsue]

Why is the body number plate black?

Not sure , could this be a problem ?

Looks ok.. maybe its been replaced.. I am unsure.

Its only a problem if we want to sell it but that's not happening !

I have sent you a PM POMM

[POMMReg]

Why is the body number plate black?

Not sure , could this be a problem ?

Looks ok.. maybe its been replaced.. I am unsure.

Its only a problem if we want to sell it but that's not happening !

I have sent you a PM POMM

Did advise you to do ID check on prospective candidates, without these I certainly wouldn't have told the previous owner it was a "genuine" Convertible.

Bit aggrieved someone should say such a thing.

[Stuartandsue]

Hi S&S

Have requested ID numbers (to assure you it's a genuine Tourer) several times, but these have not been forthcoming.

I also advised you to check - before purchasing a vehicle - the stamped in chassis number, this VITAL check ignored too.

Without this information, cannot help you any further.

Regards

OK mate thanks for that.

[Stuartandsue]

" Bit aggrieved someone should say such a thing "

I just said in my PM that the previous owner had sent you the numbers that he had except for the floor one as that had been replaced...

That's all I said but I want to know still...

We have the 1953 log book with the same reg and we have a lovely car....

[Stuartandsue]

Have requested ID numbers (to assure you it's a genuine Tourer) several times, but these have not been forthcoming.

We only picked it up last Sunday...

Please read my PM again as you mis-read it. I did not say previous owner had said you confirmed it was a tourer.... I said he had sent you all the numbers he had...

I haven't even picked up where the numbers you require are yet...

The original old cardboard brown 1953 log book matches the reg plate, says its a Tourer and it looks very much to me sat in the garage like a Minor convertible...

I want to know more about it but in a nice way..

[LouiseM]

Nice looking car, and as has already been posted you will find 'purists' and non-purists in every car club or at local events so I wouldn't take it personally if some don't like it.

I think the concern around the 'numbers' is in relation to checking the identity rather than the originality. There are 'ringers' out there so it's always wise to establish that the vehicle is what the documents say it is.

If yours originally had the 918cc sidevalve engine that would make it a Series MM so if you want to know more about it try posting on the Series MM forum: http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=19 The club registrar Mike Perry knows pretty much all there is to know about Series MM cars and also keeps a register so it may be that he has some previous history for your car.

[POMMReg]

Your original post requested advice on buying a Tourer, preferably an original one...

My initial response indicated you should confirm this via its bodyshell stamped chassis number.

Nice car regardless, quite like the wheels too!

[LouiseM]

Might be helpful if you could post details of where to find the number stamped on the body shell of a Series MM Pommreg.

[Stuartandsue]

Nice looking car, and as has already been posted you will find 'purists' and non-purists in every car club or at local events so I wouldn't take it personally if some don't like it.

I think the concern around the 'numbers' is in relation to checking the identity rather than the originality. There are 'ringers' out there so it's always wise to establish that the vehicle is what the documents say it is.

If yours originally had the 918cc sidevalve engine that would make it a Series MM so if you want to know more about it try posting on the Series MM forum: http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=19 The club registrar Mike Perry knows pretty much all there is to know about Series MM cars and also keeps a register so it may be that he has some previous history for your car.

Great thanks, just got out the 1953 log book and it says 918cc originally ( Its all hand written in blue ink)... then it shows crossed out in red ink a later engine change to 948cc..

Interested to find out more about it so I have sent a PM to Mike Perry thanks for that...[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[Stuartandsue]

This is what we sold to make room for the Minor. Full power 1200cc Yamaha VMax... 140-150 BHP at the back wheel it did a standing quarter in 10.9 seconds out of the box and 0 to 62mph in three seconds... however we are now both hitting 50 and I am "settling down" so wanted something more useable and fun and less scary...

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