Greetings to one and all

[sidspop]

Hi chaps and chapesses. My name' s Andy, but known as Sid. Amongst other things.

I live deep in the heart of The Peoples Republic of Sandwell ( go to West Brom and turn left) and am married with a pair of apprentice ASBOs for emptying my wallet. I have been into Fords since I first passed my test, My first car was a MK2 Escort, which I modified a little. Then came more Escorts, mk 2 and 3, Transits, and forgive me please, a V"£$hall. Then a pair of twin cammed jelly moulds, and another Transit.

 

Current vehicles are a 100e, with 2.1 pinto waiting to go in. I also have a 1965 Thames Panel van, with a 350 Buick and TH400 waiting to go in, and my pride and joy is a 1959 Thames dropside truck, being restored, totally original.

 

By trade I am a carpenter, so I made all the rear of my truck out of hardwood. I know most people on here wont have heard of a Thames, these were made between 57 and 65, before the Transit replaced them. So I reckon it's a Ford!

 

Hopefully the picture will work. Well it will in a few days after my virginity has expired on here. I will post pictures later.

 

[

[H.P.E harry]

Hi chaps and chapesses. My name' s Andy, but known as Sid. Amongst other things.

I live deep in the heart of The Peoples Republic of Sandwell ( go to West Brom and turn left) and am married with a pair of apprentice ASBOs for emptying my wallet. I have been into Fords since I first passed my test, My first car was a MK2 Escort, which I modified a little. Then came more Escorts, mk 2 and 3, Transits, and forgive me please, a V"£$hall. Then a pair of twin cammed jelly moulds, and another Transit.

 

Current vehicles are a 100e, with 2.1 pinto waiting to go in. I also have a 1965 Thames Panel van, with a 350 Buick and TH400 waiting to go in, and my pride and joy is a 1959 Thames dropside truck, being restored, totally original.

 

By trade I am a carpenter, so I made all the rear of my truck out of hardwood. I know most people on here wont have heard of a Thames, these were made between 57 and 65, before the Transit replaced them. So I reckon it's a Ford!

 

Hopefully the picture will work. Well it will in a few days after my virginity has expired on here. I will post pictures later.

 

[

 

My girlfriends nic name is sid also, weird i know. Welcome to osf

[Nettles]

Welcome to OSF mate.

Top vans fella can't wait to see more photos.

[Mr Sam]

loving that panel van

[sidspop]

Well it's been a long long time since I came on here. Youknow what the interweb is like for being addictive, and if I stay on the PC too long, I never get anything done in the garage

 

A bit of an update for you Fordophiles.

 

The truck is now finished, and legally on the road. Through the MOT with just headlight aim to correct, so that's no big deal. I got it taxed, and the Numpty asked if I wanted 6 months free tax or 12.......WTF?

 

It has been on the road about 4 weeks, and I am certainly making it work for its living. So far about 350 miles. 4 shows, daughters prom pick up, and a trip round to the tip with some rubbish. Confused the hell out of the hi-viz jacket crowd, as I had had to book it in being commercial.

Been and eavesdropped on a few local car gatherings, and well received by all, specially the local MK1 Golf crowd. Seems the when cars get to a certain age, they are appreciated by all other car nuts, no matter what their chosen make.

Any excuse I get to go out in it, I do. And why not, it's there to be used.

Still needs a few things sorting, but just niggles.

So for your enjoyment, a few pictures.

 

From this on the day I fetched it,

 

 

via a little bit of surgery

 

 

to MOT day

 

 

and the prom do for the wench

 

 

 

I hope you like

 

Andy

[SmokeEm]

Proper cool

[azz-bo]

Welcome to the site mate

 

I believe that honesty is the best policy, so...... I didnt have a clue what a thames was . luvly bit of kit tho

[sidspop]

OK, if you were not sure what a Thames is, a little bit of background information for yours, and anybody elses amusement.

 

The Thames 400e is technically the panel van, the 402e is the chassis cab version, and then there are the minibus/estate car versions, but they are all now known as generic 400e.

They were produced between 1957 and 1965, numbering about 188,000 units, and some were exported, known as the 800e in the USA, and also strangely as a Freighter.

They were available with 1703 petrol engine, or rarer a Perkins diesel.

At the same time as Ford GB was knocking out Thames, Ford Germany was making the Taunus Transit. Bodily similar, mechanically similar, but two different vehicles. At this time, Ford The World decided that two different vans was silly, and they joined forces to knock out the Transit Mk1, hence made in GB and GDR.

That Transit was a major revelation to the Thames. To us nowadays it is primitive, but then it was amazing. That gives you some idea of what the 400e was like.

 

Just a few silly figures to get your minds around.

 

Basic price of chassis cab £439

Optional passenger seat £12

Optional heater £12

4 speed gearbox £16

Light truck tyres £11 10 shillings

 

Also of interest is they came from factory in primer, top coat paint was available for an extra £12.

 

The chassis cab was the most common, then the bus, then the van. Most vans are gone, more gutters = more rot. A lot were also customized.

Bear in mind that in the early sixties, as today, commercials were used, abused, sold off or scrapped when they reached the end of their working lives.

Obviously buses and campers were privately owned on the whole, so they would be cared for, but trucks and panel vans would be builders hacks or delivery vehicles, and not cared for too well.

 

of the 188,000 that were made, it is said that about 3-400 survive, although they seem to pop up frequently.

 

I do hope this information is interesting for you..

 

Regards

 

Andy

[mansfieldclassicford]

welcome, thames is cool, me dad had 1 or 2 of them when he was a lad on the coal rounds, he then moved up to a couple of thames traders, looks nice now mate, il look out for it at shows.

[sidspop]

It's been a while since I posted gents (and wenches).

The truck has now got a lot more miles on it, used as often as possible.

It's a little thirsty, I reckon about 22 to a gallon, but the carb is probably knackered.

One or two things broked on it, the major one being a problem with the clutch.

It turned out that the clutch was ok, the slave cylinder was knackered, due to being fitted by a prick, and the clutch arm wasn't fitted properly.

Speedo cable has broke, I am waiting on new one.

Also fitted temperature gauge, as they don't have one as standard, and a 12 volt socket for phone or satnav. And a vinyl headlining.

 

Biggest acolade so far is a pitch at the recent Classic Car Show at the NEC. The truck attracted a lot of interest, and I was quite humbled with all the attention. To me it's just a project that I bought and restored, my babby. Others tell me it's stunning. One bloke wanted to buy it, to add to his collection. When I asked him how many in his collction, the answer was 57 cars, so I suppose he has a bob or two.

 

Here's a pic for your amusement

 

[RossMK2]

i saw it mate