Topic: New Project Vauxhall Victor FB

[ianmcc]

Just picked up this field-fresh Saskatchewan plated 1962 Vauxhall Victor FB for this years Great Beater Challenge.
It's in way better shape than I first thought it would be and only 32K miles on it.
It has been knocked about a bit and has some corrosion in the fenders but still a great car and totally stoked to get to work on it.









Will need signal lenses so if anyone sees or knows of someone with parts let me know.

[Arthur Dent]

Wow. That is awesome. How is the windshield - that might be the toughest replacement part to source.

Might be worth joining the British Saloon Car Club of Canada or at least their Facebook page to find the signal lenses. https://www.facebook.com/groups/41334711314

I used to know two brothers in Calgary that had a large collection of these 60s Vauxhalls. I think they were mostly sold off by now unfortunately.

[ianmcc]

The windshield is in perfect shape-not even a chip that I can see.
The front signals may be harder to find as they appear to be unique to the Victor. The tail lights are the same as Lotus Elan Series 2.

[Arthur Dent]

https://www.kipmotor.com/ has some trim and bits for obscure Brit cars. Not cheap though.

[Allen]

Cool car, my very first car at the end of high school was a 1957 Vauxhall Cresta, which a friend of my grandmother gave me, 3 on the tree and a real chick magnet 

[Firm]

Photos not working for me, sounds like an exciting project though.

[Arthur Dent]

I didn't realize there was supposed to be pics - I don't see them either but there happens to a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5wYHf-wrqc

It is in amazing shape. Usually prairie interiors are toast. I love it and a little jealous.

[Firm]

Thanks for the video, that thing is in great shape, what a survivor, very cool.

I have to admit though, I am even more impressed at that fact that Ianmcc has his LTD frame swap project sitting in pieces on one side of the driveway in what appears to be a perfectly innocent suburban neighborhood....I bet he's clearly favorite in the neighborhood. 

[ianmcc]

Let's try the photos again

Just picked up this field-fresh Saskatchewan plated 1962 Vauxhall Victor FB for this years Great Beater Challenge.
It's in way better shape than I first thought it would be and only 32K miles on it.
It has been knocked about a bit and has some corrosion in the fenders but still a great car and totally stoked to get to work on it.









Will need signal lenses so if anyone sees or knows of someone with parts let me know.

[ianmcc]

Now hosting on imgur so we won't have a repeat!

The Ford LTD chassis swap started out as a simple chassis and 4.6 swap but the rust was way worse than first appeared.

Rockers were completely rusted out.



Cutting out some donor rockers at the local Pick n Pull.



First order of business was to remove the pushed in bumper so I could extricate the broken signal lights.



I had to grind all the bumper bolt heads off to remove the bumper.

It still had one original Lucas light and twist style connector.



The drivers side was replaced sometime in the past. Will replicate this on the passenger side.



I have found a donor Victor local to me but the owner will not sell just parts-he wants me to buy the entire car.
Two non-running hulks is enough for now for this perfectly innocent suburban neighborhood.

[Arthur Dent]

Buying a whole parts car for a single turn signal lens does seem a little extreme. 

[PJungnitsch]

That's where a farm was nice. Likely the parts Volvo 145 and the parts Datsun 510 I bought as a kid are still moldering away amongst the saplings

The amount of older vehicles that are gently rusting away on farms on the prairies has to be something beyond belief

[Bubba]

This is fun!   

[ktm525]

That's where a farm was nice. Likely the parts Volvo 145 and the parts Datsun 510 I bought as a kid are still moldering away amongst the saplings

The amount of older vehicles that are gently rusting away on farms on the prairies has to be something beyond belief

Lots disappeared to enterprising scrappers who go farm to farm.

[bridgecity]

That's where a farm was nice. Likely the parts Volvo 145 and the parts Datsun 510 I bought as a kid are still moldering away amongst the saplings

The amount of older vehicles that are gently rusting away on farms on the prairies has to be something beyond belief

Last summer went to a farm owned by a cousin of Mrs BC.  The amount of old iron parked row upon row was impressive.  Hundreds of cars.  Everything from quirky stuff from the 50s to 80s American iron.  Some of it parked in the bush with trees growing through them, others parked in an open space with the grass all nicely trimmed.  I was in disbelief.  Apparently the family won't sell to anyone, but if a family member wants something or needs a part, they'll consider it.

There was an F series Victor in the mix.

[Firm]

That's where a farm was nice. Likely the parts Volvo 145 and the parts Datsun 510 I bought as a kid are still moldering away amongst the saplings

The amount of older vehicles that are gently rusting away on farms on the prairies has to be something beyond belief

Last summer went to a farm owned by a cousin of Mrs BC.  The amount of old iron parked row upon row was impressive.  Hundreds of cars.  Everything from quirky stuff from the 50s to 80s American iron.  Some of it parked in the bush with trees growing through them, others parked in an open space with the grass all nicely trimmed.  I was in disbelief.  Apparently the family won't sell to anyone, but if a family member wants something or needs a part, they'll consider it.

There was an F series Victor in the mix.

I always wonder how those types of 'collections' come about? Like is it a situation of friends/family members just dumping off their old cars on the property, or was someone actually out there buying up every random old car they could get their hands on cheap and parking it out there for some reason? If the latter, what's the reason?

[bridgecity]

That's where a farm was nice. Likely the parts Volvo 145 and the parts Datsun 510 I bought as a kid are still moldering away amongst the saplings

The amount of older vehicles that are gently rusting away on farms on the prairies has to be something beyond belief

Last summer went to a farm owned by a cousin of Mrs BC.  The amount of old iron parked row upon row was impressive.  Hundreds of cars.  Everything from quirky stuff from the 50s to 80s American iron.  Some of it parked in the bush with trees growing through them, others parked in an open space with the grass all nicely trimmed.  I was in disbelief.  Apparently the family won't sell to anyone, but if a family member wants something or needs a part, they'll consider it.

There was an F series Victor in the mix.

I always wonder how those types of 'collections' come about? Like is it a situation of friends/family members just dumping off their old cars on the property, or was someone actually out there buying up every random old car they could get their hands on cheap and parking it out there for some reason? If the latter, what's the reason?

In this situation its a generational farm (3 gens all living on the same quarter) and  into cars at one point.  They probably went to auctions and bought from others through word of mouth.  This likely went on for 30-40 years.  Now the cars just sit there, with the odd one pulled or parts pulled, but they don't want to give up their "collection".  Meanwhile its all just rotting away. 

[PJungnitsch]

Yeah, auction sales would be big ones, there's always somebody that buys up anything and everything, as long as it's cheap, and just hordes it

Or just drive around and ask other farmers. My brother was showing me a squarebody Chev pickup he got for his boy and a F100 he was working on for himself. Believe he paid a hundred bucks each but he had to do a bit of brush cutting

[ianmcc]

Buying a whole parts car for a single turn signal lens does seem a little extreme. 

Agreed. However at first walkaround I do need more parts like rear window trim.
And even that donor car may or may not have useable lenses.
Looking at making my own using clear epoxy and silicone molds.