"MATCHBOX" copies etc.

[nickjones]

Did you not build a similar looking vehicle a few years ago Nick. I seem to recall some images you posted on the old forum of a rather futuristic looking project you were working on?

That I did Alex, a lifetime ago, In the picture you can see my kids are playing in front of the van, they are now aged 30 and 34

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Nick, you may have told us before, but what running gear and engine was under it and what happened to it, was it finished at all ?

GHOSTHUNTER.

[motorman]

Where's the windscreen wipers and it must be roasting inside in the summer i'll bet you could grow some exotic fruit on the dashboard no problem Nick!

[nickjones]

Nick, you may have told us before, but what running gear and engine was under it and what happened to it, was it finished at all ?

GHOSTHUNTER.

Hi Kev.
It was originally designed and built to fit on a VW beetle floorpan, I bought an old beetle, took the body off and built the van body on the VW floorpan. Then at the same time I was offered a rebuilt triumph vitesse front axle, a jaguar mk10 rear axle and a 3.5 rover V8 all from different mates and at very reasonable prices so I bought them all, stripped out the VW floorpan and built a chassis and fitted the new axles and engine, I had it much like it is shown in the pic, then I stripped it all down, got about 20 mates to come round and we lifted the body over the fences and hedges and sat it in the road where I reassembled it. Then I changed my job so had extra money to spend on it so I got my friend Gary Layton to strip it down, cut out the chassis that I had built and make and fit a new chassis and then put all the mechanicals back in. (Gary has built many race car chassis). But work commitments prevented me from finishing it and the council said I had to move it, it got stored in a council yard until about 5 years ago when it was removed by persons unknown.
I built a model of it using the zylmex supervan and a 46 pickford van, it needs tidying and the windows fitting but its nearly there -

[Idris]

...it needs tidying and the windows fitting but its nearly there -

Very similar to the real thing by the sounds of it!

[nickjones]

Where's the windscreen wipers and it must be roasting inside in the summer i'll bet you could grow some exotic fruit on the dashboard no problem Nick!

I had not got around to fitting the wipers but they would have been mounted either side of the center screen pillar so you would not notice they were there when they were off, It had a sunroof fitted and the front windows would have slid backwards electrically into the body to give you access and ventilation, It would have had rack & pinion steering, discs all round, independent suspension all round, and very nearly 50/50 weight distribution so it would have handled very well, and with the rover V8 being all aluminium and weighing similar to a 2 litre 4 cyl it should have been pretty rapid too.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Thanks Nick for the story. Shame it is no longer in your possession but at least you have a model of it and a pretty good model, worth finishing I reckon.

Ghosty.

[cOO7rgi]

Mr Jones, the custom van looks fantastic - could have come straight from a Gerry Anderson series! Would not have looked out of place parked next to Ed Straker's car.

[fixer]

one for Ghosty

[johnboy]

Designed by a Scotsman as well.