Help!

[Percy]

Okay, (deep breath) here goes!

I saw a 1957 Ford Anglia on Craigslist in the San Jose, CA area. OMG! It's absolutely *adorable*!! I've always wanted a 'cute', 'little' car and this fit the bill! However, my family and several friends were less than enthused by my excited babbling about this 'piece of junk'. (My being female probably didn't help). My folks didn't try to hide their exasperated rolling of the eyes.

However! A good friend said that if I really wanted to pursue this, he would help me out with fixing the car.

So, I went down to San Jose, picked up the little guy and towed him home. I then set to work trying to figure out what I would need to get started!

Well, wouldn't you know it, someone said I would need 'special' english tools! So I got online and order myself a set of Imperial wrenches! Turns out that the only place I could find that was selling 'Imperial' wrenches was in Australia. Well, I received my Chinese made, Imperial tools by way of Australia just about the time I found out that 'Imperial' is the same as American Standard. yay.

Okay - bonehead manuever - but it makes for an interesting story.

So, after spending a happy (and very HOT) Saturday pulling out the engine (I could have sworn there were *only* four engine mounts!) turns out that it is a blown headgasket and the pistons have decided to become one with the engine block. It took a sledgehammer and a fair amount of banging to get those things out!

The engine rebuild has gone along fairly well, however upon the advice of my friend Steve (Steve Phillips of the Penngrove Power and Implement Museum for all you folks interested in cool old engines and stuff! www.penngrovepower.org - he's the really big guy with the gray buzz cut)
anyway Steve suggests that I get the rest of the vehicle ready so that when I finally put the engine together I can start driving it.

Finally... Here come my actual questions:

- where can I get a replacement gas tank? I've looked all over, but can find nothing remotely close to the original. I read somewhere that someone had one custom built. Any suggestions on how and where I could get this done?

- I understand that the headliner needs to be done at the same time that the windshield is put in. (My windshield is fine, but I need to put a new seal around it). Any suggestions on where I might find some place that does headliner kits?

- Upholstery - my seats look original they are a light gray and red. An suggestions on where I can find color options for the original fords? (I'd like to restore it to original as closely as possible.)

- Also, the DMV is giving me some grief. They want me to tow the car to the nearest DMV office so they can verify that the vehicle actually exists before giving me a duplicate title. Oh, and since it may be of 'historic value' they want me to determine what it's blue book value is. (It's not listed in any Blue Book *I* could find) Any suggestions?

That's it for now, though I'm sure I'll have loads more to ask later!

Thanks!

[angliagt]

For the headliner,try Acme,in Long Beach,CA
1-800-288-6078.I'm not sure if they have them
for 100E's.
What did you pay for it?If it was given to you,
send the seller $1,then you can honestly say you
paid $1 for it.
The id can be verified by a peace officer,but
CA DMV prefers CHP.Do you know any cops in
your area?
Try Pete Snyders for parts - he's in San Mateo,
650-578-0304.
Did you see the post in the "For Sale" area with
the FREE 100E engines in Vancouver,Canada?
I hope some of this helps.

- Doug (up in Eureka)

[JAN]

Firstly the "Chassis" number is stamped into the front inner wing around the right hand front suspension mount. This was actually the original engine number, and is probably one of the things that "officialdom" will require. It is also repeated on a seperate plate, usually mounted above the battery. It was diamond shaped except on early cars, when it was square and mounted on the scuttle panel.

The headlining does need the front AND rear screens to come out to replace it, and screen replacement is probably the worst job on a 100E. It needs to be done in warm weather (the seals harden when cold); the rubbers go into the car first, then the glass goes into the rubber (the reverse of normal); the locking strip goes in next into the groove (if its a deluxe with chrome moulding, then it goes into the SECOND groove down) - this requires a special tool called a Clayton Wright, which expands the groove to allow the locking strip to go in; then, if deluxe, the chrome must be carefully fed in.

I'd suggest that you start getting the engine parts together, as some can be hard to find. These engines are inclined to break rings and wear the ring grooves in the pistons. Simply changing the rings doesn't work; they will shatter in about 6,000 miles so new pistons are needed. Check the little ends on the gudgeon pins; any rocking will need new bushes, which must be reamed to size. Then the big ends were not shells but direct metalled. Remetalling is a skilled job and, needless to say, expensive. Some people converted the rods to take shell bearings, These will be much cheaper, but you'll need to find a set.

Best of luck with the restoration. Although the above might sound rather negative these are lovely little cars with very endearing characters.

[markandjovy]

I just completed a completed a total restoration on a 59 101E. For engine parts Small Ford Spares web site based in UK have all parts you will need as well as other bits and bobs as the Brits say. Including the machine work I have about $2500.00 in the motor. I paid a little extra for modern style rod bearing apposed to original babbit. Watch Ebay as you are aware and also other Web Sites for parts. I started counting Continents in my 2 and half year quest for parts. Arctic, Antarctic, Asia are the three left I have not bought parts from. Still kicking myself for not buying those parts available in Malaysia on Ebay. Junk Yards should not be overlooked. Lucas Girling supplied a lot of parts for English cars. Mr. Jim Mcgrath supplied an article in Tech Tips E Ford Lines EFONA's News Letter, Summer 07. Carburetor and Distributor Upgrades. 71 MG distributor are interchangeable for the 1172 cc flat head motor you have after swapping out old driving collar for the oil pump from original EnFo Distributor to the new MG one. Viola this little tip saved me over a hundred bucks on the purchase price for a rebuilt EnFo distributor and I was able to purchase at local Auto Parts Store. Hope this helps.

[peteleo]

Gary Pomeroy in San Jose was selling a 57 Squire Estate ( a station wagon version of an Anglia ) and was wondering if that may be the car you have.

Are you missing the fuel tank or is the bottom of the tank just rusted out?
If it's rusted, the bottom section can be cut out and a new metal plate can be welded in. I have a 100E tank for the Anglia but not for a wagon.

Pete

[IFHP]

This is the classic good thread for a forum like this. I hope that Percy appreciates all of this good information, from some of the most knowledgeable English Ford folks one could ever hope to meet.

Good work!

Percy, please keep us posted on your project.

Michael

[RS.Escort]

Since the blocks are basically the same, you could substitute a cross flow 1600 or non cross flow 1500 for your motor..

A little more modern, and they were sold once here in north America so parts are more readily available..

Just a thought..