"New" Bradford

Alastair Gregg · Post by **Alastair Gregg** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:29 pm

Hello Hendrik,

You may just corner a niche in the market with your kit form Bradford.

Seriously a number of people would, I'm pretty sure be interested to find the person who would build a wooden frame for a Bradford. There is a chap in Scotland who has just joined who is considering making a pickup from a van. But if access was available to a man (or woman) who could turn out wooden kits for van/utility bodies that were affordable it might slow the slide from van to pickup in the overall stock of Bradfords. So if the person I think you are hinting at exists please have a word and see if they might be able to help us all out.

Thanks

Alastair

Hendrik Moulds · Post by **Hendrik Moulds** » Wed May 30, 2007 8:09 am

Sorry I haven't been around for a while, but I have had three other car projects on the go (now two!) as well as going to a car meeting in Barcelona and a house move which is probably going to happen next week.
I know excuses, excuses.
When I find out more about the guy who could build the frames I will gladly share the information with everyone. I haven't really done much more on it so far though, in fact I haven't really looked at the vans recently!

Tony Fearn · Post by **Tony Fearn** » Wed May 30, 2007 10:41 am

Hi all.

I saw a couple of new Bradford 'A' posts on Bill Lock's stall at the National, so at least these intricate bits are available. I do not know the price.

Tony.

John Wolf · Post by **John Wolf** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:08 am

Hi all,
I have posted some photos of the CC Bradford I am building in my album on Jowett Gallery. Its taking a lot longer than I had planned for a number of reasons but it can be done.
The A pillars were supplied from our local club parts store, the rest of the frame I have made up from new timber using any old original framework that I could get my hands on as patterns. While it would have been useful to have a set of dimensioned drawings I have found that particuarly with the front door frames these needed to be made up to fit the panels and also match the profile of the adjoining A Pillars and door striker posts.

John Wolf
JCC NZ

Robin Fairservice · Post by **Robin Fairservice** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:17 pm

I saw a program on TV about Morgans and they showed carpenters making the wooden frames. Would it be worth the club talking to Morgans to see if there is any way they could assist with manufacture of wooden body frame parts?

Hendrik Moulds · Post by **Hendrik Moulds** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:25 pm

Hi all!
Have just taken a couple of photos of the chassis that I thought you might like to see. It is almost complete now. Then the work on the body will start properly.
With regards to the woodwork, I am not getting this until February at the earliest. I think I will use this as a tester (it is his first full frame) and if it is up to standard then will let you all know his details.

Alastair Gregg · Post by **Alastair Gregg** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:39 pm

Hello Hendrik

Its looking good. I see its one chassis not two as I said in my PM to you. But I think you were building a Van for your business if I remember. Has it been a tricky business or fairly simple.

Hendrik Moulds · Post by **Hendrik Moulds** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:11 am

Yes the van will be used for deliveries at work.
Like all these things it has been not too bad, just slow.
I have to admit that Ian Priestley has done most of the work and my dad has done a lot of cleaning and preparing. All I seem to do is buy parts! I am lucky that I got a lot of spares with the vans though.

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:31 pm

I use mine arond town hualing computers and stuff....
Its great...gets into little parking spaces, sure traffic leaves u behind, but u catch up at the next interesction...narrow streets great.
The draw back is ppl want to talk to u when u are in a hurry.

I have the little 'eye' shape rear windows...a pain in the rear...
get the square windows in the rear doors.

Hendrik Moulds · Post by **Hendrik Moulds** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:25 am

Am afraid all the rear doors I have already have the small oval windows and I had my heart set on keeping it as it is. Is it really that bad?

Alastair Gregg · Post by **Alastair Gregg** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:04 am

Hello Hendrik

I have a Jupiter which has very poor rear visibility but has the standard original aperture. It makes me take extra care, not a bad thing but not really a strong argument for keeping the rear window as it is. However I like my car to look as though it came directly out of 1952 when it was made (or at least thats what I am trying to do). So no radio, alternator or unusual shaped tyres. Therefore it is up to you and if your heart is set on the ovals, just take more care when driving it. I have just tripped across E2 CC 38114 and am trying to convince my lady wife our need for it is great

It was originally a van and it has the oval windows. If I proceed it won't be with square windows. You have to take advice (from all, not just me

) and make your own judgment I'm afraid.

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:58 pm

Baisically u cant se antone behind u unless they are tail gating..
I have a side mirror each side, it helps but there is still a huge blind spot where ppl would normally follow.

I looked into dropping or addingf another interior mirror but that creates a further problem of a blind spot looking forward.
I do have a couple of spare Square window door skins, 1 part is ear marked for another braddy under construction...(frame)

If or when I get time I would like to use the other set, re frame and put those on.

If u intend to use as an every day vechilce (as I do) I highly suggest go to the square windows...my not be 'correct to the purists" for your model, but u will regret it if you dont.

Another practical mod
For interior light, get one of those boy racer green neon 12" lights, mount behind the frame bove/behind the passengers.
Connect the dash light into the front park/headlight circuit..the wire just needs to be moved to that terminal behind the gauge cluster panel
Then use that switch for the interior light.

I was gong to fit after market ndicators, and get the traficators where not realy seen
I was replacing a traficator bulb a hile back...and considered a brighter bulb or even going to LED....the LED was not practable cause the are directional...and a larger bulb I was worried about the extra heat and the lens
BUT if u look inside the lens moulding, and at the contact spring, a simple mild reshape of the spring one can put 2 bulbs in and they are spaced out which takes care of the heat issue

Now ppl see the indiactors(traficators) and no longer an issue
So the new wiring (inluding brake/tail lights which is installed is still coiled up under neath the Van

If u are thinking radio..modern radios have issues wit old irng curuits, and cause flat batteries....there is an older post about this.

If u are going to mod somethng, do yor best not to cut steel, and if u have to, only cut in a manner it can be rebuilt...
Cttng rear door skins for square windows (which are avaliable in NZ) is not a major to rebuild/restore backto orginals in a manner no one could tell unless they had an x-ray machine.

george garside · Post by **george garside** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:17 pm

[quote="Hendrik Moulds"]Am afraid all the rear doors I have already have the small oval windows and I had my heart set on keeping it as it is. Is it really that bad?[/quote]

It doesn't matter whether the door windows are oval or square if youre carrying a full load! - the same applies to modern vans and to goods vehicles fitted with a bulkhead behind the cab. Even with the original door mirrors correctly focused there is good rearward vision and it may well be possible to fit slightly larger mirror heads without detracting from the appearance. Having a blind spot immediately behind is normal for a commercial or for that matter for a car/caravan combination. You just get used to it!

george

Tony Fearn · Post by **Tony Fearn** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:35 am

Many rear view mirrors have plain glass types in them. It's surprising how much more you can see if you replace them with the convex type, both internal and wing or door mounted.

I've always reckoned that it's better to be safe than sorry/original.

I've just fitted a (rather sympathetic) LED bar-type stop lamp on the lower edge of 'Mary Ellen's' rear window. I must admit I sanded off all the Japanese raised print on it, but I expect it will give following vehicles more warning about the phenomenal stopping power of a 1934 Short saloon!!.

Mind you, you can now buy a rear facing television system with a screen on the dashboard for the price of half a dozen bottles of reasonable wine.

Tony.

ian Howell · Post by **ian Howell** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:44 pm

Has anyone tried these 'Fresnel' lenses that you can get for caravans and buses? I know the view is distorted, but at least you can see most of the possible rear view (assuming the back isn't full of spares of course!).

These stick to the glass and can easily be removed - so no issues with destroying originality, and I am sure they are small enough to fit the oval windows.

JowettTalk

"New" Bradford

Kit Form Bradford

Bradofrd body framing

Photo's of Bradford Restoration

Oval Windows

Mirrors on a Bradford.