Has any one fitted a 10hp engine in a bradford before?

The Bradford man · Post by **The Bradford man** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:01 am

Has any one fitted a 10hp engine in a bradford before?

This topic came up as part of a converstation 2day.
So has it been done and if so any one have pics?
Thanks

PAUL BEAUMONT · Post by **PAUL BEAUMONT** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:13 am

I am sure George Garside or other more knowledgable person will comment on this, but I seem to recall somewhere, that Jowett actually did this and found that the chassis was not up to it? This would raise the interesting question "How fundamentally different is the Bradford chassis to the pre-war 10hp van"
Thoughts?

StevenGray · Post by **StevenGray** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:07 am

I seem to remember that Phil Green made some comments about chassis unsuitability in his articles on the CD in Jowetter, whether it relates to this or not I am not sure

Steve

The Bradford man · Post by **The Bradford man** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:49 am

Split Pin wrote:I seem to remember that Phil Green made some comments about chassis unsuitability in his articles on the CD in Jowetter, whether it relates to this or not I am not sure

Steve

I know jowett was thinking of fitting CD engine into CC Bradford to do a CC Mk2. I wouldnt had thought it would have much problem fitting in....
Mind you it would probley be quite drangously fast.

A guy here in our club was going to try fit a 10hp engine into a bradford.
But the motor he had was missing alot of parts and mite had been stuffed due to sea water damage etc

george garside · Post by **george garside** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 4:34 pm

The ten hp van chassis was much the saame ladder frame as the 8hp but with 8'6" wheelbase. The main difference was the extreme front mounting of the engine - bell housing over axle - which would have had a stabilising effect on steering when compared with the front light/ rear heavy 8hp & bradford.

I don't know of any atempt to fit a Cd engine in a CC bradford.(probably to wide-) The mk2 CC 'prototype ' used a twin carb version of the sidevalce engine to a 4 speed ? 1940 box. This is the one Phil Green commented about the chassis not being up to the speed & I remember Horace Grimley making similar comments. The 1st prottotype CD 'the tram' used a single carb CC .

As far as fitting a 10 engine in a Bradford I have not come accross such a conversion. Whilst from an engineering point of view most things can be made to fit most things it would involve quite a ;bit of redesign to the steering to enable the steering column to clear the cyl block ( on teh 10hp car the steering box is mounted well forward to keep the column at a reasonable angle. It would also probably require repositioning of cross members & possibly re making of inner wings to allow access to heads. ( ? the 10 may well be wider than the CC which may also reduce steering lock - not sure about this)
Would it be worth it bearing in mind the 10 only developed 5 bhp more than the CC (at 500rpm more) & probably nearer to CC's 25 at 3500rpm. The heavier 10hp unit may improve directional stability due to more forward ewight but this would only become noticeable at high speed!

I coud never understand why the Bradford was made on a short wheelbase & understand that one or two that had a foot welded in to bring up to 8'6" had vastly improved handling. I thing one or two Jowett agents did this for ervice vans.

george

The Bradford man · Post by **The Bradford man** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:23 am

I Know of 1 or 2 Bradfords that were fitted with V8s lol

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:48 pm

Got pics?
There is no way Bradford would get Certification with a V8....let alone a modern 4 cylinder under 2000 cc

Also even a SB chev will not fit ..also a subaru will not fit..unless center mounted behind the drivers seat or the body widened about 10 to 12"

The chassis and runnibf gear of a Bradford doesnt have the strength braking power required for the exta weight power and speed
Doing so is suicide

The only way for a Bradford to be 'modernised' in such a fashion is a ground up full hot rod build using say a ford or toyota chassis or similar, running gear, floor pans etc then take a bradford body steel, remove the wooden frame, add steel internal bracing, widen and make to fit.

Hot rodding is not about taking a car and adding a big engine...it is about taking a moden running gear air con , electric windows, and adding a old body modified.

The Bradford man · Post by **The Bradford man** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:38 am

Keith Andrews wrote:Got pics?
There is no way Bradford would get Certification with a V8....let alone a modern 4 cylinder under 2000 cc

Also even a SB chev will not fit ..also a subaru will not fit..unless center mounted behind the drivers seat or the body widened about 10 to 12"

The chassis and runnibf gear of a Bradford doesnt have the strength braking power required for the exta weight power and speed
Doing so is suicide

The only way for a Bradford to be 'modernised' in such a fashion is a ground up full hot rod build using say a ford or toyota chassis or similar, running gear, floor pans etc then take a bradford body steel, remove the wooden frame, add steel internal bracing, widen and make to fit.

Hot rodding is not about taking a car and adding a big engine...it is about taking a moden running gear air con , electric windows, and adding a old body modified.

Sorry No I do not have pics. We got told about it from a bradford owner down at omaru.
We dont know what size V8 and it was done so many years ago didnt have to have certs then.
It went very fast and was chased by the police lol. It has never been seen since.
There has been another V8 bradford too in auxs but i Know nothing else about it

I would rather have a CB bradford with the norton barrels and heads on it.
That Supost to had gone very very fast. about 90MPH
Dad has seen it many years ago. It was more streamlined with a cut down raditor shell since it no longer needed a raditor in it. it was air cooled etc.
spent more time being worked on because it broke crankshafts alot.
We are not sure if there was one or more than 1 CBs that had had that done to them

Keith Andrews · Post by **Keith Andrews** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:36 am

We got told about it from a bradford owner down at omaru.

I have heard stories like that for yrs...bradfords camaros
Classic was My Dad uesed to own a 66 camaro z28 with a 351 in it..

Urban myths

I doubt very much a Norton has the HP at around 7000 rpm to move bradford to 90 mph, and to be able to keep it straght and stable in a line.
The steering geometry is just too primative to do so regardles as to the dear devil nature of the driver..basics just dont add up.

The Bradford man · Post by **The Bradford man** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:12 am

Keith Andrews wrote:
We got told about it from a bradford owner down at omaru.
I have heard stories like that for yrs...bradfords camaros
Classic was My Dad uesed to own a 66 camaro z28 with a 351 in it..

Urban myths

I doubt very much a Norton has the HP at around 7000 rpm to move bradford to 90 mph, and to be able to keep it straght and stable in a line.
The steering geometry is just too primative to do so regardles as to the dear devil nature of the driver..basics just dont add up.

Im not sure but the omaru one but i think the guy knew the owner of it...?
Not sure on that...

But the V8 Bradford in auckland did exist. There are pics of it in old flat four somewhere.

The special bodied bradford That Tod has now thats a CA chassie running CB engine has been got up to 77mph ( 125kmph )
I had to take it out for a test drive after we finished fixing it up and i took it to Just over 60mph. That was fun

There was bit of vibration and the layrub was abit shot