builders

[trw99]

Nice video - interesting to see inside late 1960s / early 70s Hethel - a question - several of the cars being assembled appear to have had some something sprayed onto the bodies, presumably to provide some protection against paint damage during assembly - anybody know what this is?

Yes, I do. When the cars left the factory, they were sprayed with a protective wax, Autokote 9, which was removed by steam cleaning by the dealer prior to handover to the customer. This was certainly the case with Sprints and I would assume, +2s and Europas too.

Tim

[Sea Ranch]

Did/does Autokote 9 look like flat grey primer paint?

[ardee_selby]

Swing the lamp...

Had to wait 6 months before I was "qualified" to buy a Ford ex-company car for my Dad...an Anglia 105E.

Went to view it where they were all parked...(on "Frog Island"). It was larded in goop and looked like sh*t!

I was too young to drive, so a road test wasn't an option, either!

"How did it look?" says Dad. "Errrrrmmm....Great" I said.

It was such a relief when we collected it and "what lay beneath" was revealed as it was steam cleaned!

(P.S. I believe someone eventually suggested that tax disks were surrendered for a refund on all the cars being offered for sale. Result...a maximum payout from the Ford suggestion scheme!)

[gary eastham]

thanks for all the replys it is so interesting reading all the comments

[trw99]

You may be able to spot him in this film...a few likely lads in it!

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format ... 1161312791

I have been doing some investigative work because in the above clip two Elans are shown with their engines. The first one is a red Elan and it's engine has a sticker on it which declares, as best as I can decipher, "C21257/9J.24". The second is of a +2 with the engine going in and it declares "F21567/9M.19" So I wondered if I could track the cars down.

Well, we know that engine prefix C was for SE Stromberg Domestic & Export Elans. Engine no. 21257 was indeed fitted to an export car, 0001H which left the factory on 13 Mar 70, a month after the release of the Pathe News reel. I don't know what the 9J or 24 refer to, some production line reference I guess; it's not the batch number I know.

Moving on, prefix F was for SE Weber Domestic & Export +2s. Unfortunately I have no record of engine no. 21567 in the scant +2 register I currently have and again I can not say what the 9M or 19 stand for. Anyone on here claim that engine number?

Tim