Manky Monkey Motors

An event for owners of classic & custom Ford Populars, (103e & 100e), Fordsons, Prefects & Pilots.

Saturday morning cruise to Mallory Park race circuit.
Sunday "show n shine" day.
Camping, catering etc.


Bosworth Water Trust
Wellsborough Road,  
Nuneaton,
Warwickshire
CV13 6PD

A selection of photos from this get-together last weekend.
I'd love to say I took my Pop, but of course, it's not on the road at the moment. Still good to chat with fellow owners, compare notes & steal ideas though. Organised by Keith "Roasty" Elliott, (no, I don't know what that refers to either). He managed to pull together nearly 50 Pops, Prefects & Fordsons from all over the country, which is pretty damn good for a vehicle that was built over half a century ago. The humble Pop is the archetypal British custom car -you're almost guaranteed to see half a dozen at any rod show you go to, but other than the NSRA's line up at the Billing show, known as the Pop Festival, as far as I know, this is the first show dedicated solely to Britain's favourite. It's now in it's 3rd year & going from strength to strength.
Nice little venue, (a country park with lake, café, picnic area & childrens play area), great weather & like minded people.
Yes, I promise mine will be there next year!
The red Pop here is Street Odyssey, winner of Best in Show at the first Wheels Day show in Surrey, 40 years ago.

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I've been following Guy Davenport's pick-up build on the Rods n Sods forum for quite a while. Nice to finally meet him & swap ideas. His roadster pick-up with removable hard top isn't quite road-worthy yet, so arrived in style on the back of a borrowed truck.

Kris Brown's old Fordson van, now known as "Old Iron", (the yellow & green one), was the starting point for his "Pop Browns" spares business. He finally retired last year & sold the lot to the couple who ran M & M Upholstery. They were among the traders at this event & I picked up a few spares for my own Pop while I was there.

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Turbo diesel powered Pop was very nicely finished.

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The later 100e Populars were a completely different shape, but just as ...Popular.

The turquoise Anglia, (the export version of the Pop), on the far end of this row's been sliced down the middle & widened & is known as "Wide Anglia".

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Neat sleeping pod creates as much interest as the car. The Pop's on air suspension, built from parts from an ambulance stretcher lift & a forklift, & can be raised & lowered by remote control.

Guy's pick-up was the star of the show for me. Built in a single council lock-up garage on a budget of 1700 quid, it's taken him 8 years to get this far, but it stood out as the most truly "custom" vehicle there. The finish is basic, (brush painted with 30 quid's worth of paint from Aldi, not Audi as I first thought), but that's part of it's appeal to me. I love the folds in the steel roof that mimic seams in fabric hoods. Runs a V6 motor. That's Guy in the brown T shirt & his Missus leant against the pick-up bed.

Guy belongs to the Jesters car club.

The air ride Pop.

Lovely supercharged Ford Prefect runs a fibreglass Pop flip front. One of several ex Custom Car magazine feature cars at the meet.

A Pop "ute", (utility vehicle), built for the Australian/South African market & quite rare over here -there were not one, but two at the show. This one has the original steel front bodywork welded together into a flip front.
Personally I think the shape's a little odd. Presumably the original factory tooling was modified to push the Pop's rear roof section forward, creating a sloping backed cab. The pick-up bed sides continue straight out of the front bodywork, which is cool, but I think I prefer the look of a completely separate cab & "proper" pick-up bed -but then, I'm biased.  ;D

Despite it being a Ford show, several other cars came along for the weekend, including this very cool Hillman. Another Custom Car magazine cover car.

Built in "Pro Street" style, (road going drag car), it had some huge rubber tucked under the back end & a parachute behind the number plate.

Another Hillman? Originally built by Ian of Wyliez Customs & another CC feature car, it now seems to be gathering more ratrod accessories every time I see it.

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Hudson "lead sled".

The "Pumpshot" pick-up's undergone a few changes over the years. Based on a Fordson van I believe. The owner runs a funeral business, which explains the Final Cruise logos.

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COE, (cab over engine), Chevy truck's for sale at the moment. 18 grand if you fancy it.

Nice use of rust in these badges on the Wheng Parts stall.

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Maseratti engined Pop.

Full on, Team Orange Fordson van dragster.

Fibreglass bodied with air brushed detailing.
So very, very loud.

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Horizontally mounted radio aerial, (under the central bonnet support rod), is a nice idea.

Sad I know, but I spent a lot of time comparing roof panels. Because of the steel shortages after the War, Pops were built with a vinyl insert in the centre of the roof. A lot of rodders replace this with a steel panel, but the trick is to find a donor vehicle with the same double curvature to match the original shape. I've heard of various car roofs & bonnets being used. My own is from the rear half of a 1960s Rover P6 saloon. I think this ribbed version's from a Vauxhall Corsa van. The flip front end's fibreglass.

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Another take on the pick-up theme. There were about half a dozen in total at the show. This one is more my taste, with a separate pick-up bed built in the model A Ford style with square corner posts originally designed to hold vertical wooden stakes for wooden slatted sides to increase the load capacity, known as stake beds. The wooden sides were sometimes called Greedy Boards.
Morris Minor rear cab back? Looks like a Ford Pop rear window though.

Great to see the oldies still out & about -with their car.

Apparently one of only 3 of this particular 100e Ford Pop convertible conversion ever built. Semi automatic too cos the owner only has one leg. Nice.

Possibly Triumph Spitfire engined? The young guy who built this is only in his early 20s & this is his first rod. Beautifully detailed with steel flip front & reversed, "suicide" doors.

The "Old Iron" Fordson van, with Fordson tractor part gear knob. Love the green Perspex windows.

Purple fur!

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The other Ute at the show. This very nicely built pro street green 'un's been around for a few years now.

100e panel van was very pretty.

Loved this vintage rally car look.

More pro street.

Very nice.

Hudson.

Not sure.

Vauxhall.

This had a blue light on the dash & a soundtrack of Police radio calls constantly playing on the stereo -Mad Max interceptor replica?

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Very tidy Rover V8 power in the Zephyr.

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More tomorrow.

great pics Andy and some lovely looking pops

The white "not sure" car is a late 30s Plymouth P6 Sedan.
A  Coupe version was used as a police car in the film Harlem Nights, with Eddie Murphy and Richard Prior.

excellent pics andy.

guy is a great bloke. hats of to him for persevering with his(actualy it's his wifes!!!!) pop.

I bought my first Kustom project ( Consul Capri of course) from Kris Brown so he could afford to tax that when first built! LOL

It's an abolute credit to Guy, built on a miniscule budget with skill and determination over funds :)

'We' ( 4 guys rom Uk Kruisers) chopped that in a day at the Essex Nationals many years ago ( sheesh I think it must be 15/16 years ago now !!), Rupe drove it there and home again with a couple of perspex windows we made on site.

 ;D Proper hotrodding!

More pics.

Custom Car magazine cover car about 2 months ago.

Nice semi-vintage treatment of a Fordson van.

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Lots & lots of Pops. The cruise out to Mallory Park race circuit on the Saturday must've been a blast. Next year, next year.

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Parked in the campsite next door.

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One of my favourites. Nothing too shouty, just a quality build.

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Ooh, modern door handles.

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Multiple show winning Prefect.

More of Guy's pick-up.
V6 motor.
Dashboard's formed around the bootlid trim from a Plymouth & flows into the door tops.

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Fake patina.

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An improvement? Hmm, not sure.
Shouldn't that be Van Helsing?

Austin Devon?
Flip fronted, of course.

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2 seater Pop. The seats in this radically chopped example have been shunted right to the back of the body, with the driver looking out of the rear side windows. Looking down the length of the car & through the 6" tall screen must make it an interesting ride.

Loved the discreet Fisher Price toy logos on the doors of the orange one.

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(http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=14309.0;attach=43641;image)

love this andy.

So did I. Again, nothing that out of the ordinary, but a good, useable driver.

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"Wide Anglia".

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Little C50 Honda. Not sure just what he's done to it, but a cool little ride.

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Nothing to do with the show, they'd just come to look at the ducks.

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Trophy time.

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The winning line up.

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The 2 utes get together for a few photos.

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And finally a trophy for the man himself, Keith, (on the left), who organised the whole show virtually single handed.
I've missed every event this year because my own Pop's been off the road, but Popstalgia will definitely be on my list for next year. Well done Keith.

Great pic's, makes me all nostalgic :'( A true British rod, I may have to get a job for a while longer and save some pennies, lots of great ideas in those pic's makes my fingers itch :o

 :D I paid 450 quid for mine as a rolling bodyshell from Ebay. There's still unmolested examples about for reasonable money if you look for them.

Love the seat cover on page 4. Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves. Sgt Oddball (woof woof) from Kellys heroes, great film.