WHAT TO LOOK FOR
COSMETIC COMPATABILITY
The interior can be problematic as so much of it was unique to the Invader. This includes the seats, with MkIII items hard to find. Some owners have switched to MX-5 seats as they’re readily available and narrow enough to fit. Some Invaders came finished in leather but most had vinyl; reupholstering in either shouldn’t tax a competent trimmer. The gauges are proprietary while much of the exterior brightwork can also be sourced. Window frames are unavailable and the Hillman Imp bonnet vents are scarce. The bumpers came from the Triumph 1300 or 2000; stainless steel replacements are available.
PLASTIC? FANTASTIC!
Bodywork corrosion isn’t an issue. Stress cracks and crazing shouldn’t be prominent, but the windscreen surround and wheelarches can suffer. If there are lots of areas affected by cracking the car may have been pranged and badly repaired. The front and rear screens are unique to the Invader but the club owns the moulds so replacements are available. The estate’s rear screen was taken from the Cortina estate but the club has a few in stock. The original panel fit was good, with the doors mounted directly to the chassis; misalignment can be due to poor adjustment or different mouldings. The club owns the moulds for most panels so new ones are available.
DOES IT ALL WORK?
Check the electrics all work as loom bodges are common thanks to the glassfibre construction. Poor earths and brittle wiring are also common, but the club can supply replacement looms and investing in a new one of these is worthwhile as at some point you’ll need to bite the bullet. You’ll be doing well to replace the tail lights of a MkI or MkII but the MkIII’s were taken from the Escort MkI and they’re available. The electric window motors came from the Vauxhall Velox, and as you’d expect, sourcing replacements isn’t a straightforward enterprise.
GET UNDERNEATH
Rust can be an issue but all sections are available from the club. Check the sills, seatbelt mountings, seat supports, engine mounts and the triangulated section under the front footwells. Check the uprights in front of the rear wheels, plus the rail behind the rear seat. Remove all of the wheels to see the extent of any rot. Inspect the twin fuel tanks fitted to saloons; the plastic balance pipe that connects the two goes brittle and shatters but new ones are available.
POLY BUSHES HELP
The brakes, steering and suspension are reliable. MkIs and MkIIs used Gilbern’s own front suspension with MGC kingpins, while MkIIIs used Ford bits, all of which is available via the club. Original rubber bushes are no longer for sale, but more durable modern polyurethane items can be fitted. You’re unlikely to find one still fitted with the original steel brake pipes, but if you do, you need to budget £100 to get a set of copper replacements made up, which you’ll then have to fit.
KEEP THE ESSEX COOL
The Essex V6 is simple and tough. However, the Invader’s cooling system is on the limit, so if the radiator or waterways have clogged up with silt, overheating is guaranteed. It’s worth fitting an electric fan but only if the causes of the overheating are sorted; the block might need to be flushed out or a refurbed radiator might be called for. The radiator was made for Gilbern so a Ford part won’t fit. Hose sets are available but you need to source the correct item for the water pump outlet pipe.
SELECT, DON’T NEGLECT
A few Invaders were fitted with an auto gearbox (initially a Borg Warner T35, later Ford C3) but the vast majority left the factory with a four-speed manual transmission taken from the Zodiac MkIV, complete with overdrive. The gearbox isn’t especially taxed in the lightweight Invader but the external bushes in the selector mechanism tend to harden leading to a vague gear change. Replacements are available for £27.50 and fitting these will transform the gear change’s precision.
BMC OR FORD?
Most bits are available, so most cars can be revived. On the MkI and MkII the running gear is BMC, but the MkIII took its brakes and suspension from Ford. Diffs wear, so listen for clonks that mean the crownwheel and pinion are tired. MkIs and MkIIs used MGC rear axles but some got a lower-ratio CWP from MGBs. MkIIIs have a German-market Cortina 2000 diff with a 3.09:1 ratio; the axle is unique to the Invader though as it featured Gilbern’s own suspension pick-up points.