HERITAGE: Anglia 105E
Early Deluxe gets stunning restoration.
We’ve come across many immaculate, standard Anglia 105Es in our time, but when we first clapped eyes on Nick Horridge’s 1962 Deluxe it became immediately obvious he’d taken his own example to the next level. Look anywhere on this car and it’s like you’ve been taken right back to a Ford showroom over half a century ago. But as Nick points out, this project began some 25 years ago, so he’s had plenty of time to perfect things.
Since 1991, Nick has run Newford Parts based in Abbey Village, Lancashire, a business set up by his father John in 1974 to supply new-old stock Ford parts to the public. Since that time the turnover of the family business has increased dramatically and it’s always been Nick’s ambition to restore an Anglia saloon to a concours standard.
In 1993 he located and restored a 1964 Thames 7CWT van to use as a promotional vehicle for Newford Parts and he still has this today. Yet, it was the Thames’s saloon sister that Nick was keen to have a concours example of, but the end result would be a long time coming.
“When I first purchased the van, I had the vision of restoring a saloon and would spend the next 20 years collecting all the necessary parts to create a car I’d be happy with,” Nick confesses, “I did all this with the knowledge I didn’t even have a base for the project yet!”
Long search
Once Nick was in a position where he was confident he’d amassed enough parts to begin work, then began a three-year search to find a suitable unmolested and unwelded shell — not an easy task. “After a long search, I finally had a lucky break as my friend, Jason Tyler, who is the north-west representative for the Anglia 105E Owners’ Club called me about an Anglia he’d located,” Nick recalls. “It was owned by a chap named Tony Mason, who’d inherited the
from his uncle in 1992, which also happened to be the last time the it was on the road.” His uncle had owned the Deluxe from new in 1962, but Tony didn’t want to sell it to anyone who would modify it, stating he’d prefer it to remain as he remembered it, but back on the road, of course.
Tony’s uncle, Ernest Lowe had regularly driven his Anglia which he’d had from new, but had still only clocked up 41,000 miles in it. He’d also had the good sense to apply a protective undercoat to his car every year for all of those 30 years! After some negotiation, a deal was struck and Nick was finally in a position to begin his long awaited restoration.
The shell as expected was in relatively good order for a 1962 Ford, though Nick has now fully restored it to an incredibly high standard. One of the first jobs was to remove the underseal that Tony’s Uncle had applied — all 35 kg of it! — which took Nick two weeks.
“Underneath it all, I discovered that the whole of the floor section, apart from the wheel arches, was painted in brown primer. This is proof of
Ford’s cost-cutting at Dagenham, where they never bothered to paint the floors of their cars!” grins Nick. The two-tone livery with the top half in Ascot Grey and the bottom in Windsor Grey is a rare combination in itself and remains faithful to how the car would have rolled off the production line. “This combination was only available for five months in 1962, though the car was actually built in November 1961. The same livery also appeared on Consul Classics,” Nick points out.
The long time in storage hadn’t treated the chromework and trim so well, but luckily these were among the parts Nick had sourced over the past decades. “Bumpers, badges and trim are almost impossible to find in good condition these days, so I’m glad I collected them when I did.”
Fitted up
With his experience from his business, Nick was happy to tackle the bodywork and paint himself, but brought in David Morse to refit the engine, gearbox, wiring and interior — jobs Nick is eternally grateful for. The engine remains the 997cc Pre-Crossflow, but it has been rebuilt with only certain parts replaced — the bores, pistons and all bearings remaining standard. The gearbox also remains original with just the seals having been replaced. Its standard suspension makes Nick’s Anglia a sedate drive by today’s standards and don’t forget those 5.20x13 Dunlop Crossply tyres. “My Thames van has a 1200cc engine and you can tell the difference when you step into that,” Nick smiles. Outright speed and fast cornering is far from what this Anglia is all about and you’re reminded of this when you step inside.
The red-beaded vinyl seats which have survived the ravages of time remain in place as does the remainder of the 1962 interior, though a new pair of door cards were needed, supplied by Aldridge Trimming. The red interior contrasts well with the grey exterior and oozes early ’60s motoring.
The three-year restoration was completed in May 2013 and in the summer of that year, Nick’s 105E won Car Of The Show at Tatton Park’s huge summer classic car event competing against 2500 other vehicles. A fitting reward for all the hard work without doubt, and as far as Nick’s concerned the whole project may have taken some time, but it’s been an ambition achieved.
“THE TWO TONE LIVERY WITH THE TOP IN ASCOT GREY AND THE BOTTOM IN WINDSOR GREY IS A RARE COMBINATION”
Thanks to: Jason Tyler, David Morse, Simon Aldridge of Aldridge Trimming (01902 710805, www.aldridge.co.uk), Wrights Auto Supplies, Paul Beck, Evans Waterless Coolant, Wayne Kirkby, Paul Sammut, John Sibbles and BCN Paint Supplies, Blackburn. Newford Parts: 01254 830343, www.newpartsonline.co.uk