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Brown Dogs 1980 Escort van


browndog

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I spoke to him about it  before I bought it (I know him through our other strange obsession with old Transit vans which we share!) 

 

He purchased it from a guy in Hawkes Bay 5 or 6(?) years ago. It was painted all gold, with an airbrushed dragon on the bonnet. It ran on 17"s at the time, I remember it being for sale on Trademe, I didn't like it! . Jackson bought it, swapped the bonnet (he kept the dragon one) and painted  the bonnet gold. The paint on the side of van was bubbling, through a preparation problem, so he decided to respray the sides in red, for the Alan Mann look.Swapped the 17's for a set of Minilite replicas, sorted the suspension and  some other bits, then used it as a work vehicle for his plumbing business. Sold it to buy his Transit, to another friend of mine.

 

I literally "tripped over" it a couple of weeks ago when I went to get a WOF on my Mk2 Cortina, and when told it was for sale bought it straight away.

 

Conrad   

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I spoke to him about it  before I bought it (I know him through our other strange obsession with old Transit vans which we share!) 

 

He purchased it from a guy in Hawkes Bay 5 or 6(?) years ago. It was painted all gold, with an airbrushed dragon on the bonnet. It ran on 17"s at the time, I remember it being for sale on Trademe, I didn't like it! . Jackson bought it, swapped the bonnet (he kept the dragon one) and painted  the bonnet gold. The paint on the side of van was bubbling, through a preparation problem, so he decided to respray the sides in red, for the Alan Mann look.Swapped the 17's for a set of Minilite replicas, sorted the suspension and  some other bits, then used it as a work vehicle for his plumbing business. Sold it to buy his Transit, to another friend of mine.

 

I literally "tripped over" it a couple of weeks ago when I went to get a WOF on my Mk2 Cortina, and when told it was for sale bought it straight away.

 

Conrad   

Nice score

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oooh, the firevan is a beauty! Looks like you even had a shave and put on a clean T shirt for the photo shoot :)  Driven plenty of American muscle cars. I can appreciate the appeal they have for some people, but they just don't do it for me sorry! Has the Moosestang arrived??

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It was for the lovely Translator I put on my clean T shirt and had a shave ;)

 

The Moosetang still lives in Bakersfield at the moment as I had to collect some bits, and do a little work before shipping her back. Wait till you see my sidepipes :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Conrad Where did you get your wheels polished I  need a set done what price??

 

Shane

 

Hi Shane,

 

Jack at Metro polishers did them for me, $60+gst per wheel, and that includes getting the kerb rash out of 2 of them :) He has polished a lot of wheels and other parts for me over the years, top bloke, very reliable, does a good job, and not expensive.  Yours will probably be less, as it   is just the rim edge? He is in Parity place, Glenfield.

 

I can also give you the details of a painter who will do the centres, and is not expensive. Polish first, mask, then paint next.

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M3 is ready if you want to come and take suspension pics sometime. Taking it to Taupo in a week for a new M3 launch for BMW NZ. It will be there for a week, then back at mine. :)

 

The Escort is a bit of fun, but not THAT special. Not yet anyway! 

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wheels look choice! 13x6? What size tyres? What size blocks are in the back? tridents and white lettering tyres on a van, always a win in my opinion

 

wheels are 13x7, a rare size for Tridens, I have never seen this size before, and I regard myself as a bit of a mag wheel trainspotter! Tyres are 215/60 rear and 205/60 front, BF Goodrich Radial T/A's, no longer available in 13" unfortunately  :cry:  . I like tall sidewalls, not a big fan of really low (50's)  profile 13's, to my eyes they look a bit small on most cars, apart from Mini's....  Lowering blocks are either 1.5 or 2" according to the eyecrometer , I haven't measured properly yet.

 

 

almost missed this update

Wheels look great

it needs a little up in the back... or down in the front lol

my rear shocks have airbags on them, never seen these before

 

Front is quite high, will do that first. Not quite sure that I am ready for the jacked up rear look yet!

 

Never seen airshocks before? Thats showing your age! I think they were invented  for people towing caravans, so that their car did not sit its bum on the ground when towing. Custom car people started fitted them to their cars in the 1970's and 80's to jack up the rear.(instead of, or as well as extended rear spring shackles) This meant no guard rub on those fat feet (spelt "fat" not "phat" back then!)  and anyway, jacked up rears were "the look" back then, just as slammed cars are now:)   Just like these fine specimens that I found; check out the rake on these bad boys!  :)

 

 

 

 

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Probably all handled like shit, just as most slammed cars do nowadays, but the all important "look" was far more important back than anything else back then, just as it seems to be now!

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