Back to Mk2 Articles

57 Consul V12 Hot Rod.

Jason Lancaster and Paul Garton United Kingdom.

 

I’m Jason Lancaster, I’m 21 years old. The first time I saw a hot rod was in the film "American Graffiti" after that I was hooked I had to have one.

I even made a piston gear knob like the one in the film but unlike the film I put it in a bright yellow 1965 Ford Anglia! (well I was only fourteen at the time).

After that nothing really progressed until a year ago when my cousin Dave Holmes (Holmsey or H as he’s known) rang me up and asked if I wanted to go to the hot rod drags at Shake Pear county (Avon park as it used to be) I think he just wanted to use my car but I went anyway. After I went and saw what the hot rod scene had to offer I just had to have one so as soon as I got back I started looking.

It was not long before I found one in North Wales, which was not that far from where I live in the lake district. When I got there the car was parked in a heated shed. The first thing I saw when he opened the door was the boot lid with a big shiny V12 badge on it, but when he started it up that was it I had to have it, the sound was amazing!

The car was not quite complete it had no interior and the engine bay was in a bit of a state with leaking gaskets and perished hoses, but I soon sorted them out. When I got the car home it took a little longer than it would if it was a V8, but hey that’s the price you pay for a V12.

The car is a V12 1957 Ford Consul low line, the engine is a fuel injected 5.3 V12 Jaguar out of the XJS with a three speed auto box with a Hurst ratchet shifter. It also has the back axle out of the XJS with a limited slip diff. The front axle is off a Ford Granada, the car runs on 8 ½” slotmags on the back and 7” wide slotmags on the front.

It has two 3” side pipes, with only one silencer in each one which makes the car very loud! (you need earplugs when going to shows as my friends can vouch for!).

Above: Independant Jag rear suspension with limited slip diff.

Above: the car retains the Consul bumpers, wheel arches and basic body chrome .

Above: "Two lane blacktop" with top coat look

Above: 2 door conversion and internal roll cage.

Above: Hurst shifter and cloth covered bucket seats.

Above: V12 fuel injected engine with braced strut tower to firewall points.

Above: Granada front end and heavy duty radiator.

Above: Custom wood grain dash and collapsible steering column for safety.

Above: Clean flat panels with spinners on the wheel centres.

Dear I say if looks almost 55 Chev like at the front?

Back to Mk2 Articles