29 October 2014

Digging In The Crates - Escort Van Shootout

In this visit to the steel-lined vault in the basement of Amazo Tower; two period examples of custom Escort vans. Ah, the custom van, an idea that was once the staple of the UK modified car scene, then died a horrible death in the 1990's as 'the scene' moved on to newer (but not necessarily better) styles. The custom van has made a small renaissance in recent years, but its fair to say the genre remains an arcane discipline at best.
Which is a shame, as some of the best examples of the breed are also some of the best examples of customising I've seen: the 'Invader' and 'Blu By You' Bedford CFs, the KVX Transit, the CBS Supervan are instantly recognisable icons among British custom car fans. But I've overlooked the small van, which was just as much an object of the customiser's attention; while these two examples below aren't the most well-known, they really are great examples of their breed. Both are Escort vans, both are powered by Ford 'Essex' V6 powered, both have Jag IRS rear axles. But their execution couldn't be more different; one could have escaped your glance if you weren't paying full attention, the other walks straight up to, pulls you by your lapels close to them and plants a sloppy one right on the ol' kisser. But they're both cracking looking vans.
As always, the full page scans are at the end of the post. Enjoy.

- Amazosan







Fuel filler behind a rear light - nice


Button operates a solenoid to open the door, as handles are shaved




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