Mike Pugh's 1959 Ford Thames Panel Truck with BMW 2002 Mechanicals
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XVII Issue 2, December 2009Owner: Mike Pugh
City: Raleigh, NC
Model: 1959 Ford Thames Panel Truck
Engine: BMW 2L inline four
Conversion by: owner
Background
My addiction to BMWs began when a friend decided he wanted to sell his
1969 2002 for the tidy sum of $2002.00. After a test drive of the little
car, with about 100k miles on the odometer, we knew we had to have it.
My fate was forever sealed. I was now a genuine 2002 nut. Over the years
I have owned/restored over 30 of these fine little cars.
But this story actually begins about 9 years earlier when I was 14.
With a tidy sum from my lawn mowing business, I bought my first car,
a 1959 English Ford Anglia sedan on which I proceeded to rebuild the
engine, brakes, etc. By the time I got my license I had it on the road
and my then girlfriend (and now my wife) and I used to drive to school
and on dates in it. Soon the little flathead 4 cylinder was not enough
and I moved on to the world of late 60's muscle cars, which would occupy
my obsession until a fateful day in 1976.
One day in 1979, my Dad and I were at Martinsville Speedway at a NASCAR
race and in a field near the track was a small house and right outside was
parked a 1959 English Ford panel truck (a.k.a. "Thames"). After knocking on
the door and tracking down the owner, who actually lived in the next state,
I was able to acquire the little truck. At this point, my addiction to 2002's
was in full strength and so I big dreams of making this little truck run
like a 2002. But, work and family rightfully took priority, so the little
truck was relegated to my father's barn in Virginia where it would reside
for 24 years, eventually become a popular resort for the local mouse community.
Through out all of these years, the little truck stayed in the back of
my mind, I wanted to make it run like a 2002, but the heart and soul of
the little cars is more than just the engine, its also the suspension and
brakes and balance. Finally my father thought I needed some motivation
and hauled the little truck down to me and said "You really should do
something with this thing." So into my barn it went and sat for another
year or two.
One day as I was parting out a 2002, one that had been seriously damaged
and had all the classic rust that these little cars can 'acquire', as I
was about to start cutting it into small pieces for the metal recycler I
decided to measure the width of the car at the rocker panels and compare
them to the those of the panel truck. To my amazement, they were only
about 1/16" difference. Well, the wheels in the brain started turning
and before you know it I had hatched a plan: Why not graft the body of
the panel truck onto the lower part of a 2002? After more measurements
and a trial fitting of the front fenders to make sure the track of the BMW
wasn't too wide, I proceeded with the project.
The first order of business was to remove the body of the 2002 while
retaining the tub. Next on the agenda was to shorten the tub to accommodate
the shorter wheelbase of the panel truck. This turned out to be almost
exactly one foot. Now the fun could begin. I brought the panel truck up
from the barn, removed all of the suspension and doors and began to brace
the body internally so that I did not lose the shape as I was getting ready
to remove the entire bottom of the unibody, leaving just the sides and the
roof. I suspended the body with a hoist from the ceiling of my garage and
began to carefully cut away the floor and firewall. Did I mention the
little truck was rusty? After much trimming and planning, I was finally
ready to make the critical cuts needed so that the two halves could be
brought together. On my birthday in April of 2005, my Dad came down to
have a look see. He gave me the thumbs-up on what I was about to do.
In short order, the cuts were made and the two cars went together, albeit
with a lot of work yet to do.
Two project cars?
The next 8 months were spent grafting the concoction together and completing
countless small jobs. I mounted the panel truck front end, replaced the bottom
of one of the truck's doors, modified a BMW fuel pickup/sender to fit the
panel truck gas tank, etc., etc. etc. Shortening the driveshaft was easy
for the machine shop. I found out that you can't buy an exhaust system
for a BMW powered English Ford... so I made one by cutting apart
an ANSA system and welding it up to fit. The rear inner wheel arches are
from a 2002. A small Mazda Miata battery solved one problem; a wiring
harness from a BMW solved another. The dashboard from a 2002 was used as
were the gauges and center console.
Finally, after 5 pounds of MIG wire and two bottles of welding gas, plus a half
gallon of Bondo, the body work was nearing completion. I had to make a decision
on what color to paint the truck. After much consideration, I opted for New VW
Beetle yellow but with a flattening agent added for a sort of 'rat rod' look.
My wife Eileen came up with the idea of putting a smiley face on the rear door.
All of the running gear and suspension has been renewed and is pretty much stock
except for the Weber carburetor and sport springs. Actually, it is very fitting
that the motor is from that very first 2002 of mine.
So how does the little truck drive? Like a short wheelbase 2002, what
else? At about 1600 pounds, it's about 500 pounds lighter than a 2002 and even
with the newly rebuilt stock motor, it has more than enough power. It corners
like a 2002 race car.
The completed engine installation.
Two examples of BMW mechanicals combined with something wonderfully British.
The little truck made its public debut in May of 2007 at several shows in
North Carolina, with the highlight for me being its outing at "Vintage at
the Vineyard", an event for vintage BMWs largely attended by 2002 enthusiasts
from all over the East Coast.
I couldn't have completed this project without help. First of all I'd like to
thank my wife Eileen for all of the support she's given me over these many
years, despite this addiction I have. My friend Gary, a professional body man of
considerable talent guided me along the way with helpful suggestions and an
awesome paint job. Doug and the guys at his shop provided significant help in
the way of parts and machine work as did my 2002 buddy Bill. My dear friend
Humberto offered so much encouragement, especially during some very trying
personal troubles. I thank Scott for his encouragement and graphic mock-ups.
Most of all, I couldn't have completed this project without my dad, Mickey Pugh.
He has passed on now but he was the one who taught me the skills, gave me the
confidence, and provided constant help. I'll keep those gifts with me
throughout my life.
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | BMW 2-liter four cylinder engine. Weber 32/26 DGEV carburetor. K&N air filter.
Overhead camshaft. Solid lifters. BMW 2002Tii distributor (mechanical advance).
Bosch Blue coil. |
| Cooling: | re-cored BMW 2002 radiator. BMW 2002 engine driven cooling fan. |
| Exhaust: | BMW 2002Tii exhaust manifold. ANSA aftermarket exhaust system for a 2002, cut down in length to fit. |
| Transmission: | BMW 320i 5-speed with overdrive, stock clutch, etc. |
| Rear Axle: | stock BMW independent suspension, 3.64:1 final drive ratio. |
| Front Susp.: | stock BMW suspension, upgraded with competition springs.
BMW ZF worm-and-pinion steering gear. |
| Rear Susp.: | stock BMW independent suspension, upgraded with competition springs. |
| Brakes: | power brake system, (front) disc, (rear) drum. |
| Wheels/Tires: | BMW 2002 Tii steel disc wheels. 185/70R13 tires. |
| Electrical: | mostly stock BMW 2002 electrical system. Mazda Miata battery. |
| Body: | paint by Gary Hawkins. |
| Interior: | Recaro seats from a BMW 320i. Dashboard from a 2002. |
| Weight: | 1500 lbs. |
| Comments: | April 2007. |
How It Was Done
BMW 2002 tub, cut in half.
Twelve inches removed, and then welded back together.
Setting the Thames panel van body on the modified BMW 2002 chassis.
Now the body is clamped in place, and the project can be rolled around.
BMW 2002 engine upgraded with higher performance 2002Tii distributor and exhaust manifold.
BMW 320i 5-speed with overdrive.
The drivetrain is ready for installation!
BMW 2002 independent rear suspension.
Trial fitting the BMW 2002 dashboard.
Battery hidden under cargo floor. ("Werker" is a private label brand from Batteries Plus stores.)
Plywood cargo floor. Note flush fuel filler, which will be hidden under carpet.
Engine Installation
BMW 2002 1990cc, SOHC, 2 valve/cylinder four cylinder engine.
BMW 2002 engine electrical.
Power brake master cylinder.
Pierburg mechanical fuel pump.
Weber 32/26 DGEV carburetor mounted to a stock BMW 2002 intake manifold.
Throttle linkage.
ZF steering gear.
Brake fluid reservoir and various electrical relays.
Bosch alternator, remanufactured by Precision Parts (labeled "BOA 089" and "JQA6018701")
Motor mount, and plumbing details.
Bosch "blue" coil.
Monte Carlo bar.
Hood latch.
Distributor.
Interior
Interior overview.
Custom door panel.
Recaro seats from a later model BMW 320i.
BMW steering wheel.
BMW 2002 instrument cluster. Speedo reads to 120mph. Tach reads to 8000rpm.
Carpet from Chris Willet at "Only O2".
BMW 2002 dashboard.
BMW 2002 center console.
BMW 2002 rear view mirror.
BMW 2002 inner wheel well.
Body and Trim
Mike Pugh's 2002's
A Ford Product - Made in England
When ordering replacements, quote Engine No. "100E/698750", Moder No. "301E"
Constructed under patents granted in all principle manufacturing countries.
Ford Thames grille.
Ford Thames hood badge.
Ford Thames headlight trim.
Ford Thames cowl vent.
Ford Thames hood hinge detail.
BMW 2002 side view mirror.
Ford Thames door handle.
The bumper sticker reads: "My other car is the Popemobile"
Powered by BMW 2002.
Ford Thames panel van rear door handle.
Ford Thames taillight.
BMW 2002 Tii steel disc wheels.
185/70R13 tires.
The eleven in-process photos in the "How It Was Done" subsection and the first and third photos
in the "Background" subsection are by Mike Pugh for BritishV8 magazine. All other photos shown
here are from June 2009 when we viewed Mike's car at the 2009 BritishV8 annual meet in Durham NC.
Photos by Curtis Jacobson for BritishV8 Magazine. All photos are copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
