In its day (1976) it was one of the smartest-looking kit cars and was almost the only one available as an estate car (well more of a hatch-back really).
In the case of mine, I was once stopped by the police, thinking it was a stolen supercar, with number plates off a Morris 1000. I had to show them the engine compartment to convince them.
It had a length of 12' 2" and width of 5' 2".
I have heard that only around ten were ever built before the makers went bust.
These were run by Jim Clark and Jim Finch.
They were Suppliers to Penske Racing, etc. and made the bodies for Gulf's 1975 Le Mans winning Mirage.
It was reviewed in "Hot Car" magazine September 1975.
It was advertised at Advertised at £1,050 + VAT, although I paid a £300 deposit and then £603 to get the body after the firm went bust.
- Its plus points were:
- looks,
- available as estate or open-topped,
- cheaper that most anything looking as flash,
- very sturdy self-coloured fibreglass body, so strong that the roof was able to be stood on and someone rolling their car downhill into mine at 3mph didn't even scratch it.
- lower centre of gravity and wide wheels gave better cornering than the van.
- very few kit cars of the day would take a sturdy tow bar.
- available as estate or open-topped,
.
One point from this picture - the dashboard design was up to each buyer.
- Its minus points were:
- the heavy Morris 1000 chassis and very-thick fibreglass body made acceleration no better than the original van.
- I fitted my van with twin carbs, anti-roll bar, electric fan, alternator and extractor manifold which was great, as a van, but not much good as the kit car,
- it used smaller-diameter wheels than the original Morris and needed a different set of gears to get a top speed of over 60mph.
- the makers going bust during construction of mine made for considerable difficulty in getting hold of the kit and all its parts.
- it had poorly thought-out door seals (like many kit cars of the day).
- perspex side and rear windows which scratched easily and certainly wouldn't take a rear wiper.
- sliding side windows which gave very restricted opening.
- I fitted my van with twin carbs, anti-roll bar, electric fan, alternator and extractor manifold which was great, as a van, but not much good as the kit car,
Constructing the kit.
This was mine, previously a Post Office van, parked in the drive of Littlemead, Exmouth, Devon.
 Morris 1000 6cwt van SLP 577F CARS.JPG)
Navigator: Colin Batten. Driver: Roger Batten.
Note the rear of another heraldic-beast-named kit car on the left - a Gilbern Invader Estate which we made earlier.
Here's a view of the body interior as it came, with a "dashboard" ready for the buyer to do-their-own-thing.
- Then all that was needed was minor work such as:
- the wiring (no loom supplied),
- fitting a Mark 2 Cortina windscreen,
- cutting perspex to make the sliding side- and other windows,
- fitting Mark 3 Cortina rear lights,
- fitting a sun-roof and interior trim,
- etc., etc., etc.
- fitting a Mark 2 Cortina windscreen,
And finally...
It possibly also shows a certain lack of organisation!
