Going all the way
Aged just 18 years old, John Williams hankered after a hot rodded Ford Pop. More than 40 years later, he’s finally scratched that itch Words: Dave Biggadyke Pics: Vic Peel
T
his sit up and beg is the Ford Pop John Williams always dreamed of owning. It’s not his first, though – far from it. Having been inspired by visiting the likes of the Belle Vue shows in the late ‘70s with his mate Dave Sheldon, John bought his first Pop when he turned 21. Fast forward quite a few years and he has owned three others since – although, despite his best intentions, none of those projects was seen through to fruition. John did come very close with the project before this one, until selling it on at the eleventh hour. The new owner did carry on where John left off and completed the build, with the finished car being featured on these very pages. ‘While selling that car seemed the right thing to do at the time, I soon found myself with itchy feet,’ John confided. ‘I kept my eye on the small ads and it wasn’t too long before I came across a stock Pop for sale in London. ‘It proved too much of a temptation and I bought it solely from the pictures I’d seen.’ That was back in 2014 or 2015. But what he got was not so much a car as an opportunity. ‘It had already been stripped,’ he explains. ‘And with many of the panels being beyond saving, I only kept the shell, grille surround, nearside front wing and boot lid. I bided my time though, and patiently tracked down NOS replacements for all the other panels.’
The straight and narrow
John’s plan was to beef up the original chassis. But upon investigation he found that it was actually twisted. After that, he had no hesitation in turning to Mark Gibbs at Wisbech Engineering, whose craftsmanship had featured in his previous project. Running with no bonnet is not a common practice with Pops; some would say it’s an acquired taste. On this occasion, however, it came about by accident and won’t always be the case. The paint colour is VW / Audi Nardo Grey, which is reflected in the Nardopop Instagram page created by John’s son
APRIL 2023 CUSTOM CAR 11
7pp John Williams.indd 11
06/03/2023 15:34
