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

This 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

The Wisbech 80 x 40mm box section alternative features an IFS with stainless steel A-arms, modified Cortina uprights, Capri 2.8i vented discs and calipers, a Cortina steering rack and a pair of Protech Shocks adjustable coilovers. Driving the rear wheels is taken care of by a Volvo 740 axle, narrowed by John and fitted with resplined shafts. A Wisbech Engineering stainless steel 4-bar and Panhard rod, together with another pair of Protech coilovers, handle the axle location and rear suspension.

When it came to sourcing a powerplant, John was drawn to a motor in a box from Real Steel. The crate small block is welldressed, along with being distinctively plumbed thanks to products from Automotive Silicone Hoses in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, chosen to complement the colour of the interior trimming. John soured a pair of Corvette tubular headers, thinking they would bolt straight on, with the reality being that he had to extend them and utilise thicker flanges to get the fit right.

The headers feed an owner-fabricated exhaust system featuring Profusion silencers, with the tailpipes exiting just forward of the rear wheels. Bolted to the back of the engine is a three-speed TCI TH350 automatic transmission.

Looking flush

With a very distinct vision of how he wanted the Pop to sit firmly in his mind, John took the decision to channel the body some three or four inches over the Pro Street-style chassis. Understandably, that channelling dictated a fresh floor needed fabricating, along with a pair of not-insignificant rear wheel tubs.

While John knew a new floor would be needed from the outset, as the original was pretty much non-existent, it’s doubtful he would have considered a two-tier approach back then. But having fabricated the panels for what he refers to as the main floor, he welded them to the lower edges of the body as per a conventional installation. However with the body being channelled, that floor lay a few inches lower than normal – so having created a support framework, John fabricated panels to form a second floor that lies flush with the top edges of the inner sills.

John carried out the inevitable metalwork repairs while keeping the bodywork looking pretty much as it did when it rolled off the production line – with one notable yet very subtle exception. With that work all completed, he prepped the metalwork before firing up the compressor and painting it himself.

John’s cunning plan was to incorporate repeater lights within the cowl side vents. That proved something of a mission impossible, though, so he improvised by fitting reflective tape instead

The brief for the colour given to him by his wife Janice was pretty self explanatory: ‘I don’t want it to look like a Noddy car!’ As it was painted grey when it left the factory, John figured that fitted the bill quite nicely. Thankfully, Janice approved of his choice.

With all the metal coated in primer, it was time for the colour coats

The underneath of the shell and then the interior were the first to turn grey…

Left: The block was treated to some bling before being slotted back between the chassis rails

…and

…and there was a lot of metalwork in need of a colour change

Right: The Corvette headers that John had to modify to achieve the fit he was after

To match the chassis, the engine and transmission were painted VW / Audi Volcano Red

Above: Wheels are polished American Racing Torq Thrust II 5-spokes. The 4 x 15 fronts wear Michelin 125R15 tyres and the 8 x 15 rears are wrapped in 225/70R15 rubber from BFGoodrich

Right: Channelled body aside, the interior is unmistakably the pièce de résistance when it comes to this particular Ford Pop. Front seats came from a Saab 93 and John formed the plywood base for the diminutive rear squab himself. Sumptuous diamond-stitched red leather trimming is the expert handiwork of Steve Summers of Summers Upholstery, who also sorted the headlining and carpet

Noddy car

Left: Power for the Pop comes from a 350ci Chevy crate motor sourced from Real Steel. A Weiand Street Warrior manifold and Edelbrock 650cfm top it off, whilst dress-up goodies include a pair of Edelbrock ribbed rocker covers and a finned alternator. Sparks are provided by an MSD distributor, with the waste gases exiting through a pair of Corvette headers modified by John

The smoothed out dash plays home to a cluster of white-faced gauges from the Omega Kustom Instrument Co, plus a quartet of warning lights with a row of toggle switches discreetly mounted underneath. Also under the dash are a knob for adjusting the brake bias and a modified 100E heater. John shortened the steering column that Steve Lang supplied, then topped it off with a Speedway Wheel that came via Russ Pepper at R&R Hot Rod Imports. The shifter is by B&M and the pedals by obp Motorsport

Bucket list

In need of something to sit on inside the car, John once again turned to Scandinavia, along with his local woodyard for a bit of ply. The front bucket seats he chose are a perfect fit and comfortably accommodate both driver and passenger, while the rear squab is more for show than practicality.

The seats needed trimming, of course, and for that John enlisted the services of a mate of a mate who, after working for Morgan for 44 years, now runs an automotive upholstery business based in Malvern, Worcestershire.

The end product is nothing short of stunning. A true focal point of the finished car and a testament to the skills of the man with the sewing machine. Less sexy but still spot-on is the wiring, taken care of by a kit from EZ Wiring which John fitted himself.

With the incidentals then finished off, for the first time ever John had gone all the way. Not only had he seen this particular Pop project through to the very end, he had done it with style. It may have taken him the best part of half a century, but it was most certainly worth the wait.

Left: Let’s just say that boot space is limited. The custom made ali fuel tank is by Collin Reay, who also made the radiator, and the twin reservoirs feed fluid to the bias braking system with independent circuits front and rear. Even the screenwash bottle is tucked away in there. John told us the side-hinged boot lid was one of the most challenging jobs on the car, yet it can be easily overlooked

Right: The extent of the kick-up in the rear chassis rails is apparent in this shot, as is the extent to which the Volvo axle has been narrowed. That’s a Carter fuel pump mounted under the boot floor

The build was actually finished and the Pop on the road in 2021 but it wasn’t until the following year that John started putting it about a bit – taking in, among other shows, the 50th Anniversary NSRA Fun Run at Rutland not Billing, and Popstalgia at Billing not Bosworth. Such was the reception at the latter that John drove home from Billing with the Participants’ Choice trophy resting on the seat next to him.

When speaking with John, his satisfaction with completing the job and delight with how well the car has turned out is immediately apparent. ‘I’ve now clocked up around 3000 miles in the Pop,’ he enthused. ‘It drives far better than I ever expected. It’s comfortable, there are no rattles or bangs and that crate motor certainly has plenty of power on tap. There have been no real issues with it, although I have fitted softer springs all round to improve the ride quality.

‘I’ve no plans to change anything –although I will eventually get around to

Thanks

‘Richard Wensley for machining parts, Colin Bennett for coming up from Gloucester to do the first start up, everyone in my family for putting up with me talking about it for 40 years – in particular my son Jon-Lee and of course my wife Janice, not least of all for the endless cups of coffee’ repainting and fitting the bonnet I accidentally damaged during the final assembly, as it was never my intention to run the car without it. That should give the car a completely different look.’ Maybe John hasn’t quite gone all the way just yet, then. But he has attained his lifetime goal, and that for sure is an achievement to savour.