fordson van

Fordson Van – Nitro Express

Owner: Ken Mee

Nitro Express is about as modified as any car can be. Built around a fifties Fordson van, this hot rod has been built “gasser style”. This was a style prevalent in the early sixties, when American drag racers used light-bodied old cars, stuffed them full of horsepower and jacked up the front end to gain more traction at the rear. They were called “gassers” because of the fuel they burned and the name has stuck.

Owner, Ken Mee, entrusted the build of this vehicle to Valley Gas Speed Shop in Newbury, which is run by Jimmy Hibberd, who also happens to race a gasser based on a 1933 Willys coupe. To achieve the sky-high front, a custom-built straight tube axle is suspended beneath the new chassis, which was built using 3x2-inch box section. Parallel leaf springs provide the bounce and a pair of Speedway shock absorbers keep the bounce under control.

A Ford 302cu.in V8 was sourced from an old racer and was already built to run with nitrous – hence the name. The engine was re-built with TRW forged pistons, aluminium heads and the bottom end was balanced. A Demon carb sits on a Power Plus inlet manifold, while fenderwell headers made by Valley Gas poke nicely from the car’s elevated front end.

At the rear, the 10-bolt Chevrolet axle is controlled by a 4-bar set-up, Panhard rod and Gaz coil-over shocks. Cragar S/S wheels turn in each corner, Firestone rubber at the front and General Grabbers at the back.

When the body arrived at the shop, it was deemed to be so bad as to be non-viable. However, Ken was determined to use it and the entire bottom half was cut out and re-built and another car was sourced to provide the two-piece flip front end. Once the body mods were complete, the car was shipped to Marin Harper of Elite Paint and Panel, where the Pearl Ice Blue was applied over a perfectly prepared black base. Neil Melliard from Prosign applied the subtle flames and signwriting.

The superb diamond-pleat interior was neatly stitched by Trimmania.

To date, Ken has resisted the temptation to run nitrous. But, with a name like Nitro Express, surely it’s only a matter of time.