old custom vans

[soilwork]

Hi

I am trying to find out some details/pictures of a mk1 custom transit van my dad used to own back the 70s.
As far as I know it was blue had a custom front grill on it from a black cab, upside down tear drop windows on each side at the back and three small port hole windows in the back door. The back door was hinged from the top it had a V8 engine in it and was pretty quick down the quarter mile (so I’m told) it also had a horn on it that was from a boat and chrome wheels.
It was sold to a guy from France who took it with him to France. That’s about all I can remember at the moment but if I can remember anything else I will post it I also think I might be able to find a pic and if I do I will post it.
I would like to find out more information on the van as I know it was featured in a mag in the 70s and maybe if I’m very lucky find the van itself.

If anyone has any information or questions please let me know

Thanks

Ross

[pat stevens]

when i came to look at this house we live in now about 8 yrs ago
a guy up the rd had a really extended mk3 van turned into a camper van
it seemed to have been joined twice and used a single & a twin wheel axle set up on the rear
by the time we moved in here he had sold his house and moved
i saw it again in bloxwich walsall this time had cruise liner down the side
anyone seen this one or even better have some pics
ive been told its now in spain

[MrMPuk]

Was it this?

[pat stevens]

no m8 had a join between the wheels and old mk3 long rear quarters

[transitandy]

Thats

[clayman]

i think someone has in transit in a lock up but the other two dissapeared i was offerd quick silver from a guy in manchester about 88/89 from what i can remember they were bolth steve stringer star vans creations #correct me if im wrong # built for quicks ford dealers in manchester

Quicksilver, as well as the pepsi wagon, were done by A&L autos in Romford Essex.
I worked there at the time.
We also did one for a competition for smith's crisps. a full custom Mk1 transit, and the comp was won by 2 old ladies.
The custom van sat ouside their house for years.
At the time, I was working on my own van, a LWB CF, with a pickup cab roof at the front, when Steve Stringer came by to buy some metalflake paint, as we were the european suppliers, and he saw my van, and went back to bedfordshire and did raspberry shiek to the same design of my bedford CF. [/quote


I think Dagenham Dustbin has been smoking something and its affected his Brain / time line, As to post about Steve Stringer coming by A&L Motors to buy some Metaflake Paint and saw his design on a CF Van.

1st thing, The only company who had the distribution for Metalflake in Europe was Callbrook Cars of Letherhead in Surry, Mr Dennis Ferney. I think they still are to this day. The only time Steve Stringer purchased any Metalflake was from Dennis in 1972, when he purchased 250lbs of it and took it to New Zealand along with the last Vehicle he painted in MetalFlake , Vantastic a 1972 Bedford CF. # Front Cover of Custom Car 1972 #

2nd Thing, Raspberry Sheik was created in three weeks in August 1976 was displayed by Ford Motor Company on the 1976 Paris Show stand, QuickSilver and 5 other vans built for Quicks of Manchester were built in 1977/78. Yes Al Lewellyn did the paint, Geof Ridgway did the air brushwork, everything else along with the 5 other vans were done by Star Vans, including the invoicing and waiting months for the payment, the only outside contractor was A&L, they got paid before the base transit left there premises # If you new Al, that was the way he did business, many others should take his advise # Geof Ridgway then did three other airbrush works for Star Vans at there shop in Bedford # Star Wars Thames Van 1978, A 6 wheel Range Rover for El Sharif Al Maldenly and displayed at Ally Pally in 1979 and one other project that the owner did not want to be identified #

The way that you build a business and portfolio is to have excellent records and book keeping, Vision, Forethought, Imagination and the ability to Jump when the client asks, finally you don't plagiarize, or you do not last to long. I'm still around after 50 years. Always worked for myself as sweeper upper or company managing director, never had to look for work, ask someone to do something I couldn't do myself or do anything I did not want to do, not even when the payment was triple the going rate.
Even today after loosing almost everything in a massive fire at our Texas facility in August both Carole my wife of 46 years still work 50 to 60 hours a week. How many jobs you had DD ?

Steve Stringer

[oldyellar]

[Neil]

i think someone has in transit in a lock up but the other two dissapeared i was offerd quick silver from a guy in manchester about 88/89 from what i can remember they were bolth steve stringer star vans creations #correct me if im wrong # built for quicks ford dealers in manchester

Quicksilver, as well as the pepsi wagon, were done by A&L autos in Romford Essex.
I worked there at the time.
We also did one for a competition for smith's crisps. a full custom Mk1 transit, and the comp was won by 2 old ladies.
The custom van sat ouside their house for years.
At the time, I was working on my own van, a LWB CF, with a pickup cab roof at the front, when Steve Stringer came by to buy some metalflake paint, as we were the european suppliers, and he saw my van, and went back to bedfordshire and did raspberry shiek to the same design of my bedford CF. [/quote


I think Dagenham Dustbin has been smoking something and its affected his Brain / time line, As to post about Steve Stringer coming by A&L Motors to buy some Metaflake Paint and saw his design on a CF Van.

1st thing, The only company who had the distribution for Metalflake in Europe was Callbrook Cars of Letherhead in Surry, Mr Dennis Ferney. I think they still are to this day. The only time Steve Stringer purchased any Metalflake was from Dennis in 1972, when he purchased 250lbs of it and took it to New Zealand along with the last Vehicle he painted in MetalFlake , Vantastic a 1972 Bedford CF. # Front Cover of Custom Car 1972 #

2nd Thing, Raspberry Sheik was created in three weeks in August 1976 was displayed by Ford Motor Company on the 1976 Paris Show stand, QuickSilver and 5 other vans built for Quicks of Manchester were built in 1977/78. Yes Al Lewellyn did the paint, Geof Ridgway did the air brushwork, everything else along with the 5 other vans were done by Star Vans, including the invoicing and waiting months for the payment, the only outside contractor was A&L, they got paid before the base transit left there premises # If you new Al, that was the way he did business, many others should take his advise # Geof Ridgway then did three other airbrush works for Star Vans at there shop in Bedford # Star Wars Thames Van 1978, A 6 wheel Range Rover for El Sharif Al Maldenly and displayed at Ally Pally in 1979 and one other project that the owner did not want to be identified #

The way that you build a business and portfolio is to have excellent records and book keeping, Vision, Forethought, Imagination and the ability to Jump when the client asks, finally you don't plagiarize, or you do not last to long. I'm still around after 50 years. Always worked for myself as sweeper upper or company managing director, never had to look for work, ask someone to do something I couldn't do myself or do anything I did not want to do, not even when the payment was triple the going rate.
Even today after loosing almost everything in a massive fire at our Texas facility in August both Carole my wife of 46 years still work 50 to 60 hours a week. How many jobs you had DD ?

Steve Stringer

i was working on my own van a lwb cf,with a pickup cab roof at the front,when steve stringer came by to buy some metalflake paint you or him

[pat stevens]

when i first posted a few pics i never expected this
amazing response especially from steve stringer himself from america
(the man who inspired my interest in custom vans) big thanks to everyone

[Dagenham Dustbin]

Steve was always known as "string-a-long-steve" as he was always so full of telling people what he had done. LOL.
Never made him a bad guy though.I too was in my van infancy when he appeared on custom car with his CF.
He has opted to "forget" what he chooses to, if it goes against his ego.
The fact that Calbrook Cars was the importer of metalflake paint is true, but A&L auto's as well as Mechspray, were partners in a franchise that was called CPS, (custom paint supplies), and there has been a few occasions when string-along visited the romford paintshop, as I can remember it precisely.
He was still popping in when I had my american police car, as steve asked me to come along with some of the other romford cruisers to one of his saturday disco's he held at his beford workshop.
He even tried to offload a chopped and channelled CF onto me, (predator, mid engined V8) as it was a non runner.
As for his stupid comment, "how many jobs have you had, DD?", well like string-along-steve, I too am still working, have never been a lazy sod, worked since I was 15, and still working hard at 62.

[greenmanmark]

this is what she looks like now

love this van are there any pictures of the build??? thanks in advance

[transitandy]

I love pats old van

[AlanN]

love this van are there any pictures of the build??? thanks in advance

I think Pat had already done most of this one before he joined the Forum, he did make Transitmania one year before selling it on again

[pat stevens]

unfortunatly i lost the build pics when my pc crashed
there should be some on the forum somwhere

[petervanlee]

I know this three is Old but stuff goes online and stays there forever as we are all aware…..Alan Llewellyn (A L Autos) Romford called me this morning about this and seems to be quite upset . I think the problem is that people who were not even doing vannin in the 1970s think they know all the answers when in fact they have no idea at all. Alan Did the Pepsi van and Quick silver, it did go to Steve for Interior work he told me, it did not go up in a raffle and no other Transit did that I know of, he did do a smaller van (fiesta) that when Ford had finished with it gave it to Alan and he did Raffle it off for charity… Alan did top work and his name was second to none I did an interview with Alan last week for my book and he is a gentleman. I think people should add their real names when making posts, That way if anyone did work for Alan of Steve or Dug Thomson they can then see just who are making the comments…………. All these Guys from the 1970s and early 80s,,,,,,,,,, were ground breakers and deserve to be praised for the amazing work they did……….. As a small point I have spent over 20 years with other NSVA members looking for old custom vans and following leads of the custom vans in Garages and sheds they have all been dead ends,,they are all gone apart from my Steve stringer (cruiser van) and 3001 and unless that gets sorted soon that will be dead as well. Dug Thompson is still around and he knows the van inside out he built and it's………… a pity to see a part of vannin history going to waist. So if you worked for Dug name please………….