History 1957 Rochdale GT coupe

I have never heard of this car before, how about you guys.

This car was available a few years prior to the Kellison car. HRP

 

Yes. Often Ford 8/10hp & 100E engined.
http://www.rochdale-owners-club.co.uk/Ownerspreolympic.htm
http://www.rochdalegt.co.uk/carhistory.html
Cool cars. Mike

 

I found this information on the web. HRP


A Brief History Of ROCHDALE MOTOR PANELS & ENGINEERING LTD

Rochdale Motor Panels was founded in 1948 by Frank ****erworth and Harry Smith in an old mill building at Hudson Street in Rochdale, Lancashire, in northern England. Initially busy with general motor repairs, the pair became active in the 750 Motor Club. Special bodies were made to order, initially for Austin Seven ch***is and spe******t racing cars.

When GRP (Gl*** Reinforced Plastic) came on the scene a range of bodyshells was produced to fit any ch***is. The first was the Mark VI, followed by the type 'F' and type 'C', then the ST (Sports Tourer).
The GT body, developed by Richard Parker, was introduced in 1957, followed in 1959 by the Riviera. Both these and the ST were specially designed to fit the Ford Popular ch***is.

Richard Parker returned to Rochdale to develop the revolutionary gl***fibre monocoque Olympic. The Phase I commenced production in 1960. In 1961 a disastrous fire gutted the Hudson Street premises and the company moved a short distance to Littledale Mill. From here development of the Olympic continued and the Phase II was introduced in 1963. The Olympic was in full production up to 1966, by which time the company was finding the heating and ventilation business more profitable. The last Olympic body was made in 1973. The Olympic moulds still exist, owned by a group of enthusiasts, so the flame is not completely extinguished.

 

I've heard of them. The UK always had a pretty active kit car industry.

 

8 to 10 Horse power? HRP

 

British taxable horsepower. A function of displacement. 8hp Fords were 993cc. 10's and 100E Anglias were 1172cc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_horsepower
Mike

 

So, would the owners/builders generally use a Popular or Anglia engines? HRP

 

Well sir, that's a new one on me! That front end view has a little bit of a Porsche feel to it. Probably not too many of them made it to this side of the "pond".

 

From a link above:

"The Car was built on a new Ford Popular ch***is with reconditioned running gear:- Engine was a Ford E93A 1172 cc
High lift cam, 8hp cylinder head O/ sized inlet valve
double valve springs Polished modified 100E oil pump
Polished Ports
twin 1.25 SU carbs
four branch exhaust
clutch E83 van
Gearbox E93A gears fitted in 100E case
Rear Axle Ford Popular fitted with 4:7 crown wheel and pinion
Suspension Front/Rear Standard with Stabilizers
100E 13 inch wheels/brakes/hubs etc
12v electrics Instruments mostly 100E Austin Sprite Rev Counter
Wipers 105E
Trim from Bucket Seats etc"

Some models were "bolt-on" to Anglia/Pop ch***is. Mike

 

Hope you have a few minutes. This site list 46 Ford sidevalve based specials.
https://www.fordspecials.co.uk/
Mike

 

9 out of 10 times you could guess the origins of a 50s or 60s British kitcar by the wheels. More often than not those Ford Anglia, Pop, Prefect wheels gave it away.

 

Your probably right, I was perusing Brenda's FB market place looking for parts and the Roshdale project popped up, that just piqued my interest.

The car is in Danville,Virginia for 3 grand. HRP

 

I have a Rochdale Olympic. A little newer than that one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochd...cars were a series,made between 1959 and 1973.

 

The real question though...would @anthony myrick drive it?

 

With a big cheesy grin

 

Just shoehorn a sbf under the bonnet and I bet it would be a blast to drive.

 

Jack Griffith did it with a TVR.

 

Neat car, very British styling. Like a shortened XK fixed head coupe with a narrowed E-type nose on it. Would be fun to buzz around a Goodwood style circuit. I think you'd have to pull the body off to get a Yank V8 in there, bonnet looks too small to get a big engine through the hole!

 

I'm not familiar with a tvr, is it the same thing?

 

John, like I said, I had never heard of or seen one until it popped up on Brenda's FB account. HRP

 

A TVR is a separate manufacturer in the UK, they started in 1949 and are still around. The Ford engined Griffith was a low production version based on the TVR Grantura that was built in 1964-1965. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR#The_Griffith_and_1965_collapse It was sort of like how the Cobra was based on the AC Ace - Griffith got cars from the TVR factory without engines and then converted them here in the US.

 

I was under the impression that the griffin engine was a V12 , did they produce a smaller engine? HRP

 

While reading that, I found it amusing that the Model T Fords being built in the UK had a higher tax rating than the English makes, and the ratings were primarily determined by the surface areas of the pistons. The English engine builders got the lower ratings by using smaller diameter pistons and longer strokes.

 

You must be thinking of the Rolls Royce Griffon engine. Not tied to Jack Griffith or TVR.

 

Always wanted a British sports car Coupe, that one is screaming for a top chop.

Bob

 

Top photos - I spy an Alan Mann ******....

 

This is the engine that comes with the car. I have no idea of what it should look like but from my limited knowledge it looks more like a Triumph motorcycle, there is even a appears to be a kick starter. HRP

 

The Ford 8 - 10 and 100E engines were four cylinder, side-valves..
Those look like 'pre-unit' Triumph motorcycle engines ( the Triumph triangle badge on the side cover)
Here's a pic from back in the 70's of my friends toy.
I'm not sure if it was a model of the Rochdale Coupe family (being an open sports car)
But it has the same looks, and was based on a Ford 10 ch***is and running gear, with a 100E engine..

 

I used to know a few Danville folks into odd old cars, I might have known this guy. I used to have a couple of Cortinas and some MG's in Lynchburg back around the early '90's.