AVO Ford records?

[doogalman]

A friend of mine is restoring a mk1 AVO rs2000.
Is it possible somewhere to obtain copies of the original build sheet or any other records relating to the identity of the car in question.

[aeropilot]

doogalman said:

A friend of mine is restoring a mk1 AVO rs2000.
Is it possible somewhere to obtain copies of the original build sheet or any other records relating to the identity of the car in question.

There are no records available from AVO at Aveley in terms of the factory records/build sheets or anything like that I'm afraid.

Does it still have the original build plate fitted to the slam panel?
This is the only means of identity along with the VIN plate and stamped VIN number on the offside strut top reinforcing plate (if it still has its original inner wings!)

Best to contact Ford AVO Owners Club for information.

[SS427 Camaro]

Fords total lack of interest in their heritage is scandalous.
BMW have a classic parts division, I can have 3.0CSL inner and outer sills within a week.
Plus a Heritage certificate giving its date of build colour and date of despatch.

Mercedes and Porsche both have similar set ups.

[DBSV8]

doogalman said:

A friend of mine is restoring a mk1 AVO rs2000.
Is it possible somewhere to obtain copies of the original build sheet or any other records relating to the identity of the car in question.

if hes looking for brand new parts

could try MST

they also do mk1s

https://mst-cars.com/

[Legacywr]

How long has he had it?

Let’s have some pics…

[j4r4lly]

SS427 Camaro said:

Fords total lack of interest in their heritage is scandalous.
BMW have a classic parts division, I can have 3.0CSL inner and outer sills within a week.
Plus a Heritage certificate giving its date of build colour and date of despatch.

Mercedes and Porsche both have similar set ups.

I agree with this. For a company with so much history they appear to have little or no interest, in Europe at least. I believe Ford USA is far more supportive.

Some of it stems from the Henry Ford statement that "History is Bunk" and increasingly now, the mindset in the Company is shifting away from the dirty old dinosaurs to a bright new connected EV future.

[aeropilot]

j4r4lly said:

SS427 Camaro said:

Fords total lack of interest in their heritage is scandalous.
BMW have a classic parts division, I can have 3.0CSL inner and outer sills within a week.
Plus a Heritage certificate giving its date of build colour and date of despatch.

Mercedes and Porsche both have similar set ups.

I agree with this. For a company with so much history they appear to have little or no interest, in Europe at least. I believe Ford USA is far more supportive.

In fairness, its better than it was 40 years ago.
The Ford Heritage Fleet at Dagenham has been massively expanded from the mere half dozen or so poorly maintained vehicles it comprised off back in the late 1970's.

The big failing is/was the lack of foresight to have maintained the production records in a way that the Heritage Cert system seen elsewhere with others makers (even those now defunct) could have been a useful facility.

[austin]

Why would they bother?

Cheap car manufacturer needs to keep prices down, keeping all of those records up to date, usable and accessible costs time and money.

BMW, Mercedes & Porsche as mentioned above are not cheap car manufacturers.

[generationx]

FMC also, relatively recently, closed their very large Ford-of-Europe photographic archive in Dunton (SE UK Design Centre) as the curator was retiring, and moved it to "somewhere" in Ford USA, rendering it completely inaccessible.

A massive loss to researchers, authors, historians and vehicle restorers/enthusiasts, Ford have become completely disinterested in any external enquires about this content.

[Legacywr]

Ford never knew so many were going to be re-shelled, obviously

[aeropilot]

generationx said:

FMC also, relatively recently, closed their very large Ford-of-Europe photographic archive in Dunton (SE UK Design Centre) as the curator was retiring, and moved it to "somewhere" in Ford USA, rendering it completely inaccessible.

A massive loss to researchers, authors, historians and vehicle restorers/enthusiasts, Ford have become completely disinterested in any external enquires about this content.

I suspect "somewhere in the USA" was in reality an industrial sized rubbish skip in Dunton's car park........

[SS427 Camaro]

Ford could have been earning £ for years by supplying a Heritage Certificate, let alone a Classic parts division....

[Olivera]

aeropilot said:

The Ford Heritage Fleet at Dagenham has been massively expanded from the mere half dozen or so poorly maintained vehicles it comprised off back in the late 1970's.

I have an Escort Cosworth and hence I've read a few articles featuring some of the Ford Heritage Fleet.

Several years ago Evo (and possibly some other mags) featured the yellow Heritage Escort Cosworth, but complained that the head gasket was blown. About a year ago the Heritage Monte Escort Cosworth featured in an Evo rally rep group test, and it was the one car in poor condition, with complaints about shot bushing/suspension. It seems like the Ford UK Heritage Fleet is run on a shoe string.

[doogalman]

aeropilot said:

There are no records available from AVO at Aveley in terms of the factory records/build sheets or anything like that I'm afraid.

Does it still have the original build plate fitted to the slam panel?
This is the only means of identity along with the VIN plate and stamped VIN number on the offside strut top reinforcing plate (if it still has its original inner wings!)

Best to contact Ford AVO Owners Club for information.

Sorry for the late reply. Yes it has all the original vin, avo build plates. yes the stamped vin number is correct.The car is being retored by a friend of mine for someone else. It has been a long process to get the bodywork all done but it is all in fresh paint now and progressing. I'll get some pics when I see it again.
Basically it is a mk1 rs2000 but with the specced wide arches, the engine block is also original but has just been resleeved as the corosion was too far for reboring. It is also one of the few lhd cars that they produced. The clocks and everything else where it is specific is genuine avo.

[aeropilot]

doogalman said:

aeropilot said:

There are no records available from AVO at Aveley in terms of the factory records/build sheets or anything like that I'm afraid.

Does it still have the original build plate fitted to the slam panel?
This is the only means of identity along with the VIN plate and stamped VIN number on the offside strut top reinforcing plate (if it still has its original inner wings!)

Best to contact Ford AVO Owners Club for information.

Sorry for the late reply. Yes it has all the original vin, avo build plates. yes the stamped vin number is correct.The car is being retored by a friend of mine for someone else. It has been a long process to get the bodywork all done but it is all in fresh paint now and progressing. I'll get some pics when I see it again.
Basically it is a mk1 rs2000 but with the specced wide arches, the engine block is also original but has just been resleeved as the corosion was too far for reboring. It is also one of the few lhd cars that they produced. The clocks and everything else where it is specific is genuine avo.

Shame about the bubble arches being fitted unless its a very rare Special Build car and they were fitted at AVO?
If it a Special Build car, it might still have it Special Build plate under the bonnet as well?

They built more than 'just a few' in LHD....as the RS2000 was actually designed with European LHD sales in mind, with the car actually going on sale in Germany before it went on sale in the UK.

[doogalman]

aeropilot said:

Shame about the bubble arches being fitted unless its a very rare Special Build car and they were fitted at AVO?
If it a Special Build car, it might still have it Special Build plate under the bonnet as well?

They built more than 'just a few' in LHD....as the RS2000 was actually designed with European LHD sales in mind, with the car actually going on sale in Germany before it went on sale in the UK.

The bubble arches are avo built. Yes the I’d plate is there.

[aeropilot]

doogalman said:

The bubble arches are avo built. Yes the I’d plate is there.

SB.01 number then...?

[vpr]

Does anyone happen to know the option code (if any) that would’ve been stamped on the chassis plate if a car was specified new with bubble arches??

I’m being told a certain car is factory but not sure

[aeropilot]

vpr said:

Does anyone happen to know the option code (if any) that would’ve been stamped on the chassis plate if a car was specified new with bubble arches??

I’m being told a certain car is factory but not sure

See the previous post of mine.....SB.01

Not stamped on the chassis plate though, it will be stamped on the separate Special Build plate.

Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 20th September 11:52

[vpr]

aeropilot said:

vpr said:

Does anyone happen to know the option code (if any) that would’ve been stamped on the chassis plate if a car was specified new with bubble arches??

I’m being told a certain car is factory but not sure

See the previous post of mine.....SB.01

Not stamped on the chassis plate though, it will be stamped on the separate Special Build plate.

Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 20th September 11:52

Ah ok. Is that a the body coloured plate that I have on my mk2 for example or a special plate that would only detail bubble arches if fitted?