How many 428 Frua left?

[Classicus]

Hi Stefan
   
   I am quite aware of all this now thank you, however there are one or two things that I feel still need to be sorted out first. As I’m extremely busy right now will be in touch sometime next week when you can decide whether you wish to pursue this further or not.
   
   My thanks again  [:)]
   
   Classicus

[Rheinubung]

Well, don't forget CF-21 (RHD fastback) in Seattle; plus, there's at least one fastback in British Columbia owned by Clive Darvell of Vancouver. I know that there was a white LHD fastback in Windsor, Ontario a couple of years ago; it had the Ford/Shelby coiled snake emblem just above the Frua badges on the front quarter panels.
   
   And the "Sea Mist Green' roadster that used to live in SoCal is now in Connecticut, expensively restored (photos on line somewhere; try Google).
   
   I wouldn't be surprised to learn there were 20 AC 428s altogether in North America.
   
   Best Regards,
   Rheinubung

[Englishman]

Hi Rhienubung,
   
   The Fast Back that Clive Darvell had in Vancouver is CF 64, this car is now owned by me and is udergoing restoration here in Australia.
   
   Peter davis

[Rheinubung]

Hello Peter
   
   Have you made any changes to CF-64? Clive seemed to treat it quite well. I liked that car.
   
   Mike Reed

[Englishman]

Mike,
   The car when I got it was in a very poor state as it had sat in a garage for some considerable time in a semi dismantled state.
   
   The engine has been completely rebuilt as the block was cracked, the body work had met the rust worm and is being restored, the trim was totally removed and until we start the final refit I am unsure of what is or isn't there.
   
   The brakes were totally siezed as were the shocks, the inside trim was totally buggered and has been redone as have the seats in which the foam rubber had disintegrated, I am not even going to mess with the wire wheels.
   
   Transmission and rear end completely rebuilt.
   
   We now have it back on the ground with the four corners completely rebuilt and the whole lot is being shipped to a coach builder to go over the body and make a couple of new bonnets (hoods) and doors, and wheel arches for the front end.
   
   In short no changes except for Halibrand wheels and complete restoration.
   
   Peter

[Rheinubung]

Hello Peter:
   
   I was saddened to hear the state into which CF-64 had fallen, but happy it is being rehabilitated Down Under.
   
   I found the rebuilding of the OEM Dunlop wire wheels to be easy; modern stainless spokes can be quite durable regardless of torque loads. Tell me about your Halibrands; are you converting to pin drive or using a steel drive sleeve in the center of the alloy? May I assume you're using the Cobra pattern wheel? I have noted recently that Halibrand themselves are back manufacturing magnesium & aluminum wheels.
   
   Best Regards,
   Mike

[shep]

Hi Everyone. I plan to publish an updated 428 register on the main ACOC website in the next month or two. Please tell me of any details missing or inaccurate in the last register. The chances are, if you haven't told me already, I probably don't know!
   By the way I converted my road going 428 to run Halibrands on peg drive. The hubs were Mk IV Cobra and worked fine. All the best, Andy

[Emmanueld]

Hi Andy, how easy is it to get a set of MKIV hubs? Where should I go?
   Did you use standard MKIV wheels?
   
   Thanks,
   
   Emmanuel

[shep]

Hi Emanuel, Yes I used Mk IV Wheels, but I'm a bit spoiled for choice as we have sets of 15'' 16'' and 17''to play with. I used 16'' as they fit perfectly and I had some new road tyres for them. When I changed the hubs, AC still had parts in England. Nowadays I would start with AC in Malta or contact Alan Faulkner-Stevens the Mk IV registrar in England. He may well read this post and reply and save you the trouble! All the best, Andy.

[Englishman]

Rheinubung,
   The Halibrands are pin drive, the hubs were machined to fit over the original spline drive hubs for the wire wheels, so without too much hassle the wheels can be changed back to the wires easily. The Halibrands will fill out the wheel arches and make the car look a lot squatter.
   
   Soory for the late response as I have just returned from a business trip to Europe.
   
   Peter

[Emmanueld]

Peter hi,
   
   It's the first time I hear this, I will inquire!
   
   Emmanuel

[Englishman]

Emmanuel,
   
   My guys up in Ballina NSW machined four new hubs to fit onto/over the existing, they are of course securely bolted to the originals. The guys that are working on the car are sticklers for safety and originality, they still race open wheel cars and historic saloons.
   
   Peter

[Emmanueld]

New pin drive hubs are available from Kirkham Motorsports!
   
   Emmanuel

[cmaddox3]

quote:Originally posted by Emmanueld
   
   Emmanuel
   
   
   

   
   Emmanuel,
   
   [What a revelation a simple Google Search will reveal, this forum to me this morning...]
   
   Anyway, I can vouch for CF 7 which was [according to AC] was the factory test/loaner car for several years:
   
   
   
   CF7 was a car I found for my father in the mid 1970's in London [despite being 14 and in the MidWest USA at the time] and my sister and I now own it since our parent's have passed.
   
   I know from correspondence with AC back in the 1970's that in the late 1960's/early 1970's two AC 428's were allowed into the US under some sort of special waver to get around DOT and EPA regulations [God how I LOATHE the EPA!] and two other cars were allowed into Canada under similar circumstances.
   
   The numbers for these four cars were 27 and 29 and 28 and 30 (I'm not sure which country got which pair.
   
   My family and I did get to see one of the Canadian cars, a Left Hand Drive Gray coupe in Oakville Ontario (a Suburb of Toronto) in the spring of 1976 or 1977 as it was being offered for sale.  My father was very interested in importing it as it was LHD (Vs. the RHD of CF7).  However, when we contacted the EPA/DOT/Customs officials to see what could be done to import the car, Customs and DOT were reasonably amenable but the EPA was downright rude, nasty and belligerent.  They spelt out via phone in all sorts of graphic detail what kind of modifications would be necessary for the Canadian car to be imported, and the expense and the testing and they said in no uncertain terms that it would not pass their inspection [as if they would make it their mission in life to make sure it would not ever pass].  So we abandoned out attempt to import it.  If we had been smart, we would have just driven it over the boarder with the documentation for CF 7 and we probably would have sailed through with no more than a "drive safe" but because we had inquired we figured that they would be alert to that sort of thing.
   
   Incidentally the reason we were able to get CF7 in-country was it was completed on 21 December 1967 making it a '67 model and hence avoiding any DOT, etc. strictures which related to 1968 models.
   
   Ok, back to the Oakville Ontario Coupe.  As best I can remember it was gray, (I don't think it was a metallic gray), was LHD and an automatic.  It also had a Holley [as opposed to Motorcraft] Carb on it, and I remember believing that it was probably quicker with that carb on it than CF7.  It was in very good shape (it was a mover performance wise) but I wouldn't go so far to say it was in excellent or outstanding shape.  The owner also had an Accea Coupe that was in a state of disrepair.  And this was the Spring of either 1976 or 1977, as best I can remember.
   
   Those are all the details best I can remember, it was a fun trip to Ontario with a less than hoped for outcome.  We were very disappointed to not have been able to get that one too.
   
   I have to tell you your BRG roadster is absolutely stunning!  And I'm very pleased to see that I'm not the only person who feels these are the valve covers that belong on a AC 428:
   
   ...  regardless of what they shipped with!
   
   Cheers!
   
   Chuck

[PJohnson]

Hello
   This forum is a great find and its good to see so many 428s still around.
   I can help with the whereabouts of 3 more that my father owns.
   
   He has CF 79, a car he bought twice. He sold it in the late 70's, but then saw the same car in appalling condition a few years later and bought it back and restored it.
   
   He also has a fastback but I am unsure of the chassis number. However I remember him telling me that it was the last fastback off the production line.
   
   The third car is the prototype convertible with pop up lights that was built in 1982.
   
   
   
   
   The white car in the second picture is an AC Greyhound which completes his small collection. You could say he's a bit of an AC fan.
   
   All the cars are in good working order and while not used regularly do go for a run several times a year. We've done a fair bit of work on all of them over the years mainly changing all the fuel tanks and rads from steel to ali because of corrosion.
   
   Hopes this helps the list of remaining 428s.