Projects 1958-59 Hillman Husky build

Ok, I have no accuse this time......I have a problem with cars and parts......I think about them, I dream about them, I keep buying them when funds permit. I'm a sucker for odd makes of cars and I've been holding myself back....I guess not anymore. The Studebaker, a Panel truck and now a Hillman.....there's no turning back now . I’ve always had automotive A.D.D, I can’t narrow it down to “the one”. Because of that I've never really been into going fast as that would take funds away from another purchase.

Anyhow, I seen this a few years ago but it was priced out of my range.....fast forward to a week ago I seen it for sale again and a slightly lower price. I made a "keep me in mind for the future if no one buys it" type offer and he said "okay" . So I picked it up, luckily it's small and fits in the back yard, I've been hitting Pick A Parts to find parts I need (which I haven't done in a decade.....lucky to find 1 80's car).

The car is a 1959 Hillman Husky, it's running a 2.3 ford with a C3 trans, a stock rear end and stock front brakes.The interior has been redone sometime and is in great shape. Really a solid, running, driving (but not stopping) car.

The plan is to keep the 2.3, add a T5, a different rear, swap front brakes (either drums or disc), remove the stripes, paint the yellow side panels white, stock chrome mirrors, steel wheels, different carb, new wiring harness and run it.

 

Engine..

Interior:

 

Cool car. I have a 52 Hillman Minx and plans are to put a 302 in it.
Axles i will use are MGB which have the perfect wide for it and discbrakes at the front.

Hennie

 

Oh yea, add some Stewart Warner gauges, clean up the dash area too. Lot's of Volvo add on's to this ?!?!. I have to make a new trans cross member also.....

 

I'll look into that but MGB parts around here's are almost as bad as Hillmans.

 

Going to more junk yards tomorrow as it 40% off weekend, so I'll measure some rear ends and spindles....we'll see what I come up with. This one might take a little bit as I want to get further along (I don't ever say "finish") on the '56 panel truck.

 

That's a cool ride. HRP

 

Neat little panel! You won't get caught in body shop hell, a big +

 

Neato

 

Congrats. that is going to be one kool ride. That's the kind of car you could go so many different ways on and that to me is what hot rodding is all about.

 

Ok, it was in a TIGHT garage so I couldn't check all of it out, but what I could see looked ok (rearend, floor, frontend) as I let my camera be my eyes. Now the rearend swap got a little more interesting, I pulled the rear wheels to get an overall measurement.....51 1/4" and then pulled off the front wheels..........

 

Ok, now I know I'm skating the line here and to make it worse.....does anyone have a clue what brakes these are and what bolt pattern are 4 on 4 1/4" (108mm). The calipers say Girling, which I've seen on old MBZ, Saabs, Volvo.....I worked at some weird places in the past .

 

I want one

 

According to the internet it's a Sunbeam Alpine suspension and brakes......now I need a rear to match.......and 14" or 15" steel wheels.

 

for 4 1/4" wheel bolt pattern, '60's early '70's Mopar small/intermediate had that wheel bolt pattern and wheel diameters in that range.. There are others as well.

Ray

 

Got any clue what the front seats are from?

 

Nice Hillman …. glad to see something different

 

Way to go, I like !!!

 

As far as I know they're stock Hillman.

From google:

 

The fox platform Fords of the late 70's-early 90's used the 4on4.25" bolt pattern as well so Fairmont, Mustang, Cougar, Thunderbird, LTD II etc. Im not sure about the Mustang II or the Pinto but I would suspect they are the same although they could possibly be the larger 4on4.5"

 

I know whatcha mean. I had a 57 Lloyd sedan in my side yard behind a privacy fence for 10 years but I never did anything with it. It went away at a $750 loss. I guess I'm the only one who digs Lloyds. Before that it was a Morris pickup project. Before that is was a Ford Prefect project. They all went away so I could concentrate on my 34 coupe

 

Nice Hillman! There was a guy on here a couple years ago put a hemi in his.... Just thinking all the time you could spend on that conversion might be able to keep you away from buying more cars......At least you could try to spin it that way for the wife .

Enjoy and I'll be watching, hemi or no.

 

Nice Hillman. Leave the 2.3 in it. Putting a V-8 in there will require many hours and dollars. Just fix the brakes and look for a Mustang 2 rear end , has the right bolt pattern and should be close as far as width.
Some 2.3 Ford's had turbo's.
Have done several Morris v-8 swaps and to do it right ,it takes a chassis.

 

Lovely little car. Euro 1970 Ford Capri is also 108mm. Those turbo style wheels look Ford Capri as well.

 

Ok, I'm still doing research and I know this won't fly here.....but I trust everyone here more then the public.

I'm leaning towards a Datsun B210 rear end ('76 and up), right width, easy to get brake parts for, small pumpkin to fit underneath and I can get multi bolt pattern steel wheels so I can still rotate tires.

Anyone know of one please pm me.

 

Rocky, I had to look Lloyd up. It was made the Borgward Group....which I didn't know about until a few years ago when I seen one in a wrecking yard. The Lloyd had a 2 cylinder engine........HA!

 

Those brakes are standard 63 - 67 Hillman or Sunbeam disc brakes. They came out on the Hillman Super Minx and Sunbeam Rapiers etc but are a bolt on to your suspension. It's a good swap. The only additional boost you could do is add a brake booster to the system. This was a popular swap many moons ago

 

Interesting, I've spotted a Hilman Husky on a cheapo lot nearby, old for sale sign, broken side glass & remenants of a tree behind the front bumper. This could be the latest incentive.

 

Looks like a great car, good score! It should be a fun driver with few tweaks.
Have you checked out Huskyv8s build thread?
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1957-hillman-husky-392-hemi-build-thread.866779/

Hey Rocky, you had a Lloyd? Man, talk about an unusual start for a hot rod. There used to be a faded red one that showed up at Bakersfield once in a while with an Olds and six twos. Loved that car, haven't seen it in a while. I wonder who owned it and where it went?