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Posted by: ascort - 12 February 2011 05:40:33
The [b]Ascort TSV 1300 [/b]was a fibreglass bodied production car that was produced in Sydney Australia. It was designed by Czechoslovakian immigrant and plastics consultant Mirek Craney and produced by his company "Continental Coachworks". The prototype was built in 1958 and production commenced in 1959. The car was a 2 + 2 coupe built on a standard VW platform with some minor upgrades to suspension components. The car was very well appointed and was powered by an Okrasa TSV 1300 modified VW 36hp engine. The Okrasa modified engine produced 54bhp which gave the Ascort a top speed of approx 95 mph which was considerably more than the KG of the day. The cost of completing the cars was excessive and the project folded in 1961 after 19 bodies had been produced. The first 13 cars were completed, but the f inal 6 bodies were sold incomplete to the owners. Mirek Craney then continued with his fibreglass importing and manufacturing business "Hermex Corporation". In January 2011 13 Ascorts are known to exist in Australia as follows. (Note that body numbers do not match the total number built.) [b][u]South Australia[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/10_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car was restored a few years ago and was built from 2 cars. This car is fitted with ID plate 031. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/11_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car was sold as an unfinished body. It sat incomplete for many years, but has recently been completed to a running state and has been used for some competition events. The owner says that he intends to complete it to its intended original condition in the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGGHuIt-i4 [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/13_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car is fitted with ID plate 028. It is owned by the same owner as the blue car above. This car was Mirek Craney's personal car for approximately 20 years before being sold. In the 1980s it was purchased back by Mirek Craney's children following his death. It has subsequently changed hands several times. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/12_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car is also owned by the owner of the above 2 cars. This car was originally exported to New Zealand in 1960 but was involved in a rear end accident and fell into a state of disrepair. This is an older photo and the car has been cut up to some degree since as it was used as a donor car for the top car's restoration. Moulds have been taken off the blue car above to enable this car to be rebuilt. [b][u]New South Wales[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/8_NSW200x135.jpg[/img] This car has been in the same family for the past 30 years. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/9_NSW300x199200x133.jpg[/img] This car has been in the same family for many years. [b][u]Western Australia[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/7_WA200x137.jpg[/img] This car has been with the current owner for over 20 years, but it is not understood to be currently on the road. The photo dates back to the previous ownership. The red car in the photo is one of the Victorian cars. [b][u]Victoria[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/5_Vic200x199.jpg[/img] This car was originally owned by TV personality Elaine McKenna. It was purchased by the father of the current owner in 1961 and has been in the same family since. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/6_Vic200x140.jpg[/img] This car is believed to have originally been owned by architect Ernest Syka. It has been owned by the current owner since 1975. The car is not currently on the road. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/4_Vic200x141.jpg[/img] This car has is fitted with ID plate 021. The car has some body and trim modifications and is owned by a collector of Australian limited production cars. [b][u]Queensland[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/2_Qld200x133.jpg[/img] This car was a prototype LHD car built for the American market. This car was never completed by the factory and was sold as a body only when the Ascort production ceased. The body was converted to RHD in the 1980s. The car has never been completed but has recently been purchased by a vintage car enthusiast and restorer who is keen to commence restoration work. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/3_Qld200x131.jpg[/img] This car was sold as a body only and remained unfinished with the purchaser's family until recent months. The body was recently discovered and purchased by a vintage car collector and restorer and work on the vehicle has now commenced. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/1_Qld200x133.jpg[/img] This is my car. It is fitted with ID plate 005 and is believed to be the first or second car built after the prototype. It is understood that this car was crashed by Mirek Craney in about 1960 and was repaired at that time. I have owned the car since the mid 1970 and have had it tucked away in the back of the shed in a very derelict condition. I have now commenced restoration works and also the collation of information on the make. [b][u]Does this car still exist in the US[/u]?[/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/US_Ascort_Shipping200x155.jpg[/img] This car was shipped to the US in 1960. A 2009 posting on a US forum mentions an Ascort body hanging in the shed of Steve Herron in California in the mid 1990s and that it was owned by Bob Koch around 2000. It is not known if the body still exists. [i]20 February 2011 - I have just received photos of the car hanging in the shed in California. It is not an Ascort and would seem to be an Alkin, so the count stays at 13 for now.[/i]

Posted by: ascort - 12 February 2011 05:40:33

The [b]Ascort TSV 1300 [/b]was a fibreglass bodied production car that was produced in Sydney Australia. It was designed by Czechoslovakian immigrant and plastics consultant Mirek Craney and produced by his company "Continental Coachworks". The prototype was built in 1958 and production commenced in 1959. The car was a 2 + 2 coupe built on a standard VW platform with some minor upgrades to suspension components. The car was very well appointed and was powered by an Okrasa TSV 1300 modified VW 36hp engine. The Okrasa modified engine produced 54bhp which gave the Ascort a top speed of approx 95 mph which was considerably more than the KG of the day. The cost of completing the cars was excessive and the project folded in 1961 after 19 bodies had been produced. The first 13 cars were completed, but the f inal 6 bodies were sold incomplete to the owners. Mirek Craney then continued with his fibreglass importing and manufacturing business "Hermex Corporation". In January 2011 13 Ascorts are known to exist in Australia as follows. (Note that body numbers do not match the total number built.) [b][u]South Australia[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/10_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car was restored a few years ago and was built from 2 cars. This car is fitted with ID plate 031. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/11_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car was sold as an unfinished body. It sat incomplete for many years, but has recently been completed to a running state and has been used for some competition events. The owner says that he intends to complete it to its intended original condition in the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsGGHuIt-i4 [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/13_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car is fitted with ID plate 028. It is owned by the same owner as the blue car above. This car was Mirek Craney's personal car for approximately 20 years before being sold. In the 1980s it was purchased back by Mirek Craney's children following his death. It has subsequently changed hands several times. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/12_SA200x150.jpg[/img] This car is also owned by the owner of the above 2 cars. This car was originally exported to New Zealand in 1960 but was involved in a rear end accident and fell into a state of disrepair. This is an older photo and the car has been cut up to some degree since as it was used as a donor car for the top car's restoration. Moulds have been taken off the blue car above to enable this car to be rebuilt. [b][u]New South Wales[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/8_NSW200x135.jpg[/img] This car has been in the same family for the past 30 years. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/9_NSW300x199200x133.jpg[/img] This car has been in the same family for many years. [b][u]Western Australia[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/7_WA200x137.jpg[/img] This car has been with the current owner for over 20 years, but it is not understood to be currently on the road. The photo dates back to the previous ownership. The red car in the photo is one of the Victorian cars. [b][u]Victoria[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/5_Vic200x199.jpg[/img] This car was originally owned by TV personality Elaine McKenna. It was purchased by the father of the current owner in 1961 and has been in the same family since. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/6_Vic200x140.jpg[/img] This car is believed to have originally been owned by architect Ernest Syka. It has been owned by the current owner since 1975. The car is not currently on the road. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/4_Vic200x141.jpg[/img] This car has is fitted with ID plate 021. The car has some body and trim modifications and is owned by a collector of Australian limited production cars. [b][u]Queensland[/u][/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/2_Qld200x133.jpg[/img] This car was a prototype LHD car built for the American market. This car was never completed by the factory and was sold as a body only when the Ascort production ceased. The body was converted to RHD in the 1980s. The car has never been completed but has recently been purchased by a vintage car enthusiast and restorer who is keen to commence restoration work. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/3_Qld200x131.jpg[/img] This car was sold as a body only and remained unfinished with the purchaser's family until recent months. The body was recently discovered and purchased by a vintage car collector and restorer and work on the vehicle has now commenced. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/1_Qld200x133.jpg[/img] This is my car. It is fitted with ID plate 005 and is believed to be the first or second car built after the prototype. It is understood that this car was crashed by Mirek Craney in about 1960 and was repaired at that time. I have owned the car since the mid 1970 and have had it tucked away in the back of the shed in a very derelict condition. I have now commenced restoration works and also the collation of information on the make. [b][u]Does this car still exist in the US[/u]?[/b] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/US_Ascort_Shipping200x155.jpg[/img] This car was shipped to the US in 1960. A 2009 posting on a US forum mentions an Ascort body hanging in the shed of Steve Herron in California in the mid 1990s and that it was owned by Bob Koch around 2000. It is not known if the body still exists. [i]20 February 2011 - I have just received photos of the car hanging in the shed in California. It is not an Ascort and would seem to be an Alkin, so the count stays at 13 for now.[/i]

Posted by: pbaptist - 12 February 2011 20:48:53
Great overview. Thank you very much for giving all of us some insight in the Ascort. I hope this overview will be a sticky soon Regards Patrick

Posted by: pre67vw - 12 February 2011 21:05:47
[quote=pbaptist] I hope this overview will be a sticky soon [/quote] Done!! Thanks for the overview, top work! :thumbup:

Posted by: ascort - 13 February 2011 04:31:29
If I am going to provide an overview I may as well go the whole hog. There is very little on the net about the Ascort and there is a deal of mis-information there as well. The details below have been gathered during my search for parts and also from documents written by the designer Mirek Craney in 1961 and in 1978. I am not an expert on VW or Porsche so feel free to clarify details or challenge if you can assist. The Ascort was a low production car and so it borrowed components from other more common vehicles to keep costs down. Here is a bit of a list of what was used. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortengine800x574400x287.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Engine[/b][/u] - The engine used was a 1200cc 36hp VW engine with an Okrasa TSV modification kit that increased capacity to 1300cc and power output to 54hp. This gave the Ascort its full name of “Ascort TSV 1300”. [u][b]Floor/chassis [/b][/u]– Stock VW 59 – 61. Koni adjustable rear shocks fitted and rear camber reduced. A front sway bar was also fitted. [u][b]Brakes[/b][/u] – VW seems to have been standard, but some cars have Porsche 356 finned drums. [u][b]Body[/b][/u] - The body of the Ascort is a glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) construction, which used the latest fibreglass spraying technology in its construction, rather than the traditional hand laying of chopped strand mat or cloth. This resulted in much faster manufacture of the bodies and also a high ratio of glass to resin, which is most desirable in a GRP structure The Ascort is known for having one of the best GRP bodies that have been built for a low production car. It is not a particularly light fibreglass body, but it is extremely strong thanks to features such as double panelling, steel door pillars, an incorporated steel roll bar in the windscreen surround, and a number of GRP boxed section in areas such as the sills, bumper bars, front air vents and ducts and rear air chamber, which provided added strength. [u][b]Bumper bars [/b][/u]– Fibreglass box section integral with the body. [u][b]Wheels [/b][/u]– VW with Porsche moon caps and dress trims. [u][b]Windscreen[/b][/u] – Peugeot 403 windscreen. [u][b]Rear windscreen[/b][/u] – Austin A95 [u][b]Side windows[/b][/u] – Custom made for the car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/BLordwinder2600x450.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Window regulator[/b][/u] – Can anybody recognize this ? Help please! [u][b]Door locks[/b][/u] – VW [u][b]Door handles[/b][/u] – Vanguard or Morris Isis [u][b]Front bonnet lock assembly[/b][/u] – Holden FE. [u][b]Front bonnet Hinges[/b][/u] – Ford Consul [u][b]Rear bonnet lock[/b][/u] – VW [b][u]Rear bonnet hinges[/u][/b] – Ford Consul [u][b]Fuel tanks[/b][/u] - 2 x Ford 105E Angia fuel tanks. One mounted each side ahead of the rear wheel. The fuel filler and fuel gauge were fitted to the left tank. One vent and one fuel cross feed line connected the two tanks. The tanks were held in place by a strap that wrapped around the tank, with a turnbuckle for tensioning. [u][b]Rear air vents [/b][/u]– VW pre 58 speaker grills. Most cars had the grills narrowed by 2 bars, but some cars used the standard item. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort_FrontBadges600x373.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortscript3300x201.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Emblems[/b][/u] – Custom made for the car. [u][b]Headlights[/b][/u] – 1959 VW or Porsche 356 - Bosch 6 Volt. [u][b]Driving Lights[/b][/u] – Renrade Sealed beam 6 Volt [u][b]Front indicators[/b][/u] – Lucas as used on the Morris Minor. [u][b]Tail Lights[/b][/u] – Lucas – Part L348 – As used on Humber Hawk Mk VI. [u][b]Number Plate Light[/b][/u] – There are some differences between cars with the number plate light. Most cars use a recessed proprietary light of unknown origin. At least one two early cars had a light which had been fabricated from angle stainless steel. [u][b]Windscreen Wipers[/b][/u] – Jaguar MkVII converted to 6 Volt. [u][b]Windscreen Washers[/b][/u] – RVB [u][b]Horns[/b][/u] – RVB [u][b]Switches[/b][/u] – VW [u][b]Indicator switch[/b][/u] – VW mounted on the left of the steering colums. [u][b]Headlight dipper[/b][/u] – Steering column mount on the right of the column, make uncertain. Has a light on the end of the stalk. [u][b]Front Seat[/b][/u] – Based on Porsche 356 A series. Outer pivot mounted further forward than inner side pivot. This caused the seat to fold toward the centre to allow easier rear seat access. [u][b]Rear Seats[/b][/u] – Moulded into the body with a removable centre armrest. [u][b]Front ashtray[/b][/u] – Front dash ashtray from FE or FC Holden. [u][b]Rear ashtray[/b][/u] - Rear FJ Holden ashtray mounted at the front of the rear armrest. [u][b]Rear vision mirror[/b][/u] - Early Porsche 356 [u][b]Sunvisors[/b][/u] – Early Porsche 356 – Acrylic type [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortside400x281.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Interior317x400.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Steering Wheel [/b][/u]– This is a Petri banjo 2 spoke steering wheel. [u][b]Steering Column[/b][/u] - VW [u][b]Steering Wheel Lock[/b][/u] – A lock was fitted. VW or aftermarket? [u][b]Guages[/b][/u] – VDO clock adjacent to glove box. Centre binnacle – VDO tacho, Motometer 3 in 1 gauge (amps, fuel and oil temp), VDO 100mph speedo. Right of binnacle – VDO oil pressure and Smiths vacuum. I am sure that I have missed some things, but I am also sure that PRE67VW is the first to get such a comprehensive detailing.

Posted by: ascort - 13 February 2011 04:31:29

If I am going to provide an overview I may as well go the whole hog. There is very little on the net about the Ascort and there is a deal of mis-information there as well. The details below have been gathered during my search for parts and also from documents written by the designer Mirek Craney in 1961 and in 1978. I am not an expert on VW or Porsche so feel free to clarify details or challenge if you can assist. The Ascort was a low production car and so it borrowed components from other more common vehicles to keep costs down. Here is a bit of a list of what was used. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortengine800x574400x287.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Engine[/b][/u] - The engine used was a 1200cc 36hp VW engine with an Okrasa TSV modification kit that increased capacity to 1300cc and power output to 54hp. This gave the Ascort its full name of “Ascort TSV 1300”. [u][b]Floor/chassis [/b][/u]– Stock VW 59 – 61. Koni adjustable rear shocks fitted and rear camber reduced. A front sway bar was also fitted. [u][b]Brakes[/b][/u] – VW seems to have been standard, but some cars have Porsche 356 finned drums. [u][b]Body[/b][/u] - The body of the Ascort is a glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) construction, which used the latest fibreglass spraying technology in its construction, rather than the traditional hand laying of chopped strand mat or cloth. This resulted in much faster manufacture of the bodies and also a high ratio of glass to resin, which is most desirable in a GRP structure The Ascort is known for having one of the best GRP bodies that have been built for a low production car. It is not a particularly light fibreglass body, but it is extremely strong thanks to features such as double panelling, steel door pillars, an incorporated steel roll bar in the windscreen surround, and a number of GRP boxed section in areas such as the sills, bumper bars, front air vents and ducts and rear air chamber, which provided added strength. [u][b]Bumper bars [/b][/u]– Fibreglass box section integral with the body. [u][b]Wheels [/b][/u]– VW with Porsche moon caps and dress trims. [u][b]Windscreen[/b][/u] – Peugeot 403 windscreen. [u][b]Rear windscreen[/b][/u] – Austin A95 [u][b]Side windows[/b][/u] – Custom made for the car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/BLordwinder2600x450.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Window regulator[/b][/u] – Can anybody recognize this ? Help please! [u][b]Door locks[/b][/u] – VW [u][b]Door handles[/b][/u] – Vanguard or Morris Isis [u][b]Front bonnet lock assembly[/b][/u] – Holden FE. [u][b]Front bonnet Hinges[/b][/u] – Ford Consul [u][b]Rear bonnet lock[/b][/u] – VW [b][u]Rear bonnet hinges[/u][/b] – Ford Consul [u][b]Fuel tanks[/b][/u] - 2 x Ford 105E Angia fuel tanks. One mounted each side ahead of the rear wheel. The fuel filler and fuel gauge were fitted to the left tank. One vent and one fuel cross feed line connected the two tanks. The tanks were held in place by a strap that wrapped around the tank, with a turnbuckle for tensioning. [u][b]Rear air vents [/b][/u]– VW pre 58 speaker grills. Most cars had the grills narrowed by 2 bars, but some cars used the standard item. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort_FrontBadges600x373.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortscript3300x201.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Emblems[/b][/u] – Custom made for the car. [u][b]Headlights[/b][/u] – 1959 VW or Porsche 356 - Bosch 6 Volt. [u][b]Driving Lights[/b][/u] – Renrade Sealed beam 6 Volt [u][b]Front indicators[/b][/u] – Lucas as used on the Morris Minor. [u][b]Tail Lights[/b][/u] – Lucas – Part L348 – As used on Humber Hawk Mk VI. [u][b]Number Plate Light[/b][/u] – There are some differences between cars with the number plate light. Most cars use a recessed proprietary light of unknown origin. At least one two early cars had a light which had been fabricated from angle stainless steel. [u][b]Windscreen Wipers[/b][/u] – Jaguar MkVII converted to 6 Volt. [u][b]Windscreen Washers[/b][/u] – RVB [u][b]Horns[/b][/u] – RVB [u][b]Switches[/b][/u] – VW [u][b]Indicator switch[/b][/u] – VW mounted on the left of the steering colums. [u][b]Headlight dipper[/b][/u] – Steering column mount on the right of the column, make uncertain. Has a light on the end of the stalk. [u][b]Front Seat[/b][/u] – Based on Porsche 356 A series. Outer pivot mounted further forward than inner side pivot. This caused the seat to fold toward the centre to allow easier rear seat access. [u][b]Rear Seats[/b][/u] – Moulded into the body with a removable centre armrest. [u][b]Front ashtray[/b][/u] – Front dash ashtray from FE or FC Holden. [u][b]Rear ashtray[/b][/u] - Rear FJ Holden ashtray mounted at the front of the rear armrest. [u][b]Rear vision mirror[/b][/u] - Early Porsche 356 [u][b]Sunvisors[/b][/u] – Early Porsche 356 – Acrylic type [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortside400x281.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Interior317x400.jpg[/IMG] [u][b]Steering Wheel [/b][/u]– This is a Petri banjo 2 spoke steering wheel. [u][b]Steering Column[/b][/u] - VW [u][b]Steering Wheel Lock[/b][/u] – A lock was fitted. VW or aftermarket? [u][b]Guages[/b][/u] – VDO clock adjacent to glove box. Centre binnacle – VDO tacho, Motometer 3 in 1 gauge (amps, fuel and oil temp), VDO 100mph speedo. Right of binnacle – VDO oil pressure and Smiths vacuum. I am sure that I have missed some things, but I am also sure that PRE67VW is the first to get such a comprehensive detailing.

Posted by: Lawrence - 15 February 2011 18:33:05
@Ascort good Work I like these cars too :smile: [URL=https://www.pic-upload.de/view-8903487/Ascort-brochure-1.jpg.html][IMG]https://www6.pic-upload.de/15.02.11/mygw1dj8cdc.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Rene

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2011 21:06:53
[IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortbrochure1a.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortbrochure3a.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortAd.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2011 21:10:57
[IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AtHarbourBridge2.jpg[/IMG] The Ascort's designer Mirek Craney stands proudly with the prototype Ascort at Sydney Harbour Bridge (1958 or 1959). [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortonBridge_retouched.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/D72withKarmannGhia.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Everett_Merritt_Doctordaughter2_retouched.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2011 21:10:57

[IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AtHarbourBridge2.jpg[/IMG] The Ascort's designer Mirek Craney stands proudly with the prototype Ascort at Sydney Harbour Bridge (1958 or 1959). [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortonBridge_retouched.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/D72withKarmannGhia.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Everett_Merritt_Doctordaughter2_retouched.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: Lawrence - 20 February 2011 16:34:23
[URL=https://www.pic-upload.de/view-8964637/Ascort-Sticker.jpg.html][IMG]https://www7.pic-upload.de/20.02.11/v74knn7hcn9.jpg[/IMG][/URL] :smile:

Posted by: ascort - 21 February 2011 10:06:25
[IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/ascortmagazinearticles008.jpg[/IMG] Mirek Craney working on the plaster mock up for the mould to be taken. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Productionshot1.jpg[/IMG] The mould is taken from the plaster mock up. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortFactoryProduction1960compressed-Copy.jpg[/IMG] Production in 1960. The car on the front left is a left hand drive prototype (you can make out the left hand drive dash.) The car in the centre on drums is my car which was having a new left front corner fitted following an accident. Rego at that time BXL-022 The car front right was the car used by Mirek Craney's personal car, which was also used for publicity photos. Rego BZA-011. The car behind with the bonnet up is the prototype which is in many photos with the dealer plate D72. It is also sometimes photograped with the plate 21-512 I cannot identify the other 4 cars. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/21512_Melbourne_display_1959.jpg[/IMG] The prototype was displayed at the April 1959 Melbourne Motor Show. The Australian Motor Sports April 1959 Magazine stated about the motorshow: [i]"New models were not numerous, but those on display were both interesting and impressive. From the sporting viewpoint, The Australian-built Ascort, Buckle and Record attracted the most interest ......."[/i]

Posted by: ascort - 21 February 2011 10:06:25

[IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/ascortmagazinearticles008.jpg[/IMG] Mirek Craney working on the plaster mock up for the mould to be taken. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Productionshot1.jpg[/IMG] The mould is taken from the plaster mock up. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortFactoryProduction1960compressed-Copy.jpg[/IMG] Production in 1960. The car on the front left is a left hand drive prototype (you can make out the left hand drive dash.) The car in the centre on drums is my car which was having a new left front corner fitted following an accident. Rego at that time BXL-022 The car front right was the car used by Mirek Craney's personal car, which was also used for publicity photos. Rego BZA-011. The car behind with the bonnet up is the prototype which is in many photos with the dealer plate D72. It is also sometimes photograped with the plate 21-512 I cannot identify the other 4 cars. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/21512_Melbourne_display_1959.jpg[/IMG] The prototype was displayed at the April 1959 Melbourne Motor Show. The Australian Motor Sports April 1959 Magazine stated about the motorshow: [i]"New models were not numerous, but those on display were both interesting and impressive. From the sporting viewpoint, The Australian-built Ascort, Buckle and Record attracted the most interest ......."[/i]

Posted by: PhilC - 22 February 2011 06:39:43
G'day Ascort, Fantastic overview of the beautiful Ascort. Could you tell me the rego of the first grey/white New South Wales Ascort? I may know of another Ascort if this rego does not match...... Cheers, PhilC

Posted by: ascort - 22 February 2011 08:28:42
[quote=PhilC]G'day Ascort, Fantastic overview of the beautiful Ascort. Could you tell me the rego of the first grey/white New South Wales Ascort? I may know of another Ascort if this rego does not match...... Cheers, PhilC[/quote] The white NSW Ascort rego is ENO-001. I must admit that I do not know exactly how old the photo is that I have included. Of all of the Ascorts I probably know the least about this car. I have spoken with the owner by phone but did not get a lot of info. I understand that the car has now been given to a son, but I have not got the son's contact details at this time. I suspect that this car may have been BZA-011 (in the production photo) in its earlier days, but I am not certain. BZA-011 had a slightly different door handle location to other cars (closer to the door edge) and it also had a few other unique features. The photos suggest that this may be the case with this car, but the photos are not quite at the right angles to be certain. Hopefully one day I will get more info on this car. I would love it if you know of another Ascort (or know the owner of ENO-001).

Posted by: ascort - 22 February 2011 08:28:42

[quote=PhilC]G'day Ascort, Fantastic overview of the beautiful Ascort. Could you tell me the rego of the first grey/white New South Wales Ascort? I may know of another Ascort if this rego does not match...... Cheers, PhilC[/quote] The white NSW Ascort rego is ENO-001. I must admit that I do not know exactly how old the photo is that I have included. Of all of the Ascorts I probably know the least about this car. I have spoken with the owner by phone but did not get a lot of info. I understand that the car has now been given to a son, but I have not got the son's contact details at this time. I suspect that this car may have been BZA-011 (in the production photo) in its earlier days, but I am not certain. BZA-011 had a slightly different door handle location to other cars (closer to the door edge) and it also had a few other unique features. The photos suggest that this may be the case with this car, but the photos are not quite at the right angles to be certain. Hopefully one day I will get more info on this car. I would love it if you know of another Ascort (or know the owner of ENO-001).

Posted by: PhilC - 23 February 2011 22:40:40
Unfortunately we are talking about the same car (ENO 001). I would have loved to have 'discovered' another Ascort. I was negotiating to buy this vehicle about 2 and a half years ago when I was told that the elderly owner's son and grandson would be taking ownership and restoring the car. This Ascort sits on a later (rusted) ball joint pan with a modified larger capacity dual carbie engine. The car is missing most of it's original Ascort features....obviously no Okrasa modified engine, non original front seats and non original steering wheel. Bonnet has been remade at some point after original bonnet separated from car at speed (owner tells me). Door windows are poorly fitting perspex, front windscreen is badly crazed and leaks along with the rear screen. Body needs some minor glass work and some serious smoothing out. The car appears to have not been driven for many years. As of a few weeks ago this Ascort is still sitting and rotting away where I first saw it many years ago. Sad really! PhilC

Posted by: PhilC - 23 February 2011 22:40:40

Unfortunately we are talking about the same car (ENO 001). I would have loved to have 'discovered' another Ascort. I was negotiating to buy this vehicle about 2 and a half years ago when I was told that the elderly owner's son and grandson would be taking ownership and restoring the car. This Ascort sits on a later (rusted) ball joint pan with a modified larger capacity dual carbie engine. The car is missing most of it's original Ascort features....obviously no Okrasa modified engine, non original front seats and non original steering wheel. Bonnet has been remade at some point after original bonnet separated from car at speed (owner tells me). Door windows are poorly fitting perspex, front windscreen is badly crazed and leaks along with the rear screen. Body needs some minor glass work and some serious smoothing out. The car appears to have not been driven for many years. As of a few weeks ago this Ascort is still sitting and rotting away where I first saw it many years ago. Sad really! PhilC

Posted by: ascort - 24 February 2011 03:55:32
[quote=PhilC]Unfortunately we are talking about the same car (ENO 001). I would have loved to have 'discovered' another Ascort. I was negotiating to buy this vehicle about 2 and a half years ago when I was told that the elderly owner's son and grandson would be taking ownership and restoring the car. This Ascort sits on a later (rusted) ball joint pan with a modified larger capacity dual carbie engine. The car is missing most of it's original Ascort features....obviously no Okrasa modified engine, non original front seats and non original steering wheel. Bonnet has been remade at some point after original bonnet separated from car at speed (owner tells me). Door windows are poorly fitting perspex, front windscreen is badly crazed and leaks along with the rear screen. Body needs some minor glass work and some serious smoothing out. The car appears to have not been driven for many years. As of a few weeks ago this Ascort is still sitting and rotting away where I first saw it many years ago. Sad really! PhilC[/quote] Yes this is one Ascort that I worry about. I would love to see it being cared for. The elederly owner has not been at all helpful when I was talking to him about the car. He refused to give me the name of the previous owner or anything much on the car's history (I was trying to record the history of the cars) and also would not provide contact details for his son (I had wanted to provide him with data on the cars to assist with restoration work and to provide him with the contact details of other owners etc etc). I was aware that the car has been substantially modified and that the original bonnet had been wrecked. The owner had put a bonnet with a scoop on the car for a number of years after the original came open and smashed (a common Ascort issue it seems), but I understand that the current bonnet is closer to original. (One of the other owners actually has a bonnet mould and could help here.) This is what the car looked like in the early 1980s with the modified bonnet. A friend of mine was in Sydney at the time and happened to spot the car. It looks like there are mods to the rear bonnet and tail lights as well. (I will be polite and not comment on the mods.) [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Scan10120.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Scan10122.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 24 February 2011 03:55:32

[quote=PhilC]Unfortunately we are talking about the same car (ENO 001). I would have loved to have 'discovered' another Ascort. I was negotiating to buy this vehicle about 2 and a half years ago when I was told that the elderly owner's son and grandson would be taking ownership and restoring the car. This Ascort sits on a later (rusted) ball joint pan with a modified larger capacity dual carbie engine. The car is missing most of it's original Ascort features....obviously no Okrasa modified engine, non original front seats and non original steering wheel. Bonnet has been remade at some point after original bonnet separated from car at speed (owner tells me). Door windows are poorly fitting perspex, front windscreen is badly crazed and leaks along with the rear screen. Body needs some minor glass work and some serious smoothing out. The car appears to have not been driven for many years. As of a few weeks ago this Ascort is still sitting and rotting away where I first saw it many years ago. Sad really! PhilC[/quote] Yes this is one Ascort that I worry about. I would love to see it being cared for. The elederly owner has not been at all helpful when I was talking to him about the car. He refused to give me the name of the previous owner or anything much on the car's history (I was trying to record the history of the cars) and also would not provide contact details for his son (I had wanted to provide him with data on the cars to assist with restoration work and to provide him with the contact details of other owners etc etc). I was aware that the car has been substantially modified and that the original bonnet had been wrecked. The owner had put a bonnet with a scoop on the car for a number of years after the original came open and smashed (a common Ascort issue it seems), but I understand that the current bonnet is closer to original. (One of the other owners actually has a bonnet mould and could help here.) This is what the car looked like in the early 1980s with the modified bonnet. A friend of mine was in Sydney at the time and happened to spot the car. It looks like there are mods to the rear bonnet and tail lights as well. (I will be polite and not comment on the mods.) [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Scan10120.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Scan10122.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 26 February 2011 00:57:57
[b]Ramblings on ID numbers and colours.[/b] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/005Plate400x302.jpg[/IMG] This is the ID plate on my car (restoration has not started in that area) The plate is hard to read but it says: [b]Model: ASCORT [/b]TSV 1300 [b]Year:[/b] 1959 [b]Engine No:[/b] 2156912 [b]S/No:[/b] 005 It is not known why the plates says Canberra ACT, as the cars were produced in the old tram depot at Tempe in Sydney. The ID numbers of the cars are a bit of a puzzle as at this stage only a few plate numbers are know/fitted to cars. These are 005, 021, 028, and 031. The problem is that there was only 19 bodies produced and 13 complete cars. Of the 13 complete cars produced the first 3 appear not to be identical to the later production cars and seem to have been used as hack cars to try out different trim styles, colours etc. The prototype was the D72 car. Photos of this car show it to have had multiple colours in its first years of life. This car had a unique high door handle location, unique full height divider on the rear seat and unique trim. The door catches on this car do not match production cars and it is interesting to note that no photos of the interior show a window winder on the door nor do any photos show the side windows in a closed position. ??? (Mirek Craney has been quoted as saying that it was the doors that gave the most trouble in the design). Photos do not show any sign of an ID plate. The fate of this car is not known. From looking at the photo records of the cars and the slight differences that exist, I believe that the next 2 cars built were BXL-022 and BZA-011. BZA-011 did not have the front boot area the same as production cars and like the prototype it had no internal panel here. This car also had a unique door handle location and unique interior trim. This car was bought from "Ascort Corporation" by Mirek Craney after the company folded and was used as his private car for a number of years before replacing it with a later build car (DDH-989 - now the yellow car in photo above). One interview of Mirek Craney in the 1970s (Cars and Drivers #3 - An Aust mag) stated that he bought number 1. For these reasons I believe that this was probably the first car built after the prototype. This car had multiple colours early in its life and photos do not seem to show an ID plate. The fate of this car is not certain, but I believe that it may be the white NSW car discussed above - ENO-001 (but evidence is flimsy without a decent look at the car. It is interesting that the owner of ENO-001 said that the car had many layers of old paint when he bought it). BXL-022 seems to be the other early car that was built. Early photos of the car show it photographed a number of times with BZA-011. This car is shown in photos with a tow bar and was most likely used for towing the small "Ascort Sonic" two person boat. It is also photograped in several colours. This is the only Ascort photographed with a tow bar. Photos show that this car had a slightly different rear seat with a wider cushion area at the top of the seat. After a few early photos there seems to be no more photos of a car with this number plate. However, there are photos of a car with a similar wide cushion at the top of rear seat sitting on drums in the photo of the cars being produced. Closer inspection shows that the car is in later stages of being repaired from accident damage. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Tempefactory250x160.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/MCraneysAscortSmashed250x172.jpg[/IMG] The title of this photo was "Mr Craney's Ascort smashed". (This photo pre-dated Mirek Craney purchasing BZA-011). The car in the photos is definately my car as the cut line in the repair can be seen clearly on my car and some of the other marks on the car on the photo can still be identified on my car. Other indications that this is BXL-022 is that my car was fitted with a tow bar plug and came with a tow bar when purchased snd a small bash on the rear bumper in a photo of BXL-022 matches a small area of damage on my rear bumper. My car is fitted with ID plate 005 and a plate can clearly be seen in the photo of the damaged car. An interesting discussion with a member of the Craney family told how Mirek had run off the road in an Ascort and crashed into a tree. The spare tyre that sits horizontal in front of the torsion tube took much of the impact leaving the damage contained to just one side. The spare tyre spat out through the bonnet during the accident. The damage in the photos would seem to match this story. BXL-022 was originally silver, then metalic green, then red, then silver. It was at this time that it was smashed. Paint layers indicate that front emblems were removed about the time when the car was green. It is uncertain if the car was repainted silver then white, or just straight to white following the repair. One of the other cars to have had multiple paint jobs over a very short time is the red New South Wales Car. A relative of the current owner is understood to have had a connection with the cars at the time of production. He is said to have stated that cars were being repainted on a regular basis and were then driven around and photographed to give the appearance of a greater number of cars having been produced. It is not known if this is true, but the story would seem to match the old multiple paint layers that exist on several of the early cars that were built.

Posted by: ascort - 26 February 2011 00:57:57

[b]Ramblings on ID numbers and colours.[/b] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/005Plate400x302.jpg[/IMG] This is the ID plate on my car (restoration has not started in that area) The plate is hard to read but it says: [b]Model: ASCORT [/b]TSV 1300 [b]Year:[/b] 1959 [b]Engine No:[/b] 2156912 [b]S/No:[/b] 005 It is not known why the plates says Canberra ACT, as the cars were produced in the old tram depot at Tempe in Sydney. The ID numbers of the cars are a bit of a puzzle as at this stage only a few plate numbers are know/fitted to cars. These are 005, 021, 028, and 031. The problem is that there was only 19 bodies produced and 13 complete cars. Of the 13 complete cars produced the first 3 appear not to be identical to the later production cars and seem to have been used as hack cars to try out different trim styles, colours etc. The prototype was the D72 car. Photos of this car show it to have had multiple colours in its first years of life. This car had a unique high door handle location, unique full height divider on the rear seat and unique trim. The door catches on this car do not match production cars and it is interesting to note that no photos of the interior show a window winder on the door nor do any photos show the side windows in a closed position. ??? (Mirek Craney has been quoted as saying that it was the doors that gave the most trouble in the design). Photos do not show any sign of an ID plate. The fate of this car is not known. From looking at the photo records of the cars and the slight differences that exist, I believe that the next 2 cars built were BXL-022 and BZA-011. BZA-011 did not have the front boot area the same as production cars and like the prototype it had no internal panel here. This car also had a unique door handle location and unique interior trim. This car was bought from "Ascort Corporation" by Mirek Craney after the company folded and was used as his private car for a number of years before replacing it with a later build car (DDH-989 - now the yellow car in photo above). One interview of Mirek Craney in the 1970s (Cars and Drivers #3 - An Aust mag) stated that he bought number 1. For these reasons I believe that this was probably the first car built after the prototype. This car had multiple colours early in its life and photos do not seem to show an ID plate. The fate of this car is not certain, but I believe that it may be the white NSW car discussed above - ENO-001 (but evidence is flimsy without a decent look at the car. It is interesting that the owner of ENO-001 said that the car had many layers of old paint when he bought it). BXL-022 seems to be the other early car that was built. Early photos of the car show it photographed a number of times with BZA-011. This car is shown in photos with a tow bar and was most likely used for towing the small "Ascort Sonic" two person boat. It is also photograped in several colours. This is the only Ascort photographed with a tow bar. Photos show that this car had a slightly different rear seat with a wider cushion area at the top of the seat. After a few early photos there seems to be no more photos of a car with this number plate. However, there are photos of a car with a similar wide cushion at the top of rear seat sitting on drums in the photo of the cars being produced. Closer inspection shows that the car is in later stages of being repaired from accident damage. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Tempefactory250x160.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/MCraneysAscortSmashed250x172.jpg[/IMG] The title of this photo was "Mr Craney's Ascort smashed". (This photo pre-dated Mirek Craney purchasing BZA-011). The car in the photos is definately my car as the cut line in the repair can be seen clearly on my car and some of the other marks on the car on the photo can still be identified on my car. Other indications that this is BXL-022 is that my car was fitted with a tow bar plug and came with a tow bar when purchased snd a small bash on the rear bumper in a photo of BXL-022 matches a small area of damage on my rear bumper. My car is fitted with ID plate 005 and a plate can clearly be seen in the photo of the damaged car. An interesting discussion with a member of the Craney family told how Mirek had run off the road in an Ascort and crashed into a tree. The spare tyre that sits horizontal in front of the torsion tube took much of the impact leaving the damage contained to just one side. The spare tyre spat out through the bonnet during the accident. The damage in the photos would seem to match this story. BXL-022 was originally silver, then metalic green, then red, then silver. It was at this time that it was smashed. Paint layers indicate that front emblems were removed about the time when the car was green. It is uncertain if the car was repainted silver then white, or just straight to white following the repair. One of the other cars to have had multiple paint jobs over a very short time is the red New South Wales Car. A relative of the current owner is understood to have had a connection with the cars at the time of production. He is said to have stated that cars were being repainted on a regular basis and were then driven around and photographed to give the appearance of a greater number of cars having been produced. It is not known if this is true, but the story would seem to match the old multiple paint layers that exist on several of the early cars that were built.

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 04:57:05
In the post above I mention the 2 cars which I believe were the first 2 cars built after the prototype. These are BZA-011 and BXL-022. It would seem to me that BZA-011 has more features in common with the prototype, which makes me suspect that it was the second, even though BXL has the lower number plate. A photo of the 2 cars together. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/BXL022andBZA011withSonic600x386.jpg[/IMG] and BZA-011 alone [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AllanThompsonsGreenAscort3.jpg[/IMG] ... and BZA some years later when it was the private car of Mirek Craney. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/BZA011withtank650x493.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 04:57:05

In the post above I mention the 2 cars which I believe were the first 2 cars built after the prototype. These are BZA-011 and BXL-022. It would seem to me that BZA-011 has more features in common with the prototype, which makes me suspect that it was the second, even though BXL has the lower number plate. A photo of the 2 cars together. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/BXL022andBZA011withSonic600x386.jpg[/IMG] and BZA-011 alone [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AllanThompsonsGreenAscort3.jpg[/IMG] ... and BZA some years later when it was the private car of Mirek Craney. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/BZA011withtank650x493.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 05:02:58
I put this posting on a NZ forum, but I think that it is worth putting it here as well, as it belongs with this info....... Considering that there was only 13 Ascorts completed, there were a number of interior syles in the completed cars. I have produced some sketches of the rear seat area to show some of the variations. These are only a non-artist impression and no care has been taken to ensure that the number of pleats is correct etc etc. Some of the fine detail may also be incorrect as this information has only been obtained by looking at fuzzy details in enlarged photos and remnant scraps from stripped interiors. Ihave sketched this part of the car as there are not a lot of good photos as it is not easy to get a good angle for a photograph. So, no guarantees on the proportions either. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0003400x288a.jpg[/IMG] The prototype (usually seen with D72 or 21-215 plate). This car seems to have been unique with full height rear armrest and full height pleats in the rear seat. The prototype also had a door pocket. It is not known if any other cars had one of these from new. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_00052400x285.jpg[/img] I do not have good interior photos of BZA-011, but a couple features that can be seen are 2 tone trim, trim that extends up "C" pillar and seat area meeting the headrest cushion. [Edit - The side trim may be the same as the light section of the 2 tone, with only the seat itself being the dark colour] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0004400x306.jpg[/img] BXL-022 had a very wide headrest cushion and wider pleats than production cars. As the interior was stripped, other than front seats and door trims, details are a little sketchy. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0005400x300.jpg[/img] This is the production car style as fitted to the NZ Ascort and several others. The NZ car may not have had the stitching on the door trim. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0006400x319.jpg[/img] The other production car interior trim style that seems to have been fitted to a number of cars. Similar variations also exist with the front seat trim (which seems to match the rear seat to a large degree.)

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 05:02:58

I put this posting on a NZ forum, but I think that it is worth putting it here as well, as it belongs with this info....... Considering that there was only 13 Ascorts completed, there were a number of interior syles in the completed cars. I have produced some sketches of the rear seat area to show some of the variations. These are only a non-artist impression and no care has been taken to ensure that the number of pleats is correct etc etc. Some of the fine detail may also be incorrect as this information has only been obtained by looking at fuzzy details in enlarged photos and remnant scraps from stripped interiors. Ihave sketched this part of the car as there are not a lot of good photos as it is not easy to get a good angle for a photograph. So, no guarantees on the proportions either. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0003400x288a.jpg[/IMG] The prototype (usually seen with D72 or 21-215 plate). This car seems to have been unique with full height rear armrest and full height pleats in the rear seat. The prototype also had a door pocket. It is not known if any other cars had one of these from new. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_00052400x285.jpg[/img] I do not have good interior photos of BZA-011, but a couple features that can be seen are 2 tone trim, trim that extends up "C" pillar and seat area meeting the headrest cushion. [Edit - The side trim may be the same as the light section of the 2 tone, with only the seat itself being the dark colour] [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0004400x306.jpg[/img] BXL-022 had a very wide headrest cushion and wider pleats than production cars. As the interior was stripped, other than front seats and door trims, details are a little sketchy. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0005400x300.jpg[/img] This is the production car style as fitted to the NZ Ascort and several others. The NZ car may not have had the stitching on the door trim. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascort%20Interior/interior4_0006400x319.jpg[/img] The other production car interior trim style that seems to have been fitted to a number of cars. Similar variations also exist with the front seat trim (which seems to match the rear seat to a large degree.)

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 05:05:33
Again this is info that I have posted on NZ VW Forum.......... When Mirek Craney was building the Ascort he was actively trying to get international recognition for it and was trying to get sales on the world market. Letters have surfaced where details of the car were sent to the editor of "Annual Automotive Review", Switzerland - August 1959 and articles appeared in December 1958 issue of the British "Motor" magazine, the March 1959 edition of "Autocar", September 1959 American "Road and Track", and October 1959 "Sports Car Graphic". An advertisement was also placed in "Road and Track" inviting dealer enquiries. In the letter to "Annual Automotive Review" it is stated that several orders for cars have been received from the US. A letter also turned up on ebay to the Sadler Motor Company of US, dated October 1959, from Continental Coachworks explaining that the supply of left hand drive chassis falls short of supply and that an alternative scheme of supply is being sought. (Unfortunately I missed out on this ebay item, as I was outbid by a NZ bidder.) A left hand drive body was certainly built and this can be seen under construction in the Tempe factory on the left hand side. Rumour has it that this car was the left hand drive prototype and the only left hand drive car produced. (Sorry for repeating a photo). [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortFactoryProduction1960compressed-Copy.jpg[/img] This car survived and is seen in this December 1983 photo taken at Osca Automotive in Surry Hills, Sydney. (The LHD car was nic-named the "red oxide car" for many years). Although the left hand drive dash cannot really be seen, the start of the binacle rise can just be made out, which confirms that the car was left hand drive at this time. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/ascortassorted022.jpg[/img] The car was purchased (?) by the father of the northern NSW Ascort owner, who was the nehew of the Osca Automotive owner, and during this period of ownership a conversion was done to right hand drive. (I suspect that the dash from the derelict BXL-022 was used in this process). The Northern NSW owner remembers her father carrying out the right hand drive conversion when she was young. I understand that the red Northern NSW car was owned by the owner of Osca Automotive and on his death the red car was passed to the nephew who owned the left hand drive car. The left hand drive car was then sold to a friend who kept it till his death a few years back. It was then bought with a lot of other vintage car parts by a Queensland vintage car enthusiast, who now has got interested in the car and now intends to restore/complete it (with conversion to RHD, which I personally feel is a shame). The left hand drive car is one of the 6 cars that was not completed when new and to this day is still incomplete. The car in recent times [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Ascort_1209.jpg[/img] The dash, with the RHD conversion, with the binacle not quite sitting in the right location, and sitting over the gove box hole. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Ascort_Dash.jpg[/img] ... but did an Ascort go to the US? In the Cars and Drivers interview with Mirek Craney in the late 1970s, he states that a US firm was looking to purchase the Ascort project, but as there was so much interest he thought that it had to be a success if he kept the project in Australia. This clipping appeared in the January 1960 edition of "Australian Trading", showing a right hand drive "Ascort sports saloon which is being loaded at Sydney for San Diego". [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/US_Ascort_Shipping.jpg[/img] I am not convinced that the caption on the photo is correct. If you look back at the photos of the NZ Ascort being loaded on the ship for NZ, the ship's name was the Wanganella, which was a ship which was primarily used across the Tasman sea between Australia and New Zealand. I have had a close look at photos of the Wanganella and I am fairly sure that the photo in the press clipping is this ship. If this is correct the photo is most probably the NZ car being loaded. (Have a look at the blown up detail of the Wanganella. This has to be the ship in the photo). [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Wanganella-SYD-60-Copy.jpg[/img][img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Wanganella-SYD-60400x270.jpg[/img] I do not have a definite answer as to whether a car actually went to the US. There were obvioulsy orders which were not filled, but I suspect that the rumours that they were never sent are probably correct. I am more than happy to hear if someone has a definite answer on this subject.

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 05:05:33

Again this is info that I have posted on NZ VW Forum.......... When Mirek Craney was building the Ascort he was actively trying to get international recognition for it and was trying to get sales on the world market. Letters have surfaced where details of the car were sent to the editor of "Annual Automotive Review", Switzerland - August 1959 and articles appeared in December 1958 issue of the British "Motor" magazine, the March 1959 edition of "Autocar", September 1959 American "Road and Track", and October 1959 "Sports Car Graphic". An advertisement was also placed in "Road and Track" inviting dealer enquiries. In the letter to "Annual Automotive Review" it is stated that several orders for cars have been received from the US. A letter also turned up on ebay to the Sadler Motor Company of US, dated October 1959, from Continental Coachworks explaining that the supply of left hand drive chassis falls short of supply and that an alternative scheme of supply is being sought. (Unfortunately I missed out on this ebay item, as I was outbid by a NZ bidder.) A left hand drive body was certainly built and this can be seen under construction in the Tempe factory on the left hand side. Rumour has it that this car was the left hand drive prototype and the only left hand drive car produced. (Sorry for repeating a photo). [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/AscortFactoryProduction1960compressed-Copy.jpg[/img] This car survived and is seen in this December 1983 photo taken at Osca Automotive in Surry Hills, Sydney. (The LHD car was nic-named the "red oxide car" for many years). Although the left hand drive dash cannot really be seen, the start of the binacle rise can just be made out, which confirms that the car was left hand drive at this time. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/ascortassorted022.jpg[/img] The car was purchased (?) by the father of the northern NSW Ascort owner, who was the nehew of the Osca Automotive owner, and during this period of ownership a conversion was done to right hand drive. (I suspect that the dash from the derelict BXL-022 was used in this process). The Northern NSW owner remembers her father carrying out the right hand drive conversion when she was young. I understand that the red Northern NSW car was owned by the owner of Osca Automotive and on his death the red car was passed to the nephew who owned the left hand drive car. The left hand drive car was then sold to a friend who kept it till his death a few years back. It was then bought with a lot of other vintage car parts by a Queensland vintage car enthusiast, who now has got interested in the car and now intends to restore/complete it (with conversion to RHD, which I personally feel is a shame). The left hand drive car is one of the 6 cars that was not completed when new and to this day is still incomplete. The car in recent times [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Ascort_1209.jpg[/img] The dash, with the RHD conversion, with the binacle not quite sitting in the right location, and sitting over the gove box hole. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Ascort_Dash.jpg[/img] ... but did an Ascort go to the US? In the Cars and Drivers interview with Mirek Craney in the late 1970s, he states that a US firm was looking to purchase the Ascort project, but as there was so much interest he thought that it had to be a success if he kept the project in Australia. This clipping appeared in the January 1960 edition of "Australian Trading", showing a right hand drive "Ascort sports saloon which is being loaded at Sydney for San Diego". [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/US_Ascort_Shipping.jpg[/img] I am not convinced that the caption on the photo is correct. If you look back at the photos of the NZ Ascort being loaded on the ship for NZ, the ship's name was the Wanganella, which was a ship which was primarily used across the Tasman sea between Australia and New Zealand. I have had a close look at photos of the Wanganella and I am fairly sure that the photo in the press clipping is this ship. If this is correct the photo is most probably the NZ car being loaded. (Have a look at the blown up detail of the Wanganella. This has to be the ship in the photo). [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Wanganella-SYD-60-Copy.jpg[/img][img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Left%20hand%20drive/Wanganella-SYD-60400x270.jpg[/img] I do not have a definite answer as to whether a car actually went to the US. There were obvioulsy orders which were not filled, but I suspect that the rumours that they were never sent are probably correct. I am more than happy to hear if someone has a definite answer on this subject.

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 05:12:14
My Apologies, it does not seem that I have put pictures of the New Zealand Ascort on this thread. The car at the factory in Tempe Sydney before export. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/NZAscortinfactory.jpg[/img] The car at the dock ready for loading. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortbyship.jpg[/img] The car being loaded for NZ. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortoffship.jpg[/img] How sad that it ended up like this. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/ascortassorted026.jpg[/img]

Posted by: ascort - 29 May 2011 05:12:14

My Apologies, it does not seem that I have put pictures of the New Zealand Ascort on this thread. The car at the factory in Tempe Sydney before export. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/NZAscortinfactory.jpg[/img] The car at the dock ready for loading. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortbyship.jpg[/img] The car being loaded for NZ. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Ascortoffship.jpg[/img] How sad that it ended up like this. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/ascortassorted026.jpg[/img]

Posted by: ascort - 23 June 2011 11:28:27
Following is a list of 1959 car prices in Australia for some of the well known vehicles of the time and also the Ascort. (At the time that the Ascort was produced Karmann Ghias were not sold in Australia). The prices are from the January Australian Motor Manual magazine. The prices are in Australian pounds .... but I am not sure how to get a "pound" symbol, so I will just provide a number. As you can see the car was priced very much as an up-market Grand Tourer. [b]Ascort TSV 1300 - 2250 [/b]Austin Healey 100/6 - 2098 Citroen DS - 2286 Ford Zephyr Mk II - 1302 Holden Special - 1161 Humber Super Snipe - 1825 Jaguar XK 150 - 2919 Jaguar Mk 1 2.4 litre - 2382 Mercedes 220 S - 2852 Morris Minor 1000 - 920 MGA - 1376 Porsche 356 - 2545 Triumph TR3 - 1695 Volkswagen Beetle - 971 The specs on the Ascort were listed as: Capacity 1300cc Fuel capacity 16 gallons Power 54bhp Average fuel consumption 35 mpg Maximum speed 96mph Acceleration 0 to 50 mph - 12 seconds Overall length 14' 1'' Weight 1467 pounds

Posted by: ascort - 23 June 2011 11:28:27

Following is a list of 1959 car prices in Australia for some of the well known vehicles of the time and also the Ascort. (At the time that the Ascort was produced Karmann Ghias were not sold in Australia). The prices are from the January Australian Motor Manual magazine. The prices are in Australian pounds .... but I am not sure how to get a "pound" symbol, so I will just provide a number. As you can see the car was priced very much as an up-market Grand Tourer. [b]Ascort TSV 1300 - 2250 [/b]Austin Healey 100/6 - 2098 Citroen DS - 2286 Ford Zephyr Mk II - 1302 Holden Special - 1161 Humber Super Snipe - 1825 Jaguar XK 150 - 2919 Jaguar Mk 1 2.4 litre - 2382 Mercedes 220 S - 2852 Morris Minor 1000 - 920 MGA - 1376 Porsche 356 - 2545 Triumph TR3 - 1695 Volkswagen Beetle - 971 The specs on the Ascort were listed as: Capacity 1300cc Fuel capacity 16 gallons Power 54bhp Average fuel consumption 35 mpg Maximum speed 96mph Acceleration 0 to 50 mph - 12 seconds Overall length 14' 1'' Weight 1467 pounds

Posted by: ascort - 29 June 2011 14:20:12
In the late 1970s I spoke to the Ascort designer (Mirek Craney) and he told me that when the Ascort project folded, the new manager of the company was not interested in the cars and that he took the moulds and records to the Tempe pit. Mirek also states this in a letter that he sent me around that time and the Cars and Drivers #3 magazine article interview of Mirek Craney also states this. Some Ascort photos were given to the restorer of the silver Ascort a few years back which included one very interesting one. It is dated 1983 and is of a set of fibreglass moulds hanging from the wall of a business which was called Osca Automotive. The moulds are the top and side moulds for the Ascort. If one looks at the original moulds being created for the car they can definately be matched. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/ascortassorted015.jpg[/img] I have been informed that the owner of Osca Automotive had a connection with the Ascort project (I have not determined exactly what that connection was) and he also owned an Ascort which passed through several family members and is now located in northern NSW. The current owner of the car claims that her father (the nephew of the Osca Automotive owner) used to have the moulds some years back, but it is unknown where they are now, or if they still exist.

Posted by: ascort - 29 June 2011 14:20:12

In the late 1970s I spoke to the Ascort designer (Mirek Craney) and he told me that when the Ascort project folded, the new manager of the company was not interested in the cars and that he took the moulds and records to the Tempe pit. Mirek also states this in a letter that he sent me around that time and the Cars and Drivers #3 magazine article interview of Mirek Craney also states this. Some Ascort photos were given to the restorer of the silver Ascort a few years back which included one very interesting one. It is dated 1983 and is of a set of fibreglass moulds hanging from the wall of a business which was called Osca Automotive. The moulds are the top and side moulds for the Ascort. If one looks at the original moulds being created for the car they can definately be matched. [img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/ascortassorted015.jpg[/img] I have been informed that the owner of Osca Automotive had a connection with the Ascort project (I have not determined exactly what that connection was) and he also owned an Ascort which passed through several family members and is now located in northern NSW. The current owner of the car claims that her father (the nephew of the Osca Automotive owner) used to have the moulds some years back, but it is unknown where they are now, or if they still exist.

Posted by: ascort - 01 August 2011 14:54:48
The Ascort corporation was producing other fibreglass items other than the Ascort car. This included silos, fuel tanks, domes for buildings and boats. This is the Ascort Sonic boat, which was designed to be able to be towed or carried by a VW. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochurecover.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochurepage2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochurepage3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochureback.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonic.jpg[/IMG] Home movies of the sonic show it to be quite a performer and looks like it would be a ton of fun. It would be a great addition to have for my Ascort, but I do not know where I would find one. I wonder if the car on the brochure could be my car, as mine is the only one that I am aware of with a tow bar. (see the photos of BXL-022 above)

Posted by: ascort - 01 August 2011 14:54:48

The Ascort corporation was producing other fibreglass items other than the Ascort car. This included silos, fuel tanks, domes for buildings and boats. This is the Ascort Sonic boat, which was designed to be able to be towed or carried by a VW. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochurecover.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochurepage2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochurepage3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonicbrochureback.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/Sonic.jpg[/IMG] Home movies of the sonic show it to be quite a performer and looks like it would be a ton of fun. It would be a great addition to have for my Ascort, but I do not know where I would find one. I wonder if the car on the brochure could be my car, as mine is the only one that I am aware of with a tow bar. (see the photos of BXL-022 above)

Posted by: ascort - 26 December 2011 22:22:49
I finally have more photos and details of an Ascort that has been hidden away on the other side of the country, in a shed for over 18 years. :thumbup: In the overview, the car is the neat blue car. The photo was taken some time around 1980 after a fresh paint job. Rumour said that the car now had body damage from a low speed roll and that the car was fitted with a 40hp engine rather than its proper Okrasa TSV 1300 :( . It had also been reported to me in the late 1970s that the interior was "mutilated". I had always assumed that this meant that the original guages etc may be gone and that the original trim was gone. As the car had obviously had a tidy up in the 1980 photo, I had guessed that it must have been re-trimmed. Here are the pics of its current condition. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0771600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0772600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0764600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0752600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0739600x450.jpg[/IMG] The high definition pics that I have do not show any significant damage. The engine is the original Okrasa. The engine was running at the time of being parked and it still turns. All the correct guages and fittings are there. The trim is original, although the hood lining and some carpet is gone, and condition is not great. The pan is mostly sound with minimal rust. The car looks to be almost complete and very original and should be a great starting point for a restoration. :thumbup: The car is now in the process of being sold to an Ascort enthusiast and will be shifting back to the Eastern side of the country. :thumbup:

Posted by: ascort - 26 December 2011 22:22:49

I finally have more photos and details of an Ascort that has been hidden away on the other side of the country, in a shed for over 18 years. :thumbup: In the overview, the car is the neat blue car. The photo was taken some time around 1980 after a fresh paint job. Rumour said that the car now had body damage from a low speed roll and that the car was fitted with a 40hp engine rather than its proper Okrasa TSV 1300 :( . It had also been reported to me in the late 1970s that the interior was "mutilated". I had always assumed that this meant that the original guages etc may be gone and that the original trim was gone. As the car had obviously had a tidy up in the 1980 photo, I had guessed that it must have been re-trimmed. Here are the pics of its current condition. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0771600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0772600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0764600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0752600x450.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0739600x450.jpg[/IMG] The high definition pics that I have do not show any significant damage. The engine is the original Okrasa. The engine was running at the time of being parked and it still turns. All the correct guages and fittings are there. The trim is original, although the hood lining and some carpet is gone, and condition is not great. The pan is mostly sound with minimal rust. The car looks to be almost complete and very original and should be a great starting point for a restoration. :thumbup: The car is now in the process of being sold to an Ascort enthusiast and will be shifting back to the Eastern side of the country. :thumbup:

Posted by: ascort - 30 December 2011 21:44:36
[quote=ascort]The car is now in the process of being sold to an Ascort enthusiast and will be shifting back to the Eastern side of the country. :thumbup: [/quote] I suppose that I should admit that the car is now mine and hopefully should be starting its journey home in the not too distant future. :thumbup: My current car was quite incomplete, and I am having to re-create quite a bit. I am hoping that I can keep this car as original as possible. It should also help me complete my current car by showing how things should be. Can't wait to get it home. :drool: Mark

Posted by: ascort - 30 December 2011 21:44:36

[quote=ascort]The car is now in the process of being sold to an Ascort enthusiast and will be shifting back to the Eastern side of the country. :thumbup: [/quote] I suppose that I should admit that the car is now mine and hopefully should be starting its journey home in the not too distant future. :thumbup: My current car was quite incomplete, and I am having to re-create quite a bit. I am hoping that I can keep this car as original as possible. It should also help me complete my current car by showing how things should be. Can't wait to get it home. :drool: Mark

Posted by: pbaptist - 31 December 2011 15:26:07
Hi Mark, You got it. Congratulations. :thumbup: Patrick

Posted by: zelensis61 - 31 December 2011 16:08:37
Congrats Mark... You deserve that car.:thumbup: Thanks for sharing The best part is that it is complete . You can make a mould out of the good one to restore the bad one. I did that once for a buggy. I have no clue on the Digits in the Okrasa engine what they stood for. Your new year is over yet, ours still to come, but I wish you all the best for the next season. cheers.

Posted by: AW - 31 December 2011 17:18:17
Thats BRILL dont forget to Keep those photos comming and a on going thread of the re-build :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Andy W

Posted by: ascort - 31 December 2011 22:12:26
Thanks guys. As my current car is probably the first car built after the prototype, I can see that there are lots of little differences between the cars, but having the two will make work a lot easier in many areas. What I have in the way of bits and pieces now will aslo assist with the blue car as well. In my collection photos I have photos of a dark blue Ascort which is most likely the same car. In the photos of the blue car I can see bits of the dark blue paint showing through. If you look at the bonnet stays, they are dark blue and there is also dark blue paint near the boundary of the blue and silver where the paint has flaked. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0765500x375.jpg[/IMG] This interior photo of the car when new seems to match up quite well and I can see no features that would suggest that this is not a match. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/img494500x348.jpg[/IMG] It was not a bad looking car when new. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/T1234colourside500x343.jpg[/IMG] One of the things that is special to me about this car is that it is fairly original and unmodified. Of all the existing Ascorts, this car would seem to have the most original condition engine bay. From what I have seen, all the other cars have either different engines fitted or cosmetic changes made. To me that makes it important to keep it that way and just tidy it up a little. Some parts of the interior are rougher than a couple of the other cars, but at least it is unmodified. I have the remains of the original interiors of 2 other cars. One of these interiors is from the old New Zealand Ascort, which has the same trim colour. (The engine numbers are only 2 numbers apart). I would like to see if it is possible to re-create a fairly original interior with what I have. (I am missing carpet) Mark

Posted by: ascort - 31 December 2011 22:12:26

Thanks guys. As my current car is probably the first car built after the prototype, I can see that there are lots of little differences between the cars, but having the two will make work a lot easier in many areas. What I have in the way of bits and pieces now will aslo assist with the blue car as well. In my collection photos I have photos of a dark blue Ascort which is most likely the same car. In the photos of the blue car I can see bits of the dark blue paint showing through. If you look at the bonnet stays, they are dark blue and there is also dark blue paint near the boundary of the blue and silver where the paint has flaked. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMG_0765500x375.jpg[/IMG] This interior photo of the car when new seems to match up quite well and I can see no features that would suggest that this is not a match. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/img494500x348.jpg[/IMG] It was not a bad looking car when new. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/T1234colourside500x343.jpg[/IMG] One of the things that is special to me about this car is that it is fairly original and unmodified. Of all the existing Ascorts, this car would seem to have the most original condition engine bay. From what I have seen, all the other cars have either different engines fitted or cosmetic changes made. To me that makes it important to keep it that way and just tidy it up a little. Some parts of the interior are rougher than a couple of the other cars, but at least it is unmodified. I have the remains of the original interiors of 2 other cars. One of these interiors is from the old New Zealand Ascort, which has the same trim colour. (The engine numbers are only 2 numbers apart). I would like to see if it is possible to re-create a fairly original interior with what I have. (I am missing carpet) Mark

Posted by: ascort - 22 January 2012 22:14:36
I thought that I would add a few photos of the new car to detail how Ascort's are put together. This first photo details the dash. It shows: Petri steering wheel (some cars had a simple horn button, rather than the full horn ring) Steering lock The acrylic sun visors are missing from the rod. (Porsche?) Instruments are from the right: Smiths Vacuum, VDO oil pressure, VDO 100mph speedo with trip, Motometer 3 in 1 (amps, fuel, temp), VDO electronic tacho, motometer clock (60mm). The indicators are on the left of the column and is a Hella with the red light on the end of the stork. Headlight dipper is on the right of the colums and should have a blue light on the end of the stork. The windscreen washer can be seen under the strrening column area. This car has a roller accelerator pedal, but most had a pedal. I have not checked the pan number to get a chassis build date as the body sits over the number in the rear armrest area. It can be seen that a stock beetle pan was used and not the wider Ghia pan. The windscreen is Peugeot 403. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1971600x399.jpg[/IMG] The second photo shows the front seat area. It shows: The porsche 356 recline mechanism. This is only on the outside, with the pivot placed further back on the tunnel side. This allowed the seats to fold toward the car centre to allow easier access to the rear seat area. The cream carpet which was originally used through the car covers the rear of the seat. On the passenger side the door trim can be seen. An aluminium strip helps hold the top of the door trim in place. On this car there is an alloy trim above the door which would have secured the edge of the hood lining. (My other car uses a conventional door trim) The door is very similar to that of a Ghia, except that it uses beetle catches. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1967399x600.jpg[/IMG] The third photo shows: The glove box, the 60mm motometer clock, the Continental Coachworks emblem. (Continental coachworks is the name of company used to produce the body). This is similar to the bonnet emblem. I assume that under the lion sits 2 x letter "C"s (for Continantal Coachworks). One is tall and narrow, the other elongated horizontally. Above the emblem in the centre of the dash is the ashtray. This came from a late 1950s GM Holden (FE / FC model). [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1961600x399.jpg[/IMG] The fourth photo shows the rear seat area: A short adult can sit quite comfortably, but an average height male will have their head hard up against the rear window. Under the removable armrest is access to the inspection plate on the transmission tunnel. Unfortunately the body is mounted right over the top of the chassis number. The ashtray is from a 1950s GM Holden. It was originally the ash tray on the back of the front seat for the rear seat passengers of the Holden. The area of the vinyl that has collapsed down was originally a headrest cushion section. On each side of the seats is a flat surface. This is the area where the fuel tanks sit, just ahead of the rear wheel. There is an 8 gallon fuel tank on each side (modified from a Ford 105E Anglia) which are linked by cross feed tubes. The filler cap is on the left tank only. With 16 gallons of fuel, the Ascort had a range of over 1000km on a tank full of fuel. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1964600x399.jpg[/IMG] The fifth photo is the engine bay showing: The Okrasa TSV 1300 engine which according to tests gave a top speed of around 98mph. (For those who are not up on Okrasas, check out the vintage speed area of the forum. The engine started as a 36hp and then was modified with stroker crank, dual port heads, twin carbs etc.) The shape of the fibreglass around the engine is almost identical to a ghia and indicates that the Ghia was used as a basis for much of the design. This car has a fram oil filter fitted, but it does not seem that all cars had this feature. The tail lights are from a Humber Hawk. The rear window is Austin A95. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1972600x399.jpg[/IMG] Sixth photo is a closeup of the engine. The Ascorts have had the engine number uniquely numbered with an ACA prefix. My car is ACA0916. It is presumed that the ACA stands for Ascort Corporation A/sia. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1973600x399.jpg[/IMG] The seventh photo is the air intake area. The vents are narrowed oval window beetle speaker grills. The rear bonnet is a very similar shape to a ghia, except for the addition of the air scoops and recessing of the number plate. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1949600x399.jpg[/IMG] In the future I will add details of the boot area.

Posted by: ascort - 22 January 2012 22:14:36

I thought that I would add a few photos of the new car to detail how Ascort's are put together. This first photo details the dash. It shows: Petri steering wheel (some cars had a simple horn button, rather than the full horn ring) Steering lock The acrylic sun visors are missing from the rod. (Porsche?) Instruments are from the right: Smiths Vacuum, VDO oil pressure, VDO 100mph speedo with trip, Motometer 3 in 1 (amps, fuel, temp), VDO electronic tacho, motometer clock (60mm). The indicators are on the left of the column and is a Hella with the red light on the end of the stork. Headlight dipper is on the right of the colums and should have a blue light on the end of the stork. The windscreen washer can be seen under the strrening column area. This car has a roller accelerator pedal, but most had a pedal. I have not checked the pan number to get a chassis build date as the body sits over the number in the rear armrest area. It can be seen that a stock beetle pan was used and not the wider Ghia pan. The windscreen is Peugeot 403. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1971600x399.jpg[/IMG] The second photo shows the front seat area. It shows: The porsche 356 recline mechanism. This is only on the outside, with the pivot placed further back on the tunnel side. This allowed the seats to fold toward the car centre to allow easier access to the rear seat area. The cream carpet which was originally used through the car covers the rear of the seat. On the passenger side the door trim can be seen. An aluminium strip helps hold the top of the door trim in place. On this car there is an alloy trim above the door which would have secured the edge of the hood lining. (My other car uses a conventional door trim) The door is very similar to that of a Ghia, except that it uses beetle catches. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1967399x600.jpg[/IMG] The third photo shows: The glove box, the 60mm motometer clock, the Continental Coachworks emblem. (Continental coachworks is the name of company used to produce the body). This is similar to the bonnet emblem. I assume that under the lion sits 2 x letter "C"s (for Continantal Coachworks). One is tall and narrow, the other elongated horizontally. Above the emblem in the centre of the dash is the ashtray. This came from a late 1950s GM Holden (FE / FC model). [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1961600x399.jpg[/IMG] The fourth photo shows the rear seat area: A short adult can sit quite comfortably, but an average height male will have their head hard up against the rear window. Under the removable armrest is access to the inspection plate on the transmission tunnel. Unfortunately the body is mounted right over the top of the chassis number. The ashtray is from a 1950s GM Holden. It was originally the ash tray on the back of the front seat for the rear seat passengers of the Holden. The area of the vinyl that has collapsed down was originally a headrest cushion section. On each side of the seats is a flat surface. This is the area where the fuel tanks sit, just ahead of the rear wheel. There is an 8 gallon fuel tank on each side (modified from a Ford 105E Anglia) which are linked by cross feed tubes. The filler cap is on the left tank only. With 16 gallons of fuel, the Ascort had a range of over 1000km on a tank full of fuel. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1964600x399.jpg[/IMG] The fifth photo is the engine bay showing: The Okrasa TSV 1300 engine which according to tests gave a top speed of around 98mph. (For those who are not up on Okrasas, check out the vintage speed area of the forum. The engine started as a 36hp and then was modified with stroker crank, dual port heads, twin carbs etc.) The shape of the fibreglass around the engine is almost identical to a ghia and indicates that the Ghia was used as a basis for much of the design. This car has a fram oil filter fitted, but it does not seem that all cars had this feature. The tail lights are from a Humber Hawk. The rear window is Austin A95. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1972600x399.jpg[/IMG] Sixth photo is a closeup of the engine. The Ascorts have had the engine number uniquely numbered with an ACA prefix. My car is ACA0916. It is presumed that the ACA stands for Ascort Corporation A/sia. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1973600x399.jpg[/IMG] The seventh photo is the air intake area. The vents are narrowed oval window beetle speaker grills. The rear bonnet is a very similar shape to a ghia, except for the addition of the air scoops and recessing of the number plate. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1949600x399.jpg[/IMG] In the future I will add details of the boot area.

Posted by: ascort - 26 January 2012 04:41:18
The Ascort has quite good boot space for the body style, especially when it is considered that the Karmann Ghia has played a major part in the Ascort's development. The May 1959 issue of Modern Motor included this photo to show the large luggage capacity of the Ascort. (I am sure that they have cheated and removed the spare tyre though). :sneaky: [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/Bootspace.jpg[/IMG] The car in the photo is the prototype (often seen in photos with a "D72" numberplate), and differs from production cars in that it does not have a smooth firewall and has different bonnet hinges and a bonnet stay. These photos detail the luggage space on my car. The luggage space is an area which which is seldom seen in detail in photos of the cars. I have just noticed on my "new" second car that it does not have the front bumper area boxed as shown in the photos of my other car several posts above. (I think my first car was really a pre-production car and was probably the first built after the prototype. I suspect that my blue car was one of the last complete cars built) [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1977600x399.jpg[/IMG] As I have said previously, the spare tyre was designed to be energy absorbing in the event of a front end impact. The battery sits in a recess under the spare tyre. The bolt that holds the clamp holding the tyre is actually a stud which doubles as a body mount. It threads into one of the stud holes of the frame head of the pan. (There is a nut under the clamp which is tigtened onto the body. A wingnut then holds the clamp. There is a bolt on the other side of the car.) The black cable across the firewall is the speedo drive cable. The next photo shows the drivers side. (It is understood that all Ascorts were right hand drive, except for a left hand drive prototype which was developed for the American market, but was never completed.) The bulge on the lower firewall is to allow space for the drivers control pedals to operate. The steering column passes through this area and the brake master cylinder reservoir is tucked beside the column. A removable fibreglass cover is fitted over the steering box. The windscreen washer reservoir hangs on the side of the boot area. Spring loaded bonnet hinges were used on production cars. An electrical junction board with relays is fitted to the right wheel arch, tucked away from the luggage area. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1979600x399.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1981600x399.jpg[/IMG] There should be an ID plate fitted to the firewall above the pedal area ... but it is missing :( This is how it looks on my other car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/005Plate400x302.jpg[/IMG] A few of the cars that have not been modified or played with too much (such as my blue car) have silver paint in the luggage area snd engine bay, or silver paint under the black that they are now painted (as with my first car). I suspect that the silver paint in luggage areas and engine bay may have been common to production cars, but I cannot be certain on that point.

Posted by: ascort - 26 January 2012 04:41:18

The Ascort has quite good boot space for the body style, especially when it is considered that the Karmann Ghia has played a major part in the Ascort's development. The May 1959 issue of Modern Motor included this photo to show the large luggage capacity of the Ascort. (I am sure that they have cheated and removed the spare tyre though). :sneaky: [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/Bootspace.jpg[/IMG] The car in the photo is the prototype (often seen in photos with a "D72" numberplate), and differs from production cars in that it does not have a smooth firewall and has different bonnet hinges and a bonnet stay. These photos detail the luggage space on my car. The luggage space is an area which which is seldom seen in detail in photos of the cars. I have just noticed on my "new" second car that it does not have the front bumper area boxed as shown in the photos of my other car several posts above. (I think my first car was really a pre-production car and was probably the first built after the prototype. I suspect that my blue car was one of the last complete cars built) [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1977600x399.jpg[/IMG] As I have said previously, the spare tyre was designed to be energy absorbing in the event of a front end impact. The battery sits in a recess under the spare tyre. The bolt that holds the clamp holding the tyre is actually a stud which doubles as a body mount. It threads into one of the stud holes of the frame head of the pan. (There is a nut under the clamp which is tigtened onto the body. A wingnut then holds the clamp. There is a bolt on the other side of the car.) The black cable across the firewall is the speedo drive cable. The next photo shows the drivers side. (It is understood that all Ascorts were right hand drive, except for a left hand drive prototype which was developed for the American market, but was never completed.) The bulge on the lower firewall is to allow space for the drivers control pedals to operate. The steering column passes through this area and the brake master cylinder reservoir is tucked beside the column. A removable fibreglass cover is fitted over the steering box. The windscreen washer reservoir hangs on the side of the boot area. Spring loaded bonnet hinges were used on production cars. An electrical junction board with relays is fitted to the right wheel arch, tucked away from the luggage area. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1979600x399.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Blue%20Ascort/IMGP1981600x399.jpg[/IMG] There should be an ID plate fitted to the firewall above the pedal area ... but it is missing :( This is how it looks on my other car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/005Plate400x302.jpg[/IMG] A few of the cars that have not been modified or played with too much (such as my blue car) have silver paint in the luggage area snd engine bay, or silver paint under the black that they are now painted (as with my first car). I suspect that the silver paint in luggage areas and engine bay may have been common to production cars, but I cannot be certain on that point.

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:32:49
[b]Ascort Survivors Overview Update[/b] Due to a change of ownership of a car and only basic information previously given, I decided that I should do an update of the Ascort overview. As well as a current photo of each car, I thought that a photo taken in each car's past may add a little more interest. I will split the overview into 4 parts. This will be done by which state in Australia where the cars now reside. These are the only existing Ascorts that I am aware of, but it is quite possible that more could exist out there somewhere. It is understood that 19 cars were constructed with the final 6 cars being sold incomplete when the project collapsed. Copies of original receipts that I have suggest that the prototype was built and then the parts to complete 12 cars were then purchased from Germany.(from Dipl.Ing.G.Oettinger and Gebrueder Titgemeyer) It would seem that there may not have been any further bulk order of perts to complete any more cars. 13 of the 19 cars are known to have survived in some sort of condition. One Ascort owned by Kevin Young was involved in a 5 car smash in the 1970s. It is not known if this car was ever repaired. [b]South Australian Ascorts.[/b] The first car is currently the only restored roadworthy Ascort. The car was sitting derelict in a front yard in the early 1980, it changed ownership and work on the car was commenced. Weork on the car stopped and it again sat incomplete for many years before being rescued by a car enthusiast in Sydney. Parts from the New Zealand Ascort were used to help complete the restoration and it was fitted with a 356 engine and brakes. The car was sold at auction to a South Australian owner who added the orange stripes, lowered the car and changed the engine to a large capacity VW engine. This has now been changed back to the 356 unit. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_2150x109.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_3150x101.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_4200x150.jpg[/IMG] This car was never completed when new and was sold as an incomplete car when the Ascort project failed. The car sat incomplete until recent years when it was purchased by a South Australian VW enthusiast. The car has been made mobile and has been used for motorsport competition with a rat look. The car has a large capacity VW engine fitted and is quite a quick car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_1150x113.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_2150x100.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_3150x100.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_4200x150.jpg[/IMG] This car is owned by the same South Australian owner as the blue car above. The car was the personally owned car of the Ascort designer, Mirek Craney, for about 16 years. The car was sold to one of Mirek's workers, who had the misfortune of running it under the back of an unlit truck. The nose was badly damaged, but eventually a very rough repair was carried out. Following Mirek Craney's death the car was bought back by the Craney children, but the poor state of the car led them sell the car. After changing ownership a couple time it was purchased by the South Australian owner. The car is unrestored and still has the poor nose repair. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_2150x109.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_3150x113.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_4200x150.jpg[/IMG] The fourth South Australian car was originally bought by a New Zealand owner. The car fell into a poor state of repair and was involved in an accident where it was rear-ended and badly damaged. It was bought by a VW enthusiast (who is on this forum) but sold the car back to an Australian owner. On its return to Australia, the Okrasa engine was separated and the car was sold to the restorer of the silver car above. The car was used as a donor car, before the bones were given to the South Australian current owner. (I have the interior) The body is in pieces, but still exists. Repair panels have been moulded off other cars and it is hoped that one day the car may be reconstructed. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_1150x104.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_2150x93.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_3150x105.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_4200x123.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:32:49

[b]Ascort Survivors Overview Update[/b] Due to a change of ownership of a car and only basic information previously given, I decided that I should do an update of the Ascort overview. As well as a current photo of each car, I thought that a photo taken in each car's past may add a little more interest. I will split the overview into 4 parts. This will be done by which state in Australia where the cars now reside. These are the only existing Ascorts that I am aware of, but it is quite possible that more could exist out there somewhere. It is understood that 19 cars were constructed with the final 6 cars being sold incomplete when the project collapsed. Copies of original receipts that I have suggest that the prototype was built and then the parts to complete 12 cars were then purchased from Germany.(from Dipl.Ing.G.Oettinger and Gebrueder Titgemeyer) It would seem that there may not have been any further bulk order of perts to complete any more cars. 13 of the 19 cars are known to have survived in some sort of condition. One Ascort owned by Kevin Young was involved in a 5 car smash in the 1970s. It is not known if this car was ever repaired. [b]South Australian Ascorts.[/b] The first car is currently the only restored roadworthy Ascort. The car was sitting derelict in a front yard in the early 1980, it changed ownership and work on the car was commenced. Weork on the car stopped and it again sat incomplete for many years before being rescued by a car enthusiast in Sydney. Parts from the New Zealand Ascort were used to help complete the restoration and it was fitted with a 356 engine and brakes. The car was sold at auction to a South Australian owner who added the orange stripes, lowered the car and changed the engine to a large capacity VW engine. This has now been changed back to the 356 unit. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_2150x109.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_3150x101.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/13_4200x150.jpg[/IMG] This car was never completed when new and was sold as an incomplete car when the Ascort project failed. The car sat incomplete until recent years when it was purchased by a South Australian VW enthusiast. The car has been made mobile and has been used for motorsport competition with a rat look. The car has a large capacity VW engine fitted and is quite a quick car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_1150x113.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_2150x100.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_3150x100.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/10_4200x150.jpg[/IMG] This car is owned by the same South Australian owner as the blue car above. The car was the personally owned car of the Ascort designer, Mirek Craney, for about 16 years. The car was sold to one of Mirek's workers, who had the misfortune of running it under the back of an unlit truck. The nose was badly damaged, but eventually a very rough repair was carried out. Following Mirek Craney's death the car was bought back by the Craney children, but the poor state of the car led them sell the car. After changing ownership a couple time it was purchased by the South Australian owner. The car is unrestored and still has the poor nose repair. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_2150x109.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_3150x113.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/11_4200x150.jpg[/IMG] The fourth South Australian car was originally bought by a New Zealand owner. The car fell into a poor state of repair and was involved in an accident where it was rear-ended and badly damaged. It was bought by a VW enthusiast (who is on this forum) but sold the car back to an Australian owner. On its return to Australia, the Okrasa engine was separated and the car was sold to the restorer of the silver car above. The car was used as a donor car, before the bones were given to the South Australian current owner. (I have the interior) The body is in pieces, but still exists. Repair panels have been moulded off other cars and it is hoped that one day the car may be reconstructed. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_1150x104.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_2150x93.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_3150x105.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/12_4200x123.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:36:01
[b]Victorian Ascorts[/b] This Victorian car would be one of the best condition original cars, although the Okrasa has been replaced by a stock 40hp unit. The car was originally owned by a TV personality Elaine McKenna before beign sold to the father of the current owner in 1961. The new owner was a motorsport enthusiast who ran the car in the 1962 Templestowe Hillclimb and would also take the car when he went to various racing circuits to work as an official. The car was maintained by the current owner who was a VW mechanic. The car has sat in a shed for a number of years now and it is understood that a 3rd generation family member is likely to assume onership. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_1150x117.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_2150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_3150x149.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_4200x174.jpg[/IMG] This Victorian car has been owned by the current owner since 1975. The car is currently not on the road and is understood to be in pieces. The owner tells me that he is considering restoring it. This car was featured in a number of articles in magazines and club newsletters. It can be recognized by having twin side mounted filler caps and imitation wire spoked wheels. The car still has the Okrasa engine. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/8_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/8_2150x105.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/8_3200x151.jpg[/IMG] This car is one that I do not have a lot of details on. It was modified in the late 1970s and is currently owned by a Victorian owner who is a car enthusiast and collector. I have heard that the current owner is the nephew of the owner who modified the car, but this has not been confirmed. Despite being modified in the body and interior seating, it does still have the Okrasa and also has the original instruments and some other fittings. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/9_1150x103.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/9_2200x141.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:36:01

[b]Victorian Ascorts[/b] This Victorian car would be one of the best condition original cars, although the Okrasa has been replaced by a stock 40hp unit. The car was originally owned by a TV personality Elaine McKenna before beign sold to the father of the current owner in 1961. The new owner was a motorsport enthusiast who ran the car in the 1962 Templestowe Hillclimb and would also take the car when he went to various racing circuits to work as an official. The car was maintained by the current owner who was a VW mechanic. The car has sat in a shed for a number of years now and it is understood that a 3rd generation family member is likely to assume onership. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_1150x117.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_2150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_3150x149.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/7_4200x174.jpg[/IMG] This Victorian car has been owned by the current owner since 1975. The car is currently not on the road and is understood to be in pieces. The owner tells me that he is considering restoring it. This car was featured in a number of articles in magazines and club newsletters. It can be recognized by having twin side mounted filler caps and imitation wire spoked wheels. The car still has the Okrasa engine. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/8_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/8_2150x105.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/8_3200x151.jpg[/IMG] This car is one that I do not have a lot of details on. It was modified in the late 1970s and is currently owned by a Victorian owner who is a car enthusiast and collector. I have heard that the current owner is the nephew of the owner who modified the car, but this has not been confirmed. Despite being modified in the body and interior seating, it does still have the Okrasa and also has the original instruments and some other fittings. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/9_1150x103.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/9_2200x141.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:37:52
[b]New South Wales Ascorts[/b] This New South Wales cars is another car at risk. In this forum I have been advised that the car is sitting derelict and is deteriorating. The car has been in the same family for over 30 years and it is understood to have recently been given to a son. The car is said to be on a late model pan with a larger more recent engine fitted. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/6_1150x100.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/6_2150x102.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/6_3200x135.jpg[/IMG] This New South Wales car was originally owned by a person said to be connected with the Ascort project. The car was restored in the early 1980s and on the owners death in about 1986, the car passed to a brother in-law who owned the car until it was passed to his daughter and her husband in about 2002. The car has been de-registered since then and some basic work has started. The car is very sound and complete and still has its Okrasa engine fitted. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_1150x117.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_2150x119.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_3150x81.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_4200x150.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:37:52

[b]New South Wales Ascorts[/b] This New South Wales cars is another car at risk. In this forum I have been advised that the car is sitting derelict and is deteriorating. The car has been in the same family for over 30 years and it is understood to have recently been given to a son. The car is said to be on a late model pan with a larger more recent engine fitted. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/6_1150x100.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/6_2150x102.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/6_3200x135.jpg[/IMG] This New South Wales car was originally owned by a person said to be connected with the Ascort project. The car was restored in the early 1980s and on the owners death in about 1986, the car passed to a brother in-law who owned the car until it was passed to his daughter and her husband in about 2002. The car has been de-registered since then and some basic work has started. The car is very sound and complete and still has its Okrasa engine fitted. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_1150x117.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_2150x119.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_3150x81.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/5_4200x150.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:39:29
[b]Queensland Ascorts[/b] This Ascort was the prototype Left Hand Drive car which was being developed for the American market. The car was not completed and is understood to have been owned by the same original owner of the red New South Wales car. The car changed ownership to the brother in-law who lived in country New South Wales and it is understood that he did a conversion to Right Hand Drive. On getting the red car, this car was sold to a friend and the car sat with little or no work done on it for about 25 years. On this persons death the car was sold to the current Queensland owner, who intends to complete the car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/4_1150x96.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/4_2150x107.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/4_3200x133.jpg[/IMG] This Ascort is one of the bodies that was not completed new. It was found several years ago sitting in a shipping yard in Brisbane and was purchased by the current owner. The car has since had some fibreglass work done and it is hope that further work will continue soon. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_2150x97.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_3150x97.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_4200x130.jpg[/IMG] This is the first of my cars. It is believed to be the first car built after the prototype. When the car was near new, the designer ran off the road in it and hit a tree. The car was repaired and then little is known of its history until it changed owners and moved to Queensland in the early 1970s. It must have been treated badly as it was quite derelict by this time, with no interior, no original dash and no engine. I purchased the car in the mid 1970s, did quite a bit of work, and then the car sat in a shed untouched while I persued other interests and worked in a different location. Work has recommenced in recent times. Most body work is now done and most of the hard to find bits have now been collected and restored. It is planned to use an Okrasa replica and keep the car as authentic as possible. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_1150x86.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_2150x103.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_3150x106.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_4200x133.jpg[/IMG] This is the second of my two cars as mentioned in previous posts. The car was owned by a Melbourne doctor (unsure if he was the original owner). The car sat unused under a tree for several years in the mid to late 1970s and was then repaired and put back on the road and owned by the doctors's daughter until the late 1980s. The car was then sold to the Western Australian owner who stored the car for almost 20 years before selling the car to me in recent months. The car is in need of restoration , but is quite complete with Okrasa engine, full instruments and other fittings. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_1150x103.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_2150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_3150x85.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_4200x112.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 19 February 2012 04:39:29

[b]Queensland Ascorts[/b] This Ascort was the prototype Left Hand Drive car which was being developed for the American market. The car was not completed and is understood to have been owned by the same original owner of the red New South Wales car. The car changed ownership to the brother in-law who lived in country New South Wales and it is understood that he did a conversion to Right Hand Drive. On getting the red car, this car was sold to a friend and the car sat with little or no work done on it for about 25 years. On this persons death the car was sold to the current Queensland owner, who intends to complete the car. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/4_1150x96.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/4_2150x107.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/4_3200x133.jpg[/IMG] This Ascort is one of the bodies that was not completed new. It was found several years ago sitting in a shipping yard in Brisbane and was purchased by the current owner. The car has since had some fibreglass work done and it is hope that further work will continue soon. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_1150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_2150x97.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_3150x97.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/3_4200x130.jpg[/IMG] This is the first of my cars. It is believed to be the first car built after the prototype. When the car was near new, the designer ran off the road in it and hit a tree. The car was repaired and then little is known of its history until it changed owners and moved to Queensland in the early 1970s. It must have been treated badly as it was quite derelict by this time, with no interior, no original dash and no engine. I purchased the car in the mid 1970s, did quite a bit of work, and then the car sat in a shed untouched while I persued other interests and worked in a different location. Work has recommenced in recent times. Most body work is now done and most of the hard to find bits have now been collected and restored. It is planned to use an Okrasa replica and keep the car as authentic as possible. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_1150x86.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_2150x103.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_3150x106.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/1_4200x133.jpg[/IMG] This is the second of my two cars as mentioned in previous posts. The car was owned by a Melbourne doctor (unsure if he was the original owner). The car sat unused under a tree for several years in the mid to late 1970s and was then repaired and put back on the road and owned by the doctors's daughter until the late 1980s. The car was then sold to the Western Australian owner who stored the car for almost 20 years before selling the car to me in recent months. The car is in need of restoration , but is quite complete with Okrasa engine, full instruments and other fittings. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_1150x103.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_2150x99.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_3150x85.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Overview%20Feb%202012/2_4200x112.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 12 October 2012 22:42:49
I have been working on the development of an Ascort web page. It still has some way to go, but I thought that I should upload what I have done so far. My darling geek daughter says that I have to thank her helping use ftp to upload the files. Thanks Kat. :thumbup: (She owed me this assistance for chewing up this month's internet allowance in only 2 days :x ) I still have to pull the history section together and write information on the surviving cars and decide which photos should go into the album. Let me know if there is more that you think that I should add. (I think that I should add links to other sites such as Pre67VW etc) [b] www.ascort-tsv-1300.com[/b] Let me know any constructive comments or thoughts that you may have regarding the site.

Posted by: ascort - 12 October 2012 22:42:49

I have been working on the development of an Ascort web page. It still has some way to go, but I thought that I should upload what I have done so far. My darling geek daughter says that I have to thank her helping use ftp to upload the files. Thanks Kat. :thumbup: (She owed me this assistance for chewing up this month's internet allowance in only 2 days :x ) I still have to pull the history section together and write information on the surviving cars and decide which photos should go into the album. Let me know if there is more that you think that I should add. (I think that I should add links to other sites such as Pre67VW etc) [b] www.ascort-tsv-1300.com[/b] Let me know any constructive comments or thoughts that you may have regarding the site.

Posted by: lifeintheslowlane - 13 October 2012 10:48:18
[quote=ascort]I have been working on the development of an Ascort web page. It still has some way to go, but I thought that I should upload what I have done so far. My darling geek daughter says that I have to thank her helping use ftp to upload the files. Thanks Kat. :thumbup: (She owed me this assistance for chewing up this month's internet allowance in only 2 days :x ) I still have to pull the history section together and write information on the surviving cars and decide which photos should go into the album. Let me know if there is more that you think that I should add. (I think that I should add links to other sites such as Pre67VW etc) [b] www.ascort-tsv-1300.com[/b] Let me know any constructive comments or thoughts that you may have regarding the site.[/quote] It's a good read Mark and an excellent start.:thumbup:

Posted by: lifeintheslowlane - 13 October 2012 10:48:18

[quote=ascort]I have been working on the development of an Ascort web page. It still has some way to go, but I thought that I should upload what I have done so far. My darling geek daughter says that I have to thank her helping use ftp to upload the files. Thanks Kat. :thumbup: (She owed me this assistance for chewing up this month's internet allowance in only 2 days :x ) I still have to pull the history section together and write information on the surviving cars and decide which photos should go into the album. Let me know if there is more that you think that I should add. (I think that I should add links to other sites such as Pre67VW etc) [b] www.ascort-tsv-1300.com[/b] Let me know any constructive comments or thoughts that you may have regarding the site.[/quote] It's a good read Mark and an excellent start.:thumbup:

Posted by: six-o-one - 13 October 2012 15:48:04
You're off to a great start! Malc :smile:

Posted by: ascort - 13 October 2012 22:01:47
Thanks John and Malc. I want to put a site together that gives some real information on the cars. Some years back there was almost nothing on Ascorts on the internet, and little in publications. I knew little myself after having my car tucked away in the shed for years. Would you believe that I went for 20 years without having contact or knowing another owner or person associated with the cars. The person who restored the silver Ascort contacted me some years ago and we shared what we knew and when he sold his car I decided to continue with the great work that he had done in tracking down other cars and collecting history. Since that time I have collected lots more information, located another 2 cars and have formed a friendship with the Craney family (Mirek Craney designed the car) who have helped and encouraged me considerably. The research work that I have done has given me as much pleasure as the restoration work, and has given a personal touch to the story, with better understanding of the person behind the car, what was happening in his life and what he was trying to achieve. With the web site I hope to try and give a bit more of the Ascort story than just the clinical information on the car make that is typically found. Hopefully I can achieve that a little and make it interesting.

Posted by: ascort - 13 October 2012 22:01:47

Thanks John and Malc. I want to put a site together that gives some real information on the cars. Some years back there was almost nothing on Ascorts on the internet, and little in publications. I knew little myself after having my car tucked away in the shed for years. Would you believe that I went for 20 years without having contact or knowing another owner or person associated with the cars. The person who restored the silver Ascort contacted me some years ago and we shared what we knew and when he sold his car I decided to continue with the great work that he had done in tracking down other cars and collecting history. Since that time I have collected lots more information, located another 2 cars and have formed a friendship with the Craney family (Mirek Craney designed the car) who have helped and encouraged me considerably. The research work that I have done has given me as much pleasure as the restoration work, and has given a personal touch to the story, with better understanding of the person behind the car, what was happening in his life and what he was trying to achieve. With the web site I hope to try and give a bit more of the Ascort story than just the clinical information on the car make that is typically found. Hopefully I can achieve that a little and make it interesting.

Posted by: ascort - 28 October 2012 20:59:10
For any who are interested in the Ascort history, I have now added data to the History section of the web site. https://www.ascort-tsv-1300.com/History.htm Writing this section was much harder than I expected as I found it hard to know what to add and where to stop writing this section. I am still not sure that I have got it right. :?

Posted by: AW - 28 October 2012 21:15:23
Thanks for the heads up :thumbup: Hope all is going well. Andy W

Posted by: lifeintheslowlane - 29 October 2012 08:57:51
I think the page hangs together well Mark. You're very lucky to have as many pictures as you have. I've been trying to get pictures of the Judson workshops for nearly 15 years without success which makes a "History" section very dry. As a small aside, I seen the original Ghia has a RHD modification. Pre 1960 Ghias only came out of the factory as LHD but there were a couple of companies in Aus and GB who advertised the conversion.

Posted by: lifeintheslowlane - 29 October 2012 08:57:51

I think the page hangs together well Mark. You're very lucky to have as many pictures as you have. I've been trying to get pictures of the Judson workshops for nearly 15 years without success which makes a "History" section very dry. As a small aside, I seen the original Ghia has a RHD modification. Pre 1960 Ghias only came out of the factory as LHD but there were a couple of companies in Aus and GB who advertised the conversion.

Posted by: ascort - 29 October 2012 09:37:38
[quote=lifeintheslowlane]I think the page hangs together well Mark. You're very lucky to have as many pictures as you have. I've been trying to get pictures of the Judson workshops for nearly 15 years without success which makes a "History" section very dry. As a small aside, I seen the original Ghia has a RHD modification. Pre 1960 Ghias only came out of the factory as LHD but there were a couple of companies in Aus and GB who advertised the conversion.[/quote] Thanks for that John. I have quite a few more photos yet, but some of these are family photos and I just need to ensure that the Craney family have no objection to me using some of them. I obviously still have the section of the surviving cars to complete as well. That is interesting about the Ghia and is something that I had never considered. You are quite correct as I have just enlarged the photos and I see that the car was LHD when it was imported, but has been converted to RHD in later photos. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/KarmannGhiaonwharf369x600.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/KarmannGhiaenlarged561x379.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/MirekwithGhia1958640x432.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: ascort - 29 October 2012 09:37:38

[quote=lifeintheslowlane]I think the page hangs together well Mark. You're very lucky to have as many pictures as you have. I've been trying to get pictures of the Judson workshops for nearly 15 years without success which makes a "History" section very dry. As a small aside, I seen the original Ghia has a RHD modification. Pre 1960 Ghias only came out of the factory as LHD but there were a couple of companies in Aus and GB who advertised the conversion.[/quote] Thanks for that John. I have quite a few more photos yet, but some of these are family photos and I just need to ensure that the Craney family have no objection to me using some of them. I obviously still have the section of the surviving cars to complete as well. That is interesting about the Ghia and is something that I had never considered. You are quite correct as I have just enlarged the photos and I see that the car was LHD when it was imported, but has been converted to RHD in later photos. [IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/KarmannGhiaonwharf369x600.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/KarmannGhiaenlarged561x379.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Miscellaneous/MirekwithGhia1958640x432.jpg[/IMG]

Posted by: lifeintheslowlane - 29 October 2012 11:06:17
If you're interested in these early conversions Mark there are a few in this Samba topic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=462618

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:04:44
I have not been on the forum for a while as there have been a lot of things happening on the home and work front that has taken my focus off the Ascorts. Some months back an Ascort was advertised on an Australian web site. It created a quite a bit of interest for a while, but there was no intent to actually sell the car. It seems that someone was fishing for what the value of the car was. It ended up selling to the Grandson of the person who owned the car in the 60s and 70s, and the son of the owner since that time. The car is one of the most original Ascorts but it does not have its Okrasa. It is otherwise one of the most original and complete cars. I just hope that the planned restoration does not change anything. [ATTACH]8300[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:04:44

I have not been on the forum for a while as there have been a lot of things happening on the home and work front that has taken my focus off the Ascorts. Some months back an Ascort was advertised on an Australian web site. It created a quite a bit of interest for a while, but there was no intent to actually sell the car. It seems that someone was fishing for what the value of the car was. It ended up selling to the Grandson of the person who owned the car in the 60s and 70s, and the son of the owner since that time. The car is one of the most original Ascorts but it does not have its Okrasa. It is otherwise one of the most original and complete cars. I just hope that the planned restoration does not change anything. [ATTACH]8300[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:16:13
I received a call a few nights back from someone to advise that he has just bought an Ascort. The car is in pieces and has been that way for a while, but is pretty much all there and quite restorable. Work had been started on the car years ago, but the project stalled and was never completed. The Ascort is located in Melbourne and can be recognized in other photos on the net by its side mounted filler caps, 13 inch wire wheels and small vents in the bonnet. [ATTACH]8301[/Attach] [ATTACH]8302[/Attach] [ATTACH]8303[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:16:13

I received a call a few nights back from someone to advise that he has just bought an Ascort. The car is in pieces and has been that way for a while, but is pretty much all there and quite restorable. Work had been started on the car years ago, but the project stalled and was never completed. The Ascort is located in Melbourne and can be recognized in other photos on the net by its side mounted filler caps, 13 inch wire wheels and small vents in the bonnet. [ATTACH]8301[/Attach] [ATTACH]8302[/Attach] [ATTACH]8303[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:29:45
I received a contact from someone to say that they had bought an engine that had originally come from an Ascort. The engine has the ACA prefix number plate, so it does look like it is an Ascort unit. Unfortunately records of numbers is not known to exist and I am unable to identify which car it came from. I think that it was most likely a Sydney car. The engine is to be fitted to an early bug. Records show that the engines were built up by OKRASA in Germany and were shipped to Australia complete. [ATTACH]8304[/Attach] [ATTACH]8305[/Attach] [ATTACH]8306[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:29:45

I received a contact from someone to say that they had bought an engine that had originally come from an Ascort. The engine has the ACA prefix number plate, so it does look like it is an Ascort unit. Unfortunately records of numbers is not known to exist and I am unable to identify which car it came from. I think that it was most likely a Sydney car. The engine is to be fitted to an early bug. Records show that the engines were built up by OKRASA in Germany and were shipped to Australia complete. [ATTACH]8304[/Attach] [ATTACH]8305[/Attach] [ATTACH]8306[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:37:35
This nice old photo was recently sent to me. My blue Ascort is the only dark blue one that I had been aware of, so it is possibly my car in its early days. If it is my car, I had been unaware that it had spent time in South Australia. My car had spent much of its early life in Melbourne, where it had been owned by a doctor, and then his daughter. I do not know anything about the car's very early years though. [ATTACH]8307[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 28 July 2013 21:37:35

This nice old photo was recently sent to me. My blue Ascort is the only dark blue one that I had been aware of, so it is possibly my car in its early days. If it is my car, I had been unaware that it had spent time in South Australia. My car had spent much of its early life in Melbourne, where it had been owned by a doctor, and then his daughter. I do not know anything about the car's very early years though. [ATTACH]8307[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 01 August 2013 20:24:56
The current issue of VW Magazine Australia has a couple of Ascort articles. At this stage I am yet to get my copy, but I thought that I would share the fact anyway. The main article is about Jeff Sabel's silver car with orange trim. https://www.vwma.net.au/?k=39-ascort There is also an article about the Ascort's history and background, which I supplied a couple black and white original photos for. It is great to see the cars getting some magazine coverage. :smile: thanks VWMA

Posted by: ascort - 01 August 2013 20:24:56

The current issue of VW Magazine Australia has a couple of Ascort articles. At this stage I am yet to get my copy, but I thought that I would share the fact anyway. The main article is about Jeff Sabel's silver car with orange trim. https://www.vwma.net.au/?k=39-ascort There is also an article about the Ascort's history and background, which I supplied a couple black and white original photos for. It is great to see the cars getting some magazine coverage. :smile: thanks VWMA

Posted by: AW - 01 August 2013 22:31:50
Keep it all coming :thumbup: Andy W

Posted by: ascort - 03 August 2013 02:05:59
Woohoo! I just picked up my copy of VW Magazines Australia, and the Ascort has received one of the best coverages to date. :thumbup: There is a full 8 advertisement free pages of Ascort including full page photos. :thumbup: A bit over half of the space is about the silver/orange restored car of Jeff Sabel There is also information on the history of the cars and a little over half a page about myself. My anonymity is now gone :omg: The bit about myself includes the history of my passion, my restoration work and my model building etc. It is good to see that links have been provided to my web site ( www.ascort-tsv-1300.com ) and also to my blog on Pre67VW. :d For me this is fantastic, as 10 years ago I was struggling to find anything about the cars at all. Thank you VW Magazines Australia.

Posted by: ascort - 03 August 2013 02:05:59

Woohoo! I just picked up my copy of VW Magazines Australia, and the Ascort has received one of the best coverages to date. :thumbup: There is a full 8 advertisement free pages of Ascort including full page photos. :thumbup: A bit over half of the space is about the silver/orange restored car of Jeff Sabel There is also information on the history of the cars and a little over half a page about myself. My anonymity is now gone :omg: The bit about myself includes the history of my passion, my restoration work and my model building etc. It is good to see that links have been provided to my web site ( www.ascort-tsv-1300.com ) and also to my blog on Pre67VW. :d For me this is fantastic, as 10 years ago I was struggling to find anything about the cars at all. Thank you VW Magazines Australia.

Posted by: ascort - 28 August 2013 21:38:40
One little bit of the Ascort story that I was not certain about was where the Ascort Sonic boat fitted into the picture. Was it built in parallel, or was it built after the car construction ended? I was recently provided some more scans of negatives from the Craney family and it shows the workshop with both cars and boats under construction. [ATTACH]8364[/Attach]

Posted by: nicolass - 28 August 2013 22:53:28
Great picture Mark

Posted by: ascort - 29 August 2013 21:57:58
This photo is a scan off an old negative and it required quite a bit of cleaning up. The car looks lovely in the photo, but I think that the colours are all wrong and that the car should actually be dark blue. [ATTACH]8365[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 18 October 2013 22:29:28

The Ascort was originally to be called the "Escort" and in some 1958 press articles it was referred to as this. In 1959 Mirek Craney was given a stand at the 1959 Melbourne Motor Show to display the car, but it was realised that Ford already had a car called the Escort. This was not the popular small sedan of the 1970s, but a small 2 door van based on the Ford 100E Prefect. A name change was needed, so it was decided to change to Ascort. One of the photos that recently surfaced is of the prototype Ascort with a rear emblem showing "Escort" [url=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/Prototype_Escort640x418_zps4b83724e.jpg.html][img]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Prototype_Escort640x418_zps4b83724e.jpg[/img][/url]

Posted by: ascort - 19 October 2013 22:02:35

It always interested me how the Ascort came to be developed. I had heard that Mirek Craney had built a model of the car that he intended to build, but the only photo that I had seen of this was in a Photo of Mr & Mrs Craney sitting on a chair holding the model. Almost no detail could be seen of the model though. a few weeks back I was sent the following photo of the model. The original scan was in poor shape, so I have had to do a fair amount of photoshop work, but fortunately the car did not need much touching up. The shape is quite different to the final Ascort shape, as this looks more like a 2 seat coupe, rather than the 2+2 that went into production. [ATTACH]8426[/Attach] [ATTACH]8427[/Attach]

Posted by: ascort - 10 February 2014 03:43:27

[quote=ascort;56955]One little bit of the Ascort story that I was not certain about was where the Ascort Sonic boat fitted into the picture. Was it built in parallel, or was it built after the car construction ended? I was recently provided some more scans of negatives from the Craney family and it shows the workshop with both cars and boats under construction. [/quote] Well today has been just a little exciting on the Ascort front, although it is not car related. Today I was sent a link to a fairly recent photo of an Ascort sonic. As the photo was on a photo sharing web site I was able to get a name and thanks to Mr Google I was able to locate an email address. Contact has now been made! It is now known that as well as 13 cars, at least one Ascort Sonic boat survives. I am yet to get the full details. :smile:

Posted by: AW - 10 February 2014 12:15:45
Hope you can put up a photo. Then you need a shot of it being towed behind one of the cars. That would make a lovely photo. Andy W

Posted by: ascort - 01 July 2014 22:52:57

[quote=AW;58286]Hope you can put up a photo. Then you need a shot of it being towed behind one of the cars. That would make a lovely photo. Andy W[/quote] Sorry about the delay Andy. For quite some time I just could not log into Pre67VW and then I stopped trying. I am back up and working again now. Here is a copy of a sonic being towed by an Ascort registered BXL-022 which is the car that I am now restoring. This must have been sometime around 1960-63 after the car was repaired from its crash. It would have been painted light metallic green at the time. It is interesting to see that the car has a 4 tip muffler fitted. I guess that this gives me permission to use one in my restoration. I will find a photo of the found Sonic and post that later. [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/img225_corrected640x407_zps825a9372.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/img225_corrected640x407_zps825a9372.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Posted by: ascort - 02 July 2014 13:07:21
This is the sonic hull which has been found in Sydney. The hull is in very good condition, but some repairs are required to the timber transom. Hopefully the Sonic will be restored in the future.:drool: [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/Sonic_find_zpsbca3ccef.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/Sonic_find_zpsbca3ccef.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Posted by: ascort - 02 July 2014 13:15:09

In my post above I mentioned the fact that BXL-022 had been repaired from a crash that had occurred in 1959. This is the accident damage that the car had sustained when it hit a tree. [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/BXL_022Crashed_corrected_zpsf5ad5390.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/BXL_022Crashed_corrected_zpsf5ad5390.jpg[/IMG][/URL] :omg: In my restoration efforts I find myself doing repairs to sections which are required as a result of this accident 55 years ago.

Posted by: ascort - 02 July 2014 13:34:16

A few weeks ago I received an email on the www.ascort-tsv-1300.com web site. It was from a person who had been reading the page and came across references to BXL-022. He was emailing to say that he had owned the car in 1963/64. This was very exciting for me as I knew nothing of the car's history in this time period. Part of my motivation for setting up the web page had been to hopefully make contact with past owners, but I never really believed that I would make contact with an owner of my own car from 50 years ago. John Stone was the past owner and he said that I should use his name in case it prompts someone else's memory. John has also sent a few photos of the car taken when he owned it. [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/img832640x631_zps7bb18b26.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/img832640x631_zps7bb18b26.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/img842640x430_zpsea8ab827.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/img842640x430_zpsea8ab827.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/img834640x636_zpsbbec0e96.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/img834640x636_zpsbbec0e96.jpg[/IMG][/URL] While John owned the car it was repainted and re-registered DJT-008. [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/61cb471e-3795-42c3-abde-ddf2554d165e_zps94dd221d.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/61cb471e-3795-42c3-abde-ddf2554d165e_zps94dd221d.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=https://s1133.photobucket.com/user/ascort_tsv/media/img833640x631_zps3450e3db.jpg.html][IMG]https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m595/ascort_tsv/img833640x631_zps3450e3db.jpg[/IMG][/URL] :thumbup: :roll: :smile:

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