I have owned my Thames 300E for over 14 year's .It originally came from a stranger that I met at the 'Chelsea Cruise'.

He had shown great interest in my car and asked a few question's.At that time I owned a Ford 100E Prefect, with a 1600cc X-flow, slot mag wheels, and Classic Capri struts.

He told me he owned a 100E Squire along with two 300E van's. After talking a little more he had said that one of the van's had to go, (I thought it would be an ideal project to pro-street).I asked 'how much?' and he replied 'nothing,you can just take it'.

The day was arranged for collection, and that was the start. When I got the van home,I turned it on it's side,chopped out the old floor,chassis,and suspension leaving just the main shell.I started to work on building a new chassis from 80mm x 40mm x 3mm mild steel with a 10 point cage, installed a mild 355ci Small Block Chevy,TH350 box with manual valve body,narrowed 8 inch Ford axle, set of Center Line wheels, a coat of paint, mot, tax and off I went.

The van has had minimal alterations since its inception, and the only adjustment's that have been made were to gain more performance. In 1996 we decided to participate in the Custom Car Street Eliminator, a class for street legal car's running in full street trim, we ran a best time of 12.02 -1/4 mile(without nitrous oxide).

I had never believed in the use of nitrous oxide and always said it was 'false power' .With the ' big gun's' running gas it was hard to compete,so we made the decision to join them. To be in the running for the 1997 season we had to install a nitrous system. Having never used nitrous we took it very carefully,backing off the timing in excess of what we needed ,and setting the fuel pressure high, as we were only using one fuel pump. The 97 season saw the time's come down with a new personal best of 10.80 - 1/4 mile all this gain with small jet's I could now understand why everyone was using it. No change's were made for 98 but again a new personal best of 10.60 - 1/4 mile.

We achieved runner-up position twice this season, and finished runner up for the series. Things were now beginning to change towards the way we wanted it to.

Further change's had to be made if we were to go quicker, so once again a decision was made to alter the van, an extra 5 " to the wheelbase, a fully adjustable 4 bar, this involved cutting up most of the old chassis and replacing it this time with tube, hoping to be ready for the 99 season, but unfortunately it took a lot longer than expected and the season was missed.

We are now in January 2000, most of the body work is done, once again a lick of paint, some tax and mot and I'm off! raring to go again.

OH HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE!!!!!!!!!!