Donald Campbell Radford - Mystery Solved

[spoon.450]

Wow....interesting photos Simon, thanks for posting.

[minimans]

Wow....interesting photos Simon, thanks for posting.

The word I was thinking of is heartbreaking..........

[Nevsmini]

Lads that's a 66/67 shell. Have a look at the front bulkhead. She was a Radford alright and had electric windows originally but someone changed the doors sometime before it was crashed! Not all Radfords had parking lights. If you had a driveway to park the Radford in it would not need the parking lights.

[App K]

Lads that's a 66/67 shell. Have a look at the front bulkhead. She was a Radford alright and had electric windows originally but someone changed the doors sometime before it was crashed! Not all Radfords had parking lights. If you had a driveway to park the Radford in it would not need the parking lights.

I thought it was a "B" reg? Doesnt that makes it a 64/65 ?

[bmcman.ie]

63/64.

[App K]

Just checked B reg is Jan 64 until Dec 64.

[Simon776]

Lads that's a 66/67 shell. Have a look at the front bulkhead. She was a Radford alright and had electric windows originally but someone changed the doors sometime before it was crashed! Not all Radfords had parking lights. If you had a driveway to park the Radford in it would not need the parking lights.

Despite what look like the later dash fixings on the bulkhead, it was the original bodyshell as it still had the body number tag on the front panel - you can see it behind the screwdriver in the first picture! The doors had been changed as they had Almond Green paint visible but the original car wasn't green. Its got a wiper motor with self park on it and maybe the vestigial remains of a parking light. I've got the negative somewhere so could probably get a bigger and better image printed off. That'll probably take another six months to find though.

This was more of a scrapyard than car breakers so things didn't dwell for long but I do recall that over the years they did have another Mk 1 S, an Innocenti De Tomaso and a 10" wheel 1275GT in dark green (Mallard?) with green interior trim.

It had had this style of speedo housing in it but the top padded dash rail had been removed as had the S speedo. I don't recall twin switch panels.

[rich@minispares.com]

non s master cylinder..

its a clutch master cylinder, its fitted back to front


its the least of its worries, to be fair.....

[Pete]

Look like later doors possibly but I do have a theory that Radford weren't averse to swapping doors in the workshop. Reminds me of Mini Macihine who on occasion also used to swap people's doors around once removed from project cars. My Radford is Tweed Grey under the Radford paint but the driver's door is Island Blue! Maybe it's been replaced but it doesn't look it. I've also seen later door handles with the little bosses retro fitted by original owners on original earlier cars. 'MEG' was such an example.

[UHR850]

On the picture you can see a small chrome ring in the door pocket !
Is it a warning light when opening the door ?

Kees.

[Pete]

it was the original bodyshell as it still had the body number tag on the front panel - you can see it behind the screwdriver in the first picture!

So seeing as the body number plate was removed I presume it was also relieved of it's chassis plate. Did someone build a new car from the ID then Simon or is that classified information??

[Alex]

On the picture you can see a small chrome ring in the door pocket !
Is it a warning light when opening the door ?

Kees.

I'd have thought it more likely to be a support for the back of the door. The electric windows are monumentally heavy, and without support the door will knack the hinges in short order.
Canadian spec Minis have a similar button on the door step as part of their anti-burst setup.

[UHR850]

Yes you have a point on this one, there where also export Mini's with a strip
on the doors to prevent the chair will go up when breaking heavely.

Kees.

[mk1]

Another image from the CNM-08 Photoshoot.

_1483548442_resized_donald_campbell__s_driveway.jpg

When Donald Campbell treated his wife Tonia to a 1964 1275 S, it had benefitted from the Radford treatment. Among the extras was a full leather interior, electric windows and a record player. The Radford also had a radio with roof-mounted aerial and a grille with recessed spotlights, in line with the company’s Mini de Ville Grande Luxe specifications. Although it is unclear if Donald ever drove the Mini himself, it was photographed on Campbell’s driveway at his home of Priors Ford in Leatherhead as it sat beside a full-scale prototype of the land speed record car Bluebird Mach 1.1, designed to reach speeds of up to 840mph. Bluebird may have been significantly faster, but the Mini probably handled much better.

[66Traveller]

On the picture you can see a small chrome ring in the door pocket !
Is it a warning light when opening the door ?

Kees.

I'd have thought it more likely to be a support for the back of the door. The electric windows are monumentally heavy, and without support the door will knack the hinges in short order.
Canadian spec Minis have a similar button on the door step as part of their anti-burst setup.

Kees is right - a door warning light - the reinforcement for the extra weight of the doors was done at the hinge end.

[mk1]

I thought I'd resurrect this very old thread now K7 Donald Campbell's multiple world record breaking boat is back in its spiritual home in Coniston.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crg0em6qy83o