Prefect 107e - Classic Ford

cftech
BUYER’S GUIDE
148 October 2009
Your first
car
Prefect 107E
Overshadowed by its more glamourous 105E stablemate maybe, but
the 107E makes the perfect entry-level Ford with bags of potential.
Words Christian Tilbury Photos Gerard Hughes
L
aunched in the shadow of
the Anglia 105E, the 1959
entrance of the Prefect
107E was a very restrained affair.
Which was a bit of a shame really,
as the familiar-looking Prefect
had much to shout about.
After Ford cancelled the
development of a four-door
105E, the manufacturer shuffled
in the 107E to fill the gap,
creating its unique DNA by
blending the Anglia’s engine with
the Prefect 100E bodyshell. It
was something old and something
new, but it certainly worked.
Much of the car’s success could
be attributed to the motor found
nestling between the 107E’s
sturdy suspension towers. Despite
giving away nearly 200cc to the
1172cc sidevalve engine used in
the previous Prefect, the 997cc
overhead valve motor boasted as
much torque but more power.
Fuelled by a Solex downdraught
carburettor, the oversquare
engine was good for 39 bhp and a
useful 52.5 lb.ft torque.
Aiding performance and
dramatically improving drivability
was the Anglia’s four-speed
gearbox. Replacing the 100E’s
antiquated three-speeder, the new
’box had a synchro on three gears
and the ability to cruise at 60
mph yet still return over 30 mpg.
To go with the extra urge, the
107E received a boost in the style
stakes too. The three-box styling
was dressed with the additions of
Zephyr-style chrome side strips
and optional two-tone paint, the
latter costing £7 1s 8d. Available
in De Luxe trim only, the 107E
spoilt its occupants with, amongst
other features, carpets, comfier
seats and padded sunvisors.
Unfortunately, the vacuumoperated
windscreen wipers
remained, although this time they
only slowed rather than coming
to a complete halt on full throttle.
The prospect of not actually
being able to see in a downpour
did little to deter buyers. By the
time it was phased out in 1961,
38,541 had been sold. Today,
around 150 are definitely known
to survive and the 107E makes
great sense, being capable of
everyday use but lacking the big
price tag of other classic Fords.
electrIcs
So basic are the 107E’s electrics
that there is only one fuse for the
indicators. This sparseness
means there’s little to go wrong
though, and any problems are
usually down to corroded
connections. Damaged lights and
instruments can be replaced with
those from earlier 100Es, while
the only real likely problem is an
erratic fuel gauge. The
usual fault is that it
constantly reads full,
which is caused by
the build-up of rust on the tank as
there is no separate earth and the
sender relies on the metal contact
to provide a reading.
“the Prefect 107e was
somethIng old and
somethIng new, but It
certaInly worked”
InterIor
Vinyl trim is hardwearing but
does suffer from sun damage,
turning the seat tops brown and
also the headlining.
Replacement vinyl is available,
but complete seats are thin on
the ground so check for the likes
of collapsed bases.
Pay particular attention to the
carpet as it’s unique to the 107E
and although quality, goodfitting
remanufactured sets are
available, you’ll find they’re not
quite to the same specification as
the originals.
gearbox
A whiny ’box isn’t the end of the world — they tend to soldier on for many
miles. Worn synchromesh is more of a pain, making double declutching a
necessity and the telltale crunching on second gear. The hypoid rear axle
is unique to the 107E, but on the upside it’s reliable and, unlike the 100E’s,
can be rebuilt by a competent home mechanic. Interestingly, the diff
ratios are interchangeable with those of many Mk2 Escorts.
brakes
buyer’s guide: prefect 107e
Usual drum brake faults apply — ill
adjustment and leaky wheel
cylinders. A telltale of the former is
excessive pedal travel and only costs
a bit of time and graft to fix, while the
latter will often involve the
replacement of the shoes, due to
contamination, as well as the
weeping cylinder. An ineffective
handbrake is also quite common, the
design of the backplate mechanism
tending to wear a groove in the shoes
and the linkage also seizing.
October 2009 149

cftech buyer’s guide: prefect 107e
The 107E’s engine is considered
to be good for 70,000 miles. A
surefire sign it’s tired is heavy
breathing, so check for fuming
from the dipstick aperture and oil
filler cap. This points to the piston
rings needing replacement but
more worrying is any rumbling,
which usually points to the
collapse of the middle main
bearing of the crankshaft. For
added practicality and a useful
boost in performance though,
use a worn engine as a handy
haggling tool and substitute it for
the 1198cc engine found in the
later Anglia 123E — it’s an easy
swap and goes straight in on the
original mounts.
The basic ignition system is
reliable, but the original Solex
carbs can suffer from flat spots.
The common cure is to fit a
replacement system from a later
105E, which used a slightly
modified version.
150 October 2009
Your first
car
engIne need to know
body
It’s made from surprisingly thick metal, but the 107E does have a
number of rot spots. Most common is the lower part of the front wings
that rust from the inside out due to the wheels kicking up debris into a
rather unfortunate mud trap. Also inspect the sills, floor, jacking points
and rear spring hangers. Most important though, is under the bonnet
as any rust in the vicinity of the strut mountings and bulkhead will be
complicated and costly to rectify. Don’t expect to find NOS panels but
some decent, remanufactured items are available.
steerIng &
susPensIon
Stiff steering points to worn ball
races in the struts’ top
mountings, while any stiff spots
usually mean that the steering
box has been overtightened to
compensate for any wear.
Over time the rear leaf springs
will sag and the dampers will
leak. A simple bounce test will
reveal if the dampers are shot
and any crashing from the back
over bumps, together with a
slightly tail down stance, means
that the rear springs are tired.
New parts are available and the
damper inserts of the struts can
be readily replaced.
Clubs & Forums
Ford100E.com
www.ford100e.com
Ford Sidevalve Owners’ Club
www.fsoc.co.uk
Ford Anglia 105E Owners’ Club
www.fordanglia105eowners
club.co.uk
Old Skool Ford
www.oldskoolford.co.uk
Specialists
Classic Ford Parts
01344 304064
Ex-Pressed Panels
01535 632721
www.steelpanels.co.uk
John Blythe Goldendays
01603 881155
Pop Parts Plus
01773 580988
www.poppartsplus.co.uk
Small Ford Spares
01692 650455
www.smallfordspares.co.uk
Insurance
Fully comprehensive insurance
for a 107E with an agreed value of
£2000 is £355.95 per year, based
on a 3000 mile limit and insured as
a second car for a 21-year-old with
a TN14 postcode. Quote provided
by Classic Ford Insurance, 0800
0276146, www.classicford
insurance.co.uk.
Values
£500-£750
MoT’d cars that need plenty
of TLC.
£750-£1250
Sound to tidy examples that are
capable of regular use.
£1250-£2000+
Good to very nice cars.
Concours, timewarp examples
can command upwards of £3K.
sPec
Body
Four-door saloon, steel
monocoque, De Luxe trim
Engine
997cc, four-cylinder, 39 bhp @
5000 rpm, pushrod overhead
valve, cast iron cylinder head
and block, chain-driven
camshaft, Solex downdraught
30ZIC2 carburettor, centrifugal
and vacuum ignition, 52.5 lb.ft
torque @ 2700 rpm
Gearbox
Four-speed manual
Suspension
Front: independent by
MacPherson struts, coil
springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: live rear axle with
half-elliptic springs,
telescopic dampers
Steering
Burman worm and
peg steering
Brakes
Girling hydraulic with 8-inch
drums all-round
Wheels and tyres
4.5Jx13 steel rims,
5.20x13-inch tubeless tyres
Performance
Max speed: 72.9 mph
0-60 mph: 27.2 seconds
Price when
launched
£621 12s 6d, including
purchase tax of £183 12s 6d
NExt
MoNth
mk2 capri
ghia
thanks
Many thanks to Jim Norman,
owner of the 107E shown here,
and Graham Carr of www.
ford100e.com for their help
with this feature.
October 2009 151