CHRIS BROWN
1971 CFS BEDFORD VAN
Paint: GM Burgundy
DONK
Engine: 327ci Chevrolet
Block: Factory cast
Intake: Cast four-barrel
Carb: Holley
Heads: Stock
Cam: Crane mild hydraulic
SHIFT
Transmission: Turbo 400, shift-kitted
Diff: XR Falcon BorgWarner, widened
BENEATH
Front: Factory wishbone and coil, lowered
Rear: Leaf spring
Brakes: Bedford drums (f), XR Falcon drums (r)
ROLLING STOCK
Rims: Chrome 12-slots; 14x10 (f), 14x12 (r)
Tyres: Mickey Thompson; H50-14 (f), N50-14 (r)
BLING
Divided roof chop and gullwing/suicide door
conversion; XC Fairmont headlights in custom
surrounds; custom all-steel flares and front
spoiler; frenched CL Valiant tail-lights; rear
tailgate conversion; Falcon GT fuel cap; Chev
embossed smoked bubble windows and side
markers; rolled rear pan; frenched aerials
INTERIOR: Amazingly, the 40-year-old interior
remains largely intact, apart from a fresh gold
crushed velvet bedspread – probably a wise move
- and inner tailgate liner. “Chris also remade
one of the cupboards and I replaced the original
carpet with burgundy shagpile,” explains one-
time owner James Ellis. “It was long overdue,
believe me; the first lot looked, felt and probably
smelt like Humphrey Bear,” he laughs
BELOW: The driver’s compartment was updated
with TC Cortina buckets mounted to swivel
bases, while a GTS steering wheel and Charger
floorshift for the Turbo 400 are cool period
fixtures. “The dash housing is all steel and was
the prototype made by Vancraft for their ‘Custom
Cab’ fibreglass version,” Chris says. “They were a
top seller and best remembered for being used
in the Easy Roller and Freedom Machine
Coca-Cola promo vans Interestingly, there
were no speakers fitted to this van, it
has headphone jacks throughout; is
that old-school or what?” Nestled
beneath that dash, a 327-cube
small-block Chev backed by a
Turbo 400 transmission
provides ample go