ask a silly question

It's a Ford. 100%

Ermmmmmmm

Capri/Cortina with mods?

Closest I found was this

Me and the other "elderly" tester here can remember seeing that or something very similar. Neither of us can remember exactly what! Could it even be from one of Ford's bigger cars in order to have a bit more meat in the diff?

There is a guy coming in this afternoon. He has a collection of CA vans, Buicks, old Vauxhalls and old Fords. If I see him I'll get him to have a look. He's the sort of guy that would know it at once by looking and then spend at least 20 minutes telling you all about the ratios, what problems that particular diff had, etc. etc. blah blah yawn yawn. You'll owe me BIG TIME phaetonott

That lads,if my memory serves me correct is whats known as a type "C" Ford English Axle,these axles also known as a front loader,same side as the prop flange.
From what i can see,it looks like the diff casing flange and bolts are on the front of the axle.deffo ford cortina,capri, escort mk 1 etc
most of everything there looks all ford including the brakes.

The brackets on top of the axle where for a anti roll bar

If you want to know the axle ratio,phaetonott get me some numbers off the axle if still fitted,and i will tell you the ratio if needed.

It normally has the ratio stamped or molded onto the casing or it will be on a tag if still there..

Edited to add:

Going by the upper shocker mounts it may not be an Escort, they all had inner arch mounted shocks on the rear if I'm not mistaken.

Could even be as old as the Ford Thames, pre Transit era.

They used a modified Thames axle on the Capri, with drum brakes and a diff removed from the back on the later disc brake axle from memory....

Still buy them new

Cheers guys. Lots to consider there. NOT escort or capri as the leaf spring brackets are home made, and there is a really original looking bracket for trailing arms above each leaf bracket.

Certainly agree with front loaded "English" type.

Top brackets - antiroll bar..... Thats a pi$$ibolity, I do remember Mk2 Escorts with ARB up there.

@daveg, I used to be a motorsport scrutineer so I've spent a lot of time under Escorts and the like counting the turns on the prop while an assistant rotates the wheel, but thanks.

The rear shock bolts onto the lower plate under the Ubolts, which is a Mk1 Escort part.

Capris and Escorts had a solid rod across the rear axle to pull one handbrake while the cable pulled the other, this one has a cable between the brakes, which is pulled like a bowstring to apply the brakes. A roller on a pivot applies the pull.

I'll try to get a drum off later, see what the brakes look like, cylinder looks like Escort from the outside, but it's in the wrong place.

I've had a few thoughts, the cleaner ones being "Could it be Reliant Scimitar, or early TVR grantura or some similar small production model" Other suggestion was Marina

And I now know the ratio. 4.125:1