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Post by aussietanker on Nov 2, 2007 14:01:03 GMT 10
Hi All ... some of you might remember when Galaxy65 posted this notice in the "For Sale" section of this forum earlier this year (2007) ....Well lucky for me i just happened to be staring at the computer screen just as the message was posted ;D ;D ;DI had been looking for a Don for some time - and had missed out on a 1955 12' Don on ebay a few weeks earlier (more on that later) ... I had also looked at another two Dons in Melbourne, but the one that i really wanted turned out to NOT be for sale  .... and the other one was quite expensive and negotiations were just not working out - in fact i think that the owner didn't really want to sell it at all... a 50 year old van that had only been towed 150 miles in it's entire life was very intriguing - especially as it was a Don ... and especially as the interior was said to be in "almost" showroom condition - and the exterior had already been "stripped back to bare wood' The fact that it had already been stripped back to bare wood was also a major selling point to me - Mark T and others had already warned me how many layers of paint and how hard these Don's were to strip back ...so after much discussion with the treasurer and a few phone calls later - much to my surprise, it was ours .... The first task was to get it back to Sydney without tarnishing it's "only ever been towed 150km" reputation ... and especially without damaging it - the bare wood exterior complicated things and meant that it had to be towed under cover so as to prevent any water damage ... .... but right now i have to go to work - so watch this space for more details .... and pics to follow soon .....
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 2, 2007 22:21:42 GMT 10
The story continues .... Getting the van back to Sydney proved to be a major drama ... and the cost of this far exceeded what i had initially "guesstimated" ....
I particularly wanted to mention this aspect of the vintage van buying process as my inexperience in this area turned out to be a very costly mistake in my planning and budgeting - hopefully others might be able to avoid some of the mistakes that i made - and save themselves a lot of stress and $$$ in the process ....
As the van had been sitting in Galaxy65's shed for many, many years without being move, as it wasn't registered ... and was completely stripped back to the bare wood .. i didn't want to tow it back with my 4WD in that state ... and aside from the registration issues (i didn't know about the vic govt "temporary registration permits" that allow for limited point to point towing - and am still unclear if that permit would be valid once outside victoria) ) ... i also wasn't certain that the tyres or bearings would handle the trip ... The initial plan was to be very simple - I had discovered that an Australian national trailer hire company had a very large 6' 6" wide car carrier available ... as i work Sat am, the plan was to drive to Melb in my 4WD with a mate, leaving asap after work sat am - stay overnight in Melb - pick up the trailer from the Melb depot when it opened at 7am Sun - drive to galaxy65's - then wrap the van very carefully and thoroughly with a number of large tarps, load the van onto the trailer and then drive straight back to sydney - unload the van and then drop off the trailer at the Sydney depot which was only a few minutes from my home ... this was a one day, one way hire that would only cost approx $100 for the trailer hire + the petrol money (the mate came for free - i think he just wanted to have a good laugh at me when i handed over real money for what he felt was just a "dumpy old caravan") ...
after much detailed discussion with the melb depot receptionist i was advised in very absolute and definite terms that the large trailer would be available and waiting in the yard for me sun am ... and that i could do that large car trailer as a one way interstate hire .... i had stressed that i was driving all the way from Sydney, and did NOT want to turn up at the trailer hire yard in melb and find out that it was not available ... i rang again late frid afternoon to confirm it all ... well, i guess that you can figure out the rest ... we arrived at the melb depot at 6.45 am sharp - only to be told by the guy in charge that they didn't have any trailers available in that size - they had all been hired out on the sat - and even if they did, he was quite adamant that i would not be allowed to take one as they do NOT do these large car trailers as a one way hire - that they are not available to be taken out of the state (altho the other smaller ones are) ... and finally they will not hire them out unless the hirer has a vic drivers license .....   mmm ... major downer .....  so the lesson learnt is that if a van is not registered, or not able to be towed ... or not able to be exposed to the elements, ... or somehow requires extra special "handling" ... it is important to take great care in working out how to actually get it "home" ....  .... and to allow for that process in your initial negotiations and budgeting .... all that now seems pretty obvious to me - unfortunately it wasn't at the time .... I was also very lucky that Galaxy65 proved to be very understanding, patient and was very flexible, ... and had some pretty handy contacts that were able to help solve the situation .... However, it ended up costing an additional $1400 to get it trucked back to Sydney from Melb a few days later ... not a good start to my vintage van resto budget .... |
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 2, 2007 23:20:12 GMT 10
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 3, 2007 0:46:17 GMT 10
Cobber also mentioned in a post some time ago that he had a copy of an article about the Don Cadet and the Don 150 ... and he kindly sent me a copy of it (thanks VERY much mate) ....   what is interesting about this is that the Don 150 is clearly referred to in Cobbers June 1956 edition of the Motor Manual ... but Bret clearly thought that it was a 1959 van .... to me the 150 with it's rounded rear end and very square front profile looks very much like a "hybrid" model ... something that is half way between the older, very rounded "egg shaped" profile of the 120 and 140 models that i think finished mainstream production in 1955 and the newer "square shaped" profile of the cadet that came along after the little "egg or bubble" shaped vans ...i may be reading too much into it .... but the 150 described in Cobbers article matches my van right down to the exact detail of the grey and blue themed exterior and interior colors ... even the upholstery is exactly as described in the magazine ... right down to the strange choice of the red and white curtains (still hanging up inside the van in almost mint condition ;D ) ... strange because the rest of the van and chassis was all done in grey and blue shades ... red and white curtains against all this blue seems kind of "inconsistent" ... and it wasn't a case of all Don 150's being in this color scheme .... this was not the only color that the 150 came in .... the only other pic of a 150 that i have seen (posted earlier in this same thread) actually has it in a cream color with a kind of peach - beige colored flash down the side ...
the article talks about the particular Don 150 van that they inspected when writing the article was done in the exact same colors as mine - bret mentioned in his initial post (see quote in the first post of this thread) that the van was bought from the caravan and camping show show after winning some design awards .... so i am wondering ... could this be the actual same van that is mentioned in cobbers article ? ....   ;D how cool would that be .... and now just a few more "teaser" pics before heading of to bed ...  here is my Don 150 production plate ....  and my nice blue exterior Don badge ... i had never seen a Don badge in any other color than green until i saw this one ... so i am very happy to have something very unique ;D ;D ;D  after a very long delay we have just started the resto on this van ... and hopefully, will have it all finished within 6 weeks ( which means a mid Dec 07 finish date - at the latest ;D ) ... fingers crossed .... more pics of the actual van to follow soon ... stay tuned ... ;D ;D ;D can you tell that i am excited ;D regards A|T
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Post by firefighter on Nov 3, 2007 8:39:12 GMT 10
Hi a/t great story so far ( lifes not meant to be easy)  keep the photos coming F/F ;D ;D ;D
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 3, 2007 14:01:57 GMT 10
Hiya FF .... nice to hear from you again ... thanks for the encouraging words ... sorry i haven't been around or posting much over the last 6 months .... i have still been checking into the forum once or twice a week, just to keep up with what is happening - but have had little time for anything else ... it's not that i have lost interest in v vans or the forum or anything .... it's just that my business has just been sooo busy ... along with a few staffing changes (hence lots of time spent in recruiting and training) ... nanny changes ... a flooded office that caused us to close down for a week - then endless calls to insurance companies and tradesmen etc ... the list just seems to go on ... i also had a huge battle with vic roads re my 120 Don - but despite the fact that i live in NSW, after filling in zillions of forms, making endless phone calls etc i managed to finally get it registered with them in victoria as i wanted to keep it in melb until i am ready to start it's resto ... the storage costs in Melb are $150 per year, cmpd to $200 per month here in castle hill - yes, you did read that right, $150 pa ;D ;D ... how nice is that ... the plan was to restore the 150 first, as it needs relatively little work to get it up and running .... then to bring the 120 back from Melb (it is already registered and towable - i will only be making that mistake once ;D ) .... and then to use the 510 while taking the time to restoring the 120 really well ... actually, the 120 is already in pretty good nick - but i really want to restore to "better than new" condition if possible - so i am allowing about 3 years as a reasonable timeframe for the 120 resto - so i am keen to get the 510 finished so that i can bring the 120 over and get started ..... aside from the kombi's, the kids and mrs tanker, - and not necessarily in that order ;D ... it's the 120 that is the real "love of my life" so i want to put a lot of time and energy into it's resto ... once the 120's finished i may sell the 150, altho i am not totally definite about that ... there are four other (from the uncommon to the very rare  ) vans that i have my mind and eye on ;D ... and if i do grab them the 150 may have to eventually go ... so i will wait and see how it all pans out i am also in the process of restoring a 1955 11 window kombi which i have had for quite a while now - my parents also had several of these old Kombis for years when we were kids ... so there is lots of great nostalgia and memories for me - and the kids love the Kombi almost as much as i love the 120 Don ... also the 120 Don is a 55 vintage van - so the Kombi ties in nicely with that ... anyway ... enuff chat ... almost time for some pics ;D regards all, A|T |
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Post by firefighter on Nov 3, 2007 14:31:52 GMT 10
Hi A/T you wrote the storage costs in Melb are $150 per year, cmpd to $200 per month here in castle hill - yes, you did read that right, $150 pa ... how nice is that ... every thing & every body is NICE ...........down here in mexico ;D " come on down " F/F ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 3, 2007 15:01:26 GMT 10
Unfortunately i don't have any pics at all of the van as it was when Bret (Galaxy65) found it .... the earliest clear pic that i have of the van was taken about half way thru the process of stripping off the exterior paint ... it does clearly show the original color ... and after much nashing of teeth, wringing of hands, and "lively discussion" with mrs tanker - this is the color scheme that it is going back to - or at least as close to the original colors that we can get ... here it is ... This early pic shows most of the original color scheme ... in reality the main body color is much "lighter' than how it looks in this pic ... well, on my computer anyway .... in this pic the two chrome strips have already been removed from along the side ... altho it doesn't look like it, the color between these chrome strips was the same as that used on the spats - and was a much darker blue than the blue used on the body .... the rims were the lighter blue, matched to the main body color - but had a pinstipe of the darker blue color around them about 2/3 rds of the way towards the edge of the rims ... this was all really well set off by the chrome hubcaps ....
the chassis was also painted in the matching darker blue color ... we will try to match all these colors as close as possible ....
i am uncertain as to the color of the big round vacuum brake thingy that sits right in front of the van btwn the V of the chassis close to the towbar ...do any other Don owners have any info as to the original color of the vacuum brake components ... any ideas or suggestions from anyone else on this is appreciated i was hoping to also post some picks of the van as it arrived here in Sydney - all wrapped up in it's protective tarps ... but unfortunately i can't locate them ..... i will keep on looking ... also... looking at the above pic - do you think that the little gutter strips above the windows were chrome or painted - we have been unable to determine that - they look like they have been stripped down to the bare metal with some kind of metal wheel - lots of deep but tiny little scratches in them - which makes me think that they may have been painted and NOT chromed (would anyone try to strip back chrome with a scratchy wheel thingo ?) ... in this pic, and to my (fairly useless) eyes , they look like they are painted the same light blue as the main body ....
i need to make a decision real soon on whether to paint or to rechrome these bits ...
any advice or opinions here are greatly appreciated ...
regards to all
A|T
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2007 15:26:26 GMT 10
A/T, I'm watching this thread very closely as you may imagine ;D I can confirm that your Don 150 is a 1956 model. How ......a "one owner" Don 120 (3 birth) has surfaced. Its 94yo owner has confirmed that he purchased the Don 120 (12' leadlight 1934 - 1956 series) in 1956 .......absolutely no doubt. The build No is 1023. As your build No 1050 is only a few Nos away, your caravan is most definately built in 56  Mark |
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Post by Galaxie65 on Nov 3, 2007 17:24:44 GMT 10
Hi Aussie Tanker, thought I would pay a visit and see how it was going after your call by phone today.
An answer to a couple of your questions. 1. Tops of the windows I stripped with a wire wheel as this was the only way to remove the layers of paint in such a tight spot. If you want it original metal prime the gutters and paint them the same color as the van.
2. The brake booster and chassis where also the same color as the van.
regards Galaxie65
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 3, 2007 18:39:38 GMT 10
Mark T said .... Thanks Mark ... thats great news ... and leads me to think even more that it might in fact be the actual one shown in Cobbers article ... Hi Galaxy65 ... thanks for dropping by, and thanks for the advice .... So that takes care of those questions .... isn't this forum great .. ;D ;D Bret, i am hoping that this resto will proceed pretty quickly now .... so i hope that you are able to drop by again a few times over the next 5 weeks as we finish her off .....your feedback will be very valuable and greatly appreciated .... .... it will be great to see the old girl restored to her former glory after all these years .... as Madonna once so famously put it in one of her songs ...regards to all A|T |
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 3, 2007 21:07:55 GMT 10
Hi all ...
I couldn't find the pics of it's arrival in sydney on the truck ... so here is the next best thing ... a few pics taken just after it's unveiling for presentation to mrs tanker ...         and here are a few interior shots ....
unfortunately these interior shots really don't do it justice ... it is honestly in such good condition ... the table top, s/s sink, sink tops etc are all totally unmarked, like not even a single scratch ... it really is incredible ... in 50 years i don't think that the stove has ever been used ... i think i remember Bret showing me the original box of matches that came with the van - there were only one or two matches missing from the box!
all the interior cupboards open and close perfectly with a neat, crisp click ... the latches all work perfectly ....
you can still see the red and white stripped curtain that is mentioned in Cobbers article hanging there ... it's a little dusty - but not a single tear or hole in it at all ...  ![]() i165.photobucket.com/albums/u64/aussietanker/1956%20150%20Don/donint3.jpg[/IMG]so this is the point where the 'tankers took over "protective custody' of this beautiful, unique and historical van .... next we will talk about what we have planned for it's restoration .... please stay tuned, 'cause this is an area where i am really going to be looking for lots of advice ;D
regards
A|T
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 3, 2007 22:42:44 GMT 10
G'day Aussietanker, It's great to see you documenting the history of the restoration of your 150, and all the photos you are posting is a real bonus for those of us that have been following the story. Regarding the Don sales brochure you referred to in Reply #2, I can confirm that all the pages with a red border come from the one brochure which consisted of 23 pages in all. My copy dates from 1949, but Don may very well have used the same brochure for the 1934-1956 series of vans over a very long period. I will be very happy to make you a copy and send it to you... Quote:these last few [pictures] show some very optimistic and artistic "interpretations" of the Don interiors .... and "slightly" stretch the boundaries between reality and fantasy .... again, pretty similar to a lot of todays advertising approach  |
For what it's worth - and having looked at the brochure very carefully - I am pretty convinced that all the shots of the interior of the 14ft Don are actual photos, not artist's interpretations. After all they didn't have Photoshop in those days. The photographer may possibly have used a wide angle lens which would have made the van seem a little longer than actuality, but I reckon I could get some very similar photos in our Don 140 if only I could persuade my wife to get her hair done in a 1940's style and wear a nice floral dress and cute little bobby sox. ;D (Don't hold your breath!) Quote:| to me the 150 with it's rounded rear end and very square front profile looks very much like a "hybrid" model ... something that is half way between the older, very rounded "egg shaped" profile of the 120 and 140 models that i think finished mainstream production in 1955 and the newer "square shaped" profile of the cadet that came along after the little "egg or bubble" shaped vans ... |
Don caravans were known for their quality, which came at a price for the purchaser. My understanding is that in the mid to late 50's, Don came under a fair bit of commercial pressure from caravan makers who were able to use mass production methods to produce caravans at a lower cost than Don, albeit at lesser quality. What Don called the 'economical' 12 ft Cadet model, introduced in 1956 (and followed by 9 ft and 15ft versions) was Don's attempt to compete by providing a series of vans which were more affordable (but also did not have the same quality or fittings). The prices of the Cadets were substantially lower than the 150 or the 133 model (presumably a smaller version of the 150?). My guess is that the 150 (and 133?) was an attempt to modernise the look of the 'luxury' 140 model which had been so successful for Don, and therefore maintain a premium model in their range. It is interesting that the front of the 150 is so late 50's/early 60's (compare with English vans of the period), while the rear is still very 1934-1956 series (apart from the big window). Love the blue Don badge on your 150. Wonder what colour the badge was/is on the cream 150 shown in Reply # 2. I can't really tell from the photo, but I rather fancy from as much as I can see that it may match the stripe and spats. What do you reckon? Don Ricardo |
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Post by willyn on Nov 4, 2007 18:51:41 GMT 10
;D Tanks for the photos Aussietanker looks like a good project looking forward to the progress Luv the shape good size for going away I made a big mistake with some early vans being to small for accomodation makes for a rough trip if the bed is to small and living area is cramped this unit looks great !!! Will
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 5, 2007 17:09:09 GMT 10
Don Ricardo ... Thanks very, very much for the offer of a photocopy of the brochure ..... it is greatly appreciated ... and it will be a real buzz to sit down at the kitchen table and go thru it with the kids - they love talking about the Don caravans, old beetles and Kombis ... so that will be fantastic - i will let you know via pm when it arrives  ... and yes, it does seem that the 150's where all "color coded" - i am fairly certain that there must have been at least a few colors in the "Palette" to choose from .... so i think that the badge of the other one would have been a brown or gold or beige kind of color ... mine is very close to the color of the side "flash" ... so i am guessing that it would have been the same ... and willyn ... thanks very much for the advice and encouragement ...i'm glad you like the shape ... to be honest, i actually hated it at first ... as i really love my little 12' Don with it's cute egg shaped profile so much ... but since having the 150 home ... and thinking about doing all the things that are needed to get it back to it's former glory ... it has really started to grow on me - especially as i have really started to think about what it will look like when it's all finished .... this resto is actually turning out to be a pretty big job, esp as most of the above list is being done by 'professional" restorers - that was initially not my intention - i was going to just give it a quick coat of paint, get the new brakes fitted and not much else other than the minimum needed to get it registered and functional .... but now i have changed my mind .... the van has really grown on me and i really feel that this van is important from a historical point of view, so i want the resto to be done as well as possible - while still keeping it so that it can be registered and functional - ie used ;D ..... which means getting someone else to do it ... the 120 i am hoping to restore as much as possible myself anyway, thanks for the feedback and kind comments - the point re bigger vans is well made - in fact it is a point that mrs 'tanker reminds me of quite often ;D ;D ;D .... regards A|T |
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 5, 2007 17:23:54 GMT 10
As promised ….. Here is the list of work that is going to be done on the 150 over the next few weeks …. This really only covers external stuff …. As previously mentioned, the inside is in pretty good condition … there are a few things to do inside … but getting this list done is the absolute priority … once it’s all sealed and waterproof I can do the rest in my driveway at a more leisurely pace …. Underneath 1.Remove existing axle and replace with new axle fitted with 10” Dexter electric brakes. Remove existing wheels and tyres, clean rims and repaint to original color and trim. Supply new tyres and refit to van. 2.Remove existing secured ball mount and fit strengthened plate to accept ALKO 2000Kg coupling, bolt to new plate, add two safety chains. 3.Place van on hoist, clean up timber supports, paint (waterproof?) under floor, paint chassis rails, drawbar and big vacuum brake thingy. 4.Remove all corner stabilizers, inspect and repair any damaged stabilizers using the “ JBJ twin fin support system” 5.Remove and replace all 12V cable along chassis, make connection at chassis with strip connector, connect clearance lights, rear combination brake and parking lights – wiring to be internal to van. 6.Remove all vacuum brake cables and lines, big round thingy at front to remain (paintd to original color). All gas lines to fridge and stove to be inspected and replaced where needed to meet NSW certification regulations. Body Work 1.Check all 240V and 12V wiring, repair and replace as required, fit new external 15amp power inlet mounted on the off side in line with water filler – connect to existing 240V wiring – fit PCB main circuit breaker. 2.Remove all windows, window catches, hub caps and internal decorative elements. Dismantle windows and remove rubbers and glass: polish and repair as required ready for rechroming – after chroming refit all glass and new rubbers to all windows. Refit windows to van. Refit all rechromed decorative strips to both sides and roof of van after final painting. 3.prepare plywood over entire van, fill holes and sand all edges clean and make ready for primer basecoat, followed by two undercoats. Finish with 2 coats of oil based enamel in original colors. Paint trim color to both sides, window gutters and wheel spats …. Boy, I feel tired just reading about it!  ... but hopefully it will zip along pretty swiftly now ….. just gotta keep on working hard to pay for it all …. I am hoping that I can post a few pics along the way ... there are a few issues that i have identified that concern me .... i will have a bit of a think about the best way to "list" them ... and hopefully post them up in the next day or two ... i am really hoping that some of the more experienced 'restorers' (which in relation to me is almost everybody that is a member here ;D ;D ;D ) ... and a few of the more experienced Don experts (input from both will be needed ;D) ... will be able to chip in with a few ideas and suggestions at that point ..
regards
A|T
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2007 18:23:03 GMT 10
Hiya A/T Do i detect a fresh note of enthusiasm since ya called in at Coledale Prioritising the tasks is a good move... i wish i could do the same when i attack a project. Some how or other i always end up doing the hardest bits first or have half a dozen odds and ends on the go at once.........sorta one big juggling act. ;D. Dont ever be afraid to ask a question on this forum. You will usually get a few replys and you can choose from those what you consider to be the best way to do the job. Sometimes the best choice is often the dearest but you will find that some of the simplest suggestions will do the job quite adequately. So.... stop goofing off reading this post and start hitting us with your problems. reddo |
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 6, 2007 15:58:43 GMT 10
Hiya Reddo .... Great to see that you have been able to 'drop by' ... i was kind of hoping that you would show up at some point soon ;D .... i have never lost the enthusiasm ..... but some comments that i made to firefighter earlier might explain why i haven't been on the forum quite so much over the last 4 months ..... as i said a little earlier ... aside from all that- it has just taken a lot longer to get the resto of the 150 organised - several months in fact ....
the fact that it is in a "bare naked" state ... totally striped back to bare wood was a great advantage from the restoration point of view - saving lots of time and lots of very hard work - but it also has made storage and moving it about very difficult - because it absolutely can not get wet at all ... and because of this i made the decision to have most of the restoration done "professionaly" in a caravan workshop ..... that also meant that the van couldn't go into their workshop until they had the time set aside to work almost full time on it from start to finish without stopping (as being bare bondwood they had to keep it under cover 100% - hence limiting the room available for any other vans in their workshop) ...
the guys that are doing the work have a real love for v vans - and are very aware of this forum - and a (infrequent) visitors to this site .... i will post more on this aspect of the resto (if mentioning them is allowable ) as the first pics from the workshop start to come thru ... to their credit they have tried hard to keep the costs as low as possible for me ...
and the very good news is that i have found out that it is ONLY going to cost me exactly DOUBLE what i was going to budget for if i did most of the work myself ... ;D ;D ;D ... in the end i just decided to grin and go for it ....but you are right in a way .....knowing that there was going to be a significant 'expenditure' coming up due to the resto of the 150 - the trip to Coledale was a cunning "Reddo-esque" excersion in maintaining motivation - but in the rest of the clan of tankers - esp the 'chief treasurer' mrs tanker - i figured that seeing all those beaut vans lined up in all there glory (inc cobbers little van that i know she really secret admires - or is that just an excuse to chat to cobber ;D ;D ) ... would help make the passage of payments a little smoother .... and where did i learn this little psychc ... psycic ... pshyc .... mind trick from .... why, non other than the master - mr reddo himself ... remember your idea about taking all the family to the aust day display - it worked a treat - so i was hoping that a visit to coledale would have the same effect ;D ;D ;D .... now, after all that i fogot what i was going to say in this post ... and i have to go back to work now ... will post some more tonight when i finish work ... regards to all A|T |
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Post by cobber on Nov 6, 2007 17:54:46 GMT 10
A/T.... Mrs. Tanker & all the little Tankers,
Well I remember your enthusiasm for vintage caravans when you saw them at Motorfest 2007, you certainly have achieved a lot in such a short time, congratulations, well done.
Thank you for the detailed documentation of your progress with the Dons, I really am impressed and I might say a little bit envious, Dons (caravans) are something I lust after.
It would be great to see you at Motorfest 2008, do you think you would be able to get there with a Don ?
Cobber.
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 6, 2007 20:02:33 GMT 10
Hiya Cobber .... nice to catch up with you again ... i am really sorry that i didn't have much of a chance to chat at coledale ... it was really a very rushed visit for us .... we actually drove down from sydney late sat afternoon as i work on sat ... and stayed in a motel sat night so we could get up early, visit the vans after breakfast for just an hour or so ... and then get back to sydney by noon for my wifes best friends 40th birthday party .... but i was desperate to 'remind" the rest of the 'tankers how great these vans are - and it was great that my little tankers found some great kids to have a play with almost immediately - i can't remember the name of the lady and her grandson (but a HUGE thank you) - but they were really very friendly and wonderfully hospitable ... so thank you whoever you are ;D you would have thought that the kids had known one another for ages the way that they played together ... ... i really felt that it was a great opportunity to catch some v van "karma" again ... prior to the arrival of all the resto bills ;D ;D .... and in answer to your question ... i would love to go to the motorfest 2008 but unfortunately i don't have a suitable tow car and do feel that my Kluger would look very "out of place" ... hopefully in 2009 ... and certainly in 2010, my 1955 120 Don and 1955 Kombi will be both ready - i would be very keen to go then .... however ...i think that we will be at Mt Gambier 2008 (with the 150 Don) - altho i am still a little uncertain about that - mrs tanker has given the trip her "stamp of approval" ... but unfortunately it depends on staffing issues with our work - but we are certainly going to try to make it (i think that i read somewhere that you are not going to the mount in 2008 ... is that correct) .... we also expect to be at coledale 2008, again it will probably be with the Don 150 ..... and i am really, really hoping that we can do a few short runs and a few weekends away in between ... both mrs tanker and i need as much "towing practice " as we can get ... as amazing as it might seem, neither of us have ever towed anything anywhere ... but we are keen to learn .... i would also really love to do a "maiden voyage" for her as soon as she is ready - even if it only meant a small one or two hour trip "to somewhere and back" on a sat arvo ... it would be nice if one or two other v vans could 'hold her hand" along the way ... maybe to a nice picnic spot somewhere close by followed by a barby and a few beers ... i think that she deserves it ... amazingly, this old girl has only ever been towed approx 150 kms in her entire life ... and those trips really only consisted of her being ....
1. picked up from the melb show and driven to her original owners property and placed into the shed where she remained for many many years - she was never actually taken out and towed at all during this time ... according to Bret the only use she had was for a very occassional sleep over with the owners grandkids
2. then she was towed from here to Brets shed where she was stored for i think about 20 years (Bret may correct me if that info is wrong) ... when i bought her from Brets' back to sydney she was not towed, but rather put on the back of a big semi trailer ...
so she has never really been towed as a van - and i think that it's about time she got to "strut her stuff" ... imagine a maiden voyage at 50+ years of age .. BTW - thanks for the nice comments re the resto thread ... but rest assured ... there are many that look at your beaut little v van with great admiration ..... cause i'm one of them ... and i do know that your van it is actually mrs tankers favourite v van ... in fact she doesn't really like the 150 at all ... altho she does like the 'bubble shaped' 120 ;D ... anyway, i've rambled on enuff ... hope to catch up with you sometime soon regards A|T |
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Post by aussietanker on Nov 7, 2007 1:07:43 GMT 10
OK, … as promised here are some of the “problem areas” that I am struggling with ..... I would really appreciate some advice from the more experienced “wise owls” of the forum on some of these issues ... I am going to start with the “easier ones” first ...1. Here is a pic of the original tow coupling .... (not the fly silly - the bit underneath that ) I have been advised that it will be necessary here in NSW to remove this fitting and replace it with a more modern “approved” ball + add tow chains. Having spent some time trying to connect this old style coupling to a tow car I can understand why … it was an absolute pain to put it mildly and almost “impossible” to tighten it up properly – and that was with two people tackling it – one (not me) very experienced in towing vans …
and I do think that I would struggle trying to do it on my own … plus it is quite “concerning” driving with it as it continually moves around when on the car ….. 2. The other issue is with the 240V power plug thingo – unfortunately I failed to take a pic of it, but it is located under the caravan – again, I have been advised that it will be necessary here in NSW to remove the fitting from under the van and replace it with a more modern “approved” connection gizmo on the off side wall - to enable the van to be registered ...
the only replacement fitting that I am aware of is made out of a white plastic – and it needs to be placed on the offside wall of the van – usually up near the top …. While it would be quite in place in a “modern van” ... and even a white sunliner ... I can’t think of anything more ugly to put on a bond wood vintage van – but I am also not very keen on the original concept of keeping it under the van where I would have thought that it would be very exposed to water seeping or running into it … that seems rather dangerous to me … water, 240V power points and wooded vans don’t seem a great mix …..3. Notice in this side pic the bend in the rear corner stabilizer ...
.... Most stuff on the Don is extremely well built … almost over engineered … but these seem very flimsy …. and in anticipation of lot’s of “family fun” while the kids are over visiting “uncle reddo” ;D ;D ;D … I would really, really hate to have these “collapse” on us in the middle of this “fun” …….so having read with great interest JBJ's thread on his sunliner resto and seeing his excellent customization of the sunliner stabilizers with the addition of the “twin fins” I thought …” ullo, ullo, wot a bonzer idea – I might just have to steal it” … here are a couple of pics of the "JBJ custom twin wing stabilizer" ... i think that he has come up something that looks like it would really add to the strength of the unit ... and looks pretty original ... i hope it's OK to post these in here JBJ ... just thought it would be easier for people to look at the pic within the thread rather than try to "flick back and forth"
  My concern with each of these issues is really more the loss of originality ….
After much discussion and soul searching I have (I think – how’s that for being “decisive”) decided to make the change to the “new, modern” coupling but to kept the original one so that at a later stage it can be returned to “near original state” if that is desired …. While I think that the coupling and the corner stabilizers probably have to be changed as they are really safety issues, I would love to avoid the white plastic gizmo on the off side wall ….
so has anyone ever seen an “vintage“ looking one of these?
BTW- i am also trying to figure out how the Don badges were attached to the vans .... mine has been removed ... there are screw holes to screw it onto the van but as far as i remember the van is double skinned - maybe screwing it thru both layers .... i really want to make sure that it stays on .... i am also keen to get a spare one or two made for both my 150 (blue) and 120 (green) ... any ideas who i would go to to get that done ... what type of tradesman (or trades women - no bias here) makes and enamels badges like this .... and what it would/ should it cost (approx) ... i will probably get two or three done, so if anyone else wants a spare pls let me know ...
Any thoughts, comments or ideas on these issues are greatly appreciated… I am going to save the harder ones for another post … I don’t want to “wear out” all the great minds in that "shed of invention" … ;D ;D ;D regards A|T |
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Post by cornishlass on Nov 7, 2007 1:21:58 GMT 10
G'day A/T Well I must say that I am really impressed with your list of jobs to be accomplished. That's the sort of philosophy I seem to start with, but somewhere along the way it all goes haywire You know it's dreadful this VV bug - just seems to get under the skin like an itch and then just doesn't leave ;D I can relate to your comment
" and i think that it's about time she got to "strut her stuff" ... imagine a maiden voyage at 50+ years of age .."
I reckon that her and I will be the same age when we make out first run out ;D Cornish Lass |
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Post by dosse on Nov 7, 2007 6:20:41 GMT 10
G'Day A/T
Your resto and progress looks great. You and I are going through the same questions about tow-coupling, 240 power socket and the don badges. In the interest of safety this is not some-thing we need to agonize over when it comes down to our family
safety and other road- users. Our don 120 will be getting a new tow- coupling with hand brake, ( better than two bricks) and safety chains and out-side power socket ( old one off a van earlee and I rated) Regards David dosse.
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Post by firefighter on Nov 7, 2007 9:26:24 GMT 10
Hi A/T there is a mob in bendigo called Detailed badges that cast badges .....I have had badges made from them for the car club I belong to & have used them for years if you are interested send us a p m , I will be in bendigo for the swap not this weekend but the following one will be in bendigo for 4 days can call around and ask them if you like geoff ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by vintagecaravans on Nov 7, 2007 17:22:18 GMT 10
Hi A/T
I have the original bakerlite 240 Volt plug off my late 1940's Plywood van I can send to you if you want, I have replaced it (yes with a white modern plastic one). it was mounted up high on the wall, like they have requested you to do, but maybe not as unsightly as the new one? and more in keeping with the style of the van??
can send pictures if you like to see it
Matt
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.... and the other one was quite expensive and negotiations were just not working out - in fact i think that the owner didn't really want to sell it at all... 
;D 
) vans that i have my mind and eye on ;D ... and if i do grab them the 150 may have to eventually go 
