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Post by humpyboy on Nov 11, 2013 19:27:40 GMT 10
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 12, 2013 20:58:56 GMT 10
G'day Humpyboy, What a great example of a leadlight window Hawthorn - looks to have been beautifully restored.  I might add the pics to the DHL Hawthorn thread if you are OK with that. Comparing it with the other leadlight window Hawthorns we have photos of, it just proves the rule that I don't think Les Gough ever produced two vans that looked the same. Always experimenting I guess - one of the advantages of being a one man show, building one van at a time. Hawthorn Caravans was an agent for Locktite Couplings. Is the coupling on this van a Locktite? Looks as if this coupling may be a replacement for the original? What did you think when you were looking at it. Don Ricardo |
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Post by humpyboy on Nov 12, 2013 21:07:10 GMT 10
Feel free to copy the pics over to DHL Don, as for the coupling I must admit that I didn't take much notice other than to take a pic or two so cobber wouldn't ostracize me  |
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Post by wanabe on Nov 13, 2013 13:16:27 GMT 10
The van is ours. We were out on its maiden run. Pam & Theo
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 13, 2013 19:34:46 GMT 10
Hi Wanabe, Gee - a vintage vanner can't do anything without getting found out can they? ;D ;D ;D Still, with a nicely restored van like yours, you're definitely going to attract a lot of interest and admiration, so I guess you just have to get used to basking in the glow created by the van!  Anyway, congratulations on your Hawthorn - it looks fantastic. I trust that your maiden run went smoothly and that you will really enjoy being out and about in the van. It's good to have one of the leadlight window Hawthorns still in good condition. While Les Gough built quite a few vans, and was involved in the caravan industry for a couple of decades (at least), there are not many examples of his own handywork around - most Hawthorns that we see now were built by another manufacturer and were then sold under the Hawthorn nameplate. Did you have to do much work to the van after buying it from Colleen's father? And do you know much about the van's history? I can't remember whether Colleen's father had had the van for quite a while, or whether he may have purchased the van from forum member Starfire and done it up... Don Ricardo |
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willow5075
Full Member
Willow & the MOTH
Posts: 355
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Post by willow5075 on Nov 13, 2013 21:00:25 GMT 10
Very pretty van
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Post by wanabe on Nov 14, 2013 14:06:41 GMT 10
Hi Don,
The van appeared in pretty good nick. But it didn't like the tandem trip home very much. The front skin which showed signs of delamination separated from its frame. The front frames all separated from the chassis. So all that required the frame to be rectified and reattached and re skinning. At the back the window detached from the body with luckily no serious damage. To get the van to paintable condition required new skin front and back, new skin in front and above door and patches along the lower skins all around once the chassis perimeter members had been replaced. Also had to make three new curved frames for the rear. The front and rear windows needed reframing in the van body. What with rewiring etc and lots of other little things to fix it kept me busy for a while. At this point I have not yet done anything to the inside except for the 240V wiring. We kind of like the inside showing its age. As a point of interest it has serial number 205 and a model number 12 (for a twelve footer)
Cheers
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 14, 2013 22:26:53 GMT 10
Hi Wannabe,
Wow, what a lot of work you've had to put into the van! But it does look fantastic now, so you must be really pleased with what you've achieved, and it's great that you obviously have the skills you needed to deal with the various issues. Just goes to show though that what looks to be a van in good condition can hide a number of problems. Unfortunately you're not the first forum member to have discovered that.
Your decision to leave the interior of the van largely as it is, is a good one from my perspective (ie someone who is interested in the history of caravanning). In the 30's a number of Australian caravan manufacturers used polished wood/veneer surfaces on their internal furniture. Post-WWII, however, Hawthorn was one of a very small number of manufacturers to continue to use polished wood surfaces, so that is one of Hawthorn's signature touches, so to speak.
Unfortunately at this stage we don't have a real firm grip on Hawthorn serial numbers. Forum member Vantoura has a late 40's Carapark Superb sold by Hawthorn with the serial number 696. That would seem to confirm that your van is older than the Superb, but I notice that the serial number 696 is also the same number on the Carapark serial number plate. So obviously Hawthorn just adopted Carapark's number when they sold it.
I think Hawthorn began building vans after WWII - not before - so maybe 1946 or 1947. We've got no idea how many vans Hawthorn built themselves, but they were relatively small scale, so who knows how long it took them to get to number 205? Maybe we'll work it all out one day!
Don Ricardo
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Post by wanabe on Nov 15, 2013 10:15:34 GMT 10
Hi Don,
Thanks for your comments. I also restored the tow vehicles. The1957 FE ute in these photos and a matching sedan. Hence the van colour. The cream was the original upper and interior colour. Couldn't figure out for sure what the lower colour was; either maroon-ish or grey, but we reckon that the green looks okay. Both cars are stock grey motors so you know when you have a van on. I'd sooner work on the cars though, even if it takes longer. At least when you cut something short you can weld it back on. And steel is cheaper then timber. Although the marine ply wasn't ridiculously priced.
Cheers
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