Carapark Hunter Junior circa 1953

[stephen&Julie]

Hi To All
After a Fantastic weekend at Canungra with great people and vans including Paul, Yoko and Ray’s Carapark Minor’s I returned down the coast today to get back to work and caught up with a local who had this in a shed down the road, Carapark Hunter Junior 1953, good interior, bit of scraping and painting outside, 3 portholes, so I did the right thing and saved her…







Cheers Stephen&Julie

[cobber]

G'day Stephen & Julie,

I don't know how many plywood 'Juniors' there are on the forum, not many I think, so congratulations on getting hold of this one.
That's stage one of the 'saving' process, looks like there's a bit of work involved in the rest of the project...... what's the interior like ?

Cobber.

[gregh]

My God!!

Firstly; how do you manage to find all these treasures?

2nd; Where do you find the time to restore them?

I'm on a main road and get heaps of comments about the number of vans in my yard(3). What are your neighbours saying?

Cheers,
Greg

[cobber]

Good questions Greg 

Have you finished the restoration of the loverly 1930's plywood [/url] yet Stephen ? ....... maybe you have and I haven't noticed 

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Stephen&julie,

That's a great find! As Cobber has said, and as far as I can think of, that's the first bondwood Carapark Hunter Junior we've seen on the forum, and the only one "in the wood" of that particular 1952/3+ model we've seen on or off the forum.  The only other bondwood Hunter Junior I can think of is the earlier 1949-1952 model on display at the McFeeter's Motor Museum in Forbes. Given the fact that there aren't many around, it's great to know that this one is now in your care.

(I say all this quite tentatively, because when I make a statement about there not being many of a particular model around, someone generally points out ten people on the forum who have one. Not that I really mind about that - if there are ten, that's great! )

Don Ricardo

[stephen&Julie]

Hi, this van will stay with me in Kempsey, it will keep me busy on the weekends when i don't go home.
Cobber, the 30's van will have to go to, she is a special old girl, so if anyone interested please PM

Cheers S&J

[stephen&Julie]

Junior has been freed from his lonely muddy surrounds after 4 years.
A family in the area owned the Hunter for 60 years, can you believe that! They would really like to see the resto if it's ready in February 2015 for a family reunion
More soon




Cheers S&J
PS: Good idea when retrieving a van is to use moving film from Bunnings, I just wrap it around and around the windows and it holds them in place during travel

[kimbo]

Hi guys
What a great find Steve your just wicked but I just love this the adventure
Kimbo

[stephen&Julie]

Hello Everyone,
Back to Kempsey with Junior in tow, next morning up early, unload and start the clean up, looks like two areas with water damage but the rest just needs scrub and paint, man there were some serious rat nests in cupboards and under seats, all gone now, outside is recoverable with some repair and paint













Cheers S&J

[shesgotthelook]

Love, love, love it. Hope you go to great lengths to save the lino

[cobber]

Boy oh boy....haven't those kitchen cupboards come up great, what did you use to clean them ?

The tow coupling Steve .?....... the tow coupling ? .... what is it? ....An SL ?

And tea towel rails    has it got any ? 

And the ice box ? .....how about an inside view ?   

Cobber.

[DC3Td]

Geez Cobber theyve only scratched the surface give `em a break. Ha.

[stephen&Julie]

Shesgotthelook,Cobber,
There’s actually 3 different lino’s in this van, I know which one I’d prefer.
Cobber, the couplings, more when the rain's gone










Cheers S&J

[cobber]

Thanks S & J for the tow coupling photos, it demonstrates why the tow coupling thread is so exciting aye ? 

The override brake is 'Carapark' but the coupling is completely different to the coupling on this Carapark brake
The actual couplings often don't have brand names on them.... frustrating.

Cobber

[stephen&Julie]

Hi, the owner bought this van in 1955 second hand and it was 2 year old then, so it could be a 1952-53
Cheers S&J

[stephen&Julie]

Big Thank-you to the Kempsey Tourist Park for letting me set up Junior in their big shed, how lucky am I, here is a few more shots of the hubs, wheels, axle, fridge and old upholstery, it does have bunks in the front so it’s a 4 berth, the van was under cover for many years and the floor is in good condition. One happy chappy










Cheers All S&J

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Stephen&julie

How excellent is that!! And the van should feel at home as well - nice airy shed with the same skylights in the roof!

Thanks for showing us some more pics of the van - it really is one of those barn-find treasures, which looks to be in reasonable nick, all things considered. There is obviously stuff to do, and possibly some rot to excise, but wow, it's a great van all the same. It's got some great fittings, and the various bits of lino are amazing patterns.

Looking forward to watching the resto.

Don Ricardo

[stephen&Julie]

Junior's Update,
Removed wheels and the axle this afternoon, off to the sandblaster next door for a clean up and undercoat.
Removed one window as well and took it around to the local Mens Shed and asked them for there opinion and they happily said they would restore them one at a time for me if I payed for membership ($15.00) and $3.00 every time I come around, I seem to be right in the middle of the of all the facilities I need...how goods that, they have all the tools to do the job






Cheers S&J

[stephen&Julie]

Hi
Rims and axle back from the sand blaster ready for painting..sweet




Cheers S&J

[cobber]

G'day S&J,

looking good, thanks for the extra photos of the tow coupling and ice box    ..... " FLINT SEMI FLOATING BRAKE" ..Have I read that right on the brake backing plate ? Could be useful information for somebody trying to date a van one day 

Sure is handy having access to the 'Men's Shed' aye ? I'll bet they are finding the project of some interest too ?

Cobber

[penguin]

Oct 22, 2014 5:46:09 GMT 10 cobber said:

G'day S&J,

looking good, thanks for the extra photos of the tow coupling and ice box    ..... " FLINT SEMI FLOATING BRAKE" ..Have I read that right on the brake backing plate ? Could be useful information for somebody trying to date a van one day 

Sure is handy having access to the 'Men's Shed' aye ? I'll bet they are finding the project of some interest too ?

Cobber

Very nice find guys. I have porthole envy.

Cobber, The Flint semi-floating brake was a huge improvement on the earlier Flint brakes. Flint were pioneers in automobile brakes. We don't hear much of Flint brakes these days, but one of their first systems were "Flint-Stone brakes". This involved putting your feet on the road to stop. Yabba dabba do.

[boblor]

Hi All
Thank goodness this van is in Kempsey and not Cabarita or I would have another job to assist with, ah Stephen.I assume this will only be the first van for this shed, there will be others to follow knowing you.
Cheers Old mate, may have to drop by for another roast dinner.

[akeepsake]

S&J a very nice little pickup which will come up a treat! Well done !

[stephen&Julie]

Hello
Well shed reached 43 degrees in Kempsey this morning all ready so it’s off for a swim, interesting color combo on he rear of the Hunter Junior looks like Blue with a white V stripe and yes a bit of wood rot as well.





Cheers S&J