Don Cadet No 2303

[Deleted]

Made a start on the weekend on the Cadet, the ex Cadet of Bill & Kit Roscoe of RACV Caravan Club fame.
The paint was showing its age and needed a "freshen up" ..... .


Unfortunately, I couldn't save the RACV Caravan Club stickers on the sides, so if anyone has RACV Caravan Club connections, they may be able to assist in getting some reproduced .

















As I mentioned in a HDTodd's post, this Cadet has had the old Chev 6 stud wheels changed in favour of Ford 14" wheels, hence the caravan sits really low.





Its had some pretty crude repairs during its time with cloth tape(this was a well travelled van with the club) .........after my previous experience with stripping a Don back to barewood, I wasn't going there , so a tad patchwork, and paint

[HDTodd]

Hi Mark, I've got a few questions about Cadets.
My Cadet (3010) has that cloth tape along all the edges which is obviously being removed while stripping off the paint (it really needs to be removed). Do you think it's original and if so should I replace it?
Also, your van has aluminium strips separating the side flash, should my van have these or is it only a feature that the early models had (mine is a 63 model)? I've found the original colours (teal blue and cream) while stripping the paint but it's hard to tell if it had those strips.
I also found the original sticker on the back of the van which is fairly damaged but hopefully I can get it remade.
Thanks, Todd

[Roehm3108]

Never heard of a Ford Don Cadet ;D ;D ;D But then again, I've got a VW Propert
Ray

[Deleted]

Hi Todd,
I believe the aluminium strips are original on the earlier Don Cadets ......have a look at Aussietanker's





As for the cloth tape .....mmm .....interesting, its unlikely external cloth tape would be original on THE DON ;D .....I don't
think so
I'm not doing a full resto with mine, just a freshen up, so the tape stays, but if you're doing yours properly, I'd do away with the tape .....

Re the sticker .....awesome ......can I have one too

and ......do you have the paint no for the Teal Blue ......coz I'm doing the spats & stripe in the same blue .........

cheers

Mark

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Mark and Todd,

marktaylor said:

Hi Todd,
I believe the aluminium strips are original on the earlier Don Cadets ......have a look at Aussietanker's

...

cheers

Mark

Aussietanker's Don is a 150 model not a Cadet, so it may not be/probably isn't a reliable guide for what a Cadet should look like. However, I think Mark is right about the aluminium strip on at least some Cadets. The picture of the Cadet 12 posted by Daggsey in November last year showed that it also had the strips:



Of course we don't know the serial number for this van at this stage, so it doesn't help us re Mark's comment about the strip being on earlier Cadets.

Todd - I would be interested in seeing the sticker on the back of your van, and it would be worth recording for posterity. Any chance of taking a photo and posting it on the forum?

Regards to you both and much success with your restoration work.

Don Ricardo

[winterwood]

Hi Don,

I've just returned from the Yorke Peninsula in S.A. with 5 other couples in our "modern day caravans" and have only just now come across your query.

As previously mentioned, Dad is now in the great caravan park in the sky, and unfortunately Mum (aged 92) really can't remember all that much about the Don. I was only 9 at the time (that's 53 years ago) and regrettably I can't add any further helpful info that would help you. ]

I'm in pretty regular contact with HDTODD who purchased my old Don CADET (3010) and I'm very much looking forward to seeing first hand, his restoration work at Coledale in October.

On the way back from Adelaide, I purchased a 1 owner, 1964 Globe Master (in pretty good condition). As I had my 2007 Jayco in tow (don't say a word) I've left the Globe in Adelaide and will pick it up in a few weeks time. I did however take lots of photos, which I hope to post in the next few days.

Winterwood

[winterwood]

Oops sorry about that, make it a Globe Trotter ... not Globe Master.

Winterwood

[Deleted]

After sitting in the corner of the shed for a coupla years, I finally got the Don Cadet out about a month ago to finish it

I wasn't happy with the colour I had painted it ....it was tooo white (supposed to be antique white), ....so .........decided to have another go and repaint it more of a cream colour.

This is a well used caravan, and has had many small repairs, and coats of paint over the years, and extensive use of a canvas tape used to seal repairs:











but I was'nt going to the extent of stripping this van back to the ply (as I've done with others) ......so ... even though the Cadet has had a "freshen up",...... it retains its markings of many happy caravanning years in the hands of the Roscoe family:















Paint was seriously peeling off the back .....




A change of colour of the side flash




Could this be the proposed tow car




internal build plate is like new




A nice RACV Caravan Club plaque inside awarded to Bill & Kit:








A couple of years ago, a package mysteriously turned up in the mail .......I hadn't ordered anything on Ebay at the time ....what could it be




Wow !! check this out .....thanks to whoever posted these




all finished in its cream colour, with a pale grey flash:




and "flying" its new stickers:




The same day the Cadet was finished, yet another Don was pulled out from a corner of the shed, and the scaffold erected near it :



Nah .....surely not ;D



Mark

[kingy]

Looks good Mark, colours go well also........i like the style/shape of that don
Kingy

[Deleted]

thanx Kingy .....make sure ya call into Beverley on your way thru .....
there's some nutter lives there with a collection of antiquated caravans ;D ;D ;D

mark
0427251204

[cobber]

Look out Kingy...... I think you could get a job at Beverley painting old caravans...... mightn't pay much but it could be fun for a bloke with your talent.

'Van looks good Mark and it's about time you started on the 120 ...... don't spoil the inside of it though will you ?

Cobber.

[kingy]

Yeah i've heard ;D.......we'll be there
Kingy

[bobt]

Mark

Well Done

i am sure the Roscoe's would approve...

except....for may be the .... Holden?? But I won't tell em.. ;D

bobt

[curtis]

Nice one Mark,

If only they were all so easy to bring back.....

Love the Holden - would make a great pair.

Dave

[ralphndi]

Regards the aluminim strip.My parents owned a 12ft Don Cadet(circa 1956) and it had a stripe but no strip.It also had timber windows.I think it may have been a "budget" version but nevertheless I loved that van.If you look in the memrobillia section under Don caravans you will find pictures of pamhlets (page 2) showing the first of the Don Cadet range.I'm sorry I can't post links but hope this helps.PS If any one out there knows where I can find one of the 12 foot ones please let me know as I would LOVE to get my hands on one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ralphndi]

OOPS the pics are actually in Down History Lane (both pages) regards Di

[Deleted]

after a coupla very busy months workwise & otherwise, finally managed to spend a coupla days in Beverley putting the finishing touches to my fav 2nd favourite ol' 'olden and Don Cadet.

Have FC ............ bondy caravan,....... and bondy punt ........ all set to go touring

...............wonder if there's anywhere in the wheatbelt to dunk me punt on the upcoming WA spring tour next week ;D ;D
































Mark

[Geoff & Jude]

hi mark

that's a very nice combination you have there.

(pity about the serious radiator leak you've got in the fc. maybe you could launch the punt in the puddle).

geoff 'n jude

[professorq29]

Yes, noice. Does the Holden have the original motor? (He asks reckoning you need 6 cylinders, about 3 litres and 100hp to pull a Cadet).

Just confirming some findings from earlier in the thread, our Lucy (2104), has cloth tape and no metal strips. The cloth tape was obviously there from new but just falls off during paint striping. It was held on by some sort of pinky/orangey coloured glue (or paint). The paint was the only thing holding it in place. Ours also has a cloth roof, just to throw something new into the mix.

professorq29

[Deleted]

Geoff n Jude say:
(pity about the serious radiator leak you've got in the fc. maybe you could launch the punt in the puddle).

Geoff,
the water you refer to in this pic:








is in fact not coming from the FC's radiator, but is pissing out from the water bag.............and its little wonder, the water bag is a la 1930's. ................the water bag is interesting in itself. It was stored under a bed in the 1936 Paramount caravan, looks as though its never been used (until bug-a-lugs filled it with water) and it's interesting in that it has B Black Minnipa stenciled on it. Minnipa is a small town on the Eye Penninsular in South Australia.....................the water bag has a bakelite opening and is plugged by a cork, as were early bottles.

Professorq29
Yes, the Cadet is sealed on the edge with cloth tape, and no metal strips as per previous pics.

The original grey motor from the FC is neatly stored on the floor of the Beverley shed.........the car is fitted with a 186 (but thats just between you & I ) ;D ;D

Mark

[noblesgarage]

;D What's this Mr T " Spring tour" in the FC Carefull going down those big hills mate you may have to stop at the bottom. mite pay you to strap that dingy onto the roof rack as well. Good combo all the same, really looks the part.

Forecasting 35 deg. for Sunday so should test out the cooling system on the way to Boddington.