Project #614: Free Range

[andrew]

G’day all,
It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything on the forum but a lot has been happening and I have been lurking in the background of the site.
Near the end of 2006 I took a package from Ford in Geelong, sold the house twice in five days, shifted to Castlemaine, enjoyed retirement for two months, got a new job, put the hard word on my new for a reference for the bank to buy a house after only 3 days at work ( he did so thankyou very much Doug) and shifted in in May. Great house with a 60’s bungalow ( Jacquis’ studio) 1 shed (20’x30’) and a storage shed ( 16’x16’) all on nearly 2 acres. Bonza!! Just a little bit of room for a v van or 3.
Anyhoo, while all this has been happening the eyes are always on the hunt, so as it would happen, whilst visiting the sister-in-law in Linton, I went a roving. And what should my eyes see?


Heart be still. Is that a lantern roof on that egg? My oath it is.
Went in and asked the lady if I could take some photos of it and she told me it was for sale.Well pretty soon it was sold. Two weeks later me and a mate came back and picked it up. I will say now that Jacqui was and still isn’t impressed but she graciously let me go ahead. Thanks my love. Her reasons are that it does have some good points, the shape, the roof and the ice chest, but she firmly believes there is a time capsule with our name on it some where and the time and effort to do this up would be better placed doing up the teardrop (Andrews teardrop of joy).
Enough talk. Here are the photos.



Loaded to bring back


All under neath stuff








Inside stuff











Outside stuff







I did forget to mention it is a steel frame ( ¾” angle?) with gal flat sheet skin. Has got some dings and one gash but there she is. Thought I might call it “ Free Range”
So there it is. Hope you like it.
Regards Andrew

[Don Ricardo]

Andrew,

What a ripper. With the lantern roof, you've joined a very exclusive club - Cobber, Earlee, and I think that's it...

Congratulations. We look forward to seeing her all done up prior to you commencing project # 615. ;D ;D ;D

Don Ricardo

[cobber]

Andrew !

Boy, what a project that one is. As if you haven't got enough on your plate.

It almost looks as though the "lantern roof was added as an after-thought.... any evidence of that Andrew ?
When you say it is steel frame you're not just referring to the chassis are you & is the inside plywood ?

I like it

Cobber.

[Deleted]

Hi Andrew

Great find.
It needs more leaf springs
12 is not enough.

Enough springs there to support a 4" thick concrete floor
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Reddo.

[andrew]

G'day all,
Thanks for the comments and encouragement.
A little more history. The bloke I bought it off said his father inherited it when he bought a farm and it was left behind. The father later died and farm went to his other son. The farm was rented out and the renters in fit of boredom trashed the van, smashing all the perspecs windows. It was then shifted to this fellows place.
The van itself was, I think, a home built job and the builder was a welder/metal worker. All structural frame is steel, the inside is ply and the sheeting is gal flat sheet, pop riveted on.
Cobber, I think that the lantern roof was planned.



All the ply follows everything like it should. With this area, there was a piece of ply covering the struts but it wasn't finished off nice so I thought it must have been put on later, but now I think it just wasn't finished off well. Jacqui thinks all the inside wasn't finished off well. Her belief is that the bloke could weld well but didn't care much about his wood working skills.





All internal frames and windows were either tube or angle as you can see.
I may not have helped myself when I said that I would do the inside up but take the outside back to bare gal and give it a coat of clear and leave all the marks that time gave it still there.
Yeh well, lead balloon.
On other things, can some of the resident oracles tell me what running gear I have? They are 13" tyres, 7/16" studs at PCD of 4 1/2".
Forgot to mention that under the lino in that particular shot was the Herald newspaper: 26 Dec 1959. Cool.
Regards Andrew

[andrew]

Thanks for that Col. Now I can keep an eye out when I go around the traps.
I must put in here that Free range won't be starting soon as I am bringing the teardrop
home this weekend and that has definate priority. At least when it is done we can start to go to some of the gatherings.
regards Andrew