|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 17, 2009 12:55:24 GMT 10
Hello!
Im hoping to find out a little info on the pictured van, Im a real novice here and trying to build on my developing, new, but hugely addictive passion for VV's.
From the shape I can only hazzard a guess at 1060's but would appreciate any information on a possible manufaturer or year?! Can anyone help?
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Post by Franklin1 on Aug 17, 2009 14:27:53 GMT 10
Hi stephie, and welcome to the forum! ;D The painted side flashes on your van are typical of Viscount/Ambassador caravans from around 1969 through to 1971. However, your van appears to have plain aluminium cladding (is that correct?), which became obsolete when Viscount introduced exterior acrylic cladding in mid-1968 (ie. the white painted cladding). The following advertisement from March 1968 shows a version of your van in the top left-hand picture. Note what the painted side stripe would have looked like at this time...  Then in August 1969 we have this advertisement showing the side flash design similar to yours...  So either your side flash has been painted onto the side of your van by someone in later years and it isn't original, OR...it is original and it would make your van from pretty close to the middle of 1968 just before the white cladding was introduced. I presume there is no identification label on the van above the front window? If not, then it probably would have originally looked the same as this one on a 1970 Ambassador...  Would you have a look on the front drawbar, and see if there is a number welded there, probably just beside the jockey wheel clamp? It will most likely be a letter A or C, followed by four numbers (eg. A1234) but it could be anything. Would you let us know what it is, please? To summarise all I've said above, it's looking like your van is a little Ambassador from maybe the first half of 1968, with a question mark over whether the painted side flash is original or a later addition. cheers, Al. |
|
|
|
Post by Amanda on Aug 17, 2009 14:28:21 GMT 10
 What a little cutie.......
|
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 17, 2009 14:35:37 GMT 10
Wow! Thank you so much!!! Im so happy to have such a great starting point at finding out more on this sweet little van! Thanks again Franklin 1!
Steph
|
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 17, 2009 15:08:48 GMT 10
What a knowledge base! Can I pick your brains further? This one is my first project.... The sides are in bond wood but front a nd rear in Alu, original? Interior seems pretty intact with a 50's feel to the laminex and gas lamp fitting. Unfortunately it's been 'played with ' a little and 70's looking fridge installed. To the left of the door you can see a spot where it looks like a badge has been removed and i can't find much on the coupling except the word 'Georgia' and no chassis number. Any ideas oh knowledgeable one? Steph |
|
|
|
Post by Franklin1 on Aug 17, 2009 21:10:36 GMT 10
"oh knowledgeable one"??  You must be confusing me with my brother...he who has 7 university degrees, but still can't find a full-time job. He reckons there's no rush...he's only just turned 57 so there's plenty of time yet...   Ah yes...the Georgia... This was the smaller of the two vans made by the Ray Charles Caravan Company. The other was the highly popular, and aptly named, "Hit The Road Jack", which was an 18 footer tandem. And if you're still with me, stephie, then you might have sensed a padding out of my reply with a woeful attempt at humour... ...and you'd be right... because I sorta, kinda have no idea what your other van is. But I can ask my brother and see if that know-all can identify it  Do you have any other photos of the van...inside and outside?? cheers, Al. |
|
|
|
Post by Don Ricardo on Aug 17, 2009 22:10:02 GMT 10
...The sides are in bond wood but front a nd rear in Alu, original?... ...To the left of the door you can see a spot where it looks like a badge has been removed and i can't find much on the coupling except the word 'Georgia' and no chassis number.... Steph Hi Stephie, During the transition from bondwood caravans to fully aluminium caravans (ie fully clad in aluminium), a number of manufacturers produced vans which had bondwood cladding on the sides and aluminium cladding on the front, rear and roof. So my guess is that your van comes from that period and that the aluminium cladding is original. If this is the case the aluminium cladding was normally unpainted. It's a bit hard to tell from your photo, but yours looks as if it has been painted, but even if it is it may have been painted later. Regarding the place where you think there may have been a nameplate are you referring to the spot near the front window? It does look as if there may have been something there, but that would be an unusual spot for a nameplate - it would more likely have been above or below the front and/or rear windows. It looks as if the van has an interesting layout inside. The only window on the door side is the relatively small one at the rear. Can you describe the layout for us (or show us some pics)? Finally, regarding the 'Georgia' on the drawbar - is that engraved into the steel or written with raised lettering? If you are able to post some more pics of the van, especially the front and rear, that may help us work out what it is. If you want to include some larger photos in your posts, rather than including them as attachments, you can follow the instructions you will find by clicking here. With two vintage caravans, you have already found V V'ing addictive. That's a good sign - it makes the rest of us feel normal! ;D ;D ;D Don Ricardo |
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 17, 2009 22:27:09 GMT 10
Ah! So you're funny as well as clever Al! What a combo! Hmm... not sure if the perpetual student will be of help on this one but Im thinking the shape of the wheel arch, curved rear end but 'stepped' front reminds me of a post you left on the 'Type A' Valiant. Also the 4 interior layout looks similar but clearly later in model. Thanks for your help Don R, So far Im loving all the attention, a forum where people actually answer eachothers questions! Now theres a novelty, love it. Also thanks for the info on pics, you're a gem... now it all makes sense! So as soon as daylight creeps in I will head back out to the shed camera in hand, much as I can't wait to get out there and supply some more visuals don't send me stumbling out there in the dark! A few more clues in the meantime... the stripe detail looks handpainted (that would fit the unpainted theory) and the van has a screen door that looks origional. Georigia, thats a a pretty name.. I think a baptism is in order... ' Fair VV, I annoint thee Georgia!' oh, it's in raised lettering. Sigh, think Im all done, got all this excitement out of my system... Steph |
|
|
|
Post by Amanda on Aug 17, 2009 23:01:59 GMT 10
Could it be a 1967 viscount ambassador???
|
|
|
|
Post by firefighter on Aug 17, 2009 23:12:20 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by Franklin1 on Aug 17, 2009 23:40:15 GMT 10
stephie, did you see the "Valiant" equivalent to your Ambassador van when you looked through the Valiant history thread??...  Valiant caravans were also made under the umbrella of the Viscount Caravans organisation. cheers, Al. |
|
|
|
Post by Amanda on Aug 17, 2009 23:41:43 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 18, 2009 8:24:56 GMT 10
ooh! Good sleuthing Firefighter! ;D ;D ;D No, Amanda is not my superhero pseudonym, but instead a shy wee pal who knowing my growing fetish for VV's asked for some help in identifying her van and now just can't resist being part of the fun! E Mrs? last night we saw this.... classic-caravans.co.uk/index.php/Classic-Caravans/Viscount/Viscount-Ambassabor.html(Hope that worked and hope I'm allowed to do that!) ...which seems to be an identi-kit!? |
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 18, 2009 9:16:39 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 18, 2009 9:19:57 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by mandapie on Aug 18, 2009 14:54:12 GMT 10
Hi Steph, Could it say George and not Georgia? Which could make it a hilandale............. Just saw some in here that look similar. Let me know when you get home from work. Thanks Amanda |
|
|
|
Post by bobandjacqui on Aug 18, 2009 18:18:57 GMT 10
G'day Steph,
Just looking at your photos, is that some sort of canvas covering on the roof? I don't know a lot about early bondwood vans but I do know some had a canvas fabric glued to the roof. The other thing about your van is the gas light. I,m sure there is someone on the forum that can answer these questions. Maybe the van was originaly all bondwood then someone has added the ali on the ends to modernise it?
Cheers Bob and Jacqui.
|
|
|
|
Post by groovygramps on Aug 18, 2009 21:52:42 GMT 10
Hi Steph,
It would be interesting to see if anyone else thinks there are similarities to our old Roma bondwood caravan we purchased from Jim & Eileen Gibson - Glenlee Caravans Traralgon. It had bondwood sides and ali ends that were part of the construction of the van, NOT to be confused with our current all bondwood Roma.
The shape is similar and I note that it has a falks gas cooktop commonly used in Roma vans.
It may be worth comparing with ours in Members Photo Album currently on page 9 under Groovygramps 50's Roma Bondwood? - page 2.
Cheers,
groovygranny - (groovygramps is out of action at the moment.)
|
|
|
|
Post by groovygramps on Aug 18, 2009 22:04:27 GMT 10
Hi Steph,
Another reference Down History Lane currently on page 2. Roma Caravans (Elsternwick, Vic).
I am not computer savvy so there is probably another way to access this information.
groovygranny.
|
|
|
|
Post by Don Ricardo on Aug 20, 2009 22:22:18 GMT 10
G'day Stephie and Mandapie, Great to have two new forum contributors joining up as a team! Mandapie - That's a nice bit of sleuthing you've done there with the possible link between Stephie's van and George's caravan and Hilandale. If your hunch turns out to be correct you'll get an automatic invitation to join the Association of V V Identifiers! ;D ;D ;D I'm looking forward to what Stephie has to say in relation to the writing on the van's drawbar. Stephie - It's good to see a few more pics of your van. It seems to me that the cladding on the roof of the van may have been added at a later stage because of the way it has been done. My initial reaction was that the same may have been true of the aluminium cladding on the front and rear of your van, because I had got the idea that van builders who did the "bondwood sides/aluminium front, rear and roof thing" mostly used unpainted aluminium sheeting which was without any pattern or with a very small diamond pattern impressed into the aluminium. I thought the ribbed cladding like the stuff on your van wasn't introduced until later... However, I have found out that my ideas on this were wrong!! As it happens I have just posted pics of two vans which have bondwood sides and ribbed aluminium cladding on the front and rear like yours. One of them belongs to Mustang and is currently in the For Sale section - click here (Reply #5). The other is...believe it or not...a Hilandale caravan - click here (Reply #9). So maybe Mandapie is on the money with her detective work? Have a look at the photos and tell us whether you think either of them look like your van. Incidentally, what state are you two ladies based in? The reason I ask is that in the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's the manufacture and sales of caravans were very much state based - the manufacturers tended to only advertise and sell caravans in their own state, although this began to change, particularly in the 60's. This means that a pretty high proportion of vans we see on the V V forum are still found in the state in which they were built. This is by no means infallible, but knowing the state where you found your van may provide a clue in identifying it. Don Ricardo |
|
|
|
Post by mandapie on Aug 20, 2009 22:48:32 GMT 10
Hi Don,
The Hilandale you mentioned is the one I spotted on ebay I didn't know how to put the link on here so I emailed Steph instead. They have the exact same stove, bit as I am new they may have been in a lot of vans in that year. We are victorians like the hilandale......... The Hilandale in reply 9# and Stephs look identical when I put the pictures side by side.....
Love the website I am totally addicted already........
|
|
|
|
Post by stephie on Aug 20, 2009 23:05:36 GMT 10
Well guys, I think Im in colusion with Mandapie on the Hill'n'dale, the ebay pic is almost identical in profile! Just to add something into the mix here, the roof is ply not aluminium. Regarding the text on the tow-bar I have to confess it reads 'Georgian' Hmmm.... I could still be persuaded otherwise but currently Im leaning towards the Hill'n'dale, being Im a Pom and from the Yorkshire Dales myself that would be just serendipity! So now to the era, how do you feel with my stab at late 50's? Im thinking the interior modeling looks a little less angular then the pictured 60's counterpart. So? Where do I go from here? Any suggestions as to further research into the Hillandale models? |
|
|
|
Post by Franklin1 on Aug 21, 2009 11:17:14 GMT 10
♫ I said just an old sweet song, ♪ Keeps Georgia on my mind ♫ Hi stephie, are you sure it's not a Ray Charles caravan?? Maybe Ray Charles stayed in it once... Oh all right... I'll go now ;D ;D |
|
|
|
Post by mandapie on Aug 27, 2009 21:32:58 GMT 10
Hi Al (the knowledgeable one),
Stephie and I had a look at the drawbar on the old viscount this arvo, and the numbers seem to be 8832
Cheers Amanda
|
|
|
|
Post by Franklin1 on Aug 28, 2009 22:19:54 GMT 10
Hi amanda, thanks for the chassis number. Unfortunately at the moment it means nothing to me  , because we haven't collected enough examples yet to understand how the Viscount numbering system worked in those days. The only consolation I can give you is that your van will be added to our Viscount history thread, and some day, one day, we'll have collected another 10 examples of chassis numbers which will help us to determine where yours fits in. Your van looks like it's been very well looked after. Not often you see the painted flashes still in good condition after 40 years. What's the story on how you came across it? cheers, Al. |
|
What a little cutie.......
You must be confusing me with my brother...he who has 7 university degrees, but still can't find a full-time job. He reckons there's no rush...he's only just turned 57 so there's plenty of time yet... 
, because we haven't collected enough examples yet to understand how the Viscount numbering system worked in those days.