|
|
Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 3, 2009 16:53:41 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by DC3Td on Oct 3, 2009 17:19:44 GMT 10
Hi Don Ricardo. Does the Executive Styline Deluxe label front & back warrant info? Seems rather odd having window latches on the outside. Much like some annexes whereby you roll open/close the window flaps from the outside. Could never figure the logic in them. cheers gordon
|
|
|
|
Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 3, 2009 17:36:27 GMT 10
Hi Gordon,
According to Hughdeani: "In the 70s and 80s there was a caravan dealer in Fawkner (a Melbourne suburb) who put "Doug Thorley Executive Styleline Deluxe"on EVERY caravan that came into his yard,including used vans."
My observation is that Hughdeani is correct - in Victoria there are masses of on site vans of varying types in caravan parks with the Executive Styline Deluxe stickers on them. So unfortunately, the stickers don't tell us much except that the van passed through Doug Thorley's hands at some stage (maybe more than once?).
And yes - the external window catches are an interesting feature aren't they? Don't think I've ever seen something like that before. The windows look like they may even be the type of windows installed in houses in the 50's/60's. Maybe Peter can tell us whether the windows and cladding on the van are aluminium or steel.
Don Ricardo
|
|
|
|
Post by cobber on Oct 3, 2009 17:53:56 GMT 10
G'day Don R, Well.... your second post on this subject blows my extensive research right out of the water......... but I'm going to post it anyway  Good to have you back...... posing questions that don't have a for certain sure answer. Those stickers on the 'van are a starting point aye ? That thread Franklin 1 started here has a Styline @ 1959 and a “Styleline” at 1960. The Keith Winser Manuals don't mention either of them in 1959 or 1960..... but do have five models of the “Style-line” in 1961 ranging from 9ft 6ins up to 15ft 6ins. So at a rough guess I'd say the people who made the “Styline” in 1959 figured that was a pretty dumb way to spell Style-line so they changed it in 1961  (they were both made in NSW according to Al's post). The 1961 “Style-line” was made of “Rescote Ply”. SO...... now we need to know what the other stickers on the 'van say....... probably got the name of the manufacturer on them Cobber. |
|
|
|
Post by robbo3 on Oct 3, 2009 17:55:36 GMT 10
Plenty of work there! But from what I've seen on here, I have no doubt it won't belong before it looks like it came of the showroom floor.
|
|
|
|
Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 3, 2009 18:36:45 GMT 10
Hi Cobber and Robbo,
The stickers I can read say either Executive Styline Deluxe (on top of the front and back windows) or Dough Thorley Caravans (the green sticker below the back window).
There is another sticker or name plate under the front window which Peter tells me says 'Doug Thorley Viscount', so not much joy from that one...
Apparently Peter worked for Doug Thorley at some point so perhaps he can confirm the bit about Doug using the Executive Styline Deluxe name.
Robbo - I presume you are saying that you think that the cladding and the stickers were all added after the van's original construction?
Cobber - what do you think of my early to mid-50's and home-built hypotheses?
Don Ricardo
|
|
|
|
Post by JBJ on Oct 3, 2009 19:55:10 GMT 10
Hi All,
the van has a great shape, that I would date at early to mid 1950's . Who knows whats under the tin.
Based on what I found rebuilding Lucille, you can never be sure what anything will be under the surface. You also have no idea what the original builder intended, as there are no records on who did what when.
SO my thoughts would be work towards making it into a ply external cladding van, provided the framework under the tin accomodates that.
Its going to be very difficult to remove external cladding undamaged, so if you tried to retain that as external surface it could be very difficult to reinstal with a good external finish.
Try to restore the windows basically as they are, because they reinforce the home built theme...What you have to do is try to think how a semi skilled person would have built them 50 years ago, without the billions of dollars of bits sitting in monster sized shops. Thats the only way you will replicate the period style.
The end result will be your interpretation of how it would have been built today, using yesterdays styles. A reasonable compromise I believe.
I reckon no one other than the original builder knew what they meant to present, so it really doesnt matter if it deviates a bit, as long as the original style & shape is apparent.
JBJ
|
|
|
|
Post by DC3Td on Oct 3, 2009 20:26:34 GMT 10
The fixing of the external tin indicates whoever did the job did it very methodically. Very precise drill & screwing. Appears there were awnings fitted on front & rear windows judging by the remaining clip & paint fade. Steel framed side windows look almost if they originally came off a factory wall. Internally, it seems its suffered some. Certainly a nice shape & will come up looking sweet. cheers gordon
|
|
|
|
Post by myvan on Oct 3, 2009 21:23:46 GMT 10
Hello
Just a bit of Trvia.
Paul's friend Terry had a sister who was married to Doug Thorley.
Doug Thorley had a car yard at the time and Paul would often go with him for a ride in the cars he had
Kathryn
|
|
|
|
Post by cobber on Oct 4, 2009 18:18:01 GMT 10
G'day Don R, I think your assumption that the 'van is early to mid 50s is OK.... but the shape is so good I would tend to say she is home made from one of the many kits available at that time. Regarding the dealer in Fawkner..... in DHL we show “Cumberland Caravans” being in Pascoe Vale in 1959, however …....... in the 1961 trade directory it shows they are at 1287 Sydney Road FAWKNER. (I tried to add that suburb to the Cumberland thread heading, but it won't let me... can you fix that Don R.   ) Is the dealer Hughdeani is referring to this one I wonder ? I've added some pages from the 1961 C & T manual to that Cumberland thread. What that has to do with the identity of this 'van I know not... but I'm working on it. I'm in retirement you know, like........ I'm busy  Cobber. |
|
minor man
Junior Member
life is to short
Posts: 53
|
Post by minor man on Oct 5, 2009 8:23:32 GMT 10
hi all been away came back and thought I was seeing thing's' this van is the same as the one I draged home from albury.
the windows are made of steel and are gas welded together
on mine the aluminium clading is original and professional done but some of the timber work was not.
and she has not revealed her maker.
how long and wide is josephine.
brian.
|
|
|
|
Post by peterconway on Oct 5, 2009 13:54:24 GMT 10
HI ITS PETER,
THE STORYS OF DOUG THORLEY ARE CORRECT. HE START UP AS A CAR YARD IN PRESTON WHICH WAS WHERE I FIRST MET HIM. ONCE HE STARTED HIS CARAVAN YARD IN FAWKNER HE HAD A VISCOUNT, JAYCO, COMFORT AND NEWHOME FRANCHISE. ANY SECOND HAND VAN THAT CAME IN TO STOCK IF IT WASNT ONE OF THE ABOVE RECIEVED A GOLD AND BLACK FOIL TYPE STICKER WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OTHER STICKERS AND IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSIBLE TO GET OFF. THE (NEW HOME) BRANDED AND BUILT CARAVAN WERE SOLD BY HIM WITH DOUG THORLEY EXECUTIVE STYLINE DELUXE STICKERS ON THEM ALL. REMEMBERING WE WOULD SELL 20 TO 30 VANS ON THE WEEK DAYS AND 30 TO 50 VANS ON WEEKENDS MOST WITH THAT STICKER SO THERE WILL BE A LOT OUT THERE, THEY COULD BE ANY MAKE OR MODEL AT ALL.
WHEN IT COMES TO JOSEPHINE, I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE ABOUT THREE BUILT IN A FACTORY IN MELBOURNE AND WERE NAMED AFTER THREE DAUGHTERS THE OTHER TWO I HAVENT YET GOT THIER NAMES, THERE IS NO BOND WOOD UNDER THE CLADDING WHICH SEEMS TO BE ALLUMINIUM AND THE WINDOWS ARE STEEL. IT IS 2MTRS WIDE AND 3.5 MTRS LONG I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THE MAKER WAS BUILDING OTHER VANS FOR IN THE 40'S. AND YOU ARE CORRECT EVERY SCREW HOLE HAS BEEN MEASURED PRECISELY.
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUING HELP.
|
|
|
|
Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 5, 2009 16:25:39 GMT 10
Hi Peter, Thanks for your post with the additional info about Josephine, and about Doug Thorley which confirms some of what we knew about his caravan sales, and also fills in some of the gaps. You mention the Comfort and New Home brands. What years would we be talking about in regard to them being sold? Would that be post-1970? Brian (53s2mm) mentioned the similarity between Josephine and his van. There are pics of his van here. If you look at them there are certainly more than a few similarities, so maybe Brian's van is Josephine's little sister... What do you think? Perhaps this should be the new slogan for the forum: FAMILY REUNIONS - A VINTAGE CARAVAN FORUM SPECIALTY ;D ;D ;D Don Ricardo |
|
(they were both made in NSW according to Al's post).
)
