We have brought a pile of poo home!*PICS*

[61dodge]

Some months ago I posted some pics of a Fairholme van found in a town not far from here. Well, it has taken a while but eventually the owners have been tracked down again and a deal has been done over the phone today. So, it is going to be dragged onto a car trailer on Friday and brought home. At last .

What are our plans for it?? Well, good question , we will just have to see how solid or rough it is after a good clean out and inspection. The decision will then be made to res..res...rest....restore it , modify it , or pass it on to somebody who will do something good with it. It's overall condition and originality will be the deciding factors.

More pics after Friday. Hope it doesn't blow apart on the way home. ;D

Cheers Dave.

[61dodge]

Well, It's home now and has had a scrub with bleach to remove the moss and scum from the outside, and a vacuum and quick clean up inside. The photos make it look better than it is, but still a worthwhile project.
The roof has leaked and this has rotted some of the roof ribs and a section of the spine. There is also some rot damage down the walls(stop laughing all you fiberglass guys). Most of the interior wall lining sheets have some sagging and are in sad shape, not hard to replace. The exterior aluminum sheeting is mostly in good condition, no major dints or damage so will go back on after wall framing is repaired. The chassis is in good condition, just needs a wire brush and re-paint. The springs are good but the axle may get changed to improve braking and fit a more common wheel. I think it has Pilot wheels now. Tail lights look like Triumph motorcycle.
Have a look at the pics bellow and please make any comments or suggestions.

The trap door would have been a drain point for the ice box.



The draw-bar has an aluminum cover with the ID plate attached.

















It only JUST fit under the carport!

Have started work today, took the door off the RHS and replaced the whole frame and lining. That aluminum is going to be hiding a LOT of secrets. Wish me luck.

Cheers.
Dave.

[Geoff & Jude]

howdy dave

i notice that you have a 'gypsy roof' in your 'pile of poo'.

let me give you a word of advice, don't use 'no more gaps' to fill any cracks between the roof frame and the ceiling. we did on our roadmaster, and now ( a couple of months later) the "nmg" is so strong it has pulled the paint from the ceiling and created cracks which now needs to be sanded back and ALL the "nmg" needs to be removed to stop further cracks developing. (what a bummer). anyway, hope this is helpful in your restoration.

geoff (&jude)

[cobber]

Well done Dave,

That truly is a part of Australia's Touring Heritage.
You would wonder why somebody imported...or brought into Australia with them, an English van when we were making very good vans here at that time, wouldn't it be interesting to know the full story.
Fairholme were very successful in the export market according to Andrew Jenkinson so maybe that's all there is to the story.

It really has some nice unique features about it eh? I like the stained timber effect...don't change it too much

Cobber

[firefighter]

HI DAVE & LEAH
good find ,like the gypsy roof
(cruisder vans had a roof like that thay were made in new zealand ) the timber finish & tapestry
upholstery gives the inside a good finish ,the van will also look good behind the dodge , living in mt gambier (the national rally in your back yard ) i guess we will see it there & finished
geoff

[Koala]

Sicaflex is the thing to use rather than No More Gaps. It stays flexible, can be painted and sticks like sh@#t to a blanket.

Ken

[Deleted]

Hi Dave

Love the van. good to see you have bit the bullet and made a positive start. even a good scrub down ( of the van) can make you feel better about your purchase and pending resto.
Tailigghts are lucas and... yes thay are common on triumph, BSA, nortons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
The trap door may have been for removal of a "bedpan" or "crapper" is there any sort of seat with a hole in it inside???

Hey ya never know ....

I notice cardiff on the plate. I live about 10 minutes from Newcastles own suburb of cardiff. i take it the van was built in "Cardiff U.K....( Wales???)
Keep at it mate... we are all cheering you on.
Reddo

[groovy]

Dave
Are the pics of the vans showing the outside, rightway round or reversed, in other words is the door on the right hand side as it appears in the pics or on the left hand side. If it is a RHS door, do you have any previous rego information, as you may need that to register it, the ADR's require all vans to have a door on either the LHS or rear of the van.

Greg

[surferboy]

Gday Dave
A small cosy place with exposed roof beams , leadlight glass, woodgrain furniture, small tables with thick comfy seating, ornate lamps...
All thats missing is a ornate wood bar where you can pour warm Guiness...
and youve got the only mobile pommy pub in town ;D ;D ;D

[will and Lyn]

;D
Hi all
happy new year to all you Vin Vanners
been away trying to set up a new business for when we move to hervey Bay
we just missed the boat (literally) the business was a glass bottom boat 40 ft operating for the last ten years in and around hervey bay and fraser island
sold 2 days before we got there
Hey there Reddo I havent lost interest yet just busy travelling and sorting migration stuff
we are now considering importing and building 6 pontoon boats
driveyourself and Barb-Q-pontoons to compliment the plans for the house in Hervey Bay

61 dodges caravan reminds me much of Trevs Tram just a newer version
the guy I sold it to is midstream with the total stripdown and restoration
here is some photos to remind you what great vans the poms have produced




just got back today and started on the 36 with a vengance
tucky panelled my left rear guard I got stuck into it and sprayputtied and undercoated it got it back on the car in between projects
looks good needed that bit of motivation to move on with it
if you leave things to long they become stale no wot I mean?

the big problem is time at the moment with so much happening
we will be back in hervey bay in three weeks restoring the house and making it into an eight bedroom guest house
but all is good for a top new year

keep on keeping on and Go Go Go is my new years motto
when the 36 is finished I will be after a 30s style van around 10ft hopefully in original order similiar to the 30s don mark picked up last year
keep the ears open vin vanners for a good van must be a good original one

Will the happy wanderer

[61dodge]

Thanks for the positive comments gang. I agree, sikaflex is the best stuff to use in anything that has flex, was going to use it for all jointing where waterproofing is needed. The wheels may be Morrie, a friend agreed that they are not Pilot as first thought, stud pattern is on a larger PCD than HQ. The trap door in the rear is beside the kitchen sink, pretty sure it would have been the drain point for an ice box. Poms are weird but not that weird! The van has doors on both sides, both are factory fitted, the one on the right is smaller than the left.
The only history we have on the van is that it was imported from Wales by the original owners in the mid 60's. Guess they loaded all their personal stuff into it for the trip rather than pack it into other boxes or a large container.
So far it seems simpler to remove the interior cladding and repair rotted timber from the inside. The aluminum outer sheeting has marks from the old timber that provide a perfect template to work to. Getting the badly rusted steel screws out of the aluminum cover strips is proving difficult as the ally is quite soft it bends, kinks, and damages easily.
More pics as things develop.