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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 16, 2005 22:08:05 GMT 10
;D ;D ;D Just got back from Bairsdale (Vic) with a 1947 van built by Botteril and Fraser of Melbourne. ;D ;D The van has remained untouched for most of the last 20 to 40 years in a farm shed. This is the first time it has seen daylight in all those years! A shed right next to where it was stored over the years was destroyed by a bushfire..and she was saved! ;D The shed was basically a time capsule...the farmer had religiously nailed calendars to the wall each year...and they were all still there ....dating from 1939!!! The 1947 one came home with us... ;D ;D The van had a number of items left inside which I will post on the memorabilia site later...but a stack of 1957 womens weekly's, along with a news paper from the same year,, were a clues to when it last went away!! ;D We (my 9 year old daughter and I) drove 1100 km (each way) to get her, towing a borrowed trailer....the tyres rubbed on both sides it was that tight a fit...I can tell you it was so close to a disaster...the sides of the trailer also left only mm's to the bottom of the van. For a while we did not think it was going to go on!!! Note the irony of the ally van in the background, which was purchased, used, and has not survived the ravages of time....all in the time "my van" has sat in the shed!! "Caged" to protect it from the cattle it has been outlasted by an old wooden van..... But we got there... after an hour or so...(and a few mods to the trailer) The trip home was uneventfull if not slow....and I dont recommend getting lost in Melbournes freeway system at peak hour with 2 tonne behind you... We made the most of the trip back...stopping at 2 different caravan parks a night a piece..and made ourselves at home in our new van!! ;D ;D Just had to watch that first step! The condition it is in should make a fantastic basis for a complete restoration...will keep you posted! ;D ;D
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Post by retro1 on Jan 16, 2005 22:12:23 GMT 10
Great picture Marc Keep us all up to date on the resto
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Post by will on Jan 16, 2005 22:48:57 GMT 10
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Post by trev n carrots on Jan 16, 2005 23:22:09 GMT 10
marc..youve had a win..its a real gem cheers trev
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2005 23:30:43 GMT 10
an awesome find Marc .......I'm jealous coz it ain't mine .... I luv those old vans from the 40's..........they rarely surface. Great to hear you got it home safely .........I hope you're going to keep the paint scheme .......its so typical of the 1940's caravans Mark
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2005 8:46:18 GMT 10
Hey Marc And i thought i was the only addict that travelled half way around the world chasing projects. My youngest son and I have covered thousands of miles chasing old motorbikes. Up to a couple of weeks at a time away. They are often the best holidays of all. travelling and meeting people rather than anchored for 4 weeks in the one spot. Always a worry when using borrowed trailers. Wheel bearing, tyres, welding jobs are always in the back of your mind when towing trailers. Then there is the hassle of trying to make the van fit on. If it was your own trailer you wouldnt think twice about doing some modifications with a hammer or hacksaw to make sure that you get the van on. Different tactics when the trailer belongs to someone else. Congratulations on a great purchase. Love the colour scheme. Can't wait to see the "Goodies" you found inside this treasure chest. Pictures, pictures we want more pictures. Are you going to do anything with the "square " wheel arches?? maybe make up some nice curved spats to follow the lines of the van ( Just my humble opinion). Modify or stay dead stock original Your call . Once again congratulations - another treasure has been unearthed!!! Reddo
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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 17, 2005 10:10:34 GMT 10
Thanks for the comments.. ;D It is amazing isn't it how they survive the test of time...nearly sixty years!! It makes me ask, what is the oldest living relic so far uncovered in usable/recoverable condition? The van comes with side skirts...took them off to get it onto the trailer..this is a pic with them on! ;D ;D I think rounded would look good too...I will have to make up a set and restore the square ones as well...the pressure to keep is exactly as is might fade with time...but better to stick to as is now than to regret it later hey!! The colours will be kept....being colour blind I hate those bloody paint charts anyway!!! And it is part of the whole deal of sticking to what has been...if only because I have been promised some old photos of the van on holidays (in return for restoation shots) by the prevoius owner!!! ;D ;D Lights will need to be added....was thinking of a "boat board type of arrangement as used in a lot of the UK pics you see...this would be mounted from under the van so it can be removed for "show". The floor mats removed revealed a lino floor worth keeping, which means apart from re-sealing, sanding, and repainting, we will not need to change it in any way..... ;D The gadget buffs will like the "pop-up" vent. This is operated by twisting a handle over the bench..attached to a dowel that runs through the roof! A very early "Robin Hood" range hood! The picture also shows how 1/2 round timber edging was used!..this is one of the "little" things that grabbed me... Trevs comment about never stopping at one ..is ringing in my ears (or should that be eyes?) ...I think we will need to find another one to fix up with all the mod cons ..like a fridge ;D ;D , gas cooker, stove and an annexe!!! ;D ;D Then there is our liking for the teardrop...............
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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 17, 2005 10:47:25 GMT 10
Inside pics after a bit of scrubbing! ;D Lino will stay! ;D The lights are brass rings around frosted glass domes (3"/75mm Dia) ;D One of the inside cabinets...love the curves! Back to work! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by belinda on Jan 17, 2005 10:50:46 GMT 10
The old lino is definitely worth keeping. It is a great surface and irreplaceable now - there are lots of vinyls available, but the only lino is Marmoelum.
I know about lino because I'm nursing along an old inlay lino floor in my house. Strangely enough, it's identical to the lino on the floor of the Propert van on display at the national museum in Canberra.
To give you an indication, when we bought the house we thought the floor was plain brown lino. It took a lot of work to realise it had a pattern, and a lot more to see that there are in fact lots of colours in it. I've tried just about every chemical and detergent to clean the floor, but by far the best has been an Enjo green floorcloth, which just works with water.
The best people to advise about care of old materials (lino, upholstery, fabrics etc.) are conservators at museums.
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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 17, 2005 14:15:06 GMT 10
Thanks Belinda! ;D My other half will never let me hear the end of it if her pet "Enjo" glove goes outside!!! The lino is a keeper I was wondering if you have found a good sealer/polish to keep it "shiny new" and protect it from the kid, dog toe nails, etc? Marc
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Post by trev n carrots on Jan 17, 2005 20:23:31 GMT 10
g'day Marc..see if you can find a floorcovering store that sells PEGULAN floorcovering products...your want STRIPPER to clean it then ULTRA FILM to seal it..about $12-$15 for 500ml bottle cheers trev
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Post by belinda on Jan 18, 2005 6:39:59 GMT 10
I know how your Missus feels about her Enjo glove. I've had to save mine from a trip through the dryer more than once (gasp).
However, I really think gently gently is the best way to go. With the lino in the house I've kept working at it with the green floorcloth (your wife will know what I'm talking about) and it is gradually getting better.
In the past I have used stripper and sealer, which you can buy from a commercial cleaning supplier (look in the yellow pages). However I don't think I'll do it again. As well as being a bit harsh on such an old/fragile/irreplaceable material it was a pain to use - especially the stripper. In fact, it was fifty years' worth of wax which was our biggest problem working on the floor in the house. It had built up and accumulated grime, so the worst job was getting as much of it off as possible.
The lino in our van couldn't be saved so we bought a remnant of Marmoleum which we had professionally laid. After a weekend of five people camping at the beach it needs a wash, but the Enjo cloth cleans it up well. The Marmoleum in the van has convinced me to save up and put it in the house too. Lino really is a lovely surface.
I'd still suggest speaking to a conservator at a museum before trying anything serious. If you get any technical tips, let us know.
In the meantime ask for a green Enjo cloth for your birthday (and lessons about how to use it). It will clean everything in the van. Better still, organise an Enjo party with the Melbourne van fraternity. It would be a novel get together, you'd get your van cleaned plus a nice gift, and I'm sure it would be a new experience for the Enjo lady!
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Post by trev n carrots on Jan 18, 2005 9:10:14 GMT 10
pegulan products are for domestic use on domestic vinyls & its available from retailers ..i sell it & use it!
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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 18, 2005 11:03:57 GMT 10
OK you two! I will sit on this one for a while......both sound like sensible approaches..... ...don't 'spose strippers and sealants applied with an Enjo glove would keep us all friends!! Ha Ha. At this stage I'm rapt at how well it has cone up with sugar soap, water and effort! My daughters (younger) eyes have confirmed it is made up of small squares with , something, used as a type of grout ?!! Back yo the filling and priming!! Ta!
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Post by mik on Jan 18, 2005 16:41:53 GMT 10
Bravo Marc,,,,,,,,,,,its great to see her out of her "cave" and on the way to being restored! l'll be very interested to see how our, oops, your van comes up. l'm glad to hear that it was what you expected. Congratulations and good luck! Mik
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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 19, 2005 20:09:45 GMT 10
Thanks Mik! "Our"..old girl has had plenty of attention! Stipped of all the fittings, the bits are being polished up, and you may recall the back window was sealed shut with fibre reinforced tape etc...this has all come out and the window frame fixed and re-puttied! My skills are a little rusty there!! The interior has been sanded sealed and bogged! The first coat went on the interior today and it is a perfect match to what we think it would have been when new;D ;D...(all credit to the paint shop bloke...not the colour blind owner). The inside is starting to look like new...Jane is onto the job of fabric colour style etc...since the interior is monochrome green the colour will come from whatever she comes up with....(not that it will bother me! ;D ;D The "lid" is off and will receive work tonight! Just got back from the auto shop with a load of body filler, sandpaper etc and picked up some rubber mouldings to re do all the seals...tomorrows project! ;D Will keep you posted!! Cheers, Marc ;D
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Post by Will on Jan 20, 2005 9:01:47 GMT 10
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Post by jazhow2 on Jan 23, 2005 18:55:26 GMT 10
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Post by reidy on Jan 26, 2005 18:32:43 GMT 10
Good job Marc, hard to believe but the van i just picked up from Rye Victoria is exactly the same as yours right down to the colour and made by the same company (they were boat builders after ww2) Like your van it had been stored undercover for a number of years but had suffered from the suspension being removed at some time, probably for use on a car trailer. No problem though as i had a donor set that was fitted to enable us to put it on a tandem (like yours very tight fit). The only bad tihing was that the guy who owned it decided to keep the origional water tap for his collection of rare tapware (thanks mate!). I suppose i shouldn't complain too much though as the price was a bit hard to refuse (FREE OF CHARGE) pisser hey! Hope to start the resto soon, should be fun. Regards Reidy
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Post by Jazhow2 on Jan 27, 2005 12:50:06 GMT 10
Reidy, Was that the van REX posted as a "Teardrop" ? If it was.....and you got it for nicks!! ? At least Mark T will feel better about me getting a few extras with mine...I paid a LOt more than that....but it did come with wheels at least!!! Great to hear there is another one around...you HAVE to post pics....!!!!!! ;D Marc (From Work.....)
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Post by Reidy on Jan 27, 2005 21:23:46 GMT 10
Yeh Marc that was the van Rex posted as a teardrop. Didn't mind the price too much and as i already had a spare axle it wasn't that much trouble. Regards Reidy
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Post by Nascohunter on Jan 27, 2005 22:53:44 GMT 10
Well Done Reidy, Another van saved from the scrap heap. Was glad to see the van when you picked it up. Cheers Tony.
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Post by willandlyn on Feb 15, 2005 9:43:39 GMT 10
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Post by willandlyn on Feb 18, 2005 10:07:57 GMT 10
Hi marc whats your email send to Billbay@iinet.net.au hows the resto on the van going
Regards
Will
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Post by jazhow2 on Feb 18, 2005 20:41:52 GMT 10
Thanks Will, ;D Things have slowed up a bit with work getting in the way! The sanding back is about 75% done...which is not going to change in the next week since we are otherwise committed this weekend....bugga! This is a pic of the back which is complete but for paint.. The window can now be opened again...it had been fibre-glassed shut...hope Ive found all the leaks they were trying to prevent!! The next pic is of the side all stripped and ready for sealing. Only burnt out one sander so far......... Most of the hard stuff has been done. ;D The door had dropped and was out of square...many hours later its back on....still not square...but if I cheat on the trim a bit only a cabinet maker like Retro1 will pick it!!. Least it now shuts without having to lift and shove...and the black door knob turns out to be brass...came up great with some brasso!! ;D Have been over the frame with a wire brush and sealed with an Aluminium/oil ...looks like the old silver frost my dad used on all the rust spots of the old Zephyr back in the late 60's!!...wish we still had the old wagon now though...... Found a matching set of old Chev rims that had beed powdercoated...exact match for original rims...so spare wheel is covered! ;D Also had a find in the local Mitre10 ....some 1/2 round in the same profile as all the original side trims..most of which I managed to wreck getting it off..... So that is ready once I paint. The interior is complete and back together...love it! ;D ;D Jane has been hitting ebay a bit for old retro "stuff" to kit her out...and found there is heaps out there! Photo's later! Meanwhile list of items on the need to find list is: Gas Stove..old but working/repairable Vintage tail lights/indicators Clearance lights And an annex ..preferably for less than what the van has cost....might prove to be the hardest to find of all!! But if I know Jane (AKA the Ebay Queen)........
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