Pics of my Atlantic 9'6"

[MRFJ55]

Hi there everyone!thought I'd share with you some pics of my Atlantic.anyone else out there with one?If so,I'd love to see some picks of yours.Ta,Maurie.

[Roehm3108]

Hi Maurie
Looks the same as a van I saw on Wednesday sitting in someone's side yard. Sadly it was in such bad condition I doubt it was salvagable. Will go back and take a photo of it and post it on the site. A very cute van
Ray

[belinda]

Hi Maurie

Great to see your pictures. Yes, your van looks identical on the exterior to ours and also to Cobber's "free to a good home" van.

However, they are all quite different on the interior fitout. Cobbers has the stove/sink in a different layout, and yours has a large table + small table interior while the other two have a small table and a sofa/bed

From memory Cobber's van also has a straight bottom edge, where your van and ours have cutouts over the wheels.

On your van is the panel in the door (the one that covers the fly screen) hinged at the front or the back? Ours is hinged at the back which makes it fly open on the road if not locked properly, but means it clips back neatly when we are stopped.

Given that none of these vans have any manufacturers plate I am still wondering if they were backyard jobs made from a kit or plan. Can anyone out there who has old caravan books find where they might have come from? I'm guessing they are all late forties/early fifties.

Belinda

[Deleted]

late Fifties early Sixties is more correct Belinda.

The Atlantic 9' 6" is advertised in the 1960 edition of the Australian Caravan @ Touring Manual, but not the 1957 edition.

Will's 9'6" caravan of similar design and no brand name, I identified as being early sixties due to the interior fittings .....your's however is more 1950's, probably late 50's.
My obversations conclude that Caravans of the late 40's didn't have the large double rear windows that yours, Will's and Mrfj55's vans have.

But they're all great looking little vans just the same

[Hughdeani]

Hi Belinda,
I can see where the confusion is coming from.In the fifties and sixties and evev the early seventies you could buy a caravan shell built to any stage,eg; chassis only ,chassis and wood or steel frame, or a complete shell with or without windows,door,interior,etc to be built/finished as time/finances allowed. I remember as a kid seeing my mates Dad bring home a new Roma bondwood ,and opening the door seeing the inside was empty! His Dad built the interior as time and money allowed.So you see that is why there are a lot of same shape vans around,but with different fixtures and fittings.
Cheers
Hughdeani

[earlee]

Hey Maurrie,

your van looks great with the new paint job. I like the red rims.

What preparation and paints did you use?

earlee.

[MRFJ55]

G'DAY EARLEE, Thanks for your comments about "DORIS" . She's a little beauty ,especially in her new clothes ! After a light massage with the heat gun and paint scrapper on her loins, i removed her cloth/bitumen roof material and had her totally "NUDE"(waytago!) Reputtied windows , two coats of Parfix water proof membrane ,satin white,all over her skin, top and bottom(now i'm excited!). Her new dress was then ready ,two coats of Dulux X10, gloss white and Dulux X10 real red on her top (virgin/vixen colours!) .This was all done with brushes and rollers ,within the privacy of "DORIS'S" rear quarters (discretion assured !) . A little mascara down her side ,a bit more lippy and blush on the inside, and i've got myself a GLAMOUR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!CHEERS MAURIE & DORIE.

[willandlyn]

;D
photos please
lets see this Masterpiece ;D
Mauri and Dori

Regards
Will

[willandlyn]

Hi Laurie and Dorrie


I mean inside shots thanks

Will ;D

[Scootman]

Great Van guys

[belinda]

Hi Mark,

Any chance of you scanning the ad for the Atlantic and posting it? Does it have a picture?

We'd assumed the van was early fifties because of the early Holden wheels and also because the windows were old-fashioned (like house windows) rather than round-cornered windows set in with rubber. When did the more modern-looking windows start coming in? Were they only used by the manufacturers, or did people building vans in their back yards buy them as components?

[MRFJ55]

HI WILL , no photo's of the old girl DORIS'S inner sanctrums yet , still a work in progress . A few more trips to the beauty parlour should do the trick ,she's got good bone structure. All complete and original , so considering if a full face lift appropriate . Cheers MAURIE.

[Deleted]

Hi Belinda,

I will scan some photos from the mags for you over the weekend.

Wheels used on caravans are interesting .....they generally tend to be 10 to 15 years older than when the caravans were manufactured.

This I gather was because there was a plentiful supply of these wheels that could be obtained cheap from the wreckers .....Australian caravan manufacturers never manufactured their own hubs & wheels ...they always came from cars.

So, wheels on old caravans tend to be older than the van.

For instance, my 1948 Holiday Home has 1939 Ford Pilot wheels, my 1949 Don Caravan has early (30's?) Chev wheels, Jenni's 1963 Convair caravan (Ditzy) has FJ wheels.

In the late 50's/ early 60's Holden FX/FJ wheels would have been plentiful, and a good choice for caravan manufactures.

As for windows, my 1956 van "Joker 11" has wooden frame windows .....the ali windows really became popular from about 1956 onwards. You could buy the ali windows for homemade vans ....they were readily available from caravan parts manufacturers.

Mark

[Deleted]

from the 1961 "Australian Caravan & Touring Manual":

[MRFJ55]

G'DAY MARK , Thanks for the info on ATLANTIC CARAVANS . Its only taken me two months to reply , my apologies . I have just printed the dealers brochure , and will keep it in my van as a reference for the future . I met a elderly gentleman at G.M. Day , who wen't on his honeymoon in 1963 to Scarsness , Qld , in a brand new 9'6" ATLANTIC (48-215 tow vehicle as well ) . This ties in well with the 1961 date on the brochure . I think i have tracked down two other ATLANTIC'S here in Sydney , which makes sense being built locally . Will keep a look out for more , i think they're just the best looking vintage van ! Very cute and very curvy ! Thanks again , Maurie. "KEEP HOLDEN ON"

[Deleted]

Hey maurie
i think we have met in a past life. The pictures jogged my memory.
I was at Blacktown swap 2 years ago in the pale blue EK Van with the sedan lights grafted into it ( towing a trailer with bikes and bits). Managed to sell a some bits ( rubber kits and carpet) to some of the Holden club members. I remember your van being there parked near the food tent along with a coupla FJ vans, sedans and utes..

small world izznnit???
Reddo

[MRFJ55]

G'day Reddo , Yep I remember meeting you . Those tailfins on a EK van look unreal ! If im right the car had purple/psycodelic paint job inside and was a show car from the 70's . Didn't you buy it from a lady who was using it as a chook shed ? Blacktown swap is on again first sunday in July , and my FJ car club is hosting the event . I'll be helping set up on the saturday and staying over night in my little van . (DORIS) . I might see you around the campfire , if not we will catch up at Coledale in October . Regards MAURIE . "KEEP HOLDEN ON" .