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Post by btsa01 on Mar 10, 2014 17:40:31 GMT 10
Hi,
I have a Viscount Ambassador Alumvan with a chassis number E10606. It is white with blue lightning flash markings. It measures 13 ft. I am unsure if this was manufactured late 1969 or early 1970. The wheels are of HR Holden stud pattern. Does anyone know how many Viscount Ambassador vans were manufactured before the E-Chassis numbers and logo changed approx May 1970 ?. I have had this van for approx 21 years and its just come out of storage. I am planning on some restoration work and would like to know more about her history. I have learned a lot via this forum but the last details are still missing. I am still unsure if the van is a Vintage or a Classic. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Darryl
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 10, 2014 19:52:35 GMT 10
G'day Darryl, and welcome to the forum!  It's hard to say whether your chassis number is definitely from 1969, or 1970. There are some anomalies creeping into the Viscount Ambassador chassis numbering system, where E8135 shows a Feb 1969 date in the cupboard, and E4620 shows Oct 1969 on the rear plywood. Somewhere along the line they've switched the chassis numbering series, and inserted the 4xxx numbers. What it means is that your number might have been pushed back into 1970. I guess you could decide which forum you prefer to be a member of, and call it the year that matches that forum. I don't know what the highest E-series number was before they switched to putting the E at the end of the numbers. Your number would be pretty close to the changeover. cheers, Al. |
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Post by btsa01 on Mar 11, 2014 20:11:49 GMT 10
Hi Al,
thanks for your help. Can you explain more about my chassis number E10606 being pushed back into 1970 ?. On my caravan registration paperwork it states year of manufacture 1974.I have believed this to be an error due to the E-chassis number and older logo before the May 1970 changes. Also HR Holden wheels (1966 to 1968)?. HG Holden introduced July 1970, so HR Holden caravan wheels possibly state earlier manufacture than 1974 ?. I would also like to upload some photos but having problems.
Thanks
Darryl
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 11, 2014 20:56:37 GMT 10
Darryl, logic suggests chassis numbers would work in numerical order, yes? Well, it seems there is something "not quite right" with the numbering sequence throughout the history of the Ambassadors. Ordinarily, I would expect an Ambassador with an E4xxx chassis number to fit somewhere in around the 1967 time period. However, the van owned by thomas shows it to have been built in 1969. Somewhere either on this forum or the Classic Caravans forum, another person came on with an Ambassador with an E4xxx number that also had the lightning stripes like yours and thomas's. I've been searching both forums trying to find that other van but haven't had any luck yet (stupid search function won't let you put in E4*** and get it to find all the E4 numbers). If you read through the Ambassador chassis number thread in our Down History Lane section, you'll see the numbers were up around E2000 in 1966 and yet in 1967 they jumped to be up around E6000. That always worried me from a history point of view, because I doubt very much whether 4,000-odd Ambassadors would have been built in a year, particularly at that time anyway. So it looks like they might have skipped using some of the numbers in the sequence (I can't recall seeing any E3xxx or E5xxx vans yet, to know what paint pattern is on the side of those numbers). E8xxx is early 1969, and E4xxx is late 1969, so where does that leave the E10xxx series?? Perhaps they used them in 1970? When you read through thomas's thread, you'll see where he found the date, and you'll see my comment about how a lot of the Viscount vans have the date written on them somewhere on the back of the plywood. One day if you ever take the cladding off, you too will see the date written there, and THEN you'll know for sure when it was built. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 11, 2014 21:14:29 GMT 10
Seek and ye shall find... That other van is in the Viscount history thread here. Chassis number E4220. White acrylic cladding and lightning stripes indicate it was built after mid-1969, which would tally up with thomas's van E4620. And I'm still waiting on chassis number information to come through on this other van that they believed to be from 1967 but the lightning stripes suggest otherwise. cheers, Al. |
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Post by btsa01 on Mar 12, 2014 20:23:15 GMT 10
Thanks Al,would still like to share photos but same error message......Error: This forum has exceeded its attachment space limit. Your file cannot be uploaded.
Cheers Darryl
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 12, 2014 20:42:30 GMT 10
Darryl, in the second post in this thread it says you can't post photos via the attachment method on this forum. (Is that a recent change, Moderators??). You'll have to learn how to post photos via one of the other methods. See the threads at the top of the Forum Guidelines & Helpful Forum Hints section. cheers, Al. |
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Post by btsa01 on Mar 13, 2014 19:05:42 GMT 10
Thanks Al.
Just found some letters and numbers inside some cupboards. Had to read using a mirror.
AMBL ST1005
1005
Also found more markings in front cupboards but covered by wooden flashing. Again, confined area and only found using a mirror. Will know more if I can remove flashing.
Cheers Darryl
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 13, 2014 21:53:59 GMT 10
Darryl, in the second post in this thread it says you can't post photos via the attachment method on this forum. (Is that a recent change, Moderators??). Hi Btsa01 and Franklin1, There is an explanation on why you cant post photos via the Attachment method on this forum in the 'Forum Guidelines & Helpful Hints' section here. (I just reposted the explanation from another thread.  ) As Franklin1 said Btsa01, you need to use Photobucket or another similar online website to post your photos - and we'd all definitely like to see the photos of your van. Don Ricardo By the way, are you two related? I notice you've both got the same surname - '1'... Sorry, couldn't resist! |
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Post by btsa01 on Mar 16, 2014 13:52:20 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Mar 16, 2014 16:20:09 GMT 10
Your van looks to be in a fairly tidy condition, Darryl, so that's a pretty good starting point for you. About a month or so ago, I was on my usual daily walk and a household in our area had had a cleanup. A pile of junk was on their footpath for collection, and I noticed there were bits and pieces of a caravan in the pile. Having a closer look, I realised they were from a Viscount model, so I salvaged whatever was worth grabbing. One of the bits was what looked like a partition wall, maybe from the end of the kitchen or lounge. It had a 240V/12V light fitting in it (but unfortunately only the base)...  On the back of the partition wall, the bare plywood had some information written on it...  I have no idea what the information relates to, but it is similar to what you've seen so far inside your van. cheers, Al. |
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