Finally Finished.......

[John]

Hi Everyone,
Well I'm very proud to say that we've finally made it!

From this















To This!!!!













Took her on the Federation "Great Ocean Road Escape" a couple of weeks ago. Had a great time and can't wait to get away again.

Thank you for the advice and support from the forum members who have helped through-out the restoration.
Cheers, John

[dosse]

G'Day John
And you should be proud, great effort very well done. Regards David

[313royal]

Hi John you sure have the talent & I admire your persistence, well done !!

313

[cobber]

John,

Well done mate, it sure looks the part but as they say in the classics "there's no rest for the talented".
You now have the time to start on the 1938 Pop Top, remember only slot headed screws to be used ;D

Cobber.

[firefighter]

hey john

great job you have done on the old girl
"first outing great ocean road" what a trip for the van
Geoff ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Koala]

Hi John

Well done, you would have to be pleased with the final result that you have achieved. Your photos bring back memories of when I started my teardrop which I have just finished as well - we are off to the coast this weekend for our first outing in it.
Time to now enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Ken

[krisbee]

Congatulations John, looking good,what does it feel like to finally have it out and about?Are you still working interstate or are you home again?
Based on what seems to happen, what's the next project. ;D

Cheers, Kris.


OOPS, Sorry, I forgot your poptop

[Roehm3108]

Well done John - Reddo will be proud of ya!!! Thanks for keeping us posted with the pics too.
Ray

[sportsman 1]

Hey John,

great effort to finally get it finished. Hope to catch up soon so I can have a proper gander at it.

By the way, are you going t6o give it a name?

cheers for now,

Leigh.

[John]

hi everyone,
Thank you for your encouragement and comments. It has been a long 3 years (yes that's how long it took) but happy with the final result. Learnt a lot along the way and will be putting that knowledge towards the next project.
Hi Kris - yeah still travelling a lot with work hence why its taken so long to get things finished but I guess I knew that when I signed on. By the way, the legs that you and Col picked up are perfect, Thankyou!!!
As far as the "pop top" goes. As of last weekend, I moved the finished van (which hasn't been named Leigh,although it had a few names during the restoration, but none that I should put on a public forum!!) out to the shed where the 38 is, so now I have a bed out there so I can spend weekends on it. Can promise that this one won't take 3 years as I've already got a deadline for it! Plenty of photo's to come!
Thank you again for all your support.
John

[scootman]

WOW good job there, Am amazed how much like Princess Helen it looks, cept your van is a bit taller I think, Would be interested to see pics of the table folded down to make the double bed.,
Scootman

[Don Ricardo]

Fantastic effort, John.

I traced back through your posts last night and was amazed to see what you've been able to do. The van looks brand new (and I suppose is in many senses!) but still is so utterly authentic. Not too many of us would be willing to take on such a boots and all project...well perhaps I should just speak for myself... ;D

In one of your posts you mentioned that there are four V V's in your family (I think I have the number correct). Have any others appeared on the forum? If so can you point me to them?

Anyway now that you've "finally finished" - enjoy the van.

Don Ricardo

[lulu]

Ohh myyyy WELL DONE!!!! That is bloody fantastic

[John]

G'day Everyone,
To Don-
Yep you got the number correct, 4 vintage caravans in the one family. 2 of them have been on the forum, my other van is titled "1938 poptop", Mum and Dad's is actually under Roehm3108's post "Ray's second lovechild".(page 10 of member's photo's) Yes Ray that's where that van went to, and can i take this opportunity to thankyou for passing on the details to me when you decided not to buy this van. Didn't take much to convince Dad to buy it!! And as for my brothers teardrop, well i'm not really sure when he'll get around to posting photo's, but he's got one of those very cool sportsman teardrop's.
Cheers, John

[sportsman 1]

Hey John,

couldn't help but notice your comment re your brothers "very cool Sportsman Teardrop". WOW, another one surfaces!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any chance of some photos? I would love to catch up some time (most probably after we return from the Darwin run) and compare vans.

Cheers for now,

Leigh.

[belinda]

I like the way the kitchen in your van is under the front window:
- it gives the person preparing dinner a nice view
- if you are eating in the annexe it lets food be passed straight out the door
- it gives more versatility in layout. In particular there is scope to put a bed lengthwise rather than crosswise (more comfortable for anyone over about 5'6")

How does this layout work in actual use?

From the pictures I've seen this seems to be a very common layout in English vans, but I haven't seen it anywhere else on an Aussie van.

[humpty2]

John.

I don't know if you rebuilt your van or constructed it from scratch......but it looks like a 'Carapark Hunter Junior'.
I have seen one just like it at Mildura.
If you built it it is a very good replica of said 'Carapark', and congratulations.
I have some photos but am having trouble transferring them from a CD to 'Photobucket'.........the photos have interior shots and an outside shot.


Regards Humpty

[surferboy]

BUGGER
ANOTHER REBUILD THATS FINISHED AND DONE REALLY WELL

Congrats John

Now Cathy will expect me to get stuck into the cubbyhouse again
(i cant see what the hurry is ...i've still got 11 months before we have to drag it across the nullabor to Mt Gambier........whoops only 10 months......WHAT 9months

[John]

G'day all,
Sorry that it's taken me a while to get back to you all, still having trouble getting to the discussion forum on my housemates computer.
Belinda - The kitchen layout works pretty well. Originally it had two single beds running down either sides, more than comfortable for someone that's taller than 5'6, something I weighed up when changing the layout and as I'm around 5'5 the double bed won out!!You can see the original layout under John McCorkelle showing his van.
Humpty- I based the new layout on the Hunter Jnr. But what I think it is is......
I've only seen one other Gypsy and its at the motor museum in Fremantle. The reasons i believe that its a Gypsy Gem is because of the wheel arches, the very similar layout, and the few hints that I got when re-building her, namely the piece of ply stamped with a company in Sydney and as the Gypsy's were built there.....Also the van had come from wagga so... To be honest, I really don't know but thats my therory!!!
Cheers, John