Our Olympic

[atouchofglass]

SOOOOO Tonyh......

How's it goin'?

Long weekend over ...... perhaps there's a floor in place or maybe partially finished ??


Atog aka curiosity

[minicamper]

Now Gents, before you all end up on the floor screaming and pulling each others hair..

Remember, that whatever you think of them, Bondy's are the "grandparents" of all caravans. You wouldn't disrespect your Grannie, so i think the same should apply to the Bondy's.

EVERY pre 70 van is special/beautiful in its own right, even Reddo's Fugly van would have been the envy of someone's neighbours who were van less, possibly even car less.

All vans have faults, Bondy's rot, fibreglass cracks and aluminium corrodes so none are really any better than the others.

Lets all form a circle, facing outwards, swords raised and collectively fight off the invasion of Jayco's and A vans and try to maintain Mark's primary goal:

"The purpose of this site is to communicate with other early caravan enthusiasts, view the projects of others, identify the manufactures and features of the various makes of caravans, and to gather information on the whereabouts of pre 1970 caravans to assist interested people in locating them for a prospective purchase"

Nuthin in there about teasing...

Now straighten up your dresses, flatten your hair down, check your lippy and sit back and admire Tony's work...

[humpty2]

The only reason you can't buy sheets of Fibreglass is because all the resinous substances that are required to make it are being used up by others trying to stick sheets of wood together so as it will be able to stand up to the rigours of construction and exposure to the elements

[atouchofglass]

Hey Tonyh
All I asked was "How's it going?"
and all this verbal diarrhea exploded onto the screen

Bored bondwood owners at it again
Rotting the fine lines of our vans
A thin veneer of interest covering their disdain for fine glass
Termiting the good name of fibreglass

Plying their vicious rumours
Oh how sad
Oh poor show

Wood rot like this stop you?
NEVER

All I was asking was "How's the van going?"

Ignore the ignorant and keep up the good work
Ignore the smell of jealousy and envy
Hopefully it will all just flush away


Atog

[tonyh]

Well ATOG, the long weekend was a wipeout - no time on my FC ute or the Van. I was shanghaied by mates wanting their projects fixed. The first one is a mate with a dual cab 4WD going bush towing one of those late model pop-up vans. Every time he goes bush he gets me to weld up the steel canopy and roof rack. This time I said I wanted to "do it properly" and remove it and fit larger steel supports. To cut a VVVVeeeery long story short we removed the canopy almost getting hernias and the ute went up 1.5" in the rear. Now I know why the supports kept braking !!!!! I didn't repair it and he is buying - You guessed it a FIBREGLASS canopy. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Then another mate 55years old - going through mid life bought a 1970 Corvette - ( I have to be nice to him , it's his son who will help me with the interior fitout of the van) he was supposed to come over for a 2 hr carby rebuild - called me at 8.00am Sunday morning after getting home from the drags at 1.00am to tell me it wouldn't start - over to his place with my gear to find the HEI ignition coil dead - now I have to fix the dizzy TOO so removed the carby and dizzy bits, headed home - overhauled the carby and ordered the dizzy bits for another day - away from my projects
I did get a little time to fix the last two cupboard doors ready for the new Laminex and more gluing of the floor joists - there is only 3 short sections in the front to repair but I am taking my time to get them right - too hard to get at later!!
By the way I can't drop the chassis out because without the floor the bottom bellypan is like a piece of jelly. I have 4 jacks supporting the chassis & bellypan while the body is supported by the supports so the bellypan with the joists and the van sides are all level. All good fun. ;D ;D ;D ;D
Will be taking and posting photos as I go. ;D
Cheers, tonyh

[humpty2]

Tony,
You didn't really name your van 'Cloud 9' did you??
We named our boat 'Cloud 9', only to be advised later by all our family and everyone else........that Cloud 9 is a chain of brothels.
They must move in different circles than I do.

[tonyh]

OOaaawaahh Humpty2,

You have got to be pullin' my leg - I will have to change the outside light to a red one. ;D
I must travel in different circles too

I just checked in Whitepages - none in Queensland and an "Escort Service" in NSW I will be OK as long as I don't go over the border - The customers might think it's a mobile service


Cheers, tonyH

[tonyh]

Just been out voted by my better half - has to be a girls type name - "Dolly" (Parton) my favorite other girl (I always said if I ran off with another girl it would be Dolly) ;D or - "Blondie" . Have either of these been used? - Anyone I running out of ideas
Cheers tonyh

[minicamper]

A fibreglass brothel

now that's gunna bring new meaning to the term "Jock Itch"

Cheers, Impartial van admirer..

Chris

[atouchofglass]

Hi big guy
Let me slip into something a little more comfortable.....
A fully restored Olympic caravan with a loooooveelllyy double bed.....

Yep I could see why they would choose quality fibreglass

Good thinking Reddo

Problem is it will make the price of Olympics will increase.....
Better get some soon .....
before they are all snapped up ....

What are you bringing to the next "Pimp and Tarts" ball?
Why my fully restored mobile bed!!!

Fancy red lights ..... Love heart bed ..... credit card machine .....
You know Reddo just like the ones you told me about and said not to say anything about to ..... ooohhhh sorry

Yep gunna be hard to find soon Reddo

betta get in soon (So to speak)



Atog

[tonyh]

Heeeeeyy, I think my thread's been hijacked ;D
Who's van are you describing

"A fully restored Olympic caravan with a loooooveelllyy double bed.....Fancy red lights "- Does this sound to anyone else like a beautifully restored/rebuilt Olympic with a lovely double bed and red heart shaped lights from the west?? AND with the name "LOVSHACK

Sorry Lovshack I couldn't resist ;D ;D ;D ;D
Cheers, tonyh

[tonyh]

Ok enough of this silly stuff, - Back to the important stuff - Restorin' ;D
Did a little while the site was down - before I got sidetracked building a tandem car trailer for my boys "Street Meet" race car - (I did build it big enough to put old vans on) ;D
All the floor joists have been re-glued and repaired but I bought some hoop pine to glue and nail/screw along side to give the floor a bit more support. Also have bought four sheets of the first grade marine ply for the floor and some free 1/8" sheets that use to protect the ply in transit for the template material.
Thanks to Peter from the Classic Van site for arranging the resin to re-glass the floor in as well as coating the floor joists and the underside of the floor before installation and then after glassing the new floor to the main cab sealing the entire floor, to totally protect it forever.





Cheers, TonyH

[atouchofglass]

So Tonyh

Have you got a solid floor in the Fantastic '65?

Updates mate we need updates!!! ;D

Atog

[tonyh]

Hi ATOG,
Got the floor - first grade marine ply but not in yet - Been sidetracked on building a tandem car trailer - nearly finished and got the flu - big time and having a whole new appreciation for Panadol.
Promise to get back on task when better ;D

Cheers, tonyh

[tonyh]

Hi All,
Got the rear floor joists finished with the centre ones having added pine support. The new wider pine is so the metric sheets will fit over a support
"Looks really neat" you say - well that’s because that ply and pine now has the added waterproofing of the fabulous FIBREGLASS RESIN so it won’t fall apart like it did last time. ;D
Time to measure up and make the floor template from 3mm MDF then transfer and cut out to the floor ply before it gets the resin treatment top and bottom before gluing, nailing to the joists and finally fibreglassing to the body.





AND thanks ATOG for your advise - I had been feelin' a little poorly and he suggested it was from the timber / plywood dust and to top up on fabulous fibreglass resin so I made a bit extra - as you can see I did and now - fightin' fit again. ;D



Cheers, tonyh ;D

[atouchofglass]

Hey Tonyh.... ;D ;D ;D
So glad to see you have recovered from the veneer virus, the timber tremours, the wood woozyness and the ply pox.. ;D


Was just about to post you an obsene PM asking for more photos as we have been having a fibre deficiency of late...

Then lo and behold ..... glass fantastic ;D ;D ;D

Looking good mate...
Keep it going and the floor will be in real soon

Cheers
Atog

[Deleted]

Hi Tonyh

I know i have harped on about this before but i still reckon that you guys putting all that new timber into your fglass repairs should be sealing the timber with a couple of coats of oil based pink primer. It isnt that dear and it would gaurantee that the timber wont rot again. Weeelll... not for a bloody long time.I am not totally convinced that simply encasing the wood in fibreglass will stop it from rotting. especially if its only soft wood you are using.

Perhaps its just my half baked opinion but for the sake of shelling out less than another $50 you will be have the peace of mind knowing that the job is there for ever.

The choice is yours ... just my two bobs worth.
Reddo

[tonyh]

Hi Reddo, ;D
The thought to put the resin on was from the boat builder (he glasses hoop pine into sections of his sailing boats) who told me to only use hoop pine when fibreglassing so the fibreglass gets the best bond and is who I got the resin from - his take is it is not so much a covering but it soaks into the timber sealing it for good - might take more than one coat.
I asked if I needed to thin the resin to help it soak in more effectively - the answer was no as the new resins were thin enough already.
It has soaked in and I will be putting another layer on - probably overkill but I don't want to do it again. ;D
Cheers, tonyh

[Deleted]

;D

Hi Tony
Fair nuff.... sounds good. And its worth remembering that boats operate in a lot wetter environment than your van is going to..... welllllll at least i hope it is. gunna be in a drier environment... your not planning on making a house boat out of it are you.

Keep chipping away at it mate.. your doin well.

Reddo

[tonyh]

Hi All,

the joists are finished so I cut out the 3mm MDF rear floor template


After checking the template - time to start cuttin' the new AA marine ply


Check it in the van beautiful fit ;D


and seal the underneath it with Resin before final fitting, gluing etc

And if we didn't need any more proof ATOG - check out the warning on the Blondwood - dangerous stuff ;D ;D ;D ;D sorry Reddo - couldn't resist ;D

Cheers tonyh

[Deleted]

:And if we didn't need any more proof ATOG - check out the warning on the Blondwood - dangerous stuff ;D ;D ;D ;D"

OK ... THATS IT .. YOU GUYS HAVE FORCED ME OUT OF THE CONE OF SILENCE......


Avoid breathing dust and contact with the eyes......
Sorta makes ya wander how them pesty termites have survived for so long..... ;D

At least us woody types give ya a warning ...
What do ya get with fobbergross... No warning By the time ya realise ya covered with red blotches and are impotent from snortin the dread fgross..... its too late. Ya pecker turns black and drops off.

Yup.. us timber manglers are much more considerate that those that produce the "toxgross"...
My advice to you is enjoy the time ya have left. Work hard and at least have a night in the Olympic before ya drop off the perch.... .

Remember the smokin advert.. "every fobergross van is doin ya harm"

Written and spoken by "Pres of the Royal Society for the Preservation of Bondwood Caravans Australia".

[Deleted]

nice progress mate.
While standing on grain... you'll always stay sane.. ;D
Reddo

[tonyh]

Hi All, new support in between the front two sheets -1200mm now and a bit short for the original 4 foot spacing,


Front sheets cut and in position for final check It's been sooo long it's great to see some real progress. ;D




Out again for the resin sealing of the front joists and sheets before final fitting ;D


Cheers, tonyh

[atouchofglass]

Give yourself a pat on the back for the progress Tony

May not look much to the untrained and non-restorers eyes...
But to some of us ..... it's a damn lot of work...

Well done
Keep going it will be worth it
By the way did you look at the front kitchen in the Olympic thread in Down History Lane?

Food for thought

Cheers
Atog

[tonyh]

Hey ATOG, fibreglass co-fanatic, ;D
I saw that van in person - so to speak at Guru Bob's. We had already through about changing the interior around but decided to say with original layout - I just like it ;D ;D
Cheers, tonyh