Goingreys `68 Wayfarer

[goingrey]

Gedday all,

Just thought I would show you some pics of a purchase I made last week shortly after arriving home from the VV Nationals in MtGambier.

This van was originally purchased by my parents in early 1968. It was first registered in Feb 68. They ordered it to be made for them brand new by Wayfarer as they had just got engaged and were going to honeymoon in it and also live in it after they were married.

My fathers friend had a Wayfarer agency at the mechanics garage in Gormandale Victoria which is a very small farming town south east of Traralgon. I think they only sold one other Wayfarer to a local school teacher. (Dad made the sale) He remembers going to the factory in Melbourne and watching his being built.

It belonged to them up until approximately four and a half years ago when they sold their farm and the van just stayed in the shed for the new owners to use as temporary accommodation.

It was removed out of the shed a few years ago and has sat in the weather ever since which means it now has considerable water damage in the roof particularly arount the two roof hatches.

Luckily for me the interior has remained pretty much in tact and original and it came with the original fridge, oven, cusions etc, and even the annex is in fantastic condition with all the original poles and ropes.

My plan is to get it into my shed (when I clear up a few other projects) and pull the roof off and give it a big 40th Birthday. ;D ;D ;D

I had been thinking about the van for a while now and after being at the Nats on the slow cruise home decided to ring the current owners and ask them if they still had mum and dads old van. As its eighteen foot long its large enough for me to bring the wife and two year old daughter as well as my son Jack to the next Nats.

Lucky I rang when I did as the owner told me that she had planned to ring a local junk yard bloke that very day to come and make her an offer and take it away. I offered her $200.00, she said OK, so I went back later in the day with dad and just towed it away. (to Dads place, I don’t have room at home for it yet.)

Anyway, enough history, hopefully here are a few pics:















Incidently, the canvas maker that made the annex in the sixties is still in business in Traralgon. I might take that hession annex bag to him and ask if he`ll fix the hole in it under warranty... ;D

Chow,
Brendan.

[Geoff & Jude]

hi brendan

that's a pretty nice looking van (we like 'em big).

good to be able to 'get onto' a van that once belonged to mum and dad after they got rid of it.

pity it was put out in the weather though.

geoff 'n jude

[cobber]

G'day Brendan,

Bet the old man's happy you have rescued this four wheel giant, shame about the ceiling but it should clean up AOK.

Bit of a worry as to why you rang the same day the owner was going to dump it........... something weird going on there .

Cobber.

[Roehm3108]

What a great pickup!!! And you know its history too. Is this the only tandem Wayfarer, I wonder??? Good luck with the resto, shouldn't be too difficult as long as the framing has held up.
Ray

[goingrey]

Yeah it is a bit bigger than my little woody, I dont think the Grey in the FC would enjoy luggin it around

My old man used to tow it with a Green 5lt HG Brougham. All black vinyl interior (just great on summer vacation in the back seat with a brother and sister).

Back when you didnt need three credit cards and a second mortgage to pay for fuel.

Dunno Cobber what was going on with the timing..... the stars must've been aligned or somethin'

I'd be keen to know about other tandem Wayfarers too Ray, I reckon theyd be out there.

Chow,
Brendan.

[Franklin1]

Hi Brendan, I read a story in the recent past about a fella who found and restored a truck that his Dad owned many years before. The fella finished the restoration and went round and surprised his Dad with a trip around the neighbourhood for his Dad's 100th birthday!!

Yours is an equally great story! There are many of us who would give our eye teeth just to know the life story of our vans, let alone be able to get one that belonged to family in the past. In your case, I wouldn't care what was needed to restore it, I'd do it!

Congratulations on your exquisite timing! And don't worry about what to pull it with...have a read of the FJ / 18ft Franklin story second from the top in this thread...
vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=1179132912&page=3

cheers,
Al.

[tinnie]

Hey brendan,

Do you need a hand to clean out the shed?? You supply the beer and I'll bring my own chair to sit on ;D

Nice annex, I am green with envy I suppose it came with wooden poles too?

Cheers,

Gristy

PS I am off to the Mount tomorrow to pick up POS Ford.

[jrod]

Hi Brendan,

Nice work with the timing! You're lucky to have picked up a van with the family history. Shame about the water damage but it can all be fixed!

Certainly dont have one of those on the site yet, so look forward to seeing it around the traps!

It would look great behind a HK!

Cheers, Jrod

[tinnie]

I reckon I can guess what it will be going behind

As Shultz would say "I know nuthink"

;)Gristy

[goingrey]

Hi all,

As the wayfarer had no curtains in it when I picked it up, I asked Ma and Pa to see if they could find some pics so that I can get something similar when the time comes.
This is what they found..

That’s my Grandpa with my older brother whom is 2 weeks old (1970). My bro spent the first six months of his life living in the Wayfarer with mum and dad. I love the curtains. They still have the fan too (which I`ll try to coax from them in the near future) ;D

They also came up with some pics from the caravan park the lived at after they got married.



Check out the thirty footer in the background… Does anyone know what that is

And heres me being fed a coldie by my brother and dad in 1971. Presumably straight from the esky. A lesson I learned well as that very esky accompanied me to MtGambier and provided me with plenty more… ;D ;D ;D


Chow for now,
Brendan

[tinnie]

Nice pickies Brendan.

I like the one with the Van and EH parked beside - maybe you need an EH, eh!

That 30' van looks like a Roma or Glenlee.

Cheers,
gristy

PS sending you a PM

[skyline59]

Love the old van & the pictures & the history, the timing in making that phone call must of meant that it was all meant to be, & you have the esky & the fan that are in the old photo's, a fantastic bit of family & caravaning history, hope the water damage isn't too bad, Regards Brett

[willyn]

Great pictures of Gramps and the bro Brendan
great pics of the 60s early ali caravans too!
there was a period in the late sixtys and 70s where it was chic to tow the larger vans around australia
I had a 36 ft van I towed from melbourne to Perth with a 1956 Star model Ford in 1973
the thing boiled nearly all the way over the nullarbour
that was around trip no 5 across
the last one I just did from Mt Gambier was trip 30
many good memorys there


Will and Lyn

[firefighter]

Hi Brendan

looks like a gathering for large vans
where is the caravan park the photos were taken in
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D

[goingrey]

Gedday all,

Geez Will & Lyn, 30 trips accross the Nullabor
Have you heard of an invention from a few years back called the "aeroplane" ;D ;D ;D You must have seen some amazing things after all those trips (or absolutely nothing for hundreds of miles ;D)

Hey Firefighter, those pics were from a caravan park in Traralgon Vic. called "Baringal Caravan Park". As is the way of progress, the park no longer exists and has been replaced by a strip of furniture/electrical retail businesses.

That EH in the pic was Dads first towcar for the van, before being replaced by the Brougham. My memories as a small kid of the Brougham was that it was hot and noisy. That "noise" now brings a smile to my face as it was the sound of a 5lt V8 with a twin system. ;D You dont see a lot of Broughams getting around anymore.

Chow,
Brendan

[tinnie]

Hey Brendan,

I think you need one........(Brougham that is), once the Wayfarer is done.

Cheers,
Gristy

[goingrey]

Gedday all,

Heres some recent pics of the Wayfarer. I finaly found a bit of time to make a start on the water damage (ie. been on leave!)

I had to open its scull so that I could remove all rotten timber and replace with new. Have you noticed that the sawmills dont cut timber to the same sizes as they used to Probably due to the change to metric.

Found a well established ants nest in the roof Hopefully I`ve gotten rid of them now.

I was really impressed with the workmanship that went into the original framing of the van. Very neat, tidy and well finished. Unlike the framing on my more modern J#%@o van. It has minimal glue and a million staples. Not a nail or screw to be found.

The interior is now ready for paint, the exterior roof sheets of alluminium just need to have the joins re-sealed and be screwed down. Then to start on the brakes before I get it re-registered.











I dont think I`ll have this one ready for Cora Lynn but I still hope to get there in the FC and Bondy.

Chow for now,

Goingrey

[goingrey]

Gedday all,

I have finally got the Wayfarer virtually finished ;D (Are these things ever really finished )

The ceiling and floors replaced/rebuilt, brakes overhauled, new tyres on sandblasted & painted rims, exterior cleaned and painted, new spats made, interior repainted (2lt undercoat & 7lt top coat), all cupboard hinges renewed, new flyscreens, plumbing reconnected, gas lines/regulator replaced, fridge and oven serviced & tested, new window blinds, and a thousand other things that these projects need...

I took the family (and the Van) for its first real trip recently and spent three nights at a caravan park in Toora, (Sth Gippsland VIC)

All went very well, and as usual, the oldest van in the park got the most attention from other travellers.

Anyway, here are a few pics for you...





















I will attempt to post some exterior shots soon.

Regards,

goingrey

[Deleted]

Sweeeeeeet
Reddo

[goingrey]

Here are some external shots.

This is my dad (the original owner of the van) and my two kids.


This is both my vans getting to know each other








The original annex is till in really good nic...




the one on the right is the old mans current van...


and just another few shots inside...




I have no idea how may hundreds of hours went into this van, but having it all packed up behind the car, with the family, and on the road make it all worth while.

I had more than a few beers on that first arvo at the caravan park after we were all set up and there was nothing left to do but sit back and enjoy.

Hopefully in thirty years my son will be taking his kids for a holiday in the van just as I did with my parents thirty years ago.

Regards,

goingrey

[humpyboy]

Hi there goingrey, very nice job done there on your dad's old van and I notice that you managed to coax the fan from them also, more than once going by all the pictures of it ;D

[JBJ]

Hi Goingrey,


Thats one fantastic van. You did a great job, & having all the memories & history must make it even better.

Congratulations on a great job.

JBJ

[JBJ]

Hi,

I cant get away from this post.
To me me this is what Vintage Caravanning is about. Living your memories, & passing them on to your kids.

Better than youtube & that sort of crap

Good one

JBJ

[Don Ricardo]

G'day Goingrey,

What a magnificent effort - the Wayfarer looks fantastic! And I love all the wonderful items you've collected for the van - including some of your parents' originals, I see. Congratulations on the whole thing.

Your father looks very pleased, and I bet he has enjoyed watching or perhaps being involved in the project. However if says he wants to swap his Royal Flair for the Wayfarer, tell him the answer is 'no'. ;D ;D ;D

As has been said by others, it is wonderful that it is your parents' van, that you know its whole history, that it has so many memories for you, and - I am guessing - that your wife has been happy to support you with having not only a V V, but this particular V V. (I have certainly appreciated my wife's willingness to live with - and in - my particular V V obsession. )

I think it is exciting that there is a growing number of vans on the forum that are owned by the original owners' children or grandchildren. I put together a list a while ago but am not sure what thread it is on - I think there might have been five or six that I came up with.

I hasten to add that I am not saying by any means that this aspect is the be all and the end all. It's not. But I do think it's one of the many cool things about the forum.

Don Ricardo

[Deleted]

1968 .........a year I remember so well as a 12 yo

It was the year I sat between mum & dad in the front seat of their brand spankin' new white HR special sedan as they took delivery of the car & drove it out of Sydney Ats Holden dealers in Adelaide Tce Perth ......

.......it was the year I first took a real interest in cars ....instead of buying lollies with pocket money, I bought Wheels magazine

.......it was the year I used to catch the bus to piano lessons in Vic Park .....the stop where i disembarked from the bus in Albany Highway was directly accross the road from Youngs Holden .....I remember being early for lessons & drooling over the warwick yellow HK 327 Monaro the dealer had on the showroom floor .....a model that I would eventually own 17 years later

.......I remember my friends mum dropping off my friend at my house in a brand spankin' new red HK Prem sedan with a 5 litre 307 Chevy engine

.......I remember the Meckering earthquake .....and the road of Ewen St Doubleview rippling like waves of the ocean

what a year 1968 was

meanwhile, on the East coast, this magnificent 1968 Wayfarer was being manufactured ......and delivered to Brendan's dad !!

What a story this is, and what a job Brendan has done on the resto .......fantastic !

and ......instead of installing the plazma tele, and microwave oven .....Brendan has chosen to leave the Wayfarer exactly as it was !!

Congrats on a job well done .....and as Don R says, the period nic nacs finish it supurbly

looking forward to seeing the Wayfarer in the flesh !

Mark