"Second project" information

[Franklin1]

G'day All,
I'm putting together a plan for the restoration of the "Second project" I bought recently, and I need to pick your collective brains for some information:

1.Clearance Lights: Some time in the last few months there was a discussion on this forum about clearance lights, and somebody (JBJ? Reddo?) mentioned that there is a person/business/company that will reproduce the plastic lens if you provide them with an example. One of the lens on my van has a piece missing, and the other is intact but faded and crazed...


I want to renew both, so whoever knows about this stuff, would you please post the details? Do I end up with an exact copy, including the recessed screw hole? And do you have an idea of the approximate cost for both lens?

2. Wheel centres: Can anybody identify the wheel centres on the van? Tyre size is 165R15. The van has mechanical brakes fitted, and I am wondering whether it is worth restoring all of the wheel/brake assembly, or whether I should be chucking the lot out and replacing it with some other "common" type of wheel stud.


3. Bolster cushions: These are in a sad state of disrepair...

...and I'll probably get them re-upholstered since they are all innerspring cushions from that era. They smell really musty though after 50 years!! My question relates to the brass breather vent at the ends of each cushion...does anyone know how to get them off? They seem to be a press-stud arrangement, but I've tried to gently prise one off with a screwdriver without success. Any clues?

4. Registration: The van appears to have been last registered in 1992, but doesn't have any indentification plate on the drawbar showing year of manufacture or weight.

Does anybody know if the NSW RTA can use the number plate or rego label info to track down the history of this van, or at least tell me whether it already has a vehicle ID number and known weight?

Any info you can provide on any of the above stuff would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, and cheers,
Al.

[chippydave01]

Hi Al, i think your wheels might be vw but i could be wrong so wait till vw nut Greg checks them out.
As for the rego label a mate rang the RTAs Technical Section to find out about a label dated 1986 and was told there was no records dating that far back on their computer.Who Knows when all their computers were upgraded and what thet kept and what they didnt. Ring them up and see how you go.Cheers Dave

[Deleted]

Hi Al
1. Blokes name is dale. lives in Qld. also another bloke does similar lights etc. Rob walker. he done the cadillac style tail lights in my EK Ute. Cost $60 for the pair. clearance lights might be a bit cheaper. JBJ will chime in with dales contact number.
Another alternative is troll around the swap meets for New Old Stock lenses.

2. Wheels: I am guessing VW or FJ. 15" is a common size which is easily obtainable. Its the old stuff like 17" and odd sized 16" that can be difficult to come across. I would check out the wheel bearings . If they are your garden variety tappered rollers type then stick with the set up you've got.
If they are the old ball cage/hard to find nowadays type then i would consider ditching the whole thing and buying a new axle with hubs/stud pattern and wheels the same as your tow car.

3. Cushion Brass breathers: check with your local upholsterer. They may be still available??? If they are then toss the old covers and breathers .

4. Rego in NSW: i dont think the RTA give a Rats about old labels and previous regos unless it is less than 12 months out of date. Check all over the draw bar for any numbers which may have been punched in or welded on the side of the drawbar rails.
If it has numbers the bloke doing the inspection will quote them on the inspection sheet. If there is no numbers he will ring the RTA at time of inspection and they issue him with a serial number. If the van is built pre 1988 ( which it was) he will come out and punch the numbers into the draw bar. Later model stuff gets a aluminium strip with the numbers punched into it which you have to pop rivet onto the drawbar.

Good luck with the resto. If Dennis doesnt reply with phone numbers for the lense makers i will dig them up later today.


Reddo

[firefighter]

HI Col
I think you directed your answer to the wrong member (I know I have a Franklin ) it was Franklin 1 AL from NSW who posted the topic
what are you on up there in the hills
Geoff

[Franklin1]

G'day All,
Many thanks to you all for the information provided. I finally got in touch with Dale McShane (boy, is he a hard guy to get hold of!) and then e-mailed him the details of the lens (and just to make a minor correction in case others want his e-mail, there is an 'underscore' (_) at the end of 'classicplastic', so his e-mail address is [e-mail].) And so now I'm waiting...and waiting...and waiting for him to do the quote on making the copy lens. One thing this caravan restoration hobby will do is help you to become patient!!

Thanks to those who identified the wheels. It just shows how little I know about cars (...I'm definitely just a timber man ). After your advice I went out and took the hubcaps off the wheels on Franklin Freedom and lo and behold they were the same wheels! (D'oh!). Now I can interchange the wheels if necessary, but I'll need to track down some genuine hubcaps to suit the wheels on the Second Project.

One further question for the experts. The towball coupling on the van is a quick-release version with braking lever, as shown in this picture...


...but I don't understand how, or if, the brakes are applied when the van is parked for the night. There doesn't seem to be any ratchet arrangement to lock the lever in the braked position. Is this how these couplings should be, or am I missing something?

Thanks again for all your help.
cheers,
Al.

[humpty2]

Misssing nothing.......just don't lose those bricks!!