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Post by tinman on May 11, 2009 10:53:03 GMT 10
Hi Mentioned our van in the earlier message. Have included some snaps below and they tell the story. Its largely in the shape it was in when we acquired it last year i.e very well-preserved in very good order. What we have been told is that the van was ‘built in 1963 in the DeHavilland aircraft factory in Melbourne’ We have no records or papers. We know that DeHavilland at one time built aircraft in Melbourne but they had long moved to Sydney by the 60s. I expect the build year of 1963 is right and that it was built in Melbourne. I know some of the WWII fighter planes built in Australia had plywood frames so maybe it had some association with aircraft factory build somehow. Aircraft were still being built in Melbourne then but not through DeHavilland. Of course if anyone has any knowledge it would be of interest. Its appearance is a credit to the people we bought it from. They were very modest about the work they had done on the van. The story was that it had been stored under cover on Bribie Island for decades and needed little to no structural work before the preparation for repainting. The paint scheme was to match its then tow vehicle, a beaut 50s Kombi van. I’m told it has the original fridge and stove. The gas has been disconnected and it has mains power for the lights and fridge. Not planning on firing up the stove anytime soon !! Its 520kg or thereabouts, no brakes. We had some 60s ‘stuff’ suitable for period decoration. What is it doing attached to a Commodore you ask ?? The Commodore is the only vehicle we have for towing right now but we’re looking at getting a tow-bar for a ’62 T’bird we have had for 15 years or more. See how we go ! Bill
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Post by winterwood on May 11, 2009 11:20:35 GMT 10
Hi Bill,
Welcome to the world of Vintage Vans. What a fantastic looking and so well preserved van you have, it looks like its come straight out of the showroom .... it's an absolute credit to the previous owner(s)!!
You will certainly get lots of requests "do you mind if I have a quick look through"?
Congrats again on a great acquisition.
Max
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Post by firefighter on May 11, 2009 12:24:59 GMT 10
Hi Tinman sure is a nice looking van inside and out and in good nick should look good behind the T Bird f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by yellowuki on May 11, 2009 18:06:00 GMT 10
G'day and welcome. That van is absolutely stunning! What is that over the front window??? Cheers, yellowuki
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Post by Don Ricardo on May 11, 2009 20:47:14 GMT 10
G'day Tinman, Your van is a lovely thing to behold. It's great to see that it's gone to somebody who appreciates it - and even better, somebody who has joined the forum. Don't feel embarrassed about your tow car - there are others on the forum who use similar class machinery...there's me, and there's Olfarts......but then you have the T-bird option and Olfarts has the Valiant option...and I have the '62 Mini option... Nah, not going to happen. ;D ;D ;D Welcome to the forum - good to have you along for the ride in whatever you drive. It's the V V that's important here. Don Ricardo
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Post by tinman on May 12, 2009 10:29:35 GMT 10
Hi it's Bill From all aspects the vv & forum look terrific to us. Chasing up the T'bird tow option. There was a dealer fitted 'hitch' that attached to a cross-member just in front of the rear bumper. That cross-member on our car has taken a pummelling somewhere along the line .... nothing that money won't fix !! There's a framed-wire guard at the front of the van. Presumably it's purpose is as a stone-guard. Compressing the photo hasn't been kind to it ! Rgds, Bill
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Post by cobber on May 12, 2009 15:00:34 GMT 10
G'day Bill, I suffer from a terrible afliction...... I see a unique feature on a 'van and can't help thinking "I've seen that somewhere before". On this beautiful 'van of yours it's the "eyebrow" over the front windows that I've seen before.... have a look at this "Tennison" 'van and see the similarities, your side windows are a tad higher and the wheel arches are a different shape but ? img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/mate/Tennysoncaravan1962.jpg(I won't post the photo 'cause I don't want to muck up your thread.... have a look at the Tennison thread in DHL) Cobber.
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Post by Franklin1 on May 12, 2009 21:23:17 GMT 10
Hey cobber...nothin' wrong with your memory. The reason you think you've "seen that somewhere before" is because this van is in our DHL section Home-made Caravans (Reply #14) from when it was on ebay in April 2008. I was like you... Hmmm, where have I heard this De Havilland story before??Anyway, tinman, we've known about you for a year now. Watching you...waiting for you...calling you to come to us... And now you're here!! (...What took you so bluddy long??!! ) This van and the previous Kombi towcar was a very eyecatching combination. You've got yourself some real 'eye candy' there. ;D ;D ...Nice touch with the replacement radio cheers, Al.
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Post by tinman on May 12, 2009 23:37:16 GMT 10
Hi, Al, it's Bill Well you know the old story about coming to Queensland. Turn your watch back an hour and xxx years. It's still 2008 up here !! Nice spotting, that's the source and it made quite a show with the Kombi. Here for good now !!
And hi Cobber. With the detail you are un-earthing I am wondering whether this van, our van, is on its way off the Home-made list. The profile on the Tennyson Van is soooo similar that you would want to look closer. The minute I looked at the 'vintage' ad the thing that jumped out was 'Qualicraft Windows'. The Qualicraft labels on the windows on our van are still like new, as are the windows themselves. You guys would know better but maybe being fitted with these Windows does or doesn't narrow the field much.
Following up on the Qualicraft Windows I see they got a mention with the Jennison Pathfinder. Again the profile is not unlike our van, but the thing that caught my eye there was the pop-up roof which can be seen in the photo below the 'dolly-wheel' photo(page 4). That pop-up roof profile is the spitting image of the pop-up roof on our van and the whole rear-window, side window and relative position as well as the profile where it starts to tuck under at the back has great similarity with our van. I'll have a look underneath tomorrow and see if there are any plates or stampings etc. I thought the positioning of the vent and electricity outlet might add some clues.
Appreciate your interest greatly, and the findings on the origin are terrfic.
Rgds Bill
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Post by cobber on May 13, 2009 10:51:48 GMT 10
G'day Bill, Jennison really had the biggest of hatches but another mob who thought large roof hatches were a good idea were “Newcastle Caravans”...alias Carapark Cardman....do you think your hatch looks a little more like their's than the Jennisons I don't think we can read much into the use of “Qualicraft” windows... they were pretty standard fare on many brands of caravans during the 60s . Cobber.
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