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Post by Surf Tragic on Oct 12, 2009 15:32:53 GMT 10
Aaaaaahhhhhh!....at the risk of hijacking this thread (please remove my cusso rantings if you wish but the chevvie is there too ;D) I will just say that really settles my mind on a tow car, it must be right,...... every time I see a Cusso I have the same warm & fuzzy feeling   so one of these days I want to get someone to build one to my specs. :)Thanks kaybee for showing the beautiful machine.  Surf Tragic |
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Post by rossjools on Oct 12, 2009 16:25:18 GMT 10
, That towing dolly looks a lot like a limber for an artillery piece, at least to my eyes. Perhaps the man who designed it took his inspiration from WW2 artillery pieces. Do you know if he was in the Army during the war kaybee? A long shot I know, but there is something familiar about the design concepts of that dolly, not that I was a gunner, I was a Blue Orchid from 1972 till 1989. I worked on and around C-130 Hercules aircraft at Richmond for a number of years and saw a lot of different types of cargoes loaded and unloaded during my time there, including some field pieces. Cheers, Ross. |
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Post by kaybee on Oct 12, 2009 17:14:48 GMT 10
G'day Ross , yes it does bear similarities to military gear , but don't forget that during the war most of the Gov't rail workshops were building military equipment.....and since that was where the builder worked during that period, I'm inclined to think that is probably some of the inspiration for the design.....cheers, Col.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Oct 12, 2009 22:18:05 GMT 10
There is a neat litle chrome plaque on the cupboard that says....  ..... that....so I'm guessing '47 was the date Rowland considered it completely finished . Colour schemes...I can tell you that it was painted in Dulux paint......he bought 1 quart of "not light blue" and 4 1/2 pint tins of Pale Cream on 13/11/45 for 4 Pounds 15 shillings and 6 pence.....give you the docket number too if you like ;D....... Ah, so that's what Rol-Jean refers to. Presumably Rowland's wife was Jean? Just so wonderful to have all that documentation. There's not too many around like that. Don Ricardo |
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Post by rossjools on Oct 13, 2009 7:44:42 GMT 10
, Hi Col, Ah, yes, that would explain the military appearance of the towing dolly. Thank you for the info. Our NSWGR workshops at Eveleigh in Sydney built the nose sections of Australian produced Beaufort bombers during the war and I believe SAGR workshops in Adelaide built the rest of the fuselage. Cheers, Ross. |
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Post by humpyboy on Oct 13, 2009 21:12:33 GMT 10
Kaybee, WHAT a Vantastic find!!can not wait to see resto pics nor can I wait to see it in the flesh or should that be wood?
Derk.
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Post by kingy on Oct 15, 2009 11:30:12 GMT 10
Hi Ya's Col & kris, Just spotted your van, and what a unique bit of gear she is  and the fact she's most certainly a ''one off '' is a bonus also. A lot of us have seen your work, and know only too well how this van will turn out . We'll be down your way by April for Sis's 50th - Will hopefully catch up Kingy |
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Post by kaybee on Oct 15, 2009 14:41:22 GMT 10
Kaybee, WHAT a Vantastic find!!can not wait to see resto pics nor can I wait to see it in the flesh or should that be wood? Derk. Hi Derk , you're going to have to wait for a little while  ......still researching, planning and collecting bits at the moment, probably be some time next year before we get a start on it , cheers, Col. |
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Post by kaybee on Oct 15, 2009 14:44:16 GMT 10
Hi Ya's Col & kris, Just spotted your van, and what a unique bit of gear she is and the fact she's most certainly a ''one off '' is a bonus also. A lot of us have seen your work, and know only too well how this van will turn out . We'll be down your way by April for Sis's 50th - Will hopefully catch up Kingy ...thanks Kingy , yep, she's a little ripper all right ;D.....and yes,drop in if you can....you know the way this time! ;D ;D, cheers mate, Col. |
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Post by DC3Td on Oct 20, 2009 20:59:50 GMT 10
So, info i`ve been able to grab suggest that your Dolly wheels are ex british Radar Trailer dollies. Probably purchased post wwII at Cannons Hill Auction Centre with the express intention as caravan dollies by Cara - lite & possibly (then ) owned by Jennisons! cheers gordon
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Post by kaybee on Oct 21, 2009 12:25:16 GMT 10
Thanks for that Gordon , that makes good sense and goes some way to explaining the amount and quality of the engineering involved. We've been doing a little sleuth work too....following up on the previous owners , in fact KB herself is on the phone right now to the widow of one of the former custodians. The van had an Early Ford V8 club of NSW label on the rear window , and we were able to get some help and info from the secretary of that organisation..... seems the original 'van builder (Rowland Skidmore) disposed of the van and his '36 Ford towcar to a member of that club .....he later passed on and another member took over ownership....then he turned up his toes too , and somewhere along the way the combo ended up not far from here in Warrandyte. The lady we bought the van from had purchased it from there 3 years ago , and she said that the matching car was there at that time......we figure she's taking about the '36 Sedan , so now we're waiting to hear back from her in the hope that she can provide contact details of those former owners, it'd be pretty nifty if we could track down the Ford....we do have a poor copy of a photo of the van on the back of the '36, it's a 4 door Touring Sedan....also have the rego papers for it amongst all the other history ......more to come ,we hope! ;D....cheers, Col.
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Post by firefighter on Oct 21, 2009 12:31:31 GMT 10
 Col Keep at it...... knowing you ........it wont be long before the 36 ford is in your yard f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by kaybee on Oct 21, 2009 15:07:34 GMT 10
Col Keep at it...... knowing you ........it wont be long before the 36 ford is in your yard f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ...well...guess what....it's been at YOUR swap meet!......turns out the car went to Warragul, not Warrandyte. A guy we actually know bought it and it went to the Berwick swap meet about 3 years ago....I even looked at it there and spoke to Mark,the guy who had brought it down from NSW . Going to give him a shout and see where it went to from there..... ;D |
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Post by firefighter on Oct 21, 2009 18:43:56 GMT 10
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Post by kaybee on Nov 19, 2009 15:05:53 GMT 10
G'day Troops.....found this little number on Ebay, should be just right for the project van.....   . I'm sure Sportsman 1 will be pleased for us..... ;D ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2009 15:23:00 GMT 10
Cool... An above floor Vault What's that you say.... ... its an oven.....  Maybe so... but i bet its as heavy as a vault. Is it : A..... Electric B: Gas fired C: wood fired D: solar powered E: Other... If it IS a vault .. what is the combination. Good score.... Kris can cook ya a chook in it on its maiden voyage. Reddo |
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Post by kaybee on Nov 19, 2009 16:37:25 GMT 10
G'day Reddo,it's an A.... ;D
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Post by JBJ on Nov 19, 2009 17:44:49 GMT 10
Hi Kaybee,
I got one very similar when I bought Groovin a few years back.
heavy as hell.
Took it to 3 or 4 swap meets, & didnt even get an offer.
So there was a large bin on the way out..............
Jbj
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2009 18:20:52 GMT 10
Hi Col If its an "A" then i would be having a long hard look at the elements ( Kilowatts). The average modern stove hotplate element is usually around 1000 watts. Which will draw around 4 amps. No big deal if the van is wired properly and is capable of handling up to 15 amp loads. If the elements are 2400 watt .which most of the older stoves where.... that equates to 10 amps load. Soooooooo... if ya turn the hotplate and the oven on... ya running pretty close to 15 amps and warming the wiring up. Knowing what Kris is capable of achieving with old electrical appliances .. ( remember the Great Moruya Blackout of 2007  ... 5000 houses and businesses plunged into total darkness due to the ebay queen plugging in an old faulty Sunbeam toaster) . I would be putting some sort of "mechanical lockout device " on it so that she doesnt reduce the old lantern Bondy and surrounding caravan park to ashes.... ;D ;D ;D ;D Oh yeah.. and stick an extra leaf spring under whichever side of the van ya mount the Electric Vault. Reddo |
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Post by kaybee on Nov 19, 2009 19:41:14 GMT 10
OK then.....I guess we might bring it to Reddoville to test it ;D ;D....be the great Newcastle blackout....... ;D ;D
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Post by kaybee on Jun 19, 2013 15:04:44 GMT 10
Hi , this rare van is now on the market......thanks....
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and the fact she's most certainly a ''one off '' is a bonus also. A lot of us have seen your work, and know only too well how this van will turn out 
......still researching, planning and collecting bits at the moment, probably be some time next year before we get a start on it , cheers, Col.
