Panel Vans in the 70s

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

best mate had a pano all decked out in the early 80s you know velvet and padding and big soft mattress in back, carved arch, full flight stereo, worked engine, sounded mean. he was only 18 was his first car.. the chicks loved it, the parents hated it, i wanted to own it so bad.

then one day shortly after his 18th birthday, he told me his girlfriend was pregnant... that van changed his life forever

further to life changing moments due to PV's my best mate didn't have a Ford or Holden PV BUT a Mini PV with chromies mattress and music.
Size never matters when doing the business, got his girly preggo and game changer.
Married her @ 18yrs had to move out of Sydney even back then he wasn't in a position to buy (go figure no diff to today) bought up the central coast.
2 daughters later BUT he missed out living the life with the boys through our 20's.

[roKWiz]

Something tells me I was destined to own panel vans (and trucks) when I could escape school.
Drew these as a 14 year old in class, dreaming.

[DJR-351]

From CV & T #35, i remember this as clear as yesterday, i also can't recall hearing how far along the build went, this is all i can remember of it and haven't see anymore pictures of the van since.....

[Polyal]

LOL some cool old rides.

Ive always thought a pano would make a pretty cool transporter for a single go kart setup.

Or as I guess they were intended, something to cruise around Australia in when old and grey.

[4stanger]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Ive always thought a pano would make a pretty cool transporter for a single go kart setup.

My dad had a 1976 Ford Escort mark II, P/Van, 1.3lt manual, gold with a flexi bar on the front and tinted windows all round in the back, I used this to transport my go kart to races back in the 80s, Had to turn the go kart on an angles to get it through the barn doors but it did fit once in there with the fuel and race day spares.
I used it a couple of times to take to the drive in, and go camping overnight on week ends, a bit squeezy with the missus, mates used to call it the finger van

[sr71]

I had a couple of Holden 6 wheelers in the 90’s. Cab Chassis 1.5 Tonner (Maybe 2 Tonner). I upgraded from the a lazy axle HZ to bogie drive WB with 2 9”diffs. Jeez, they were a bumpy ride, which only came good with a heavy load.Looked cool though..
The 6 wheel panel van above is a unique build. Someone was on a mission to build something different. Orgy Van?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

From CV & T #35, i remember this as clear as yesterday, i also can't recall hearing how far along the build went, this is all i can remember of it and haven't see anymore pictures of the van since.....

Did you spot the page opposite in that issue advertising this conversion commercially.

On the front end swaps done at the time, geeze there was some shockers but admired the engineering balls of some.

Terrible Torana fronted Escort.


LJ grille fronted HJ


HJ front HD (not that bad)


Some adverts at the time.



Remember the turn your ute into a coupe or panel van canopy. Quite liked the idea but don't ever recall seeing one.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Did you spot the page opposite in that issue advertising this conversion commercially.

No that scans years old, i just remember talking with a few mates at the time about the 6 wheeled utes starting to get around how it would be an interesting build doing a van, and then this one showed up in C V & T some time later........ i think there might have been a article in Van Wheels as well, cant remember now.

I was hoping it was going to be an epic build but never seen or heard about it again, and I think thats the only 6 wheeler Panel Van I've seen.

Lol...i do remember the X-ATAL add, i think i thought it was a cool idea at the time..

[XR Martin]

That ute canopy looks pretty damn good.

Wonder what happened to all these panel vans? Hidden in people's sheds or just been wrecked?

[DJR-351]

"Unwanted Prize"

[mick taylor]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Did you spot the page opposite in that issue advertising this conversion commercially.

On the front end swaps done at the time, geeze there was some shockers but admired the engineering balls of some.

Terrible Torana fronted Escort.
image

LJ grille fronted HJ
image

HJ front HD (not that bad)
image

Some adverts at the time.

image

Remember the turn your ute into a coupe or panel van canopy. Quite liked the idea but don't ever recall seeing one.
image

I wonder how much bog was used in a lot of them cars, you see the flared guards and such and the letter box bogged into the bonnet and such, then give it 3 years and all the bog has started to crack the paint and the rust behind it all starts festering out of control.

QLD was the bog capital I am sure, I seen enough chicken wire and newspaper used to help the bog to key into. once I seen a VW van at the dump and the whole side of the sliding door was full of bog, I just grabbed hold of it and peeled off a huge 2ft by 2ft slice of bog, beuteifull ! in my impression of the fruiter Con Stanly Dickaless voice.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by sr71

I had a couple of Holden 6 wheelers in the 90’s. Cab Chassis 1.5 Tonner (Maybe 2 Tonner). I upgraded from the a lazy axle HZ to bogie drive WB with 2 9”diffs. Jeez, they were a bumpy ride, which only came good with a heavy load.Looked cool though..
The 6 wheel panel van above is a unique build. Someone was on a mission to build something different. Orgy Van?

Pretty sure Hayman Reece used to sell the Kit to convert them to lazy Axle.. Mostly used for tow trucks & the odd builder tradie Too..

There's a retired Builder here who still has one..

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by hayseed

Pretty sure Hayman Reece used to sell the Kit to convert them to lazy Axle.. Mostly used for tow trucks & the odd builder tradie Too..

There's a retired Builder here who still has one..

I was living in Adelaide when they first came out in the 70's and 80's. They were originally built for St Johns Ambulance

[Burnout]

I wrote off an Escort Panal Van once. Fool did a right hand turn at lights while I was heading through the lights in an Effy Bullwagon. Almost squashed it flat.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

On the front end swaps done at the time, geeze there was some shockers but admired the engineering balls of some.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by hayseed

There's a retired Builder here who still has one..

There's a couple of roofers who still use them here.

Anyone else notice the 3rd seat in the Concorde van.



Some Fords.

[DJR-351]

Still plenty of the old 6 wheeler utes getting around, there's 2 for sure around my area, one is a stock as a rock 253 work hack owned and used by a plumber thats always loaded up with conduit on the full length rack, see this one getting around all the time, the other is a bit more showy with Caprice front and timber tray etc, don't see it to often so don't know much about it...

A Falcon wagon from back in the day, can't find anymore photos of it at the moment but it was a very nice custom job, apparently it's still alive in QLD today which is good to know.

[Rallye Sport]

Love the Rod Shop advert for the 4,6 and rotary, buggy conversion kits.

[Ford17]

Street Machine had a couple of articles on the top iconic panel vans:

https://www.whichcar.com.au/features...nties-part-one

https://www.whichcar.com.au/features...-vans-part-two

Clicking on the large pictures at the top of each page launches the photo gallery feature.

[bathurst77]

That 3 seat concorde isnt the original showvan. Its somebodys own custom job

[bathurst77]

i know i shouldnt but i like the white wagon

[bathurst77]

they looked great and being based on "big 3" pannos could go and sound well, but really they werent that much chop. They sucked juice, and steered braked and handled crap, especially once decked out with all that weight and hi centre of gravity.
And if you put in the bar. tv and all the bits there wasnt room for two people to relax in comfort. (ok relaxing wasnt number 1 priority on the young mens minds)
Really a hi ace pop top camper makes a better sin bin or getaway machine.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

they looked great and being based on "big 3" pannos could go and sound well, but really they werent that much chop. They sucked juice, and steered braked and handled crap, especially once decked out with all that weight and hi centre of gravity.
And if you put in the bar. tv and all the bits there wasnt room for two people to relax in comfort. (ok relaxing wasnt number 1 priority on the young mens minds)
Really a hi ace pop top camper makes a better sin bin or getaway machine.

Your opinion I guess. My experience of owning several were they handled really well.
Don't know where the high CoG is coming from.

[hayseed]

Here's one of these for sale..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/9548...06494992828311

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by hayseed

image

Here's one of these for sale..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/9548...06494992828311

Looks like you gotta join to view, can you copy and post a pic?

[roKWiz]

While we wait for Hayseeds pics. This is the other side of the brochure I have.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Your opinion I guess. My experience of owning several were they handled really well.
Don't know where the high CoG is coming from.

Yeah found that bit funny, then in the next sentence mentions a Hiace being better.

[Citroënbender]

I’d forgotten the Xatal canopies. Clearly remember the Torana “Hatch Hutch” though.

[DJR-351]

A couple more on the X-ATAL......

Fitting diagram.


And they must have sold some, although i can't say I've ever seen one either.

[DJR-351]

Actually there's more out there than i realised lol, a quick google turned up quiet a few.