JB's- JB: A Holiday to the USA.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

A Holiday to the USA.

We have recently been on holiday in America, but no holiday passing Vancouver (Canada) would be complete without looking in on the J Vans there.

We were passing where VICTORIA (http://www.victoriajvan.blogspot.com.) is housed in a big shed belonging to Arron (Charlie’s panel beater/ painter) Charlie made the journey out especially to meet us.

Charlie & Victoria.

The shed is big, and Victoria had its corner. It was a rolling chassis at the time we saw it, with lots of refabricated parts around to be installed. Seeing it in reality, it is amazing how much has been done. So much has been refabricated it looks ex factory. Arron showed us his other “work in progress” for other customers – he sure is a good tradesman.

John admiring the workmanship.

We had to move on and Charlie promised us a BBQ when we returned in a few days

We visited Charlie at his home when we returned, and Charlie is a dab hand with the BBQ. We met his wife children and his Dad. Charlie showed us pictures of the van (more than is on the blog) I would have called the van a “donor” but not a “restorer” if I had seen it in that condition.

Charlie let it slip his other achievements. He is an accomplished author, and in his spare time is finishing off a law degree. Maybe he should lecture in “Time management” as he seems to have that sorted

During the evening Charlie took us to see Steve D and DUNCAN.

Annette, John and Duncan the van.

Duncan's owner Steve with John.

Well DUNCAN looks very complete apart from having virtually no inside floor – all the parts are there apart from one back door. There will be a lot of work taking it apart to clean and fix everything, and who knows, with a good clean a lot of flaws tend to be discovered as Charlie found out

I am not sure Steve has the time for DUNCAN He has restored two Austin cars, and had a Morris tourer. He is working on full rebuild of another Morris, and had a 2 ton Austin truck and a couple of other projects (not much more than chassis at the present time) to do as well. He might need another life to get time – unless he speaks to Charlie about Time management

In all it was great to touch and see Charlie’s project in reality. It will be concourse when it is finished, I hope Charlie likes driving it when it is complete – He hasn’t driven a J Van yet – Charlie let’s say it is different to drive. Well done – anyone will have a hard job to make a better van than yours.

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The History of this van and the plan of work that needs to be done.

All about the owner.

I have 2 Australian built Mokes and have seen the J series Van around in car museums / at show for some time. Our Mokes have been restored and are in original condition, but all the J Vans I had seen were “Restorers” –too much for me .

The J Van is rather cute, and everybody who has seen ours thinks the same. My initials are JB so I bought 3 “Corgi” J models off EBay

While I was browsing the internet I came across “Roland’s” blog site and a Blue J restored van in UK was on eBay UK . I tried to contact the seller, but got no response and the Van subsequently disappeared off E Bay. Another, a Red J ute turned up on eBay UK, and that too disappeared before the end of the eBay auction. A virtual shell turned up 200 km from here, but that would have been too much work for me.

Next “Roland’s” site turned up a Austin 101 in Sydney. I rang the seller and he really didn’t know much about the vehicle. He had bought it, in 2007 as a reasonably restored body, with mechanicals “to be restored”. He was not mechanical so he sent it to a very reputable “Morris Minor” repairer in Sydney. After some six months or so of being in that repairers garage the Van appeared and was registered in Sydney for full road use.

I told the seller I would have to come and see it (Sydney is 1000 km away) and I was subsequently diagnosed with cancer. An operation fixed the cancer and a month or so after, I went to Sydney. The body had been done up, a bit on the cheap, but not bad. The mechanicals were terrific (with receipts to verify the good work)

I told the vendor we would think about it and next day, with a pile of cash I my pocket, I phone and suggested I call and speak. The vendor was too busy that day, so I offered a lot less than he was asking. I think he nearly fell over, but agreed to think about it for the weekend. He rang an hour later and told me he had sold the van to the mechanic who repaired it for the price he was advertising, and if I wanted to bid higher I could have it. I declined.

Two weeks later, he rang my partner, we had used her phone when we spoke to him before, and advised the sale had fallen through and "was I still interested". I had expected the call as the Van was still being advertised for sale, and I really didn’t think the mechanic would want to buy it after charging for his work over the past three years.

I delayed calling for a week or so, and over the following weeks got the vendor to accept a low price. The Van was picked up by a trucking Company in Sydney and delivered to Melbourne.

I got the details of (and have visited) the seller who had the Van before it went to Sydney and have managed to piece the following together

The van is defiantly a Austin 101

The Van was delivered new to a Company called “Federal Springs” in Brooklyn (An inner Melbourne suburb) who made springs for cars, trucks etc

I have also found a plate on the Van saying

Ausdis Pannel and Engineering Pty Ltd

Stubb Street

Kensington (This is another inner Melbourne suburb)

The Van was then discovered near Geelong (50 km south of Melbourne) by a “Car restorer” in 2000. It had been a "Paddock car".He had the body repaired, and in 2007 sold it to my Vendor who took it to Sydney on a trailer.

A Sydney “J” enthusiast (Peter) was aware of the Van in Sydney and he advises it is defiantly a “JB”.

I am in an inner Melbourne suburb, so apart from 3 years in Sydney, the van has been all its life within 50 km our home., in its early years within 5 km of here

That is the story so far, and is yet to be confirmed. It can’t be both an Austin 101 and a Morris J so I have requested a search of the factory records in UK based on the chassis Number – the original engine was replaced in Sydney with a 1622 cc BMC “B” series engine so I can’t search on the Engine Number

I understand the Morris Commercial records are just about non existent, so if it can’t be traced it must be a Morris – probably 1959 JB

If it can be found it will probably be a 1959 Austin 101 (Which would be quite rare)

It was registered for the road in Sydney as a 1952 Austin 101 – all the paperwork form the original owners is lost, and the Austin 101 was not produced till the introduction of the JB in 1957. In brief we have a few contradictions to date.

I may have to look for a new Front Panel and grill to make it JB’s JB or it may have to be JB’s 101

I really must acknowledge the help I have had from Roland, or I would not have found it, or been able to find out what I have found so far.
In the UK the chassis number would have been stamped on a small tin strip and mounted by the radiator filler cap. It would have been stamped with a prefix of either JB/MR 45066 or JB/AR 45066 (M for Morris, A for Austin) the chassis dates the van as being late 1959 production. The Australian plate misses out this vital prefix. Maybe this is not important, maybe the fact that another 50 years old vehicle is out there being enjoyed and used for what it was designed for.
Plan of work.
Well I would like to investigate the steering set up as to me there is rather a lot of play in it, rather like steering a boat. I just intend at the moment to enjoy my new toy, take it to a few rallies and with luck meet up with another J owner and compare vehicles.
Watch this blog for more postings about its history, restoration/improvements under taken and rallies/shows attended.

Road legal and ready for 90 days of fun in the sun.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

A Holiday to the USA.

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