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For those interested in old cars.


DDolfelin
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There are two possible answers to the moggy question:

Its either a Domi van, which was built in Norway (IIRC) for their post office. There appears to a uk registered one in a buff colour (put domi post office morris minor into google and the first image is the one I mean), or

Its a GRP replacement traveller back.

 

Both these types are increadably rare. IIRC there are less than 5 known Domis in the world, and I think the GRP traveller might be even rarer. I've only seen on Domi, and that was at the Minor LCV 50th in 2003...

 

Andy G

 

Would a third possibility be that it is a Traveller converted to van usage by an owner by fixing metal panels to the outside of the Traveller frame?

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Am I right in saying the traveller frame is structual and part of the MOT so I doubt you could just cover it up could you?  In theory I should know as I did spend a few years as a Traffic Policeman but I never stopped one to have a look at and it was many moons ago in which time quite a few brain cells have gone!

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Would a third possibility be that it is a Traveller converted to van usage by an owner by fixing metal panels to the outside of the Traveller frame?

It was certainly longer than a standard Minor and could indeed be the same one that has been mentioned.

 

Am I right in saying the traveller frame is structual and part of the MOT so I doubt you could just cover it up could you?  In theory I should know as I did spend a few years as a Traffic Policeman but I never stopped one to have a look at and it was many moons ago in which time quite a few brain cells have gone!

There are some Travellers about that started life as vans or pick-ups. The rear bodies had been taken from scrap Travellers and installed in place of the van or pick-ups rear body. The difference is the commercials had a separate chassis which would have made them more rigid.

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Actually 'Travans' (as they are known in Minor circles) are vans that have been created by using traveller front ends. The chassis gets lengthened by about 6" to do this, but the end result is that you have a van with a longer cab, which is a real boon if you are tall. I drive a standard van as a daily runner, and that extra 6 " (all in the door) would make it so much easier to get out of the thing!

I don't know of any conversions to give  travellers the short van front, but do know that at least one convertible has been given a van chassis.

 

And yes the timber on a traveller is structural, but I can't see that stopping you panelling it over... Which reminds me that the next time a double glazing company calls me about UPVC windows I must ask them to quote to do a traveller!

 

Andy G

 

Edit: If the OP saw the rear door of the vehicle, that would help pin it down. A traveller has, of course, two rear doors, the Domi has one longer door, mounted about 6-8" in from each side. The rear overhang of the Domi body is also longer than the traveller, and the interior is lined in a tartan style material (!)

Edited by uax6
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Actually 'Travans' (as they are known in Minor circles) are vans that have been created by using traveller front ends. The chassis gets lengthened by about 6" to do this, but the end result is that you have a van with a longer cab, which is a real boon if you are tall. I drive a standard van as a daily runner, and that extra 6 " (all in the door) would make it so much easier to get out of the thing!

I don't know of any conversions to give  travellers the short van front, but do know that at least one convertible has been given a van chassis.

 

And yes the timber on a traveller is structural, but I can't see that stopping you panelling it over... Which reminds me that the next time a double glazing company calls me about UPVC windows I must ask them to quote to do a traveller!

 

Andy G

 

Edit: If the OP saw the rear door of the vehicle, that would help pin it down. A traveller has, of course, two rear doors, the Domi has one longer door, mounted about 6-8" in from each side. The rear overhang of the Domi body is also longer than the traveller, and the interior is lined in a tartan style material (!)

It was certainly longer than a normal Minor and with the Traveller rear wings and the body extended a couple of inches behind them. I was unable to see the rear or interior so I can't comment. It looks very like the one that was for sale last year and is the same colour but now is signwritten which suggests its current use is for business which raises the possibility that it is local (to Benfleet) so when I go down that way I'll keep an eye open. As for converting commercials to travellers, many years ago I saw a group of men removing a traveller body from a wreck in a scrapyard. Apparently one of them wanted to convert his van to a Traveller, I hope he was aware of the different door lengths.

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Some good old fashioned nostalgia...

 

Sean Connery in the Stag during the shooting of 'Diamonds Are Forever'...

 

post-7638-0-46856000-1515427242.jpg

 

1968...

 

post-7638-0-52973600-1515427475_thumb.jpg

 

Up west in 1976...

 

post-7638-0-79316100-1515427569.jpg

 

'70s BL product...

 

post-7638-0-09753200-1515427742.jpg

 

A dash of French futurism...

 

post-7638-0-21543000-1515427906.jpg

 

A Mk3 Mini in Oxford Street, 1977, at first I thought it might be a Mk3 Cooper S but there's no right hand fuel tank, the Dunlop D1 alloys, Webasto roof, Wood & Pickett arches and natty looking wing mirrors are all rather spiffing though...

 

post-7638-0-91268200-1515428136.jpg

 

Oxford Street again, this time in 1972, with an exotic Fiat Dino Coupe, Rover P6, a Triumph 1300 / 1500 and a couple of Mk1 Capris...

 

post-7638-0-76307200-1515428427.jpg

 

Her Maj looking a bit stern next to her Rover P5B Saloon, one of two she still owns...

 

post-7638-0-01630200-1515428530.jpg

 

Queensway in 1979 with a brand spanking new Mk2 Escort... possibly a 1300 Ghia...?

 

post-7638-0-79820400-1515428660.jpg

 

Shaftsbury Avenue in 1976 with a Series 3 2+2 E-Type...

 

post-7638-0-14167100-1515428746.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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attachicon.gifOxford St 1972.jpg

 

 

 

Do you happen to know what month of 1972 the above photo was taken?    

 

I ask, because that was the year I became a London bus driver.......driving the #1 route out of New Cross...which went along Oxford Street [amongst other places]....so if one of those red buses in an RT..... [rather than a Routemaster...Routemasters were 'Sundays only' on the #1 route].....I may possibly have been the driver?  Possibly? [Quite a relaxed route, the #1...IIRC, a 20 minute headway....unlike the 53 or 141, which was a 3 minute headway! Hence, those routes used Routemasters]

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Do you happen to know what month of 1972 the above photo was taken?    

 

I ask, because that was the year I became a London bus driver.......driving the #1 route out of New Cross...which went along Oxford Street [amongst other places]....so if one of those red buses in an RT..... [rather than a Routemaster...Routemasters were 'Sundays only' on the #1 route].....I may possibly have been the driver?  Possibly? [Quite a relaxed route, the #1...IIRC, a 20 minute headway....unlike the 53 or 141, which was a 3 minute headway! Hence, those routes used Routemasters]

 

Sorry Alastair, afraid not!

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Do you happen to know what month of 1972 the above photo was taken?    

 

I ask, because that was the year I became a London bus driver.......driving the #1 route out of New Cross...which went along Oxford Street [amongst other places]....so if one of those red buses in an RT..... [rather than a Routemaster...Routemasters were 'Sundays only' on the #1 route].....I may possibly have been the driver?  Possibly? [Quite a relaxed route, the #1...IIRC, a 20 minute headway....unlike the 53 or 141, which was a 3 minute headway! Hence, those routes used Routemasters]

All bar the one furthest away are RMs.

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Some good old fashioned nostalgia...

 

Sean Connery in the Stag during the shooting of 'Diamonds Are Forever'...

 

attachicon.gif44a9009dc5374b8e8d7f07c1756ce403.jpg

 

1968...

 

attachicon.gif91MmPAuYu4L.jpg

 

Up west in 1976...

 

attachicon.gif1976 West End.jpg

 

'70s BL product...

 

attachicon.gifc3dde44c79d663ae3fa00be0daf59bc4.jpg

 

A dash of French futurism...

 

attachicon.gifebb9aac67a5d37bd7559061402e74958.jpg

 

A Mk3 Mini in Oxford Street, 1977, at first I thought it might be a Mk3 Cooper S but there's no right hand fuel tank, the Dunlop D1 alloys, Webasto roof, Wood & Pickett arches and natty looking wing mirrors are all rather spiffing though...

 

attachicon.gifMk3 Mini 1000 Oxford Street 1977.jpg

 

Oxford Street again, this time in 1972, with an exotic Fiat Dino Coupe, Rover P6, a Triumph 1300 / 1500 and a couple of Mk1 Capris...

 

attachicon.gifOxford St 1972.jpg

 

Her Maj looking a bit stern next to her Rover P5B Saloon, one of two she still owns...

 

attachicon.gifQE11 P5B.jpg

 

Queensway in 1979 with a brand spanking new Mk2 Escort... possibly a 1300 Ghia...?

 

attachicon.gifQueensway 1979.jpg

 

Shaftsbury Avenue in 1976 with a Series 3 2+2 E-Type...

 

attachicon.gifShaftsbury Ave 1976.jpg

The Escort in the Queensway pic is a GL. The Ghia had front seat headrests. Edited by RANGERS
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MBE? Oh well nevermind, I'd only hang it up in the khazi anyway...!

 

Bit of possible good news on the Mini front - I had a chat with the newly discovered Mini gearbox guru who thinks the reversing problem may only require a cable adjustment, and failing that, he knows someone who might be interested in buying the car, which in itself could be very timely as I've just been offered first dibs on a rather nice looking Rover P5B Coupe which the owner is thinking of selling. As is the way of such things, this may or may not end in tears of course, but I shall await events...

 

post-7638-0-99326100-1515612727_thumb.jpg

 

post-7638-0-36275000-1515612751_thumb.jpg

Edited by Rugd1022
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Hi Rob, posted this pic previously on another thread, dead line for completion was supposed to be July/August 17 then I found out the Landrover show in Scotland had been moved forward to May so that buxxered that thought up.. The body is now sitting on the new chassis but nothing is connected up yet.

People keep buying our castings and 2017 has been very busy but maybe 2018 will see the 11A back on the road for the 60th anniversary of the first Series two.

post-10324-0-78094200-1515928760.jpg

 

I'm amazed at how many of us modellers are also old Landie owners.

 

All the best,

Dave Franks

 

P.S. what make of tyres are yours, I was thinking of Deestones myself as the 205 radials are cracking between the tread blocks..

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I'm amazed at how many of us modellers are also old Landie owners.

 

All the best,

Dave Franks

 

 

 

I think there would certainly be quite a few more too Dave if we had somewhere to put one! Always fancied one but other products from Solihull have usually taken up the space in my case, talking of which - I found an online for sale advert for my last Rover P5B Coupe yesterday before going off to work, I've been thinking about it all night but the chap I sold it to three years ago is asking £13,750 for it...! In the meantime I've also found some more online pics of the grey Coupe I'm interested in which seem encouraging.

Edited by Rugd1022
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