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1974 Mini Van...........
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:02 am    Post subject: 1974 Mini Van........... Reply with quote

........ in estate form.

My new purchase is a 1974 mini van. I had been wishing to buy one for some time and had almost bought a 62 estate traveller in need of work but still in roadworthy condition. However it did not happen as the owner was not in a hurry to sell since he wanted to buy a replacement first. I was driving back home from work one day when I saw this van a couple of cars in front of me and decided to follow it since I had seen it parked various times but never got to see the owner to talk to him. He stopped after just about a 100 metres and I followed suite. Got hastily down form my car and straight to the van's owner who was still parking it. Asked him there and then whether he wanted to sell to which he answered no. We got talking and not even 2 minutes had passed when he asked me how much was I willing to pay for it. I gave him my price to which he agreed so the deal was done but he was not in a hurry to sell as he had no other car to commute in (deja vu anyone). But after a couple of weeks he phoned me saying that he had made his mind up and I could have it but had a load of parts to go with it which I must take otherwise he would not sell me the minivan. Of course I'd have them, thought that was a stupid question to ask to someone who had had a load of minis and still had another 2.
So after 3 or 4 trips, I had the van and the parts (the parts are scattered in different garages mine and friends for the time being).

So now a couple of photos of it;





Its a bit shabby and has been brush painted a couple of times but its very solid. It needs outer sills both sides since they are patched beyond belief and I'll be fitting new front floorboards too since they have been patched up a bit too much for my liking but for the rest its very good.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent find, the upper body looks very sound. It reminds me of driving lessons undertaken in mum's 1967 estate Smile

RJ
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Penman



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4751
Location: Swindon, Wilts.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi
Were all the ones originally sold as estates actually woodies, making any tin body a van which has been converted?

I'm referring here to the classic front end as I know some, if not all, Clubman bodied estates were supplied without the wood.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Penman wrote:
Hi
Were all the ones originally sold as estates actually woodies, making any tin body a van which has been converted?

I'm referring here to the classic front end as I know some, if not all, Clubman bodied estates were supplied without the wood.


You could buy either "woodie", or all-steel, estates in the 1960s - mum's was the latter. Both had sliding rear side windows, whereas converted vans usually had just plain glass.

Clubmans could be bought with or without stuck-on "wood".

RJ
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exbmc



Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Posts: 236
Location: Derby East Midlands

PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 8:48 pm    Post subject: mini vans and estates Reply with quote

The van and estate cars had different rear floors. The estate had a removable section, behind the rear seats, under which the spare wheel and battery were located. The vans had a solid floor, right to the rear doors. The battery being behind the drivers seat, and spare wheel in a recess behind the passenger seat.
A van with rear seats, usually had the battery moved to the right side. Very comfy, to sit there checking battery levels etc.
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My van has had the battery moved upfront though near the engine, on top of the clutch housing. A home made tray has been made and bolted to the inner wing!
I'll be reverting it back to inside though, most probably below the back seat as its not the best option when working on the engine!

The clubman estate I had some time ago had the battery under the back seat and not in the boot, there was no space for a battery in the boot in estates though since the petrol tank is below the boot floor, so there was just space for the spare wheel well.
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badhuis



Joined: 20 Aug 2008
Posts: 1390
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 10:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting to see that being 1974, it still has the outside door hinges and sliding screens. Was that the case for all vans? I seem to remember a friend who bought one new in 1979 (still has it!) also still had the old doors.

What was the reason to still fit these? It must have been cheaper as these cheap vans had to be as cheap as possible (I once had a Commer Imp van which even had a simpler choke lever handle, an only one sun visor) but I cannot see why this setup is cheaper. I would have thought it would be cheaper to put in the same as the saloon minis.
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
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Location: Malta

PostPosted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All vans and pickups kept this setting throughout their production i.e. until 1980.
The travellers were discontinued in mark 3 guise when all minis had wind up windows and instead the clubman estate took over so I presume it was cheaper with regards to tooling to continue production of the pickup and van with what they had.
Mine has two sunvisors at least but who knows how it left the factory.

I have much of its history actually since it was with its last owner 30 years exactly this year. Previously it had belonged to a couple of brothers. One sold it to the other after some years and previous to that it was in UK. Infact it was first registered in Malta in 1978 so was already 4 years old. Beneath the grey, it was yellow very similar to the AA vans and also has a small hole in the roof were a grommet has been put and sealed in.

No idea of its life in the UK though.
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JC T ONE



Joined: 30 Oct 2008
Posts: 1139
Location: Denmark

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking good Cool
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, must get it out a bit for a run!
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Made a start on the restoration of the minivan.
The driver's floorboard is ready in place, still a long way to go but will get there in the end!
Will take some photos along if someone is interested.
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kevin2306



Joined: 01 Jul 2013
Posts: 1359
Location: nr Llangollen, north wales

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bob2 wrote:
Made a start on the restoration of the minivan.
The driver's floorboard is ready in place, still a long way to go but will get there in the end!
Will take some photos along if someone is interested.


I would be really dissapointed if we dont get to see the restoration pictures! the more the better.

well done bob
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Paul fairall



Joined: 17 Nov 2016
Posts: 429
Location: North west Kent

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As this thread was started in 2009 and just been revived I just found it. I had a 1961 pick up with the drivers door welded on or would have fallen off and in 1979 I bought a new bodyshell and doors from British Leyland for I think £295, the tailgate was the only body part of any use. The door hinges were still on the outside and it kept the sliding Windows. It became beast with 6" x 10" wheels with Goodyear rally specials, front discs, 1275 with a special cam, balanced crank and split Webber dcoe 40's. The reg 241RKT is now on a Nissan as I checked it out online. Wished I could have kept the reg but it was more complicated back then. Pics of your renovations please.
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bob2



Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 1727
Location: Malta

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well actually I started this thread last year when I had just bought the minivan, not in 2009!
But well I'll take more pics when more interesting stuff starts to happen, as is, looking at pics of a brand new floor board welded in and some more plates welded in where needed isn't exactly very interesting or not?
For now it is on hold as I attend to my other cars!
Yepp jealousy has striken yet again so seeing me fettle another car, two of my fleet decided to join in and have some attention and chunks of my spare cash thrown at them!!!
So I'll have to fix those first and then continue some work on this shed!!!
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Look forward to following progress Smile

It'd be good to get a few more old-car owners in Malta joining up, especially as so many Brit vehicles ended up over there.

RJ
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