Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Dalek63]

So I've just been browsing through flee-bay and there are ever more classic caravans being turned into Cath Kidston temples of " flower power "
So I was wondering what thoughts you had on this. For myself I hate this type of tarting up, with a vengeance!
I admit most are done on later caravans, but I have seen lovely old caravans buggered about with and ruined in this way. Just recently saw what would have been a stunning Fibreline tarted up in garish flowers and horrible lino and curtains. Hurt ones eyes to look at it in fact !
This trend seems to be creeping into our old caravan hobby too much in my opinion. What do you guys think ?
_________________
I can resist anything except temptation ! ( Oscar Wilde)
"Don't try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." ( Mark Twain)
http://www.period-classic-caravan-club.co.uk/

[gresham flyer]

Its a twee middle class syndrome.
You buy a cottage within commuting distance of a large town and you turn it into this Laura Ashley,Kath Kidston,Llewelyn Bowen look alike theme palace.

Then you turn your mind to the caravan that the family have owned and do not use any more..how can you capitalise on a £350.00 Sprite...I know Kath Kidson theme it and flog it to some little middle class darlings who frequent Southwold in the summer for £2,000.

We took our totally original Austin A40 Devon 1951 to a local village show one Sunday afternoon that our local vintage car club had been asked to attend,a very middleclass venue..
Now I pride myself in hearing about this car,knew its former owner, so purchased it because it was so original.

Whilst looking around the car two middle aged ladies were heard to say....
"Oh how shabby chic"

"Totally original we call it madam in the car world" said I.

Gresham Flyer

[DELETED]

DELETED

[alan 869]

Agree, every-one to their own. I can´t stand all this american hill billy there is over here. Not my cup of tea at all. But they usually renovate -whatever it is- very well..... and so it survives. Just the same with caravans. I think original is best but that is just my opinion. I was chairman of the Swedish Camping Veterans for 7 years. About half the club were of the same opinion as myself, the other half liked all this -sprucing up- of -old things- I thought that the american car enthusiasts were getting to be the majority so I stopped after the 7th year

[gillberry]

Have brought this up before, this seems to be the In thing we have laughed about buying a old caravan putting in pink and blue fabric a bit of bunting and trying to sell it on again for a silly price but this seems to be what a certain type of people want. Have you noticed the eBay caravans with a bit of bunting hanging off the end? I went into Norwich last week and they even have their own shop and the prices are stupid in there as well.
_________________
1968 Volvo Amazon estate (Gracie)
1967 Cheltenham Nyala caravan

[alan 869]

If some people, in our mind. are stupid enough to buy this sort of thing then more fool them. I won´t be going into any such shop. Over here there are -Nostagic- shops. Tring to make a buck out of -old- things. When you ask them the history of the thing you have in you hand or are looking at, they haven´t a clue. That was the trouble with the camping club. All photos had a big jankie car in the foreground. Caption gave you all the details of the car, and then it usually just said -and caravan- With a bit of luck a friend and I might just get a camping museum up and running. In a small scale. The focus being on holidays-caravanning-camping in general, NOT a run down on some Barraccuda small block or whatever

[Geoffp]

Dropping a piano, or even a Morris Marina on it on Top Gear is a far more dignified fate for an old caravan (sorry Larry ) I had the misfortune to be dragged into their Temple of Bad Taste in Winchester while on holiday; it was full of offensive pseudo-upper class brats and their even more offensive braying mothers. I persuaded my wife to a make a sharp exit and that we should shop instead in the really superb art/craft market that had been set up for the day in the High Street.

Did anyone else see the George Clarke programmes on small spaces; he proved that you can convert a caravan to make a beautiful and practical holiday home without descending to the level of the Poundland Laura Ashley.

Geoff

[alan 869]

Remember one evening (around 11 pm) when I get a phone call -from a member- The first thing to be said is -We own a Ford Fairlane- and then silence. At first I didn´t know whether they had got the right number so I said it was the Campingveterans. Another silence and then -I know but I was wondering how much our old van is worth- Make, model, year and condition.... I said. Another silence and then again, -We own a Ford Fairlane... and an old van- I´d had enough by this point so I said. -Congratulations, I suggest you ring the Ford Fairlane Club and the -Old Van Club. Good night!-

[alan 869]

[quote="alfanut"]Dropping a piano, or even a Morris Marina on it on Top Gear is a far more dignified fate for an old caravan (sorry Larry )

I´m still looking for an early type of window stay for my Vogue. Of course I can get them manufactured but that would be expensive I think. Clarkson probably demolished the last 8 going.

Spares for old vans are nearly non existant because they are just scrap and not -worth- anything

[Dalek63]

The only way it might be acceptable is if the caravan was either rotten or going to the scrap heap otherwise, at least then its got a chance of being restored back by a new owner.
_________________
I can resist anything except temptation ! ( Oscar Wilde)
"Don't try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." ( Mark Twain)
http://www.period-classic-caravan-club.co.uk/

[Penman]

Hi
I think that the external style of the Moulded vans, Viking and Cheltenham for instance would be enhanced by an Art Deco styled interior.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[gresham flyer]

Our Viking Fibreline De-Luxe model caravan (late 1960`s) has lovely light oak real veneer to the interior. As a 1960`s caravan I think it is very well built.
When I purchased the caravan it had the usual problem with the front windows leaking and water damage to the timber work inside.

As a craftsman who has worked with timber all his life I painstakingly restored thefront of the interior to its original.
I then spent day`s preparing and bees waxing the timber work.
I could have saved half the time by painting the interior in designer colours and turning it into something out of Playschool (do you remember this programme).?

Because these caravans are quite rare now in very good condition I wanted to preserve the craftsmanship and style of it.
Had the interior been removed prior to the purchase I could have thought of another route.
I have a very original Carlight Caselette from the late 1960`s in showroom condition I would never dream of altering anything to it....that is why we purchased it in the first place from its one and only owner.

When running my Period Property restoration business people would purchase a 18th century property in a village nearby (because it had good schools) and want me to restore the property into a"Barrett Home",no way I would say, go and buy a new one not mess up our heritage.

Gresham flyer
( Period and still original)

[49barndoor]

[gresham flyer]

Just the ticket.!!
This is a prime example of GRAFFITI on a caravan.

From the same era would you do this to a early/mid 1970`s classic car.?

Gresham Flyer

[Geoffp]

It is shabby; 1 out of 2.

Geoff