Ausmini
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:36 pm

All times are UTC + 10 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 6:24 pm 
Offline
1275cc
1275cc
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:19 pm
Posts: 4335
Location: Wollongong, NSW
This is a van my grandfather did in the mid 60's. He was very good friends with the local BMC dealer and would collect cars from the factory and drive them back to the dealership. It's quite possible this was a brand new car modified before sale... Unfortunately I didn't find out about this mini (possibly there were more) until after he had passed, but it was great mum was able to find a couple of photos recently.

It's a smooth roof with sliding window so it must be an early car? From the front you can see the "woody" side panelling and chrome strips, and also the new rear seat.
Image
At the rear you can see the interior panelling and a relocated spare tyre? The speedo is a black one?
Image

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 6:46 pm 
Offline
998cc
998cc

Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:26 pm
Posts: 808
Location: Adelaide
Fascinating! I wonder if it is still around? Those rear seat conversions were terrific, so long as you had rear side windows in your van, otherwise it may have been a bit claustrophobic in there. I'd love to put a rear seat in my van but finding one nowadays in Oz would be very hard.

_________________
Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 7:03 pm 
Offline
1098cc
1098cc
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 9:59 pm
Posts: 1428
Location: Perth
I have a traveller rear seat for sale but freight from WA would be pricey

_________________
1965 Riley Elf
1974 Ex Army Moke
1997 Rover Cooper
2002 JCW Cooper
2003 JCW Cooper S


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 11:06 pm 
Offline
848cc
848cc
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:14 pm
Posts: 352
Location: Country Victoria
slide wrote:
Fascinating! I wonder if it is still around? Those rear seat conversions were terrific, so long as you had rear side windows in your van, otherwise it may have been a bit claustrophobic in there. I'd love to put a rear seat in my van but finding one nowadays in Oz would be very hard.


We have this Van. If it is any help we could take measurement for you

Image
Image

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 8:24 am 
Offline
998cc
998cc

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:33 pm
Posts: 1146
A rear seat would not be hard to fabricate.. its just two slabs of ply, two rectangles of foam and vinyl covering and some simple gate hinges and sliding bolts.

If I was going to do one I would measure the hole rather than use the dimensions of a real set-up. The reason being that the hard part would be modifying the metal body work to allow the necessary room and making up brackets to support the backrest...

Cheers, Ian


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 10:20 am 
Offline
998cc
998cc

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:59 pm
Posts: 963
Location: Holt ACT
timmy201 wrote:
This is a van my grandfather did in the mid 60's. He was very good friends with the local BMC dealer and would collect cars from the factory and drive them back to the dealership. It's quite possible this was a brand new car modified before sale... Unfortunately I didn't find out about this mini (possibly there were more) until after he had passed, but it was great mum was able to find a couple of photos recently.

It's a smooth roof with sliding window so it must be an early car? From the front you can see the "woody" side panelling and chrome strips, and also the new rear seat.


Thumbs up (both of them)!!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 12:04 pm 
Offline
1098cc
1098cc

Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:23 am
Posts: 1488
Location: Armidale, NSW
1071 S wrote:
A rear seat would not be hard to fabricate.. its just two slabs of ply, two rectangles of foam and vinyl covering and some simple gate hinges and sliding bolts.

If I was going to do one I would measure the hole rather than use the dimensions of a real set-up. The reason being that the hard part would be modifying the metal body work to allow the necessary room and making up brackets to support the backrest...

Cheers, Ian


In the interests of full disclosure etc blah blah the setup you are talking about should be engineered by law and would also require seat belts.

_________________
---
Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 2:27 pm 
Offline
998cc
998cc

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2004 11:23 am
Posts: 580
Location: Eastern Melbourne
A van or truck dual dickeyseat would fit and include belt anchorages. I know because that's what I've done. Only thing is they're damm heavy.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:15 pm 
Offline
1098cc
1098cc

Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:23 am
Posts: 1488
Location: Armidale, NSW
Besser wrote:
A van or truck dual dickey seat would fit and include belt anchorages. I know because that's what I've done. Only thing is they're damm heavy.


I had to engineer my front seat anchorages even though;
  • They far surpassed the standard seats mounting strength
  • I was using existing seat belt mounts

For your suggestion I'd guess the engineer may be a little nervous because
  • I think for the most part they need to be lap sash now...(not 100% on this)
  • There are no established lap sash anchors for vans? (ie can you copy mounts from an estate van that had seat belts that comply)
  • The seat belt anchors are integrated into the seats (I was advised not to use the MR2 seat's seat belt anchors) meaning they are going to want some beefy and well thought out mounting of those seats.

Engineer's vary in their tolerances / conservatism etc so others may vary...

_________________
---
Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2016 6:02 pm 
Offline
998cc
998cc

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:33 pm
Posts: 1146
fuzzy-hair-man wrote:
1071 S wrote:
A rear seat would not be hard to fabricate.. its just two slabs of ply, two rectangles of foam and vinyl covering and some simple gate hinges and sliding bolts.

If I was going to do one I would measure the hole rather than use the dimensions of a real set-up. The reason being that the hard part would be modifying the metal body work to allow the necessary room and making up brackets to support the backrest...

Cheers, Ian


In the interests of full disclosure etc blah blah the setup you are talking about should be engineered by law and would also require seat belts.


I was describing the factory set up used in the Traveller/Countryman. Couldn't comment on the compliance specialist's view when you pointed out that your solution replicated the factory design...

Cheers, Ian


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 5:53 pm 
Offline
1098cc
1098cc
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:48 pm
Posts: 1832
Location: Hobart, Tasmania
fuzzy-hair-man wrote:
...(ie can you copy mounts from an estate van that had seat belts that comply)...


Not really, unfortunately no estate ever went into production with rear lap/sash seatbelts. In the UK rear belts weren't a requirement until after the estate went out of production. The only estates that had rear lap/sash seatbelts from the factory were the two prototype Clubman estates made in Australia. One is still around.

My reading is that you probably can't get rear seat belts to comply (for kids) without significant structural modifications (e.g. a CRAB bar across the back). You won't get a wooden framed seat complied either, although you could build one with a steel frame that would look the same.

Tim

_________________
1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 2:04 pm 
Offline
1275cc
1275cc
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:19 pm
Posts: 4335
Location: Wollongong, NSW
A bit of a resurrection here... Mum found a few more photos of the van
Image

Image

There was also an article from the local paper (Feb 1966) about the "Morris 850 Station Wagon" conversion that was done by the local BMC garage. I'm yet to find out what involvement my grandfather had in the modifications.

There is a list of the modifications:
Rear seat from an Austin A40
Inner wood trim panelling
Two tone paint with chrome trim (not wood as we thought earlier)
Relocated spare tyre
Relocated battery to engine bay using a Morris 1100 carrier
Rear windows
Mud flaps
Optional roof rack

You can click to enlarge these:


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 6:21 pm 
Offline
1360cc
1360cc
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 11:32 am
Posts: 12390
Location: Sthrn HiLoLands, NSW, Australia
Brilliant piece of history...and it would have been great for the Addison's to be reunited with the car once again at their Garage :D

Sorry for my ignorance...but is the fella who moved down to the Monaro from Addison's still with us?

EDIT: Mr A no longer with us...would Wyn be interested in seeing the car again?

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=95939&p=1024951&hilit=Addison#p1024951

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 

All times are UTC + 10 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  

© 2016 Ausmini. All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.