I've seen a van converted with a back seat with a box like that. Wondered where he got it from, as it seemed too professional to be hand fabricated. Maybe it was a Suzi Carry one.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

like i said, i'll take a pic next time and show you guys!
does anyone have any ideas for storing the spare in an 'out-of-the-way' (but still accessible) place?

Ok here are a few pictures as promised.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/cjfairs/mini_van_3.htm

Fez

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1965 850 Mini Van
1972 Clubman Van
Member of SDMC

Good Pic's faz and she seems nice and neat
Your vent looks like mine and so does the seal.
that battery cover does look like its a mod but good idea, It does look like its after the bracket. how is it secured down or is it tied to the plate infront of it (normal behind it)
Your van use to have two windows in the rear section and converted to one. See those bits up the top half way down.
The spare should go behind the passengers seat. Can't you push the seat far enought forward to get one in

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

it'd be like mine, and never had any windows at all - someone ahs put those in and simply chopped the brace bar out. I don't think 2 rear windows was ever a factory thing.... Apparently not having that brace bar makes the sides flex like crazy - you'll want to do something about that Fez... you can see the orig brace bar in the pic of mine in a previous post

can someone with a late van post a pic of the bracing in there, from memory it goes from below the window line to the inner wheelarch?

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Is this what you mean?

funny - I'd say that one has been chopped as well... maybe I'm dreaming... I seem to remember a triangle shaped thingy - maybe thats only on utes...

I was told by someone who is restoring a van that when he took the brace out, it made the side panel really flexible. When I put my windows in I'm planning to leave the vertical brace there and just stick some rubber in between it and the glass.

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Hi Fez
Great to see another van AND from WA... great

about bracing the rear panel.. I found a 125cm section of aluminium T secured with secaflex was brilliant. I removed my rear windows, but even if you keep your windows, this kind of bracing works great, supporting the entire length under the window section. I braced mine after window was out, which made it easy to clamp in place....

and close up...

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78 van 1300 cam extractors weber, 12" Superlights Metros Konis HiLos MP3 Amp Sub Alpine speakers and lots of fur
www.crazybitchracing.com

The original side brace as fitted to vans without windows is inserted between side-wall and roof seam at the top and goes down between the rear wheel arch and the side-wall. Wel this was how my 1975 kermit came off the showroom floor. My current 1972 Clubie has the window fitted, but you can see where the original bracing has been cut away top and bottom. and yes the side wall flexes way too much. I'll be using Jill's bracing trick when I get that far.

Ahh so it was a brace bar I though something odd was going on there. Well Ill have to do something about that. Jill thats a brilliant idea, I might look into doing that. Cheers for the pictures folks, very insightful.

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1965 850 Mini Van
1972 Clubman Van
Member of SDMC

Yup, the beauty of bracing lengthwise is that you ensure that the rear quarter panel is perfectly straight. I had a guy reverse into me in a carpark, many years back now, but that panel wasnt ever perfectly straight. It was panelbeated fine, no dents etc, but there was an oh so slight curvature to the whole panel. After bracing it with the straight T section.. its just beautiful

and strong

125cm of 40mm Aluminium T section + sikaflex (metal to metal)

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78 van 1300 cam extractors weber, 12" Superlights Metros Konis HiLos MP3 Amp Sub Alpine speakers and lots of fur
www.crazybitchracing.com

I reckon I might go buy some tomorrow!

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Jill who are you getting your parts through in WA, particularly the tyres and wheels? Nice site by the way. Looking foward to an update.

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1965 850 Mini Van
1972 Clubman Van
Member of SDMC