Austin 101 in Moorooduc

I noticed this on Ebay today...not all that far from me.  Good luck! 

UP FOR AUCTION
AUSTIN BAKERS VAN MID 50S ??
MISSING ONE BACK DOOR
OTHERWISE COMPLETE
DONT KNOW MECHANICAL CONDITION
EXSTENSIVE RUST
COME AND SEE
ONE SOLD LAST WEEK FOR 1850 DOLLARS
A LOT WORSE THAN THIS
ONE AT BRIGHT ROD RUN WAS ON L3OO CHASSIS RUNNING 350 CHEV
COOL RAT LOOK
VERY RARE NOW
YOU BID TO BUY
THERE IS A RESERVE
PICK UP IS MOOROODUC
CASH ONLY
NO PAYPAL

J / JB Fleet...

I took the Van along to Sandown Racecourse today for the Historic Commercial vehicle display. Lots of other vans showed up. A rag tag lot but full of personality.  Interesting other vehicles were a Scamell, steam powered truck, little fruit and veg mover from Queen Vic market, Commer van (one owner) and a variety of WW2 trucks. Fun and interesting...

Private car show...

John and Annette Brook-Smith dropped in with their lovely van. We met up with an Austin Health bug-eye in a local reserve.  A nice collection, related and all from 1958-59.

2 j vans

Nick Fuller and I have just met up at Patterson lakes primary school fete...

Retired or re-tyred...?

Well, of course she is not being retired... she has her new diff in and smaller tyres so she doesn't scrape the shed door any more.  Great to be back on the road.

New Differential

To make the van more comfortable to drive at speed I am getting a custom diff made, with a ratio of 4.1 rather than the 5+ that is in there.  I have chosen 'Dandy Diffs' in Dandenong (outer Melbourne industrial suburb) to make it for me.  They had a beautiful lathe from the 1940's there, still in use.  The owner picked it up for $1000 a couple of years ago.  What a bargain!  I guess this stuff isn't valued because the skills to use them are disappearing as fast as manufacturing in this great country.

That's my rant for the day.

Working at the cafe

The Van has a job at the local cafe here in Carrum.  I get free coffee all week and $25 if I park the van outside the shop.

Spiders

Everyone wants a ride in the jb van...