Neil wrote:could that be the only breadvan left ??? wants restoring along with its perkins automatic
Very likely you’re right Neil. It’s a piece of history alright but even here in Exeter, it’s hometown where it was built I had nothing but hostility aimed at it, notes left under the wiper demanding I don’t park in their neighbourhood. Eventually the van got attacked, mirrors and lights smashed, Perspex side window busted and a brick left on the bonnet with orange dust showing where where they’d tried but failed to smash the windscreen. A fresh note under the wiper was super aggressive so I showed it to the cops who said there was “no evidential connection”.
Anyway, the point I’m making is it’s a magnet for antisocial behaviour (even with a fresh paint job at the time) so for it’s own safety it should become a cute pickup.
This was all about 15 years ago. At the time a friend said to paint it Securicor blue for film work. Hmmm
I’d say attitudes changed about 5 years ago when I noticed people seeing it in my shed wouldn’t laugh at the ugliness, they’d say it was cool.
Btw it came with a second bread van if I wanted it, or the scrap man gets it. That one I’d definitely save now but at the time looked way too rusty to bother with. It was L reg and weird shape being a normal transit pickup cab with coachbuilt box body behind extending forward on the driver side for a coachbuilt sliding drivers door same as my red one. Had a lopsided Borg look to it. That van was fully derelict with Major rust. I did a deal with a scrap dealing buddy who took it up to his yard for me to salvage bits off if he got the rest to weigh in. I got a decent bonnet, wings, etc but he wanted the axles as weight because the lightweight ali and fibreglass body had no value. Ah happy days
That’s probably far enough down memory lane for one day...