Period Transporter (Aus) Suggestions

[spookypt]

Hi Everyone, I'm hoping to give the local TAFE/TRADE kids a crack at building a replica/period race car transporter as a project for them. I'm looking for ideas as what you think may work. The premis is it'd need to be 65- 73 era and capable of moving Cobras, Daytona's or GT40's. So low point of entry.

I guess most will suggest an F350 Banana Back style truck but can anyone else throw some left field suggestions. I have seen an old MOBIL liveried bus in an old truck yard on the way to the Nats every year so I may drop in and talk to the owner this year but open style may better reflect budget. I then of course have to find/source one and give it to the kids to start playing with as a project for their intake next year.

I'd expect it'll take them their course year to build depending on their course structure but I need to find something and put it to the tech college for approval. They're keen but its up to me to find the truck to donate to them to work on.

Any ideas? Post pics please...

Spookypt

[Aussie Mike]

I think a lot of the original transporters were based on a bus with the back cut out. You would need to find an older one with the motor and gearbox in the front. Most of your modern buses run the motor and transaxle all in the back.

Interesting project

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

Something like this.

1977 Bedford Bus

Keep the front area enclosed for a bit of a workshop area or sleeping and have some seats for your pit crew to ride in.

Cheers

[spookypt]

Mike that's not dissimilar to the one I see every year on the way to the Nats. Although MUCH better condition. Thinking about this style though being a bus it would preclude the kids on open car licenses driving it unlike a f350 or similar under 4495kg towing capacity. Something I guess I best factor in.

My goal is to find a vehicle and period photo to replicate.

Matt

[Rog246]

What about an old Commer (knocker) Diesel pantechnican !
Maybe a Leyland Hippo with a Pan as well.
An old Inter would be good too......
Got to be 1000's of around somewhere you'd think

[Aussie Mike]

Perhaps something like this but convert the tray to a 5th wheeler and run a pantech but with rounded corners and polished aluminum cladding like an airstream caravan.

1956 Chevrolet 1100

Probably a better option would be to take the sheet metal off and hang it on a later model chassis with more modern running gear.

[dhs.buckley]

something like this?


Ford 1966 F350 Truck F100 F250 | eBay

good spit and polish should be as good as new

[xb-60]

Spook, what about an old CFS/CFA/MFS truck, or if you want bigger, maybe an old airport fire truck?

Thinking of this sort of configuration...



That's probably a new-ish one but you don't see any in service that look old, so they must be somewhere around the place....?

Most (particularly MFS) have dual cab, so that's good.

I'm not taking the mickey with the next pics....I'm not suggesting that your TAFE guys build a replica Cobra Transporter, but they show what sort of structures might be incorporated into the truck:











I hope you find the right vehicle for the job.

Cheers,
Glen

[Aussie Mike]

I think you might be onto something there with the fire truck idea Glen. Just had a quick look and found this: 1982 Acco Fire Truck

Already set up with the dual cab. 345 Petrol V8 so you could put it on LPG (plenty of space for tanks) and it would be cheap to run. Auto trans so easy to drive. You could strip and sell all the pump, tank and cabinets off the back and probably recoup some money. Extend the back with a beaver tail and enclose it. Have the rear door fold down to make a ramp.

It looks square and boxy like many of the trucks of the period. Paint it up right and add some chrome accents here and there and you would have a cool retro transporter.

Cheers

[Jac Mac]

Pity you are not in NZ, I have a F250 dually that's waiting patiently for this to happen, I like this Ford in the attached pic, but the Caddy/Toronado concept appeals as well...

[Donunder]

I'm with Glen and Mike on the fire truck idea.

That old Acco would be an ideal starting platform for some eager beaver TAFE kids.

[guye]

Whatever you do, spook, make sure the kids update a build thread on here as part of their assessment! It would be really interesting.

And then we get mechanics and IT gurus rolled into one!

[Mrs flatchat]

......and all weather proof

[leroy17]

Spook, you have to make this happen. What an awesome project for both the Tafe and for our cobra community.

I really like the fire truck option, however all other options above are good as well.

This will be great to follow and I really like the idea of the older style and having the kids work/build with a historic theme.

[deano59]

my very first tow truck when i started my towing business was a old D series ford that someone had crammed a 351 cleavo into it .it served me well for many yrs . last i saw of the old girl she was carting rain water tanks around adelaide . something like that would be cheap to buy and make a beaver tail tray with ramps .

[boxhead]

Something like this.


on a chassis like this.
Isuzu 1996 NPR 300 Freezer Truck in NSW | eBay

[spookypt]

Thanks Fells. I've actually sent this as a link to him to gauge his thoughts. I'll keep you posted if we can get some rubber to the road. Nothing happens fast but I'm hopeful. Thanks again. Matt

[Russell9318]

Here you go Spooky,
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhanWvpHGu8
A lazy $62k and it's all yours. Check 42 minute mark...I think, towards the end anyway.

Cheers

Russell

[spookypt]

That's cool Russ. Got $62K I can have though?

Mate of mine in the US sent me this last night. Reckons it'd be perfect! My neighbour actually used to have one with a camper on the back. He was a machinist/engineer so everything he made for it was a one off. He sold it and I often thought that if something broke the new owner simply couldn't fix it without equal knowledge and expertise.

OEM Style: 1958 Jeep FC-150 | Bring a Trailer

[Aussie Mike]

If you are looking at something like a forward control Jeep then there are other similar options. The old Ford Blitz trucks from WW2 are still fairly common and reasonably priced. Some of them are probably light enough that you could drive on a regular car license too. Certainly look period.

Army Truck " Blitz " | Other Automotive | Gumtree Australia Kingborough Area - Taroona | 1082740382



Cheers