FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

I've seen this pic before (as everyone has probably), but I've only ever seen it as a photocopy before and always thought it was an FC wagon... Just found a better version of it in a magazine and discovered it's actually a panel van with "Special" chrome etc...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/Hewart/oldclips/panelvanscan.jpg)

I feel like a bit of a dill...!!
Cheers
Les.... ;)

No need for that - it was obviously done to look like a wagon after all!

What's interesting about that is that someone has obviously gone to a lot of trouble to tart up a panel-van, obtaining the wagon stainless trim and respraying part of the car for the two tone styling.  But the van has still got the diecast guard spears and painted headlight surrounds.  Between the "Special" trim and the mascot, clearly the owner was not afraid of Mr. Power Drill, so you have to wonder why he wouldn't have gone the extra mile with the stainless spears and headlight surrounds...

cheers
RET

Nothwithstanding the quality of the conversion to said panelvan, what about the contraption being towed?

Who in their right mind would set sail in a little box like that?

The owner is clearly a madman.

(A fact supported by the standard guard spears and painted headlight surrounds)  ;)

I bet the couple in the Morris Minor are looking forward to following that rig for many, many miles... ;D

cheers
RET

I can't understand why this type of caravan wasn't a big seller. ;)  

At the Gold Coast a couple of months ago, i saw a windowless panel van painted blue with the wagon trims on the sides.  The van wasn't two tone, though.  Owner's name was Ron, van had a 186 in it.  Was it a fairly common thing to put the wagon trim on the vans?

Hey guys, I think you are all missing the obvious. What we have here is the widely disputed and rarely seen "Special" Panelvan. And here I thought it was just an urban myth. Rumours also have it that it was fitted with a Canadian Grey Motor also. :D

Great pic Les. I had not seen that 1 before.
Dig those fold up pontoons on the caravan.
If the owner of the van was truely adventurous, he would have fitted pontoons to the panelvan as well.
Regards
Alex

That item being towed is actually a shuttle pod from the star ship Enterprise  8)

this was a sandman concept vehicle, it had the equiptment of a specail on a van. this model was a bit ahead of its time being fifteen years ahead of the van craze, it didn't take off being so ahead.
for this reason they dropped it till the 70's.
it was originally to be marketed to people that neaded a sporty van to get around quickly through the night and service everyones cans, however holden also aimed at the youth market needing a plusher mobile mating room after the success of the FJ back seat.

It must have been pretty common, you always seem to see old wrecks with specail trim, I remember riding along on my bike when I was a kid and seeing a two tone van at westmead, I stopped when I saw a old guy getting into it and said "hey mate this is the first specail panelvan ive seen" he said he bought it like that twenty years ago and didnt know if it was original, I thought it was pretty slack that they had given the specail vans the same pov pack interiors as the standard but later found it wasn't really a specail, since then Ive seen heaps but mainly wrecks, I wouldnt mind the trailer. It sucks when you have to tow your caravan to your holiday destination then drive back home to get the boat before you set up.

It was the original idea/Prototype for Holden Special Vehicles project department
When they released the limited edition themed HSV Ute and Boat package, I thought I had seen it before!
obviously derived from this!
Matt   ;)

I recently came across the article about the amphibi-van and it had some more pics showing the panelvan.
Here they are. Looks to me like those hubcaps might be painted.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/customfc/holden 1/amphibivan.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/customfc/holden 1/amphibivan2.jpg)

Regards
Alex