Original FC P/Van

[kleetus]

Haven't surfed for FC Holden sites for a while and was overwhelmed to come across this one.
Sad to say I have just let the Rego go on my totally original FC Panel Van for the first time ever (hassles withe the local Copper, and lack of funds), so she's now up on blocks awaiting a new clutch and some minor panel work and a new front floor pan.
I'm totally committed to keeping her as original as I can. I'm only the fourth owner of the car and it has never left the town in which I live. Will post pics soon if anyone is interested. Features include Air cheif radio and Smith Heater with 2 speed fan, Lucas 'after market' indicators (with flashing activator switch on the stalk), still working variable speed manifold wipers, rear chrome dust deflectors, and, even the angle iron parcel shelf support in the rear. Even still got the oil bath air filter!!!
I'm lead to believe this is quite a rare vehicle and would value your feedback. Cheeeeeers! Kleetus

[Just40]

welcome to the site,please post a few shots of your car.

[mcl1959]

G'day kleetus, welcome to the FE FC Forum.
Panel vans are getting a little thin on the ground these days so info that another one is saved is good news.
Love to see some pics and some details of the cars history

Regards  Ken

[kleetus]

  testing, testing 123....

 ;

[kleetus]

 ???I'll get my head around multiples next!!!

[customFC]

Welcome to the site.
Cool looking van.
Interesting that aftermarket indicators were added rather than wire up the factory ones that are already there.
Keep us updated on your progress.
Regards
Alex

[mikey]

Hey Kleetus,
                   If you want multiple pictures just add more links just like you did to get that one picture up.

Example

(Image 1)
(Image 2)
(image 3)

Doing this will get 3 pictures one above the other.   Hope that makes sesne to you.  Best of luck getting it back on the road

[Jon]

Hey Kleetus. Im interested. I have prject coming up that may be perfect. Have yu got more photos. Jon

[kleetus]

Hey Guys! thanks for the replies.
I have done a little homework on the origin of the after market indicators. Apparently it was bought new under some Farm scheme whereas indicators were not compulsory???!!!!! (You could just stick your arm out to indicate you were turning right). An old local Copper had an interest once in buying the Van and so, he knew about it. Unfortunately he has now passed away, but I did get to talk to him on several occasions about the car.
An FE I could understand but an FC was pre wired fr indicators wasn't it? I wonder then if it was a very early FC, maybe a crossover model or something? I will pic the compliance plate and maybe one of you gurus can nut it out for me.
I reckon I get it with the multiple pics now, just need to take some more. Thanks for the info.
Great Forum! Glad I found it!
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers! Kleetus

[RET]

If you have a bit of a hunt around, you'll find pics of the FE utes, vans and standard models with no blinker bodies at all. The FE had parking lights in the headlamps, so if the car had no indicators, there was no need for the blinker bodies either.

The FC on the other hand, had the front parking lights integrated as part of the grille, which doubled as indicators on the Specials. However, you still needed to run wiring to them and fit bulb sockets to suit twin-filament globes. They were only pre-wired in the sense that the main harness through the body included leads for them (and also for reversing lights).

It looks to me like someone fitted a universal turn signal kit (as used on 48s, FJs and the like), rather than buying the Holden Turn Signal Package (p/n 7406238) which had the stalk integrated into the column and all the rest of it.

She looks like a pretty solid and honest old girl. Best of luck with it.

cheers
RET

[RET]

Oh, and just to clarify, blinkers were a relatively new innovation when these cars were made. Remember the outgoing FJ model didn't have them at all. In those days you were still supposed to do hand signals. I remember it was still in the learner's handbook and required knowledge when I got my driver's licence in the mid 80s.

No FE or FC Ute, Van, Standard Sedan or Standard Station Sedan came out of the factory with blinkers fitted. They were factory equipment on Special Sedans and Station Sedans only. I don't think blinkers became part of the Design Regulations until sometime in the late 60s or early 70s.

cheers
RET

[Brad]

After reading this post I thought  " hang on my van's got blinkers " but I wasn't sure as it's been in pieces for so long. So I went and had a look and there is a indicator stalk on the honey pot ,also the parking body has two wires comming from it, one blue and the other white. I am the second owner and the van was very original with no mods at all . It had two of the original air rides on it and less than 75000 miles. The indicator stalk and wiring look to be factory fitted and It seemed to me when I removed the parking body that it had never been messed with , much like the rest of the car.
   On the 26 th Ret wrote

No FE or FC Ute, Van, Standard Sedan or Standard Station Sedan came out of the factory with blinkers fitted. They were factory equipment on Special Sedans and Station Sedans only.

  So I am intrested if anyone else has a van ,ute or other car like mine that falls into the  " no blinker " category or do I have the only one in existence.
    Ret . I'm not trying to be a smart rrs . I'm only confused at the anomaly.The rubbers and wires have the same degree of deterioration as the rest of the car so if they are after market , must have been done early in the cars life.
   The Vans ID Plate reads
       NO :         FC-2104-5324-A
       TRIM :      353-654
       PAINT :     256-2038
       RPO :        333

               Brad

[fc_mad]

any more pics

[mcl1959]

Brad, your van sounds as if it probably had the indicators fitted by the dealer on delivery, which was not unusual. Maybe 20% (this is a guess) of originally indicatorless cars sold at dealerships had indicators fitted by the dealership for delivery as a new car - Tony Galea's new standard sedan (featured on the forum) has all original paperwork with it and shows indicators ordered from the dealership when the car was bought new. Quite a lot of people were interested in this safety / convenience feature.
But considering how many vans are now left - 20 % of not many = pretty rare.
Also a lot of cars would have had the indicators fitted in the first few years of their life as owners saw the benefits. So looking back now at the difference between parts fitted 50 years ago and parts fitted 48 years ago - you wont see much difference.

Ken

[reddo]

Hi
Here is the Fe Van with indicators i bought a few months back


Its had a chequered history as most of you know ,so indicators could have been added later.

Reddo

[RET]

The "Holden Turn Signal Package" I referred to earlier was a NASCO accessory kit, often fitted by dealers to brand new standards and commercials. It cost £12.17.6, including fitting. There was one sold recently - I can't recall now whether Ken sold it from his collection or mentioned it as an item in the Vic Club auction. I suspect it went for more than 12 quid

There are a couple of different versions of the kit:
1) FE: includes chrome front indicator housings, lenses, trim-rings, bulbs, single-filament socket holders, wiring, stalk, switch assembly etc. (This would certainly have cost more than £12, but I don't have an FE price list.)
2) FC: twin filament socket holders, wiring, stalk, switch assembly, etc (no external components)
3) late FC: as per #2 with additional single-filament sockets, bulbs and wiring for rear amber indicators, and wired slightly differently at the switch.

This topic has also been covered here.

Hope that's helpful.

By the way, if an accessory was factory fitted for some reason, it was spelled out on the ID plate under the RPO, or Regular Production Option. Your van's "333" code means (as you probably know) that the upper tailgate was glazed ex-factory. There are other codes for things like factory-fitted door-pulls, oil filter etc. I'm not aware of an RPO code for factory-fitted indicators, but I guess it's possible there is one.

cheers
RET

[Brad]

  I checked the rear lights and the lens is amber with two wires for indicators .I think Ken's on the money with the dealer fitted option and Ret 's covered it with the # 3 kit.
   Thanks for clearing that up for me and the quick replies.
             Brad.

[customFC]

Hey Reddo.
I know that Austin.
Is that where you bought it, or is that where you live?
Regards
Alex

[slim]

That austin is my mates place going up razorback !! Not where Reddo lives mate. Cheers Slim

[JB]

Is it just me or is one indicator mounted higher than the other.

Jason.