Tuesday 30 October 2012

Once a Bus now temporarily a Camper for our upcoming Australian road trip.

Some photos of the transformation.


 Interior out, again!



 Beds with storage & cupboards installed.







Sink installed with 60L tank in storage area under beds.


Wiring in progress,
Van wired with both 12Vdc & 240Vac power.
 Inverters, Generator & Solar power will also be
installed in the trailer.

More pictures to come!!,

What is a Commer 2500? pop facts & info



About Commer and the 2500 Van.


Commer was a British manufacturer of commercial vehicles which existed from 1905 until 1979. Commer vehicles included car derived vans, light vans, medium to heavy commercial trucks, military vehicles and buses. The Commer brand was exported widely, with examples, albeit collectors' vehicles, still running far from the UK manufacturing base.[citation needed] Commer designed and built its own diesel engine for its heavy commercial vehicles.


Commer became known in later years as a maker of vans for the British Post Office—particularly the Commer FC which was introduced in 1960 with many body styles, including a 1500 cc van. After engine and interior upgrades it was renamed the PB "2500" in 1967 and the SpaceVan in 1974. As noted above, it would be sold as aDodge and Fargo model until 1976, when both Commer and Fargo names were dropped. These were rounded-front forward control vans with narrow front track—a legacy of their Humber car-derived suspension. Utilising at first the Hillman-derived 1500 cc 4-cylinder engine in the PA series, then the larger 1600 cc, and from 1968 onwards the 1725 cc unit in the PB, only the cast-iron-head version of this engine were used. A Perkins 4108 diesel was also available.
The "1725 cc engine" (as it is known; it actually displaces 1724 cc) was available in the 1970s with a Borg Warner (BW) Model 35 3-speed automatic transmissionwith a dashboard mounted selector. This was not a popular option and few were built.
The 4-speed gearbox on manual transmission models was based on those fitted to contemporary Hillman Minx (of the "Audax" generation) and later Rootes Arrowseries cars such as the Hillman Hunter.
An unusual feature of the model was that the handbrake operated on the front drum brakes.
One of the reasons that the van was less popular with fleet operators than the Bedford and Ford Transit models it sold against was that, as on the BMC J2 andJ4 models the forward-control design restricted access to the engine and made engine changes labour intensive: the only way to remove the engine without dropping the suspension subframe was to remove the windscreen and crane the engine out through the passenger door. A 1974 road test of a motor caravan version fitted with the 1725 cc engine reported a maximum speed of 70 mph (113 km/h) and a 0-50 mph (km/h) time of 25 seconds, indicating a higher top speed but, in this form, slower acceleration than the BMC competitor.[15] However, the testers reported that at 70 mph the van was "plainly at its absolute limit, screaming away in a most distressing fashion":[15] readers were advised to view 65 mph (105 km/h) as a more realistic absolute maximum.[15] 

Pop Facts

The Commer 1500 and 2500 vans were available in many different configurations including Milk Floats,  Grocery Vans,  Delivery,  Light Buses, Ice cream Vans etc.
They were also widely used by British Telecom,  Police, Army and other Government agencies.

Did you know?.
World famous tour company CONTIKI started business in 1962 with this  Commer Light Bus.

The first CONTIKI TOUR Bus
The very first group of travellers
The first CONTKI TOUR Passengers.


Some Commer Van variants.
Leisure
Ambulance
Buses

Removals
Fire Brigade
B.T
TV Detector


Restoring the Commer

Here we have some photos of the refurbishment of the Commer.  We found the vehicle in 2010,  it had been stored in an old barn for more than 15 years and had not been licensed for around 25 years.  She was in reasonable condition for her age and as rare as they are here in Australia now, we were determined to acquire her.
After 3 weeks of  negotiation/pleading with the owner who had no intention of selling, he finally agreed to let her go.

She Arrives


                                                                 



Rubbing back and repairing bodywork.








Adding undercoats







Removing the tired engine & transmission.



                                                         


With the trans removed first its a "just" fit through the drivers door.

Engine back overhauled, ready for painting & reassembly




Painted ready for completion and installation.


Fully assembled and craned back in, in my front yard "my neighbors, not amused"



Test firing the refurbished motor.



The original refurbished power plant.


Interior out






Inspecting Dads re-upholstering of the door trims.

Interior back in 

Wow! my own Bus!!



Interior finished, & First test run.







More pictures coming soon!!!
                                                               

Monday 29 October 2012

Our 1970 Commer 2500 Light Bus.


Touring Australia in a Classic Commer Van.


After nearly two years of weekend work the restoration of our Commer is finally finished and she has now undergone a transformation from Mini Bus to Camper to accommodate the three of us on our upcoming tour of Australia in this classic vehicle.  The Camper conversion is designed as an option so the van can be easily returned to a Bus when not required as a camper.  This was important as we wish to be able to maintain the vehicle in its original form as much as possible.
I am Paul, my wife is Amanda and together with our 3 year old daughter.  we will depart from Nannup in the southwest of Western Australia in late December 2012 and "slowly" make our way towards the east coast of Australia.
We have sold our home and have no immediate plans for the future, other than to enjoy this beautiful country of ours with our daughter prior to the beginning of her school years.
Driving this old bus will undoubtedly ensure that we do this at a leisurely pace.  Follow us through our blog on this adventure and find out how the old Commer holds up to the harsh Australian conditions,  should you see us down the track, remember to give us a wave or say G'day.