Cresta, an update.

[artdjones]

Great to see this van being taken on by someone on here, well done.

 

Could it be possible that all the estates were welded at the roof like this? Then maybe lead-loaded? Rather than having a full one-piece roof-pressing.

I don't know estate production numbers but think a PC estate would have been a low-volume seller. Maybe they just got the grinder out and got on with it. "Luxury" vinyl roof "fitted free" on the more noticeable examples, blah, blah, blah.

Just a guess ATM but a good excuse for some interesting research.

 

Linky to the fabtastic Vauxpedia site for those who still don't know it exists -

 

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-pc-98000---cresta-viscount

 

And one to the Vauxhall PC brochures, road tests, etc,

 

http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-pc-98000---cresta-viscount-brochures-advertising-road-tests

Thanks very much,another rabbit hole to lose myself in.

[panhard65]

I'm pretty sure this was a saloon because inside there are still the pillars of the back doors

which, I presume, would be panelled to hide them when finished.

It won't of been a Hearse then if the pillars are still there. On my Seat they welded the rear doors shut then cut the tops off the rear door frames and the rear side window frames to make one big window.

[mercrocker]

According to Graham Robson "Cars in the UK" just under 61,000 PC models were built.  No Cresta/Viscount split on that figure and I presume any coachbuilt/specials/aftermarket cars would have come out of that overall figure.    

 

The van is a complete mystery, though, isn't it?   I would love to know When, How and Why!  

 

Think the hearse theory can, as Panhard says, be discounted.   There were a few ambulance conversions on FB Victor/ 101 station wagons but these generally had an extended roof panel to give more vertical height.     

 

Did the Martin Walter conversions keep the saloon C posts?   This seems to be a very well executed conversion from the exterior shots.

[tooSavvy]

Do we all assume the person/s responsible have vanished?

 

... pining for the fjords, perchance

 

 

TS

[Datsuncog]

On 3/3/2018 at 9:54 AM, mercrocker said:

Think the hearse theory can, as Panhard says, be discounted.   There were a few ambulance conversions on FB Victor/ 101 station wagons but these generally had an extended roof panel to give more vertical height.     

Agree that it wouldn't be a hearse - but what about a 'private ambulance', y'know, vehicles used by funeral homes to collect and remove, erm, customers?

From what I can tell, these days they're usually plain unmarked panel vans (shiny black or silver, Merc Vitos and Toyota Hiace seem to have been popular choices round here), sometimes discreetly marked 'Private Ambuance', with a coachbuilt interior to take one or more gurneys - but some funeral homes still use converted estate cars. 

Since they often cover substantial miles repatriating bodies (say someone dies in London, but their family wants them brought back to Aberdeen for a funeral) they're often larger-engined vehicles with motorway cruising in mind.

Pure speculation, of course, but given the very high quality of the work and apparent use of a Martin Walter fibreglass tailgate, I'm wondering if it might have been a one-off conversion carried out by MW when new? I gather that all PC estates started off as saloons; this one might have used a blend of standard estate panels and one-off coachwork for a specific application. The high boot lip and long load bay would render it not very suitable for commercial load lugging, in my view, but bang on for this. And isn't there still some black paint showing?

Just a thought! 

[flat4alfa]

Have you joined and posted on Rods N Sods yet?

You'll get answers same day.

 

As I inferred a few pages back, a scanned photo of this car in its youth is on the site. I just cannot find it now though

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My two pen north is that If it was an official or semi-official van from new Vauxpedia would have some info on it,

Also the work involved in making those side panels could only ever be undertaken by an enthusiast, a skilled one admittedly , but somebody whose time wasn't costing anything.

The more likely treatment for the side windows, if intended for commercial use would for the window outlines still to be visible, as in the Cousins from Russelheim, efforts.

Of course Opel had the advantage of using 2 door estates for their vans, I seem to remember when Rekord vans were sold in this country they were very rare and when the Astavan replaced the HA and Chevanne , they were'nt much if any bigger inside.

[tooSavvy]

 

*thinks*

 

 

Do we reckon 'our' van got the rear flanks (when rear doors were deleted) below waistline from one of these ^^^^

 

TS

[JeeExEll]

^^ Ambulance conversions.

By chance I saw this period-road-scene pic a couple of weeks ago and saved it.

 

It's a 101. Difficult to tell but it looks like they've maybe infilled the rear windows with solid panels using the original rubbers.

Doesn't add any more towards the history of Crestavan but it's an interesting pic.

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I think the Coke Bottle line was already there, it's just the side panel mirroring the line makes it more obvious.

[JeeExEll]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK !!!!!

 

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

 

 

It's Crestavan in 2010.

 

Puddlethumper quote yesterday afternoon "It's registration KBJ 56J".

[puddlethumper]

Have you joined and posted on Rods N Sods yet?

You'll get answers same day.

 

As I inferred a few pages back, a scanned photo of this car in its youth is on the site. I just cannot find it now though

I joined the Sods yesterday but still haven't had a confirmation email and link. 

[puddlethumper]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK !!!!!

 

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

 

 

It's Crestavan in 2010.

 

Puddlethumper quote yesterday afternoon "It's registration KBJ 56J".

 

But . . . . .

OMFG !!! Where did you find that ? Is that the only pic ?

[puddlethumper]

^^ Woops, got a bit excited there and didn't read further.

[richardthestag]

Agree that it wouldn't be a hearse - but what about a 'private ambulance', y'know, vehicles used by funeral homes to collect and remove, erm, customers?

 

From what I can tell, these days they're usually plain unmarked panel vans (shiny black or silver, Merc Vitos and Toyota Hiace seem to have been popular choices round here), sometimes discreetly marked 'Private Ambuance', with a coachbuilt interior to take one or more gurneys - but some funeral homes still use converted estate cars. 

 

Private-Ambulance-Mondeo.jpg

 

Vauxhall Omega Private Ambulance.jpg

 

Mondeo 1 Private Ambulance.jpg

 

Since they often cover substantial miles repatriating bodies (say someone dies in London, but their family wants them brought back to Aberdeen for a funeral) they're often larger-engined vehicles with motorway cruising in mind.

 

Pure speculation, of course, but given the very high quality of the work and apparent use of a Martin Walter fibreglass tailgate, I'm wondering if it might have been a one-off conversion carried out by MW when new? I gather that all PC estates started off as saloons; this one might have used a blend of standard estate panels and one-off coachwork for a specific application. The high boot lip and long load bay would render it not very suitable for commercial load lugging, in my view, but bang on for this. And isn't there still some black paint showing?

 

Just a thought! 

 

so with latest news ^^

 

your car wont have been full of corpses

 

so less chance of it being haunted

 

or is it !!

[tooSavvy]

Ratrod1 seems to refer to 'aye m8, but that's expensive, can I not...'

 

I bet '£big sheets' were poured in by the NEXT owner/s

 

*did he post a 'fur zale'?

 

 

TS

[puddlethumper]

Aha ! The sods have let me in.

[puddlethumper]

^^ The saga continues.

Intense and thorough detective work has unearthed more info on fabby Crestavan from 2010 when it was still a mere Crestaloon.

 

Colour change to black now with bits made of green.

 

.................................................

 

Ad quoted from Rods n Sods Cars For Sale, page 397, dated 21/11/2010

"Vauxhall PC Cresta Deluxe

1971 3.3 straight 6

9 months MOT & and taxed

 

Satin black with a white roof and green flames & wheels.

Straight body work.

Recently had welding done underneath and had the sills welded and undersealed all by my local garage.

The rear passenger footwell has had a large patch welded inside, by the last owner, its not pretty but it went through the mot.

 

1 into 2 outlet exhaust (sounds bigger than it is, ive been told it sounds like a V8 not a straight 6).

 

There is no carpet or sound proofing inside, only a few car mats stuck down with double sided tape, so you can hear all the bumps, bangs and crashes.

The tappets are a bit tappy and could do with looking at.

The front seats are from a Vauxhall Tigra and have loads of adjustment.

New plugs and leads.

This is by no means a 'minter' or 'show car', but its a great rolling project and I use it daily to get to work. It is unique and turns a lot of heads and it's great fun to drive.

There is no door card on the drivers door or window rubber, the club should be good for the rubber.

 

I have a few spares, original steering wheel, parcel shelf cover, brake master cylinder, new rear brake cylinder, workshop manual and some paperwork history.

 

I'm looking for £1800 ono (open) or I would swap for a 4 pot (2ltr pinto OR SMALLER ,but not too small) Hotrod or custom Anglia, 100e or Minor with 3 seater bench seat or just a 4 seater. Must have mot & be tax exempt. Would also consider swap for motorcycle 750cc upwards but must be a cruiser Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Harley would be nice but lets be real. Must also be mot'd & taxed. West Sussex 07930169980".

 

End of quote. But now for some pics ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

 

How Crestastic is that?. ↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

Answer, oohh yeah, quite a lot. But it's gonna get even better.

 

Is there more info out there from after 2010? Fuck knows.

Jee n ex's. Brilliant. Great PI work. Its all starting to take historic shape.

Have just been on the Sods and asked for info about it, so hopefully more will follow.

I'll be honest, I'm a bit, kid in a toy shop with this.

I never imagined ever owning a machine like this.

[puddlethumper]

I can see the steering wheel is the same but the front seat is now a BENCH seat, for the, erm, win, I think.

No vivid green in evidence now.

Crikey, that interior looks a damn sight better than it does now. 

Much work to be done. Not that I would want the vivid green back necessarily.

[puddlethumper]

I mean, look at that front end. Who wouldn't want one, ay ?

[lesapandre]

The white Nascar look really suited it with black nose and wheels. Not sure what was happening with the bonnet scoop. Great auto-archaeology . Real Time Team stuff.

[DodgeRover]

Erm I wonder if the car wearing those plates in the pictures is the one you have or somebody might have been a little confused and put the wrong tax exempt plates on their not exempt saloon by mistake at some point?

It's a pretty big job to have been done at that late point in it's life and strictly speaking if the shell was cut about then as apposed to say 1988 then it should have been reregistered and gone through a SVA/ BIVA thing at great expense.

[lesapandre]

Except I think the Cresta went out of production in '72. 

[DodgeRover]

Modified anytime before 1988 is fine....

[puddlethumper]

 I put a thread on the sods and i've had a reply that went;

 

I think, in the present climate, I'd really keep quiet about this if I were you......

 

Blimey ! Whats that all about ? 

 

Intriguing or ominous.

[Ghosty]

I think they're saying banger boys would nick it.

[666jjp]

 I put a thread on the sods and i've had a reply that went;

 

I think, in the present climate, I'd really keep quiet about this if I were you......

 

Blimey ! Whats that all about ? 

 

Intriguing or ominous.

I would think this relates to the aforementioned biva/sva rules changing

[puddlethumper]

I posted an apology saying, as a newby, I didn't know the current climate.

 

Next reply from the same poster was;

 

"No need to apologise- just offering some friendly advice, that's all."

 

There's something about this wagon, but I don't know what.

[DodgeRover]

I put a thread on the sods and i've had a reply that went;

 

I think, in the present climate, I'd really keep quiet about this if I were you......

 

Blimey ! Whats that all about ?

 

Intriguing or ominous.

Because if it was built recently then it can't be on the road with that registration it would require an SVA/ BIVA at great expense and loads of modifying to comply with current rules.

 

Edit - However if we choose to believe yours was an estate before 1988 then it's fine and legal and the other car in the pictures must have been wearing it's plates for a joke or something.

[puddlethumper]

Sorry, just read the above. Catching up.