Morris minor caravanette

[Shropshiremoggie]

On George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces , Channel 4 tonight 8 o’clock ( 6th Jan ) a Morris Minor Caravanette is going to be featured !!!!

[irmscher]

I think you got the wrong night

[simmitc]

It was on as listed and is available on the Channel 4 catchup service. The van looked excellent when the restoration was finished. No real technical info, but veyr impressive finish.

[IaininTenbury]

Saw it on +1 when I got in from work. Very good and nice to see 'The Snail' rebuilt and enjoyed again. I considered buying this when it was offered for sale at the LCV 50th rally at Avoncroft in 2003. I chickened out and bought my own van at the same do instead. I believe its had a few owners and makeovers since then but the latest looks a very thorough and well thought out job.

[Martin in Telford]

Hi Ian, I also recorded it from +1 after a phone call tip-off.

I have known 'The Snail' for many years, TOX 95H was originally built by a well known eccentric in Wolverhampton in the early 80's, debuted at the National Rally at Weston Park maybe 1986.

I next came across it early 90's, sitting in a desperate state on a garden in Shrewsbury.

It was the purchased by , dare I say eccentric, Mal Weaver (before She married Martin) and brought to us at the Moggy Factory where it had Loads of welding, a bare metal respray in Turquoise/White, also had the massive 13-leaf rear springs reset.

At sometime it also passed through the hands of another Club member in Walsall, whose name escapes me.

The last time I saw it in the Flesh was at the Shropshire branch Rally in 2007 when the colours were predominately Black and Purple with mock Tudor Beams in the Ceiling and Purple Tassles hanging ! (yet another Eccentric, can you see a pattern?)

My best recollection of driving it was accelerating in 1st gear would see the front end lift dramatically ! all you could see was Sky ! braking involved a certain amount of Prayer.

Also mid 80's there was another Minor Caravanette about, a much more civilised looking thing with a Boxy style Luton body.

[IaininTenbury]

I remember the 'other' one you mention. Owner used to have autojumble stalls with it. Saw it at Malvern, three counties showground once and at a MMOOC national, possible Harewood. Looked nicely made and designed and I think I heard it had gone to someone in Ireland which I guess could be why it disappeared off the scene here.
I'm probably not eccentric enough to have bought the Snail, though feel it at times being one of few folk running a van with side windows who doesn't want to weld the windows up and put it back to standard...
Last time I saw the snail it was at the NEC car show on the club stand - theme was 'travel with a minor' when in its black grey and purple guise. It was being offered for around £12k then which seemed a huge hike on the £1400 at Avoncroft a few years previously.

[olderisbetter]

Hi Ian, I also recorded it from +1 after a phone call tip-off.

I have known 'The Snail' for many years, TOX 95H was originally built by a well known eccentric in Wolverhampton in the early 80's, debuted at the National Rally at Weston Park maybe 1986.

I know at least 3 eccentric people in Wolverhampton that could have built something like that... Was it Neal? lol

[Martin in Telford]

Best as I can remember, up the Cannock Road out of town, Fallings Park, just after the old Meadows Factory on the left the Road bends left with a fork junction to the right.
One of those houses on the right, I think,
please take into account it was over 27 years ago and sometimes I can't remember what I had for Breakfast at Lunchtime !

[olderisbetter]

I know that stretch of road very well, There used to be an early Clan Crusader in red on one of the drives looking unloved, It belonged to a lady who was a teacher..I wonder what became of it, The caravanette does ring a bell now and so does a man that used to have an A TEAM style van on that
stretch of road.