FC 2 Door Wagon?

[SRVLIVES]

These two pics were posted on the ozrodders site...





... anybody shed some light on this? Is it factory? How many were made? etc, etc

[Blown_FC]

I'm no guru...just some lamen who notices silly things.

On the rear door, where the door would normally have a gap, there is an evident rust stain running vertically exactly where you would expect to see a door gap.

This could be where the original door was welded up and the rust is coming through ?

Also if you follow the lower edge of the door, seems to be what looks like bubble flaky bog  

Just an observation of a photo...I'd say a one of a kind custom or home job.

Either way.....a great find !   Is it worth grabbing, or is it really far gone ?

Mark

[4hammers]

Hi.
My guess is it is a panelvan conversion. Wagons didn't have the spare whell door or bumperettes. The "Vanettes" were a conversion available back then. Apparently, from what Ken has said, it was cheaper to get a new panelvan converted, than to buy a new wagon! Would love to see the compliance plates.

That rear seat frame would be a great score. Also, you would find the front seat may have a fold forward hinge set up. That would be a treasure for rare conversion bits I think!

Rob J

[RET]

Almost certainly a panel-van, probably what was known as a "Station Waggon".  These weren't made by GM-H, but were panel-van conversions done by body-building/coach-building firms.  In this particular example, the existence of the spare-wheel door makes a modified wagon with welded-up doors seem unlikely.  For that matter if you were going to weld up the doors, why wouldn't you keep the standard glass?  Fitting Canopy Industries-style windows to a modified wagon would seem an odd thing to do.  Not impossible, but unlikely.

Anyhow, back to Vanettes and Station Waggons in general, which are quite interesting in themselves.  A price-list I have from W.T. Coggins shows the following:

FC-215: £ 1110.13.6
FC-217: £ 1142.1.0 (ie +£31 over 215)
FC-225: £ 1173.8.6 (ie +£63 over 215)

FC-219: £ 1213.10.6 (ie +£103 over 215)
FC-229: £ 1276.5.6 (ie +£63 over 219, or +£166 over 215!)

FC-2106: £ 1010.7.6 (ie -£100 against 215)
FC-2104: £ 1021.15.10 (ie -£89 against 215)

- Factory option (rear window)
FC-2104 RPO 333: £ 1027.10.0 (ie -£83 against 215)

- Dealer options
FC-2104 "Admiral" De Luxe Panel Van (Canopy*, Sliding Windows): £ 1097.16.4 (ie +£87 over base van)
FC-2104 Station Waggon (Canopy, Sliding Windows & Rear Seat: 6 passenger): £ 1132.16.4 (ie +£111 over base van, but -£81 against 219!)

The "Station Waggon" didn't include fold-down front seats as standard (although some conversions do exist**), so it would have been a right mongrel to get in and out of with any frequency, but the difference in price compared to a standard wagon is amazing.  When you look at this, it's little wonder the 219 was made in such few numbers.  It really seems to be a car without a market.  (There was an article about this in Sideplate Vol 24 No 7)

The "Admiral" version is the one sometimes called a "vanette", and occasionally (and erroneously) as a "Sedan Delivery".

cheers
RET

* The term "Canopy" here I believe refers to the fitting of wagon side glass.
** If this one has been converted, it looks like the pivot position is on the floor!  Only practical when you've removed the steering column...

[Blown_FC]

Sounds fair to me.....I must admit, I didn;t think about the spare wheel door and bumperettes.....goes to show I own a sedan hey ?

[zulu]

I have a couple of these, an FE Panelvan with wagon glass, two tone paint, full headlining, no spare tyre door & Station Sedan rear quarter badges. It does not have any rear seat fitted.

Also have an FC Panelvan, it too has wagon glass, it also has a wagon rear seat and a front bench seat with a crook lookin hinge setup to allow the whole front seat to hinge up to allow access to the rear.

Needless to say I never tried to wriggle in there for fear of never getting out again. It does have the spare tyre door.

The front seat is a correct panel van seat with the ply backing & the rear seat is in the matching standard pattern.

Gary