Advice please on purchase of a Standard van

[spud99]

Good Evening. I have found and considering a purchase of a standard 10 van. Could you give me any advice on guide prices. Also are spare parts readly available? Thanks in advance.

[marshman]

How long is a piece of string?
Rusty project would be a few hundred pounds. Really nice condition around £8k.

Spares.... Body work there are a few repair panels for front wings and front part of sills but that is all. Most vulnerable bit rust wise is the rear floor area. Look carefully all at this area.

Mechanicals spares availability is pretty good. Front suspension is getting rarer now but but can be adapted from triumph heralds if desperate. Steering box is possibly biggest problem area if worn.

Any pics?

Roger

[ryscott]

I live in the US and purchased a 63 Standard 15 van. There's nothing here for this vehicle nor is there any other vehicles like it to compare to. I'm curious how popular these are to collector's and if its value is worth restoring or just parting out for others. I can't find any information about parts or values. Thank you in advance

[rlubikey]

<Thread Drift Alert> Original poster's question was about Standard 10 van.

Hi Ryscott. The Standard 15, like all this family of van (Atlas, Atlas Major, Standard 15 & 20, Leyland 15 & 20) are pretty rare. It's difficult to know how many are left on the road here in the UK, but estimates of 10 to 15 are probably not far from the mark. I understand they didn't sell well in the USA, so they're probably even rarer there. There are enthusiasts and collectors and they are certainly a unique drive with memories of a bygone, more leisurely age. Is yours a runner, or did you buy it with the intention of getting it running?

If you can find an enthusiast or collector (better still two or more!) then they may be prepared to part with a significant amount of cash, but that will be highly dependant on condition. If it's a restoration project then prices tumble, especially as these vans are known to rust badly. As for breaking for parts (please don't!) the rarity means that most of the few owners will already have all the spares they need, so it may mean holding on to things for a long time before someone actually needs a "widget".

Would you post some picture please - we like pictures! Does your van have a back story? Probably best to start a new thread.

Cheers, Richard

[spud99]

Jul 24, 2020 23:59:13 GMT 1 marshman said:

How long is a piece of string?
Rusty project would be a few hundred pounds. Really nice condition around £8k.

Spares.... Body work there are a few repair panels for front wings and front part of sills but that is all. Most vulnerable bit rust wise is the rear floor area. Look carefully all at this area.

Mechanicals spares availability is pretty good. Front suspension is getting rarer now but but can be adapted from triumph heralds if desperate. Steering box is possibly biggest problem area if worn.

Any pics?

Roger

[spud99]

Hi Roger. Thanks for the reply. I think I have added a photo to the original post.spud.

[marshman]

Yes I have seen the pictures of that one. Difficult to tell but it is not the best one out there. Several things concern me about it.

1)One the floor at the rear has been covered over with what looks like a thick rubber mat, it has been very recently sprayed inside at the rear and they didn't bother to carefully mask off the mat or even better remove it. It worries me because the back end floor is the worst place for rust on these vehicles.

2. The rear doors do not fit well, very close together at the top and wide apart at the bottom.

3. The engine bay shows further evidence of recent paint spraying with the wiring loom sprayed over. No attempt to tidy all the various brackets etc which remain quite rusty.

4. Cab area has old carpet covering the floor.

5. There is evidence of quite a lot of rust on the top the drivers side sill at the bottom of the A post, the respray did not do the door shuts which seems strange to ne as if they were rushing the job.

My overall impression is of a van that someone has found laid up and it has been brought back to life with a shiny respray and nice bit of signwriting, but I would worry about what is hidden beneath - the passenger door does not fit well and the sill profiles look wrong as does the bottom of the front wings.

Having said all that it may still be a nice solid van and I may be doing it an injustice, but having stripped several of these vehicles I know what horrors are hidden beneath the skin. In my opinion it will need some very close inspection.

Tread with caution if you are thinking of buying it.

Roger

[spud99]

Hi Roger. Many many thanks for you comments. You have spotted a great deal.i will consider every thing you have said. You seem to know your stuff and what to look for. I think from you comments i may well pass on this one. I have recenty reached at curtian age and would like to own a classis. Chose a van as something different and uasable. Does anyone in this club have one for sale? Again thank you

[magnet]

Hello Spud,
Incase it helps:-
I’m not sure what price bracket you are looking at here, but I know of the same model van with an enthusiast in NI which I understood he may ( possibly in caps!) be selling.
Kind regards,
Gareth.

[spud99]

Hi Gareth. Many thanks for your reply. I am new to buying classic vehicles but have a budget of around 8k. Looking more for a van as its something different and hopefully usable. If you know someone then how could i contact them? Again many thanks. Spud.

[magnet]

Hello Spud,
Although these ‘later’ Standards are outside my sphere of direct knowledge, I am aware that the commercials generally have a far higher value, condition for condition, than their saloon counterparts. Since you are new to classic cars, I just wonder if the ‘something different’ and the ‘usable’ factors will prove to be a practical and enjoyable experience and represent an overall value for money introduction into this activity. A questioning and probably pessimistic viewpoint, and of course, everyone’s opinion on this will differ.
Having said all that - and perhaps I shouldn’t have!- I have my doubts whether your budget (which I guess would seem reasonable) would buy this particular van, which might come to the market due to the owner having bought a long sought after vehicle from a deceased estate.
I’m likely to be talking with the owner in the coming weeks, so if anything changes on either side then we can always exchange PMs
Kind regards,
Gareth.

[standardthread]

But isn't the fun (or not depending on what needs doing) of owning a classic car that there is always something to tinker with?

Caveat, unless it is a total wreck to start with.

[magnet]

Good ‘question’, but I think it’s easy to assume that Enthusiast = Competent tinkerer, when many owners may have very little mechanical or other necessary experience, and simply want to drive and polish their cherished vehicles, and leave anything technical to those who know.

OK tinkering and improving is great, but even for those capable of multi tasking on these things, the economics of buying cheap because it needs work, can often still result in expenditure (and time) beyond its worth.
Kind regards,
Gareth.

[spud99]

Hi Gareth. Again thanks for taking the trouble to reply. You comments are well received and i get your points. I do have 40 years in the motor trade am a qualified technician. What i dont know is the classic car market hence my requests for assistance. I must say that talking to people who do know like you and Roger it does open my eyes. I will continue to seach and could well ask you guys again. Again many thanks for you help. Regards Spud.

[marshman]

I agree with Gareth's comments. My gut feel is that a commercial "classic" goes for getting on twice the price of an equivalent condition "saloon". Mostly down to rarity.

Good to hear that you have experience in the trade, but bear in mind the youngest of these vehicles is getting on for 60 years old and working on a old classic that has been bodged/modified/looked after by multiple previous owners, covered an indeterminate amount of miles, not having ready access to nice shiny new replacement parts etc. is a lot different than working in a "normal" garage servicing and working on current vehicles.

Good luck in your search and don't hesitate to come back if you find anything of interest. Standards of the 1950's & 60's are great cars and generally usable and reliable and very much underrated. They are also not a common as more run of the mill Triumphs/Austins/Morrises/MG's etc. So there at least they "tick" the "a bit different box" even if they are a saloon.

Roger