Another Carawagon here...

[Lobo]

...from Germany, allthough originally from the UK.

It's a 1981 5- door Stage 1 with the 3,5l V8, for that reason it really needs the two aditional fuel tanks under the front seats.
The Carawagon specific interior is mostly gone, only the bunks are still in place; the overall condition is fair with surface rust only and without rustholes, neither in the frame nor in the bulkhead. Engine and electric system need to be sorted, the pop up roof requires a complete resto with replacement of all wooden bits/ seals and finally a new paintjob is on the list as well.

I bought the carawagon a couple of years ago and unfortunately it has never made it to the top of my "things to do and cars to restore" priority list.
So maybe I get the inspiration in this forum to finally kick off...

Below you find a few pictures:

Engine needs a lot tlc...

...built in 1981, not sure if I like the bullbar...

image.jpg (142.7 KiB) Viewed 6267 times

My Stage 1 Carawagon

So hello everybody, nice to meet a couple of enthusiasts!

Klaus

[Dormy]

Hi Klaus and welcome the forum.

I am sure you will get the encouragement you need from here to get on with your restoration and probably some helpful ideas too.

That bullbar is a Bearmach Integral Bumper and Nudge Bar. I think it suits the Stage 1 front and is not as over the top as a full blown bullbar. You certainly don't need to worry about putting it to use as they are very solid.

Good luck with the project
Ian
P.S. Where about in Germany are you ?

[Lobo]

I'm from Berlin...

[Peaceand]

Hi Klaus,
That is a very very blue Carawagon!

Are there any clues in the back about where the furniture would have been? 5 door Carawagons are pretty rare, and as far as I know they all had a cupboard along the rear passenger side with sections cut into the wheel box for more storage.

If there's nothing like that then perhaps the conversion was simply fitting a roof and bunks to an exisiting vehicle? If that's the case then the 'downstairs' area would be pretty standard Land Rover.

That looks like a triangular Carawagon badge on the front wing too?

Whatever the history, it's something special and unique. I hope you get it on the road soon!

Patrick

[Lobo]

It is blue, isn't it? Does somebody know what the color is called, I have a distant memory that it could be PAGEANT BLUE?

In the back there are cutouts in both wheel boxes, the one on the drivers side looks like it's there for a gas bottle (there's a ventilation opening at the bottom of the box and for the records, that is NOT a lame excuse for a rust hole:), the one on the passenger side is a bit more spacious.

Although I read that Carawagon usually removed the rear "bulkhead" for the Continental Camper conversion in order to fold down the front seats to form a bed, in my Stage 1 somebody (most likely the guys in Searle) put in a couple of steel rods, maybe to stabilize the body between the B- pillars (?), see pictures below and come up with your own theory / interpretation.
In comparison to my 1973 109 Station wagon this allows for a lot more space behind the driver's (and passengers) seat, maybe this Landrover was first owned by a very tall guy (suits me, I'm 195cm on a dry day).

And you're right Patrick, there is the triangular Carawagon badge on the lower wing, as well as a reinforcement "step" on and over the top edge of the front fenders (better: an elliptic shaped alloy sheet, bent to fit over the fender's edge and riveted to the wing). It looks like a later addition and not like an idea anyone at the Carawagon factory originally came up with.
I also believe that one of the previous owners wasn't too happy with the front roof rack and simply hacked it off, see pictures below.


Klaus

[Calum]

Only the second Stage One Carawagon I have seen... very nice!!
Pageant Blue it isn't... looks like it was white but repainted by somebody? I had a Stage One SW that was originally Pageant (but had been repainted pastel green).

Looks a fantastic project!