47b ice cream van with GPW

[ClOwY]

Thanks
Gary

[GHOSTHUNTER]

It might be worth having a good look and a light attempt at removing the base yourself. If it feels as firm and secure as other examples you have, then chances are it is a proper sound marriage of base to body. If there is more movement between the base and body than those other examples doubt has to come into play and the swap must be considered.

Ghosthunter.

[DrJeep]

It might be worth having a good look and a light attempt at removing the base yourself. If it feels as firm and secure as other examples you have, then chances are it is a proper sound marriage of base to body. If there is more movement between the base and body than those other examples doubt has to come into play and the swap must be considered.

Good advice, as ever. It's just as firm as all the others, which must be a good sign.

[Malibu]

(and really should clean out that van!)

Both should do this.

[DrJeep]

The GPW model is code 14: grey wheels, snap-in base short roof stripes, short side stripes, tall man, brace behind driver's seat. The short man model seems to be unlisted: black 10x24 wheels, short roof decal, short side decal, short man, brace behind driver's seat.

sorry - I was wrong. Both have the taller side decal - I've realised that the distinguishing feature is the height of the rectangular red panel. That makes the short man code 10, and the grey wheels code 11.

If we're ever working on a new version of the listing, I think that it should include the changing colours of the decals too. The move from pale pink to raspberry is quite substantial.

[Malibu]

Hi all,

today I bought this 47b with GPW.
It´s code 13 according to Nick´s list.
Any thoughts about it?
Is it really that seldom?

Stephan

(c) Malibu

Commer_47b_1.JPG (91.03 KiB) Viewed 5986 times

(c) Malibu

Commer_47b_2.JPG (87.57 KiB) Viewed 5986 times

(c) Malibu

Commer_47b_3.JPG (73.51 KiB) Viewed 5986 times

(c) Malibu

Commer_47b_4.JPG (71.9 KiB) Viewed 5986 times

[DrJeep]

Hi Stephan

sorry - I missed this when we were all at the NEC last week.

I think we need a better picture of the axle ends: the front looks a little odd and it's strange that they look so different from each other, with so much rust on the back but not on the front. Can you check whether the axle webs have been drilled out?

Of course, it would also be good to know where it came from. I hope it wasn't from the Netherlands!

Glenn

[Malibu]

Hi Glenn,

thanks for your answer.
You are right the front axle end looks a bit odd.
I see it more often that one axle is more rusted than the other.
I bought the model in a shop for old toys in Stuttgart Germany - it was together with lots of other models in a junkbox.
Here better pictures.

(c) Malibu

Axle_ends_Commer.JPG (26.17 KiB) Viewed 5890 times

Stephan

[MatchboxFreak]

Hallo Stephan
Congratulations on your GPW Commer Ice Cream van!
The rear axle ends look great. The front riveted axle end looks like it was was chewed by a beaver! I don’t know what to make of it.
The GPW Commer Ice Cream van is one of my favorites. In more than 20 years , I’ve only seen one example in the wild. My example had been hand painted and was in rough shape. On eBay, I’ve seen perhaps 4 examples in mixed lots. So it seems fairly uncommon but not ultra-rare.
If I had seen your example in a junk box, I would definitely have bought it too.
Enjoy!
Kurt

[DrJeep]

Hi Stephan

It's a good sign that it came from a junk box. I hope it wasn't too expensive! It's probably good, but that front axle still looks strange. How does it look from the side?

Glenn