Hoods 1977 Lilliput Gazelle

[hood]

Here's my partner's and I new weekend get away toy and project, a New Zealand made 1977 Lilliput Gazelle.

In recent years we have started to get into weekend travel and camping in our spare time. A few years back we hired a camper and explored the South Island and love it!, and later years resorted to a good old fashion tent for a roof over our head. We always envisioned to have our own set wheels whether that be a campervan or a caravan.

So rewind to 2021 this popped up for sale. My uncle decided to let it go as it had been living in a shed and not being used. Previously it had been used as a promotional tool for his vineyard. During the peak of covid with the likes of border controls and such we decided to make the purchase mid year, but actually couldn't collect it until Christmas time of 2021.

As an added bonus part of the deal it came with my late grandmothers old 1988 5 series BMW. So my partner Elisa and I flew up to Kerikeri, hooked the van up to the BMW and made the journey back to Rotorua, with smooth sailing along the way and no issues.

I'll add some history on these Van's and more photos along the way as I compile this thread.

Thanks 

 

[hood]

[hood]

Overall it's pretty tidy, the exterior is original right down the gel coat, but its showing its age. The interior has been redone and is presentable. As an added bonus all electrics work and the fridge keeps the fake beers cold!

The chassis underneath is good, but the draw bar has been fucked with and slightly extended and looks a tad funky, but its functional and tows well. I've got a mate lined up to help me tidy it up and replace it.

So I've since sold the BMW and put the coin towards the cost of the van which worked out well, it had to go as I was starting to get sentimental with it and my yard was getting busy 

The tow vehicle now is my 05 2wd petrol Hilux, which does the trick. The Lilliput only weights approximately 500kgs so the 3rz pulls it along well.

The Lilliput came with two sets of awnings for either side, one for a shit house/changing shed arrangement and the other as chill/cooking etc set up

 

[hood]

So prior to our ownership, little was known on the history of these Van's and how iconic they have become.

Briefly they were designed and built in Auckland by Bruce Webster in the 1960s and through to the 70s. They were constructed in different variants from a 10ft, 12ft, 12ft 6", and the 10'6' Gazelle which was the last model and most common.

Approximately only 300 odd were ever built, and the cool thing is all of them are uniquely different. Construction materials consisted of Ali over ply, and full fiberglass. Our Gazelle is the full fiberglass with a plywood floor and steel frame.

Back in 2017 and earlier a thorough investigation was done to track down as many of the surviving vans out there as possible and to document the history and to share photos and knowledge of each and everyone of them.

All this information and knowledge was complied and featured in a coffee table style publication called One Mans Dream, the unique world of Lilliput Caravans. Our's is featured in there too from the previous owner/s, cool!

This book is available to purchase and is possibly found in your local public library, well I found it in the Tauranga library 

[hood]

To date we've been on a few adventures, Onaero beach near New Plymouth. Cooks Beach in Whitianga and Taupo for the 35th National Lilliput club run which we signed up too and became members. I made this decision to hopefully network with fellow enthusiasts, make some like minded mates and to get some ideas for our own van. 

The rally was an awesome weekend away, the weather wasn't on our side and certainly tested our tolerances as a couple when erecting the awning in the pouring rain haha but we got there in the end. The van stayed dry with no leaks, but not so much for the awning which later onwards I have since waterproofed.

 

 

[hood]

And here's where I'm up too on the Lilliput.

A fellow club member who is also a member of the Stragglers Rod & Kustom club. He brings in these 13" cross ply genuine Firestone white walls to suit the factory Anglia and similar wheels these Van's have.

So I picked up a set including a spare, pricey but pretty cool!

I didn't want to have them fitted to the tired existing wheels, so I sent them off to be blasted, and then painted. I chose a factory 2018 Toyota Corolla colour hue called "blue mist" 

Pretty stoked on the results and glad a went with that color, its obviously modern but has a period look to it. I'm kinda heading in the direction of a patina/period style build with the van.

Ideally the next plans I'd like to have the orginal navy blue strip repainted to match the wheels, the chrome light covers colour matched to the stainless? window shades as the Rotorua sulphur eats away at the chrome finish and I'm over polishing them. Then the exterior buffed/cut to get a shine coming through and then a few other things along the way.

But that's where we are up too at present, feel free to drop a comment or two and I'll keep this thread updated along the way.

Chur!

[cletus]

Sweet! 

My grandad has had one for a long time, I think he's in that book. He used to tow it with a Porsche 924  

It's looking a bit sad these days, it's been sitting for a few years now  

I remember a yarn pop told me about the Lilliput being quite short, so that it would fit in the shed they were built in? 

 

[anglia4]

This is awesome!

Lilliput Gazelle is my favourite oldschool caravan. Definitely jealous!

[hood]

On 11/09/2022 at 19:55, cletus said:

Sweet! 

My grandad has had one for a long time, I think he's in that book. He used to tow it with a Porsche 924  

It's looking a bit sad these days, it's been sitting for a few years now  

I remember a yarn pop told me about the Lilliput being quite short, so that it would fit in the shed they were built in? 

 

Cheers Clint!

I'm currently reading the book and may recall seeing your pops 924 in there, I'll try dig up a pic.

Yeah that's a true tale, they are super nimble all round. Where they were constructed all phases of the build were carried under the one roof

[Stu]

Wow this thing is dreamy! Jealous as! 

[hood]

@cletus

Is this your Uncle?

 

[cletus]

Ha yep that's the one, grandad not uncle though

I took this pic today to post in this thread  

 

 

[hood]

Woops, gotcha.

Bit of state, but begging for some tlc

[Classicmad]

Great stuff, this is our 1965 Lilliput, early one that is alloy over ply.

They are great vans, hope you enjoy yours as much as we do.

[oldrx7]

My father in law is desperate for one these caravans.  Loves them, he's got a dream of towing a gazelle caravan with his singer gazelle wagon

[hood]

On 11/10/2022 at 20:26, Classicmad said:

Great stuff, this is our 1965 Lilliput, early one that is alloy over ply.

They are great vans, hope you enjoy yours as much as we do.

How good!

We sure are enjoying it, I'm rather smittend by the wee thing. It's like another vehicle in the fleet to toy with haha

I would imagine you're a member of the Lilliput club?

[hood]

On 12/10/2022 at 10:14, oldrx7 said:

My father in law is desperate for one these caravans.  Loves them, he's got a dream of towing a gazelle caravan with his singer gazelle wagon

They occasionally pop up for sale, either on trademe and often in the clubs newsletter.

That would be pretty neat!

[hood]

We've just recently returned from a journey down south, 3,800kms and 3,600kms of that towing the Lilliput.

Such a magical trip, we hit the east coast, parts of Fiordland, Otago and Stewart Island, but on that leg of the trip we left the van at a mates place in Invercargil.

So many amazing places and experiences were made in the process, it was super fun and all went smoothly. I only had to stop in Turangi to lop off a link on the safety chain as it was dragging and the jockey wheel copped a flogging but I've got a new one to replace that to suite.

Here's a few related photos to share 

[hood]

The recent SI trip was the last straw that broke the camel's back for the factory jockey wheel set up, so I have swapped it out with a folding unit from TWL, it does the trick and later I'll jazz it up and try and make the wheel period looking to match the Van's wheel/tyre combo.

I made up a backing plate for the Ubolt attachment, it's a bit rough but at the time didn't have the tooling to mount it by drilling into the draw bar....I have a new draw bar in the pipeline for this year (yeah its fugly/haggard af I know)

I still drag this thing out of my driveway and it makes the Mrs gringe after I had the tow wagon subtly lowered but I'm cool with it.

 

 

[hood]

Last December 2022 we were invited to a club members place for a Lilliput xmas do. It was fun, super chill and we met some new faces in the process 

We had 4 Gazelles set up on the lawn, all with the trimmings!