Masonite ute
 

Considering less than 200 were built ( So says the Woodville figures ) , pics of these are uncommon . Source: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-449744762...e/n29/mode/1up

Pontiac ute
 

After closer scrutiny, its a Pontiac, I think ? I bought one of these in 1981 from a elderly Mr. De Grandi down at Geelong, for $150. He had purchased it in 1946 ex RAAF from Townsville he said. He had a caravan hire business and the Ponti was used for many years to haul caravans around. The motor was tired but I managed to drive it home down the Geelong freeway ... :thup2: He had fitted metal panels over the masonite sides , doing this had preserved the original tub very well. But sadly, he had just handed in its original 1946 number plates a week earlier :bang: :bang:

He took it for a test drive and as he manouvered it around his back yard the front guards were scraping along the fence causing more damage :doh:

Tyres needed some air and he wheeled out a Wirraway undercarriage main wheel and transferred some air into the Ponti tyres. The hydraulic brakes had a junction at the rear where he could connect the hydraulic brakes of his caravans

I passed the ute onto Colin Anderson, Colin had another one ( sold at his 2003 auction to a Sth Aust buyer) plus panels and parts he had scrounged from two 41 Pontiac sedans, ex hire cars. Colin fitted a rebuilt post war Ponti engine, side valve 6 and he took the ute on many club trips . Colin eventually sold it but the car was destroyed in a fire in the Port Adelaide museum when the seat stuffing caught alight .

Found him
 

Amazing what you can find. I do recall he said they had a annual holiday and towed a caravan to QLD with the Pontiac . I asked him if he had any photos of the QLD trips but he didn't seem to have any.

Arn
 

Funny thing is, these Pontiac utes don't appear to be in the ARN books . Does anybody have any ideas ? Maybe they were all issued to either the RAAF or the US forces , therefore not being in the Aust. army system. they were not issued a ARN

More pics http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...hlight=pontiac

Omg
 

OMG here it is ..before its unfortunate end. Colin did a brilliant job on it , he was a A grade panel beater/restorer .

https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+69282/690

Trove
 

1946 pic with three of the Pontiac utes in a surplus yard.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...chTerm=vehicle