I picked this one up as part of a job lot. I am not sure what I am going to do with it as you can see the paint work is in very poor condition and I am not sure what I will find underneath it.

It is a model of an Australian 1953 FJ Holden panel van in about 20mm scale and is of little use from a gaming point of view as it was not made until after the WW2 and Korean conflicts and was not used by the ADF to my knowledge.

The FJ Holden panel van is an iconic piece of Australian automotive history, launched in December 1953 as part of the FJ Holden range. While the FJ was essentially a facelift of its predecessor, the panel van quickly became a versatile workhorse.

Initially, these vans were vital for commercial use by tradespeople and even police forces, earning nicknames like “divvy vans.” However, they soon transformed into a cultural symbol, particularly among Australian youth in the 1970s.

Their spacious interiors were perfect for sleeping, leading to terms like “sin bins” or “shaggin’ wagons,” and they were especially popular with surfers. This era also saw the rise of custom panel vans with elaborate airbrushed murals.

Mechanically, the FJ panel van featured the 2.171-liter “Grey” inline six-cylinder engine, paired with a 3-speed manual transmission. Production of the FJ Holden range, including the panel van, ran from October 1953 to June 1956, with over 169,000 units produced. Replaced by the FE Holden, the FJ panel van remains a beloved symbol of Australian manufacturing and a car deeply woven into the nation’s identity.

Until I work out what to do with I have just painted the bumper bar, based it, and put some flocking on.

You can see the effect that the painting by the previous owner has had on the model.

I would appreciate any ideas you have on restoring it.

The model is a very good replica of the FJ.