Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Peter_L]

OCC members of a certain vintage, like me, will no doubt remember the number of ex-army vehicles that were on the roads in the 1950's. What I didn't know was there were companies who bought surplus trucks and added various body types and sold them on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5xOFh64TI


Presumably some will have survived.

[Rootes75]

We had a scrap dealer near us in Wells who used to dipose of military vehicles and equipment just after the war.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[consul 57]

one range of mags called wheels and tracks (military vehicles) quite often had pics of old adverts for various ex military vehicles revamped for the civi market.
one of which was converting austin k5 4x4's to twin rear wheels as they originaly had sinlges all round, also bedford ql's converted to tankers and site tippers although they already existed in both forms for the army & airforce.

[kevin2306]

I always like browsing this site

http://www.mod-sales.com/

Kev

[Rootes75]

That is an interesting site, have you looked at some of the prices though. A 'Snatch' Land Rover from £35K!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[V8 Nutter]

I grew up close to a timber merchants yard. He had a G.M.C. 6x6 with a fifth wheel attachment, which he used well into the 1970's in later years it was fitted with a Perkins diesel. Over the years he had several other ex military trucks usually Canadian Chevrolet or Ford, he also had a couple of Morris Quads. There was a company near Worcester their core business was servicing and repair of G.M.C. and Chevrolet ex military trucks

[Ray White]

[Peter_L]

My father started his decorating business in about 1956, This was the second vehicle
I can remember, the first being an Austin "Tilley"

This Morris was purchased form "Woolhouse and Son, Smithies Lane Barnsley.
The yard isn't there anymore but it was well known back in the day.





This Morris came from a Depot in Leicestershire, possibly Donnington.
From the notes my father kept at the time he paid $120 "plus work".
His notebook wasn't found until after he died but from family legend I know that it was not uncommon to exchange "trades and services".

Apparently the Morris was a post D-Day production unit and had only 86 miles on the speedo,
which, again from the notebook, was said to not be working.
The vehicle also had another mechanical problem, the clutch would not disengage something that our neighbour and ex-RAF mechanic said could be an easy fix.

The vehicle was brought home, the clutch was fixed and the fabric cover over the "box" was replaced with galvanised steel. The joints were overlapped, holes drilled (by hand) and riveted, more ex RAF skills no doubt. The drop down tailgate was kept and an upper top hinged door complete with window was fitted.

Rear seating was via the tried and tested "bus seat", very popular at the time.

One of the last journeys I can remember, was to Anglesey. I remember the vehicle coming to a stop on a traffic roundabout/junction. Again from the note book, it seems that the steering seized at full right hand lock.

It was towed to a local garage and "fixed" kind of, but not long after that the business purchased two brand new 100E 5cwt vans.

I remember driving the Austin on the beach at Cleethorpes, but don't recall driving the Morris. Although my Father kept a notebook, he did have a habit of writing "Sunday, went to Cleethorpes" or Sunday, went to Filey" and things like "Saturday afternoon, John greased the steering and adjusted the brakes"

[ukdave2002]

As a kid I remember my dad going to a government surplus place in Chester called Ledsham Trading, the building is on the canal and has for a long time now been a restaurant and wine place called "Telford's Warehouse "

Dave

[Rootes75]

Not a common variant the Morris Tilly van.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Norseman]

[Norseman]

[quote="Ray White"]

[47Jag]

Interestingly, I served my apprenticeship in a factory outside Glasgow that reconditioned mainly Bedford (OL, QL, OY and latterly RLs). We also did some Austin Lodestars and a 6x4 recovery truck that I can’t recall the designation. The whole vehicles were strip. ed to the bones, everything mechanical was reconditioned, rewired' m, and new body flooring. They then got sent to a vehicle dump near Abingdon. One of the tradesmen was a recent Army retiree and he told me one of his mates had gone to ab auction to buy a truck so that he could start a business. He bought what he thought was an Bedford OL for £100 and having paid for it drove it home. A week or so later he got a letter from the Ministry of Supply asking when he was going to collect the other two trucks in the lot.

Art

[BigJohn]

My Old Man had a similar experience, bought one truck, found it included two others, which was handy as he and a friend had originally gone to buy a motorbike, and ended up with 3 more crated, and a truck full of spares. They had to go back the next day with extra drivers.
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1974 Mk1 Escort.

[Norseman]