it was a ‘bread and butter’ motor , relatively cheap , the d series range covered everything from a 4 cylinder 5 tonne D300 rigid up to V8 cyl 28 tonne GVW D2818 artic. you had bread delivered , it came in a D series ford or a TK bedford , you had 10 tonne of sand dropped off in a tipper . it would rock up in a 16 tonne d series or a KM Bedford. but it was never ‘up there’ with the ‘quality’ lorries , the atkinsons/AEC/ERF/Fodens etc. probably the first of the ‘accountants’ lorries I suppose.
but for all that the configurations were nearly endless, I’ve got a ford salesmans handbook at home from about 1968 I think listing all the transits , d series , coaches etc all the specs and all the options. you bought one and didn’t like the gearing , change the back axle, didn’t like the 4 speed box it came with , change it to a 5 or 6 speed , need more ratios ,stick an eaton 2 speed axle in it.
we had d600 tractor units that came with low speed diffs and 5 speed boxes and ended up with 4 speed boxes and 2 speed axles with coach diffs for caravan work. 365 cu in engines would be changed to 380 cu in . an engine and gearbox from a D2114 tractor unit , fitted nicely into the the chassis of a D0811 rigid.
my dad bought loads of them from 1966 d600 tractor units through just about every rigid d series in the book up to the last one he bought a 1979 D1114 rigid and drawbar, they worked on toy distribution , parcels and pallet work, trunking , mobile homes uk and france, boats, you name it and a d series would more than likely do it which isn’t bad for a cheap and cheerful motor.
