Found this on the AEC societys webb site.Photo taken by G Carpenter.
Everyone who as commented on them seem to be saying the same thing ,they flew ,does this mean they were fast or that they could pull as well? i always thought Mercedes were fast but fairly gutless on the hills unless they had the big engine in them
Fosters of Dudley ran several on trunking, It was rumoured that they had sorted engine problems out and had some success with them. I think they done work for Cape hill brewery. All their lorries Scania’s and AEC’s were immaculate in black and red livery, maybe somebody has photo’s.
ramone:
Everyone who as commented on them seem to be saying the same thing ,they flew ,does this mean they were fast or that they could pull as well? i always thought Mercedes were fast but fairly gutless on the hills unless they had the big engine in them
Ramone they were very fast for the time and pulled really well and could be seen in the THIRD lane of the M1 steaming past other vehicles on Loughborough bank. I would not say they were as fast as a 290 F88 but they were few years later
ramone:
Everyone who as commented on them seem to be saying the same thing ,they flew ,does this mean they were fast or that they could pull as well? i always thought Mercedes were fast but fairly gutless on the hills unless they had the big engine in them
I drove a 1729 “Powerliner” 
, it wouldnt pull your ■■■■■■■■ back but was fast downhill 
one of very few restored v8 mandators
i heard it was down to engine cooling ie not a big enough rad that caused the problems they shouldve tryed the v8 in a marathon now that wouldve been some motor
The restored AEC in the pic above is one of two, the other being in Leathers colours the same as the trailer, I remember them from an article in Classic Commercial and the owner of these seemed to love them. The yellow one is done in AEC’s factory colours but the demo I remember was all white, can’t remember any writing though but sure it had AEC V8 on the headboard.
They certainly could pull and go, around 250 HP was a lot in those days and could handle the 32 Ton Gross easily, I’m sure if the engine didn’t give the problems it did then it would have been remembered for more favourable reasons. The higher datum cab was an attempt to solve the overheating as it allowed a larger rad to be fitted and I believe a header tank helped too but I think its fate was sealed by then. Anyone who drove a V8 regularly would be getting on now, into their 70’s or 80’s if they were about 30 to 40 then as they didn’t tend to give motors like these to guys in their 20’s so not so sure you would get too many first hand accounts Ramone. Good subject though always had a soft spot for the AEC, good or bad. Franky.
I passed my test in one belonging to Hereford RTTA 1/1/71 so never got to drive it loaded. It did, however, have the habit of being the only truck on the training fleet not to be frosted up in the morning 
but that may have had something to do with the talk of clandestine night trunks with coils to Brum 
Thanks for the pictures they bring back a memories
hi all,
this v8,is owned by a good friend of mine.mark wiltshire,i think that,as neil james (white v8) above,they both have been converted to fuller box’s.
Suedehead:
ramone:
Everyone who as commented on them seem to be saying the same thing ,they flew ,does this mean they were fast or that they could pull as well? i always thought Mercedes were fast but fairly gutless on the hills unless they had the big engine in themI drove a 1729 “Powerliner”
Ha ha i took 1 of those mercs to Germany…i should have left it there a pile of …
I think they made 2 versions 1 around 250bhp and i think 1 around 270bhp with a turbo on
hi,
RTITB had at least one possibly two V8s at MOTEC Livingstone around 1973-74 for driver training.
Stanfield:
Here’s another0
I think you are right about them fitting an header tank to solve the problem Franky.
Does anyone the history of the RTITB one? It has a Cambridgeshire reg.
Pratt Bros. of Kimbolton had a white one pulling an aggregate tipper running into St.Ives Sand & Gravel plants in Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire in the early 70s.
Nick
Father had one new XDM 3G Unreliable but went like a train. Not to many engine problems, more air pack trouble. It revved right round the clock till it hit the stop at zero (4500rpm?) When dad changed gear it was at the top of the next gear on normal revs (3000rpm). It also pulled extreamly well. 5th gear (direct) up the old hill towards Runcorn with 21 ton of Minera’s limestone on a Williams’ of Gwersylt tandem axle tipping trailer. It was a flyer also, 80mph was regular, AEC’s reccond it would do over 100 mph. Sadly it got wrote off doing 10 mph when dad got forced off the road. My brother Desert Driver will be able to tell you a lot more about it.
The Heavy Mob:
Father had one new XDM 3G Unreliable but went like a train. Not to many engine problems, more air pack trouble. It revved right round the clock till it hit the stop at zero (4500rpm?) When dad changed gear it was at the top of the next gear on normal revs (3000rpm). It also pulled extreamly well. 5th gear (direct) up the old hill towards Runcorn with 21 ton of Minera’s limestone on a Williams’ of Gwersylt tandem axle tipping trailer. It was a flyer also, 80mph was regular, AEC’s reccond it would do over 100 mph. Sadly it got wrote off doing 10 mph when dad got forced off the road. My brother Desert Driver will be able to tell you a lot more about it.
Sounds like it needed a govenor and a different gearbox
HI boys
ramone:
The Heavy Mob:
Father had one new XDM 3G Unreliable but went like a train. Not to many engine problems, more air pack trouble. It revved right round the clock till it hit the stop at zero (4500rpm?) When dad changed gear it was at the top of the next gear on normal revs (3000rpm). It also pulled extreamly well. 5th gear (direct) up the old hill towards Runcorn with 21 ton of Minera’s limestone on a Williams’ of Gwersylt tandem axle tipping trailer. It was a flyer also, 80mph was regular, AEC’s reccond it would do over 100 mph. Sadly it got wrote off doing 10 mph when dad got forced off the road. My brother Desert Driver will be able to tell you a lot more about it.Sounds like it needed a govenor and a different gearbox
As Robert said it went like a train. What he might not remember as he is a lot younger than me is that dad had a demonstrator for a week before he placed the order for XDM 3G. It was also a V8 but with a semi auto preselect gearbox and a tandem axle dump trailer that tipped on the rear axle and lifted the front one off the ground. He decided to go with the manual box, I remember it as a David Brown but my be wrong but definitely with an overdrive. He opted for a conventional tipping trailer to take advantage of the extra gross weight with the longer wheel base.He brought it off Lex Tillotsons in Trafford park but would spend two or three nights in AECs at St Helens. He would work it in the day and then limp into the work shop, thumb it home then back the next morning and try again. This was not for problems with the engine but for all the add on components, as Robert rightly said air packs was a favorite one day after having three on in one day I was present when he rang the manager at Tillotsons a Mr Pachet. He was going to tell him where to put his V8 but the manager was having none of it and all he keeped saying was bring it in lad. So thats what we did and as soon as we had pulled up on the front the whole workshop downed tools and stood all around. After a lot of chin wagging Mr Pachet said to Dad you’ve not been draining your air tanks to which he replied I do every morning and even did it before I come here and there wasn’t a tea spoon come out. He then turned and said change him that dryer valve and to the stores man said give him a box of diaphragms to go in it. Every time Dad changed the engine oil he changed one of these diaphragms and it stopped a lot of the trouble.He had a few injector pipes brake and just before his crash he had to have a new set of timing gears. At that time AECs cut the pump down taking a gear out of every hill and added one mile to the gallon to the fuel consumption. After the crash Dad was paid out and the salvage was sold for 1 thousand, it change hands 4 times on the yard eventually being sold for 4 thousand to go to Malter to be repaired as it was said they could not get the parts to repair it over here.
There were a few around at the time and I know ETCs of Ellesmere had two and it was said at the time AECs gave them theirs for evaluation,Nev (OXO3) on here might be able to shed some more light on them.
As many have said it was a engine that was rushed into production,the crank case was not strong enough,the main bearing faces were to narrow. The princable was good but needed more development and testing.As for Scania connection no. Having worked on early 140s a completely different engine,the only thing the same was they both had 8 cylinders.
Sorry seemed to have gone on a bit 
Regards Keith.
Thanks for that,very interesting,i read on the AEC society website that its no coincidence that the only survivors seem to be the 6 speed Aec box versions ,shame someone couldn`t sort what could have been real potential
ramone:
Thanks for that,very interesting,i read on the AEC society website that its no coincidence that the only survivors seem to be the 6 speed Aec box versions ,shame someone couldn`t sort what could have been real potential
Hiya ramone…not true…theres a chap who comes to llandudno festival who has two V8,s (he has more) he has a 8 legger
with that weid gearbox.i can,t remember his name .his trucks are two tone blue with a red chassis
The chap has,nt been to the show for the last 3 years someone must know him.he spent hours with me explaning
how he had rebuit the engine and got it running right.There,s another chap who goes to llandudno who has 2 v8 engines
he lives on Anglesey
John
3300John:
ramone:
Thanks for that,very interesting,i read on the AEC society website that its no coincidence that the only survivors seem to be the 6 speed Aec box versions ,shame someone couldn`t sort what could have been real potentialHiya ramone…not true…theres a chap who comes to llandudno festival who has two V8,s (he has more) he has a 8 legger
with that weid gearbox.i can,t remember his name .his trucks are two tone blue with a red chassis
The chap has,nt been to the show for the last 3 years someone must know him.he spent hours with me explaning
how he had rebuit the engine and got it running right.There,s another chap who goes to llandudno who has 2 v8 engines
he lives on Anglesey
John
Is this one of them John?
