As I recall, ND 999 was about the last Guy that came to London Road. After that Smiths bought ERF ‘B’ Series which were a disaster for them. They kept falling apart.
The rear section of the front wings kept falling off. above 40mph the wipers left the windscreen, door handles had a button to press to open the door, one of these came out and hit a driver in the eye. The cross spars at the rear of the cab, securing the air intakes, also came loose regulary, the front of the cab below the grille (Which also kept shearing off.) split.
This also happened some 5 years later when I was with United Glass at Baillieston and they replaced Seddon-Atki 400’s with ERF’s. The foreman mechanic at the Kelliebank workshops at Alloa introduced me to ERF’s engineer who was not pleased when I told him what I thought of his ‘Plastic Pigs’, he was even less happy when the foreman asked him why it was that the ERF’s were still doing the same things five years later.
Incidentally, most of the UG drivers were ex Smiths.
Because of the problem’s with the ERF’s, Smiths ran a number of Fiat’s from London Road, rumour was that ERF had to pay for their hire. They also, for a short time, ran a Bedford TM with the narrow cab, this eventually went to Maddiston to be used with a tank trailer.
Alex
alexsaville:
As I recall, ND 999 was about the last Guy that came to London Road. After that Smiths bought ERF ‘B’ Series which were a disaster for them. They kept falling apart.
The rear section of the front wings kept falling off. above 40mph the wipers left the windscreen, door handles had a button to press to open the door, one of these came out and hit a driver in the eye. The cross spars at the rear of the cab, securing the air intakes, also came loose regulary, the front of the cab below the grille (Which also kept shearing off.) split.
This also happened some 5 years later when I was with United Glass at Baillieston and they replaced Seddon-Atki 400’s with ERF’s. The foreman mechanic at the Kelliebank workshops at Alloa introduced me to ERF’s engineer who was not pleased when I told him what I thought of his ‘Plastic Pigs’, he was even less happy when the foreman asked him why it was that the ERF’s were still doing the same things five years later.
Incidentally, most of the UG drivers were ex Smiths.
Because of the problem’s with the ERF’s, Smiths ran a number of Fiat’s from London Road, rumour was that ERF had to pay for their hire. They also, for a short time, ran a Bedford TM with the narrow cab, this eventually went to Maddiston to be used with a tank trailer.
Alex
Hiya Alex very interesting slant on SOM !! We ran a couple of day cab ERFs 8LXBs on double shift 77 S & 80 V and we didn’t experience any of the problems you outlined although we did have a few problems with a couple of Day cabbed Sed/ATK 8LXBs 75P reg & 76R reg on same double shift work .The Sed /Atk axles wern’t upto it and also the air cleaner had to be re-positioned out of the spray .It just shows you what a tough old bird the Guy big J was !! The 6 big Js (180 LXBs)we ran M, R & S reg were trouble free !! Boy have we had some fun on this thread its been like a whos who on SOM from Southhamton Birmingham Manchester and Scotland !! great ! I did meet Mr. James (Smith ) a few times but it was after they had sold out to United but he still knew the score !! Regards Bewick.
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame. 
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame.
Cheers Dave.
How do you think he’ll respond when we hang an Gardner cylinder head round his neck ? Dennis.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame.
Cheers Dave.How do you think he’ll respond when we hang an Gardner cylinder head round his neck ? Dennis.
Dennis, I think he will wear that cylinder head with pride,it will be the making of him. 
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame.
Cheers Dave.How do you think he’ll respond when we hang an Gardner cylinder head round his neck ? Dennis.
Dennis, I think he will wear that cylinder head with pride,it will be the making of him.
Cheers Dave.
On second thoughts Dave I think we should attach it to his nuts !! that way we’d have his un-divided ! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame.
Cheers Dave.How do you think he’ll respond when we hang an Gardner cylinder head round his neck ? Dennis.
Dennis, I think he will wear that cylinder head with pride,it will be the making of him.
Cheers Dave.On second thoughts Dave I think we should attach it to his nuts !! that way we’d have his un-divided ! Cheers Dennis.
Dennis,
I can see why you were a successful businessman,you are a cruel barsteward. 
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame.
Cheers Dave.How do you think he’ll respond when we hang an Gardner cylinder head round his neck ? Dennis.
Dennis, I think he will wear that cylinder head with pride,it will be the making of him.
Cheers Dave.On second thoughts Dave I think we should attach it to his nuts !! that way we’d have his un-divided ! Cheers Dennis.
Dennis,
I can see why you were a successful businessman,you are a cruel barsteward.
Cheers Dave.
sure bewick an amatuer compared to the ■■■■■ that he handed the baton to
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Hi Dennis,
I propose to you,as Grand Master of the 8LXB thread that Carryfast is inducted into the Gardner Hall of Fame.
Cheers Dave.How do you think he’ll respond when we hang an Gardner cylinder head round his neck ? Dennis.
Let’s hope that it’s not as zb heavy as the zb great big 32 valve one which I’d have got Rolls to make for that spark ignition LPG fuelled version of the 8 LXB. 
In reply to 3300John . The Tideswell`s Volvo 88 reg no. SEH 71R fitted with the Gardner 240 ran for 3-4 years until the cab rot set in and was scrapped, the engine is still at the Kingsley yard. Volvo UK objected to the conversion. but Mr Tideswell insisted he could do what he wanted with is vehicles. SEH 71R carried a badge on the grill HTS (H Tideswell Special).
I worked for Tideswells from the AEC 8wheeler days up to a few years ago and i never saw any sub contractors employed there.
Will see if anyone as a photo of the said Volvo or any other Tideswell pics. cheers 3piece-wheel
Hiya i think you will know me if you have worked there that long. I lived in Sandon st Leek.I worked with Brian Thomas at Harrisons.It was Brians Atki
the 240 come out of after that crash when the cab was smashed off.I can’nt remember the chaps name who owned the Volvo but he told me he parked at Tideswells yard.The Volvo was white with dark red wings and bumper.The number plate must say she was ex Comart Terry Cashmores F88 was SEH76R
so who are you Wink…Mr Barber…not that Morgan chap.I used to hang around with Billy Brindley…Phil sutton…Terry Cashmore…Brian Thomas.Dave Pearson.
If you know Brian ask him to tell you the story at Smallwood Rally with the 8 legger AEC If you could come up with a photo of the HTS more people than me would like to see her.I last saw her at Astle park with the steamer on a low loader.Roy was at the wheel.
John
The thing to remember when the 240 Gardner came out is that it was one of the highest rated bph as Volvo was only 240 and scania was a bit less and the only engine rated higher at the time was the AEC V8 which was around 248 bhp ■■■■■■■ were 180/205 and 220 so it was up with the best when introduced and it was British manufacturers which stood still and tried to rest on their laurels in stead of moving with the times and British Leyland was probably the biggest culprit like when they introduced the crusader which could have been improved so they brought out the marathon where as they would have been better trying to get one right before starting with another which left everything open to foreign competition who did cater for the drivers. I only drove a Big J with a Gardner for about 3 weeks and thought it was worse than a Scammell Highwayman.
Hi aint seen Brian Thomas for a couple of years but remember is Atki Borderer being wrote off on A41 Prees Heath area,
forgot where the 240 had come from.Do you ever see Ronnie Pearson (heavy roller) who used to do the tipping & lived at Chedd. last saw him attending his daughters wedding in Cheadle 4/5 years ago best suit an all.
Struggling posting pics, but if if you can drive for Tideswell for 30yrs a scanner should be no problem at all hey!
I could’nt let this thread go without putting on some facts from a book I have by Graham Edge called L Gardner @Sons Limited Legendary Engineering Excellence.(Carryfast take note).It shows engines supplied up to 1975.Production up to 1979.And especially for carryfast transport engineer maintenance cost comparison for 1979.The 8LXB started production in 1970 and finished in the eighties,at the end of 1979 the total production was 5494 and the 8LXC919.The book also explains in detail the reasons for the demise of the company.As a point of interest ERF were charged £1367 extra for the 8LXB,They then charged to
the customer £3000 more with the argument that the fuel savings over 6 years would recoup the extra cost. Hope this is of interest.
sorry for duplication.
Well done there muckananick that was a very intresting read. I had a look on google but nothing came up or i was looking in the wrong place.
John.
3300John:
Well done there muckananick that was a very intresting read. I had a look on google but nothing came up or i was looking in the wrong place.
John.
Excellent piece of work Mechanic !! I have the same book but am not as technical advanced as you !! I wonder what spin the bold Carryfast will come up with as his Wind & Pi** DD dosen’t even make it onto the bottom of the list for the repair costings !! Regarding the 1979 engine deliveries to the various manufactures it would appear that the Leyland Group didn’t take any 8LXBs !! Cheers Bewick.
That was the year Guy finished I would think that it would have been in the early seventies.Big bro tells me that a chap from Crawford (Adam Thomson )who drove for Smiths in the seventies had a guy with a 240 in it.Sadly he is no longer with us.
The mechanic:
That was the year Guy finished I would think that it would have been in the early seventies.Big bro tells me that a chap from Crawford (Adam Thomson )who drove for Smiths in the seventies had a guy with a 240 in it.Sadly he is no longer with us.
Yea Mecanic I think Guy’s built their last motors in 1979 and regarding SOM we got a fleet No ND999 off Alex Saville for an 8LXB Big J .Probably you didn’t see many Gardners in the workshops at Abingdon !!Cheers Bewick.
Hiya this is the best i can do at the moment just let your mind wonder a little bit and your dream will come true (Guy big J was not in this legue really)
this is heavyweight.
John
ps …i’am only trying to keep the site going a bit longer,
3300John:
Hiya this is the best i can do at the moment just let your mind wonder a little bit and your dream will come true (Guy big J was not in this legue really)
this is heavyweight.
John
ps …i’am only trying to keep the site going a bit longer,
Hiya John what a sight for sore eyes that chassis is !! it looks like it has a Kirkstall hub reuction axle fitted ! I didn’t think that axle was introduced 'til around 74 but I’m probably wrong !! I wonder which lucky firm took delivery of that machine ? Cheers Bewick.