newmercman:
Right, the 8 pot Guy was on a Swiss/Italian run, it suffered gearbox issues at first and the DB box was replaced by a Fuller, it then blew the planetary gears in the diff and a new heavier duty diff was fitted, it ran for a couple of years and ended up coming home from Italy in the back of a stepframe tilt when the diff went and it then sat in the corner of the yard where lorries go to RIP.
It was replaced on that particular job by a drawbar big J with a 250 ■■■■■■■ and the continental fleet of GL Baker got an MW and five 111 Scanias, before moving down to Faversham and going to Bedford TMs and then Foden 4000 series.
So there really was a Big J with an 8LXB and you’re welcome lol
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Well I never ! it has taken a Cockney outfit to come in “left field” with the closest proof yet that there actually was an 8 Potter Big J, but then again being a typical Cockney outfit they go and “nause” the spec up by using the Thorneycroft gearbox which was totally unsuited to be used behind an 8LXB,it should have had the Fuller 9509 box. As for the axle I would have thought it should have been up to the job so I wonder what kind of axle was fitted as a replacement ? I am also not discounting the fact that SOM would have had the odd 8LXB Big J but not the 40 that has been suggested. Cheers Bewick.
Just like to point out that, Baker’s having one of the elusive 40, we are only looking for a maximum of 39 at Smith’s. This should make the investigation much, much easier!
A bit more seriously, (makes a change) I would agree that the Baker Big J does look like one of the elusive 240s, with the higher cab and the (apparently) Gardner silencer. And I note that the manufacturer has attempted to hide those extra cylinders under a nesting-box sleeper, the rear lower corner of which seems to be a copy of the sleeper fitted to ERFs. Could the conversion have been down to Jennings, I wonder?
It’s only time before I post a genuine photo of evidence,if not this week then come end of June there will be some humble pie eaters on here ,either that or some missing tnuk members !
I’m wondering if the whole thing was a conversion including the big engine and the mismatched box into a GUY chassis with the sleeper converted cab to follow that had to be raised to fit, never any mention of a raised cab for the 240 GUY’s from the SoM boys previously. Just saying like!
Frankydobo:
I’m wondering if the whole thing was a conversion including the big engine and the mismatched box into a GUY chassis with the sleeper converted cab to follow that had to be raised to fit, never any mention of a raised cab for the 240 GUY’s from the SoM boys previously. Just saying like!
Very good questions, Mr. Dobo. I have found the list:
GL Baker does not appear in the list of operators, although they could have bought it from the original owner. I think your guess that it was a conversion is more likely.
newmercman:
Right, the 8 pot Guy was on a Swiss/Italian run, it suffered gearbox issues at first and the DB box was replaced by a Fuller, it then blew the planetary gears in the diff and a new heavier duty diff was fitted, it ran for a couple of years and ended up coming home from Italy in the back of a stepframe tilt when the diff went and it then sat in the corner of the yard where lorries go to RIP.
The vehicle does not, from NMM’s potted history, seem to have been very old when it was retired. I will speculate that it had a 6LXB in it originally, did a good few miles with that engine and was then converted for its new life on the Continent. The diff problems were a result of using a cut-and-shut propshaft, maybe. The wheelbase looks no longer than other day-cab Big J’s, to me at least.
Someone buy one of those build sheets from the BCVM, ffs.
Bewick:
Well I never ! it has taken a Cockney outfit to come in “left field” with the closest proof yet that there actually was an 8 Potter Big J, but then again being a typical Cockney outfit they go and “nause” the spec up by using the Thorneycroft gearbox which was totally unsuited to be used behind an 8LXB
Maybe not time to admit defeat yet Bewick.With inconvenient questions like why would the cab need to be set much higher for an 8 cylinder Gardner than a 6 ?. But might be if it originally had a turbocharged ■■■■■■■ in it which was then changed by someone for the big Gardner to save a few bob in diesel. The engine possibly having been supplied together with the dodgy gearbox.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=54395&start=2580
This page has a similar-looking vehicle on it, in the livery of M A Evans- same w/b (or so it seems), similar cab conversion.
I’m waiting for a bit more info, but what I’ve learned so far is that it didn’t last long at all, the driveline struggled to cope with the torque, which would suggest an engine transplant, however it wasn’t, it came straight out of Wolverhampton. As said, GL Baker were a big customer for Guy and this was possibly the first to hit the roads, which would explain the lightweight driveline. The driver said it was very noisy, which may be down to the sleeper conversion.
Retired Old ■■■■:
Just like to point out that, Baker’s having one of the elusive 40, we are only looking for a maximum of 39 at Smith’s. This should make the investigation much, much easier!
A bit more seriously, (makes a change) I would agree that the Baker Big J does look like one of the elusive 240s, with the higher cab and the (apparently) Gardner silencer. And I note that the manufacturer has attempted to hide those extra cylinders under a nesting-box sleeper, the rear lower corner of which seems to be a copy of the sleeper fitted to ERFs. Could the conversion have been down to Jennings, I wonder?
I think that Guy offered a factory sleeper cab as well as the conversion as R.K. Crisp were running sleeper cabs into Europe at the beginning of the 70s ( when 90% of the wagons going over were day cabs ) some were factory ( cancelled export order ) and some conversions
Retired Old ■■■■:
Just like to point out that, Baker’s having one of the elusive 40, we are only looking for a maximum of 39 at Smith’s. This should make the investigation much, much easier!
A bit more seriously, (makes a change) I would agree that the Baker Big J does look like one of the elusive 240s, with the higher cab and the (apparently) Gardner silencer. And I note that the manufacturer has attempted to hide those extra cylinders under a nesting-box sleeper, the rear lower corner of which seems to be a copy of the sleeper fitted to ERFs. Could the conversion have been down to Jennings, I wonder?
I think that Guy offered a factory sleeper cab as well as the conversion as R.K. Crisp were running sleeper cabs into Europe at the beginning of the 70s ( when 90% of the wagons going over were day cabs ) some were factory ( cancelled export order ) and some conversions
cheers Johnnie
Even the factory sleepers were conversions of sorts, that is what I meant by conversion.
I was allocated a new 240 Percy Guy at SoM as previously stated,I came off a 220 ■■■■■■■ Guy that was returned to Maddiston for total overhaul,the ■■■■■■■ was far noisier than the 240,although a couple of years later I was allocated a 240 ERF,which was a lot quieter than the Guy,however both 240 units pulled,both in torque and speed better than any 220 ■■■■■■■ powered unit.
It looks like TMT 465M in the colour pic but the M looks like a Wobblew in the Black n White one! 5th Wheel do you recall your 240 GUY at SoM having the cab raised more than the normal height? Franky.
newmercman:
MT was a North East London registration according to my good friend Google.
I think that might have been later than 1973/4 ?.From memory the M prefix was still usually associated with Middx,even after it was absorbed into Greater London in 1965,at that time.Also from memory the trade plates which we used for road movements up to 1980 at least were 032,033 and also I think 035 and 037 with some having an MF and some an MK reference.All issued locally to Feltham.While Valkyrie’s information suggests that all the factory 8LXB Big J’s were fitted with Fuller boxes.Is it possible it started life as a 6 cylinder Gardner Big J with just an 8 cylinder engine conversion using the 6 cylinder’s driveline ?.
Hiya,
■■■■■■■ 220 versus Gardner 240 to me it was no contest I could “blow off” the Percy’s
any day of the week and did with a Seddon 32/4 with the ■■■■■■■ in situ that was on
the level and uphill it was no contest the old Seddon went up at least a gear better, it
was also a nice warm motor unlike the 240’d ERF I’d driven previously which you could
never get warm even with the obligatory Kellogs carton nailed over the radiator so an
old army greatcoat was always the norm when driving them in winter the only Gardner
friends were the Bosses on account of the economy and longevity of the things it was a
nigh impossible task to kill the bleedin’ dinosaurs.
thanks harry, long retired.
Bewick:
Well I never ! it has taken a Cockney outfit to come in “left field” with the closest proof yet that there actually was an 8 Potter Big J, but then again being a typical Cockney outfit they go and “nause” the spec up by using the Thorneycroft gearbox which was totally unsuited to be used behind an 8LXB
Maybe not time to admit defeat yet Bewick.With inconvenient questions like why would the cab need to be set much higher for an 8 cylinder Gardner than a 6 ?. But might be if it originally had a turbocharged ■■■■■■■ in it which was then changed by someone for the big Gardner to save a few bob in diesel. The engine possibly having been supplied together with the dodgy gearbox.
Considering all the angles “CF” you are probably right and this GL Baker motor is a Hybrid “Red Herring” and a dodgy one at that ! As you quite rightly say a factory built 8LXB one would have had the Fuller box not the poxy Thornycroft one fitted. Cheers Bewick
But might be if it originally had a turbocharged ■■■■■■■ in it which was then changed by someone for the big Gardner to save a few bob in diesel. 
The engine possibly having been supplied together with the dodgy gearbox. 
