stevecook:
Did a real version of this ever exist?
…NO…
3300John:
stevecook:
Did a real version of this ever exist?
…NO…
Can’t imagine the ladies having strong enough legs to operate the clutch or hold down the accelerator for long periods!
I used to wedge my toecap under the heater to operate cruise control - unfortunately that is where the leaks around the windscreen used to drip, Crusader drivers always had a squelchy right foot!
Here’s one taken at a truck show at Witton Castle in Co. Durham in the 80’s.It obviously belonged to an owner driver but I believe it is ex-J R Adams of Tyneside and I think it’s sister is somewhere on this thread.
Another Internet find:
Pinched from Facebook:
One from Cyprus:
A few new ones that might be of intrest
I drove one down to Prato & back.
Deal O Lord what a pile of crap (IMO) and that is what I told the man who owned it (guess he was a Atki fan)
Strange bloke he turned out to be as he never asked me to come in on Sunday for another run & I had to get another saddle to sit in the next day 
Dodgy Permit:
I drove one down to Prato & back.
Deal O Lord what a pile of crap (IMO) and that is what I told the man who owned it (guess he was a Atki fan)
Strange bloke he turned out to be as he never asked me to come in on Sunday for another run & I had to get another saddle to sit in the next day
When they first came out there was nothing to touch them and the day cab had more room than some sleeper cabs of that era I always reckoned they were a good wagon but the firm I worked for only kept them on distance work around three years then they went double shifting on fuel oil. I think the Leyland group would have been more sensible to have developed the Crusader than to bring out the Marathon as it was tried and tested and there was not much wrong with it.
This photo was taken in the early 1980s of a 1976 Crusader with sleeper, i dont think this one would have been ex army as at that time they were still in service
From t’Internet:
And another:
Scrounged these (with thanks) from bubbleman:
Found this picture on the Internet of my first Crusader before I bought it:
Pity it’s poor quality though.
sammyopisite:
swayze1:
JUST TRAWLED THE PAGES AND NOTICED THAT A LOT OF SPECIALS IE RECOVERY AND HEAVY HAULAGE MOTORS HAD TWIN HEAD LAMPS, BUT I RECKON THOSE GRILLS ON THE J REG,S WERE LIKE LAND ROVER IN THOSE DAYS THATS WHAT WE GOT SO STICK EM ON .
PROBABLY WERE THE ORIGINAL PROTO TYPE GRILL . COME ON SOME ONE PUT US WRITE
swayze 1 I am sure you are correct and I think it was a early demonstrator which I seem to recall in Bass Charringtons livery and as far as the headlights are concerned it looks as if the quality control were recruited from land rover as some 6x4 units D/D s had square head lights and the armys rolls engined ones had round twins. I can recall seeing it maybe on bubbs thread or in a book so I am starting in the books it should be quicker
the folling text is copied from the book " The prototype 6x4 Crusader as prepared for the 1968 Commercial Motor Show. It was powered by a Detroit Diesel 8V-71 two stroke engine giving 290 bhp from 9.3 litres. Production models had a different grill and lettering, most export and military crusaders were badged as Leylands." so you were definitely correct
cheers Johnnie
P S I will still search for it when it was in Bass livery as it could have a reg. no. on
As far as I am aware the samson had the early prototype grille and there were a few others.
All the crusaders built for the army had twin round headlamps, ‘W’ shaped bumper with the towing jaw in the middle and the air intakes up and over the cab roof, civilian 4x2’s always had square lamps and the more familiar straight air stack up the back of the cab, the 6X4’s and Amazon versions built for heavy haulage were a combination of the 2, square lamps, straight steel bumper and the air intakes over the roof of the cab. I’m prepared to be corrected but I think army versions only had one tank, civvy 6x4’s had twin tanks, one being shorter to allow for the battery box.
