Scrapbook Memories (Part 1)

[essexpete]

Where did the Leyland /BMC Laird fit in the line up with Boxer and Mastiff?

[bewick]

essexpete:
Where did the Leyland /BMC Laird fit in the line up with Boxer and Mastiff?

IIRC the Laird was the lighter chassis and I believe it used the BMC engine. The Boxer and the Mastiff used Perkins engines. Cheers Bewick.

[coomsey]

grumpy old man:

robinswh:
This one was nt Paul

A bespoke radiator blind

Certainly is G O M, I was more of a hessian man myself,far too much plastic!

[windrush]

essexpete:
Where did the Leyland /BMC Laird fit in the line up with Boxer and Mastiff?

The Laird replaced the original FJK series for five to eight ton payloads, it allegedly had all the ‘improvements’ to cure the cooling system problems the FJ had but in all honesty was little better. We seemed to spend our time replacing just as many engines under warranty or renewing liners as we did on the previous models. Then they gave up and the Boxer appeared with the 6/98 engine (a revamp of the old BMC 5.7 litre with a modified block and improved liner sealing and cooling passages) mounted vertically and they were pretty reliable. Same engine was used in the Terrier in both four and six cylinder form but some 4/98’s did have porous blocks where the liner seals fitted which let coolant into the sump, not easy to see though and the first one I encountered (a Terrier of Hollis Transport of Reading) took some finding with a mirror and torch!

Pete.

[star_down_under]

We were offered the option of Rover’s 3.5 V8* in Terriers, was that an option for you?
IIRC, a Terrier was used as a service vehicle for the Austin and Morris entrants in the 1968 London Sydney Marathon. It was V8 powered. It was decided to enter the truck into the contest, as it was traveling the full distance. It went on to win its class. I don’t know if it was entered by Leyland Australia or the parent company.
Edit: *Actually, I think it was the 4.4 version, from the Leyland P76.

[pete_smith]

bubbleman:
Hello lads,Nice to see the old thread reserected…loads of good stuff been put on,it was a shame I ran out of good clippings from the old Commercial Motors,Motor Transports etc but Dean keeps finding stuff so that keeps the nostalgia going.I’ve thrown out the clippings now when I cleared my garage out during lockdown plus basically all my collection of magazines too …I did keep a copy of most of what I posted on this thread in a folder so I can still look back…its a shame a lot of the pictures have the Photobucket watermark across them,perhaps I should repost them .Buzzer and co ,keep posting lads,
Cheers Bubbs,

Hi Bubbs,
You can remove the photo bucket watermark, copy the photo link to Google search page, open the pic in on the new page and it will save without the water mark, I haven’t a clue how to do this on a phone as I used a laptop

[windrush]

Star down under.:
We were offered the option of Rover’s 3.5 V8* in Terriers, was that an option for you?
IIRC, a Terrier was used as a service vehicle for the Austin and Morris entrants in the 1968 London Sydney Marathon. It was V8 powered. It was decided to enter the truck into the contest, as it was traveling the full distance. It went on to win its class. I don’t know if it was entered by Leyland Australia or the parent company.
Edit: *Actually, I think it was the 4.4 version, from the Leyland P76.

The Terrier wasn’t introduced until 1970 so it wouldn’t have been around in 1968, possibly the Australian’s had a different model with the same name? Of course there was a previous Leyland Terrier model back in the thirties! The only engine options here were the 4/98 and 6/98 diesel engines, the 98 was the bore size in MM’s. Early Terriers had nitrogen operated brakes, there were two nitrogen cylinders behind the bumper (one for each side) and these needed recharging reguarly. If one cylinder had less pressure than the other the braking would be uneven. The brake fluid was pumped around the system under pressure with an engine driven pump and there was a large plastic tank behind the cab containing the brake fluid. The later facelifted models reverted to a more conventional braking system though. I was actually booked into a course on the braking system at Cowley but left the dealership before going.

Pete.

[buzzer]

A few more, Buzzer

[carl_williams]

windrush:

essexpete:
Where did the Leyland /BMC Laird fit in the line up with Boxer and Mastiff?

The Laird replaced the original FJK series for five to eight ton payloads, it allegedly had all the ‘improvements’ to cure the cooling system problems the FJ had but in all honesty was little better. We seemed to spend our time replacing just as many engines under warranty or renewing liners as we did on the previous models. Then they gave up and the Boxer appeared with the 6/98 engine (a revamp of the old BMC 5.7 litre with a modified block and improved liner sealing and cooling passages) mounted vertically and they were pretty reliable. Same engine was used in the Terrier in both four and six cylinder form but some 4/98’s did have porous blocks where the liner seals fitted which let coolant into the sump, not easy to see though and the first one I encountered (a Terrier of Hollis Transport of Reading) took some finding with a mirror and torch!

Pete.

Sadly we had several Lairds Like the one in photo. They were dreadful and we were continually fitting new engines under Warranty. We then had several Boxers with the Perkins 6.394 (I think my memory has numbers right) and strangely they never were as good as the same engine fitted into Rigid Seddon Dodge or Commer that we operated Whether it was the air flow or whatever caused this in the Boxer I never knew. From memory the Boxer shown in the photo was our second last Boxer and it had a BMC engine (Re engineered by Leyland we were told) that was fitted at an angle and after guaranteed that they had got it right now it again was dreadful. Our final new Boxer which I have no photo was almost given to us to try to win back our custom. It has as you say now fitted vertically (Which we were told would solve all problems) and I should have had a photo as it was in our workshops more than on the road, and so from our experience they never solved their problems

[remy]

.jpg[/attachment]

I drove this BMC Boxer delivering new kitchen cabinets. Had a drop down tailgate so you could walk in but you couldn’t put many cabinets in the luton because it was small due to leaving enough space to tilt the cab. The cab was comfy with no big engine hump like the old LAD cabbed Albion.

Oh, and loved them new mirrors.

[star_down_under]

windrush:

Star down under.:
We were offered the option of Rover’s 3.5 V8* in Terriers, was that an option for you?
IIRC, a Terrier was used as a service vehicle for the Austin and Morris entrants in the 1968 London Sydney Marathon. It was V8 powered. It was decided to enter the truck into the contest, as it was traveling the full distance. It went on to win its class. I don’t know if it was entered by Leyland Australia or the parent company.
Edit: *Actually, I think it was the 4.4 version, from the Leyland P76.

The Terrier wasn’t introduced until 1970 so it wouldn’t have been around in 1968, possibly the Australian’s had a different model with the same name? Of course there was a previous Leyland Terrier model back in the thirties! The only engine options here were the 4/98 and 6/98 diesel engines, the 98 was the bore size in MM’s. Early Terriers had nitrogen operated brakes, there were two nitrogen cylinders behind the bumper (one for each side) and these needed recharging reguarly. If one cylinder had less pressure than the other the braking would be uneven. The brake fluid was pumped around the system under pressure with an engine driven pump and there was a large plastic tank behind the cab containing the brake fluid. The later facelifted models reverted to a more conventional braking system though. I was actually booked into a course on the braking system at Cowley but left the dealership before going.

Pete.

My mistake Pete, it was the less covered, 1977 event.

[carl_williams]

remy:
.jpg[/attachment]

I drove this BMC Boxer delivering new kitchen cabinets. Had a drop down tailgate so you could walk in but you couldn’t put many cabinets in the luton because it was small due to leaving enough space to tilt the cab. The cab was comfy with no big engine hump like the old LAD cabbed Albion.

Oh, and loved them new mirrors.

Here is a photo of one of our Ford D series Boxvans painted in Moores livery. In those days they were making Flat Pack kitchens and I don’t think you’d want any Flat Pack on a luton as it was so heavy

[dipster]

remy:
.jpg[/attachment]1

I drove this BMC Boxer delivering new kitchen cabinets. Had a drop down tailgate so you could walk in but you couldn’t put many cabinets in the luton because it was small due to leaving enough space to tilt the cab. The cab was comfy with no big engine hump like the old LAD cabbed Albion.

Oh, and loved them new mirrors.

I think I recognise the mirrors as a Ford option on their D series. I think they poetically named them Western Wings.

[remy]

Carl Williams:

remy:
.jpg[/attachment]2

I drove this BMC Boxer delivering new kitchen cabinets. Had a drop down tailgate so you could walk in but you couldn’t put many cabinets in the luton because it was small due to leaving enough space to tilt the cab. The cab was comfy with no big engine hump like the old LAD cabbed Albion.

Oh, and loved them new mirrors.

Here is a photo of one of our Ford D series Boxvans painted in Moores livery. In those days they were making Flat Pack kitchens and I don’t think you’d want any Flat Pack on a luton as it was so heavy

Thanks for the info. That was after I left as we loaded the cabinets already assembled not in boxes but wrapped individually in blankets when loaded. When unloading the blankets were taken off and left in the wagon so care had to be taken at the customers. Then all you had to do was fold all the blankets and stack neatly.

[spardo]

Dipster:

remy:
Oh, and loved them new mirrors.

I think I recognise the mirrors as a Ford option on their D series. I think they poetically named them Western Wings.

I fitted a pair from a D series to the WW2 Morris Commercial 4x4 reccer I bought. A fresh blue paint job with white signwriting and the “West Coast” mirrors, also in white, it really caught the eye.

[star_down_under]

Real mirrors need proper chrome.

[spardo]

Star down under.:
Real mirrors need proper chrome.

There’s bling and there’s bling, a step too far for our little business at the time.

[buzzer]

Tuesdays trifles, Buzzer

[spardo]

Buzzer:
Tuesdays trifles, Buzzer

That last pic. I did something similar on Wimpey’s M1 contract by forgetting to open the tailgate when tipping. I was suddenly way up in the air. Problem was the lever was at the front of the body, and, too dangerous to climb up I had to hammer away at the hooks. Nearly squashed the banksman as he had never seen under a lorry before and was a little too close when it released, the load rushed out and the cab crashed back to earth.

[kempston]

Spardo:

Buzzer:
Tuesdays trifles, Buzzer

That last pic. I did something similar on Wimpey’s M1 contract by forgetting to open the tailgate when tipping. I was suddenly way up in the air. Problem was the lever was at the front of the body, and, too dangerous to climb up I had to hammer away at the hooks. Nearly squashed the banksman as he had never seen under a lorry before and was a little too close when it released, the load rushed out and the cab crashed back to earth.

Looks more like he’s driven along with the body still up and hit the overhead conveyor.