Buzzer:
Round & square, Buzzer
Square easier to keep on, round easier to get off. 
Buzzer:
Round & square, Buzzer
Not much weight on board with the rounds.
That’s immaculate and a real drawbar for a change.
Camion Stew:
That’s immaculate and a real drawbar for a change.
Indeed it is, a special skill. Chatting to my old employer here the other day I remarked that, after several years of ‘caravans’ he had brought a ‘traditionnel’ 3+3 back into the fold. He remarked that he had now got 3 of them. I always had artics with him but I was one of the few who would be called upon if one needed parking, and the driver wasn’t there. 
Buzzer:
Buzzer
Nightingale’s AEC set me thinking. I noticed that it had the usual miniscule mirror on the driver’s side but a much larger one on the nearside. Was it normal back then for upgrades like that to be gradual, or was this an enterprising driver improving what he had.
My memory, for what it is worth, was that mirrors improved on both sides at the same time. 
Spardo wrote; Nightingale’s AEC set me thinking. I noticed that it had the usual miniscule mirror on the driver’s side but a much larger one on the nearside. Was it normal back then for upgrades like that to be gradual, or was this an enterprising driver improving what he had.
BSX is an April 57 to April 58 reg and the mini came out 1959 so this photo will likely be into maybe the mid 60’s when the bigger mirrors started to come out. The vehicle probably had the nearside broken and just replaced with a ‘modern’ type. I recall my Father changed the mirrors and wipers to larger ones on his 65 reg Seddon and had two spotlights fitted when he was on night trunk Newcastle to Mossley. Having more newer parts fitted than necessary usually depended on how willing and helpful the workshop staff were! Franky.
Geordielad:
Spardo wrote; Nightingale’s AEC set me thinking. I noticed that it had the usual miniscule mirror on the driver’s side but a much larger one on the nearside. Was it normal back then for upgrades like that to be gradual, or was this an enterprising driver improving what he had.BSX is an April 57 to April 58 reg and the mini came out 1959 so this photo will likely be into maybe the mid 60’s when the bigger mirrors started to come out. The vehicle probably had the nearside broken and just replaced with a ‘modern’ type. I recall my Father changed the mirrors and wipers to larger ones on his 65 reg Seddon and had two spotlights fitted when he was on night trunk Newcastle to Mossley. Having more newer parts fitted than necessary usually depended on how willing and helpful the workshop staff were! Franky.
I would have thought it might be a case of whichever mirror got knocked off first, would be replaced by another mirror or something better. The picture was probably taken in the early seventies when bigger mirrors replaced the older type. Just my opinion.
Was that about the time we got flashing indicator lamps ■■
You could buy the kits and the ‘Trafficator’ switch from the local motor supplies shop.
Now selling for £75 on Ebay
whisperingsmith:
Was that about the time we got flashing indicator lamps ■■You could buy the kits and the ‘Trafficator’ switch from the local motor supplies shop.
Now selling for £75 on Ebay
0
I have a feeling they might have been even earlier as I remember, not being a driver by that time but nevertheless interested and at the same time a stick in the mud and saying ‘I don’t like them and they’ll never catch on’. So when I started driving, early 60s, I had a for a time a Leyland Octopus which had a giant plastic orange blob, as big as my hand, to the left of the dashboard. you turned it all the way round in the direction you wanted to turn and it was clockwork and slowly ticked loudly all the way back to the off position.
BTW, I have mentioned before being very passionate about mirrors and never had a broken one till I got here. I was parked on a bay near Nantes and the driver next to me pulled forward but a little too close and cracked my Zanetti. 
I was really upset because it was mine, an extra to the standard that belonged to the boss, and I demanded money from him. He merely said get out the form and I’ll sign it but on learning it was mine just said ask Gauthier for a new one, and drove away. 
Spardo:
whisperingsmith:
Was that about the time we got flashing indicator lamps ■■You could buy the kits and the ‘Trafficator’ switch from the local motor supplies shop.
Now selling for £75 on Ebay
I have a feeling they might have been even earlier as I remember, not being a driver by that time but nevertheless interested and at the same time a stick in the mud and saying ‘I don’t like them and they’ll never catch on’. So when I started driving, early 60s, I had a for a time a Leyland Octopus which had a giant plastic orange blob, as big as my hand, to the left of the dashboard. you turned it all the way round in the direction you wanted to turn and it was clockwork and slowly ticked loudly all the way back to the off position.
BTW, I have mentioned before being very passionate about mirrors and never had a broken one till I got here. I was parked on a bay near Nantes and the driver next to me pulled forward but a little too close and cracked my Zanetti.
The AEC MK3s had that big self cancelling indicator knob as well David.A E Evans weren’t well known for fitting driver comforts but they did start fitting Zanetti mirrors as shown in the photo of one of our AEC MK5 3 axled conversions from Mammoth Major 8 leggers.A Pod Robinson photo.
Chris Webb:
Spardo:
I have a feeling they might have been even earlier as I remember, not being a driver by that time but nevertheless interested and at the same time a stick in the mud and saying ‘I don’t like them and they’ll never catch on’. So when I started driving, early 60s, I had a for a time a Leyland Octopus which had a giant plastic orange blob, as big as my hand, to the left of the dashboard. you turned it all the way round in the direction you wanted to turn and it was clockwork and slowly ticked loudly all the way back to the off position.BTW, I have mentioned before being very passionate about mirrors and never had a broken one till I got here. I was parked on a bay near Nantes and the driver next to me pulled forward but a little too close and cracked my Zanetti.
The AEC MK3s had that big self cancelling indicator knob as well David.A E Evans weren’t well known for fitting driver comforts but they did start fitting Zanetti mirrors as shown in the photo of one of our AEC MK5 3 axled conversions from Mammoth Major 8 leggers.A Pod Robinson photo.
They are really good Chris, being on separate mountings, I bet there was very little vibration on those. As regards the big orange blobs, seems pretty obvious that they wouldn’t be restricted to just one marque, but I never personally saw one on any other motor and at Shaw’s we had quite a variety for such a small fleet.
Geordielad:
Spardo wrote; Nightingale’s AEC set me thinking. I noticed that it had the usual miniscule mirror on the driver’s side but a much larger one on the nearside. Was it normal back then for upgrades like that to be gradual, or was this an enterprising driver improving what he had.BSX is an April 57 to April 58 reg and the mini came out 1959 so this photo will likely be into maybe the mid 60’s when the bigger mirrors started to come out. The vehicle probably had the nearside broken and just replaced with a ‘modern’ type. I recall my Father changed the mirrors and wipers to larger ones on his 65 reg Seddon and had two spotlights fitted when he was on night trunk Newcastle to Mossley. Having more newer parts fitted than necessary usually depended on how willing and helpful the workshop staff were! Franky.
Only one wiper as well.
Chris Webb:
Spardo:
whisperingsmith:
Was that about the time we got flashing indicator lamps ■■You could buy the kits and the ‘Trafficator’ switch from the local motor supplies shop.
Now selling for £75 on Ebay
1
I have a feeling they might have been even earlier as I remember, not being a driver by that time but nevertheless interested and at the same time a stick in the mud and saying ‘I don’t like them and they’ll never catch on’. So when I started driving, early 60s, I had a for a time a Leyland Octopus which had a giant plastic orange blob, as big as my hand, to the left of the dashboard. you turned it all the way round in the direction you wanted to turn and it was clockwork and slowly ticked loudly all the way back to the off position.
BTW, I have mentioned before being very passionate about mirrors and never had a broken one till I got here. I was parked on a bay near Nantes and the driver next to me pulled forward but a little too close and cracked my Zanetti.
The AEC MK3s had that big self cancelling indicator knob as well David.A E Evans weren’t well known for fitting driver comforts but they did start fitting Zanetti mirrors as shown in the photo of one of our AEC MK5 3 axled conversions from Mammoth Major 8 leggers.A Pod Robinson photo.
Did the conversions get a new reg plate?
whisperingsmith:
Was that about the time we got flashing indicator lamps ■■You could buy the kits and the ‘Trafficator’ switch from the local motor supplies shop.
Now selling for £75 on Ebay
0
My 1963 Leyland Titan double-decker had a rotating trafficator switch - bakerlite IIRC.
whisperingsmith:
Was that about the time we got flashing indicator lamps ■■You could buy the kits and the ‘Trafficator’ switch from the local motor supplies shop.
Now selling for £75 on Ebay
0
Good grief, trafficator conversion kits. I remember when my Dad fitted such a conversion to his Austin A30 (our family car at the time) and right pleased he was with it too (as he should’ve been). Being ex-REME Dad was handy with electrical whatnot and the only reason we got the telly in our household in the early 60s was because Dad was fiddling with someone else’s set. Like many of you lot here, I can still hear and smell the vacuum tubes warming up…
Buzzer:
Buzzer
After his A30, my Dad bought an Anglia 105E (white with a maroon roof). One dark night in 1965, on the way to visit relatives and just past the Devil’s Punchbowl, it caught fire. 811 AYN.