Anyone remember the J2 van? This one is a Morris but it has Austin sidelights fitted too. 900X20.
I drove one of those for a builder in the mid 60’s taking blokes to the site morning and evening,it hadn’t got a lot of power left in it after carrying a dozen blokes plus bags of cement etc.A hard worked van.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
I drove one of those for a builder in the mid 60’s taking blokes to the site morning and evening,it hadn’t got a lot of power left in it after carrying a dozen blokes plus bags of cement etc.A hard worked van.
Cheers Dave.
The RAF had herds of J2s 900 x 20.The section I worked in at RAF Changi had two - 92 AV 71 and 92 AV 76,now that is sad,from 1964. 
When I got promoted I had 92 AV 76 for mesen,the lesser erks had to do with 71.Gear linkage could be a problem IIRC but I quite liked 'em.
Drove one as a milk float as a young lad I loved it, part of the job was I kept it at home and could use it for private use, we went all over the place with it, and it went like ■■■■ 
Was that the one that the handbrake worked on the front axle instead of the rear? I made such a ■■■■ of myself trying to handbrake one in a customers yard when I was a stupid kid 
Threw myself out through the drivers door… 
The Sarge:
Was that the one that the handbrake worked on the front axle instead of the rear? I made such a [zb] of myself trying to handbrake one in a customers yard when I was a stupid kid
The Commer Van worked like that. I cant remember driving a J2, only a J4
Hello,The Sarge,the handbrake worked the rear wheels on a J2,and it’s correct that the Commer van had the H/brake on the front wheels. My one was ex.G.P.O.,a yellow paint job.It was a 1.6 diesel and fully loaded it did lack some zest.However,it ran for ever and the only thing that broke was a blade on the fan.I sold it on and it finished up being lamp posted. 
Chris Webb:
Dave the Renegade:
I drove one of those for a builder in the mid 60’s taking blokes to the site morning and evening,it hadn’t got a lot of power left in it after carrying a dozen blokes plus bags of cement etc.A hard worked van.
Cheers Dave.The RAF had herds of J2s 900 x 20.The section I worked in at RAF Changi had two - 92 AV 71 and 92 AV 76,now that is sad,from 1964.
Hi Chris, the good old J Twice 
. I am sure that ours had sliding doors and was replaced by a J4 which had like a fibreglass type sunroof at the back.
I thought that the J2 had a column change gearstick 
and the J4 had a floor change 
.
Regards Steve.
mushroomman:
Hi Chris, the good old J Twice
I thought that the J2 had a column change gearstickRegards Steve.
Hi Steve,aye column change and sliding doors,you had to watch yer fingers if you stopped a bit sharp which was a regular thing in Singapore.I had an AEC MK3 with sliding doors… 
Chris Webb:
mushroomman:
Hi Chris, the good old J Twice
I thought that the J2 had a column change gearstickRegards Steve.
Hi Steve,aye column change and sliding doors,you had to watch yer fingers if you stopped a bit sharp which was a regular thing in Singapore.I had an AEC MK3 with sliding doors…
Chris, how did that old M.T. song from Singapore and Hong Kong go, something like.
First a scream and then a bump, then scrape the Chinaman off the front.
It dosen’t sound right when you are trying to be P.C. does it .
900X20:
Hello,The Sarge,the handbrake worked the rear wheels on a J2,and it’s correct that the Commer van had the H/brake on the front wheels. My one was ex.G.P.O.,a yellow paint job.It was a 1.6 diesel and fully loaded it did lack some zest.However,it ran for ever and the only thing that broke was a blade on the fan.I sold it on and it finished up being lamp posted.
That was it, my mistake 
It was the GPO I was driving for - as I said young & stoopid. I felt such a pillock in the middle of their yard standing next to the van, not quite sure how I got there
mushroomman:
Chris Webb:
Hi Steve,aye column change and sliding doors,you had to watch yer fingers if you stopped a bit sharp which was a regular thing in Singapore.I had an AEC MK3 with sliding doors…Chris, how did that old M.T. song from Singapore and Hong Kong go, something like.
First a scream and then a bump, then scrape the Chinaman off the front.
It dosen’t sound right when you are trying to be P.C. does it
Never been p c in me life Steve,I remember that song vaguely,a corporal driver trainer sung it while I was taking my test in a Bedford RL. The old Changi and Katong bus drivers were good at bumping pick-up taxis off bus stops.
900X20:
Anyone remember the J2 van? This one is a Morris but it has Austin sidelights fitted too. 900X20.
As a kid I rode with my father in J2s and J4s. He also had a couple of mobile shops, bigger than the van shown specially coach built. They were underpowered, but seldom went further than 10 miles from base.
At that time the GPO then green, and later yellow ( telephones ), and the post office ( red ) had loads of them. In fact they ran all manner of Austin / Morris / BMC .
Petrol or diesel they were all functional vehicles in their day, probably the best batch you will see these days is in the film Quadrophenia, the cops had them also.
Sorry for derailing the thread to other manufacturers, but I have a story about the Thames Van
My dad had one of these as a company car when he was selling Massey Ferguson tractors.
I was about 3 years old and was playing in the van outside my neighbours, none of which I remember but I launched myself off the top step and landed on my face, the dog found me and licked it clean while barking. The neighbour came and rescued me and cleaned me up then apparently took me home. For years afterwards my mother used to remind me to embarrass me.
“I fell, left blood on road, went to Junes.”
Not truck related but a great picture and an old memory
Wheel Nut:
Sorry for derailing the thread to other manufacturers, but I have a story about the Thames Van
My dad had one of these as a company car when he was selling Massey Ferguson tractors.
I was about 3 years old and was playing in the van outside my neighbours, none of which I remember but I launched myself off the top step and landed on my face, the dog found me and licked it clean while barking. The neighbour came and rescued me and cleaned me up then apparently took me home. For years afterwards my mother used to remind me to embarrass me.
“I fell, left blood on road, went to Junes.”
Not truck related but a great picture and an old memory
I drove one of those Ford Thames vans with a diesel engine and column change,the older blokes wouldn’t drive it,as they couldn’t manage the column change.
Hi Malc,I drove one of them on a milk round for my wife’s uncle when I was on leave,UET 55,he bought it brand new and I thought it was great.That’s it behind the good-looking lad on the Norton,taken about 1961 in Lathkill Dale,Derbyshire.
By the way,when you come over don’t look for anybody like that in t’Queens.
Wheel Nut:
Sorry for derailing the thread to other manufacturers, but I have a story about the Thames Van
My dad had one of these as a company car when he was selling Massey Ferguson tractors.
I was about 3 years old and was playing in the van outside my neighbours, none of which I remember but I launched myself off the top step and landed on my face, the dog found me and licked it clean while barking. The neighbour came and rescued me and cleaned me up then apparently took me home. For years afterwards my mother used to remind me to embarrass me.
“I fell, left blood on road, went to Junes.”
Not truck related but a great picture and an old memory
Malc, great story and pic, that Thames looked a proper van didn’t it. In 1965 when the mk 1 Transit came along it put pay to anything BMC had, and the Sherpa, well less said the better.
Before the Sherpa, we had these. I don’t regret derailing the thread now, Commercial Motor fill their pages up with van articles anyway.
Morris LD Panel Van 1966
Bedford CA Panel Van
These just about exhaust my memory of panel vans without going abroad or onto the larger twin wheel versions.
Hello all,
The early J2 did have column change and later,they did change to floor change but I don’t know when.Mine was a “D” reg with floor change.I put windows in it and we went on our holidays in it.It did well. I’ve attached another one from the Brighton trip.Regards to you all,900X20.
