I feel sure that it was a 381, it was similar to the 466 with a smaller bore size. When I worked on Bedfords in the '70’s those that were found to be “terminal,” ie the engines u/s, were rebuilt minus pistons etc, the heads torqued down properly and then exported to Nigeria and other African countries. They thought they had a good truck…until they tried to start them!
Pete.
The 381 and 466 engines referred to the displacement ie cubic inches.
talking of export stuff I worked for my cousin in the 60s in the school holidays saturdays and those unnoficial days off school till the old school board man came round haha anyway my cousin he was known as morgy he was well known in those parts a right character he had a big breakers yard at hendon opposite the hendon dog track now long gone we broke lots of old lorries and many things like diesel engines gerboxes back axles were sent for export there was a guy called jock edwards who had a yard at walthamstow we would sell the stuff to him and he sent it to I think africa boy we sent out some real rubbish we broke an old ex brs aec 8 legger one day and when we got the engine out it had a cracked block so I had the job of covering the crack with grease oil and mud to cover it up we got away with it though, we broke loads and loads of thames 4ds the engines and g/boxes went for export but not the back axles as they had an enclosed propshaft which I recall ran in oil it was the same set up as the sit up and beg ford populars and prefects we certainly broke many of the bmc lorries of the type which started this thread he had an old one in the yard as a shunter for the scammel coupling trailers we sent scrap out on in fact it went to jones yard which is right where arsenal football club have built their new emirates stadium , those 4d thames had a bttery which sat between the 2 front seats and weighed about a cwt it was about 2 foot square had a job carrying them when I was a kid my dad drove a 4d tipper in the 50s when I was a kid and I would sit on a peice of board on top of the battery and I would hold the gearstick as my dad changed gear, I learned to drive over my cousins yard though and we had old diesels lorries in the yard which had no batteries we would start them with a ■■■■■■ in the morning and leave them ticking over all day so I certainly learned quickly my clutch control as if I stalled one I would get a right old rollicking but such happy days though, what a great web site this is keep it going
Most definitely an FF because of the radiator filler, although the flap has cankered away. and the rear cab windows match the photos.
Hi ubym344 : It is good on hear isn’t it? You will have a job to get anything done now if you’re not carefull ! Your post reminded me of when I was running a few old Fords, Leylands and one Bedford KM in the '80s. Probably because of my poor and humble beginnings, I always prefered to buy a used motor and keep it going as long as I could, working on the theory that I could wake up in the morning and time was there, but money seemed harder to come by! 
This meant spending a bit of time going to breaker’s yards for replacement parts and one such yard was just off the A5 towards Burntwood. It was run by two brothers who’s name escapes me now, but the one seemed to me to be a good bit older than the other and the main man, so to speak. Anyway when ever I sought to purchase anything he would insist I took the old part in exchange, even when I told him it was smashed beyond repair. He told me that it didn’t matter what the condition was as long as they had one to export as there wasn’t much that the people couldn’t repair and what they couldn’t they would break down for small parts spares.
At another yard I went to in Walsall a chap was cutting TK cab chassis in half and the cabtop off through the door posts. He said he did it to get more into a container and the guys the otherside would weld them back again. I don’t know if perhaps there was a saving shipping them out as spares or something, but I think they knew their game pretty well. So I think the people abroad knew what they were getting and their spec on tackle would not have to be anywhere near ours in this country, a bit like the story of the two lads in Asia, riding on the front of the bus with buckets, one pouring water in and the other catching it, problem solved and cheaper than a new radiator!
Here I am going off topic yet again!! still I reckon most of us on here have done our “doing” and can only talk about it now! and they do say “It’s good to talk”. 
hi big G your right I have a computer in front of me at work and I often sit and read all these stories brings back many memories I am 57 now but going to work with my dad when he was lorry driving this would have been in the 50s and 60s and as I said earlier I worked as youngster at my cousins scrap yard so I remember some very old lorries my dad often seemed to drive bedfords he drove for a firm called westminister transport at one time they had a load of old O type bedfords all petrol in those days this firm told their drivers when the M1 opened they were not to use it because of the cost of recovery if you had a break down they told the drivers they would have to pay for a tow if they did breakdown on the M1 that was a laugh as the drivers only earned a couple of pounds a week, and in those days all drivers seemed to bring their lorries home not many regulations then, he drove s and a type bedfords had a short spell driving an artic for brs parcels if you remember they were painted green my dad had driven diamond t tank transporters during the war in north africa and italy, I do recall he came home with a brand new tk bedford this would have been 1960 well it was so much better than the old stuff I thought it was great when I went to work with him in it, anyway working at the scrap yard I was driving all kinds of things at the age of 12 onwards so a natural thing for me to go lorry driving when I was old enough, Igot fed up driving artics though as hate waiting around and my last job lorry driving was in 89 90 driving 6 and 8 legger volvo f7s these were brought s/hand from cleanaways they were pretty knackered but not doing much m/way mileage they were not to bad but very boring going up the m11 at 50mph ,this was a small firm in east london emptying bottle banks I loved this job as you never stood still we did most of london and herts when you was filled up we would go up to harlow there was a big glass bottle maker there and there was an automated weighbridge so weigh on tip weigh off quick cuppa and of again we did w/ends cash in hand so good earner as I had a young family, I would not like to drive now there is so much regulations cameras I do miss the cammeraderie though when I drove any lorry driver would help you out if you were introuble better stop now as I seem to be writing a novel once you start you cannot stop must thank bubbleman for scrapbook memories will write again tommorrow
Lankytim:
Spotted these pics on another forum but nobody knows what this is, or used to be. Its on an old C reg so is a 1966 (I think)Any ideas, truck fans?
looks like a bmc austin-morris see chris webbs talbot transport alan
Its an Austin or Morris,I used to drive a Scammel coupling model all over the UK delivering Lister Blackstone farm elevators from Stamford,Lincs,Scotland was regular,but also Liverpool Docks with exports,bloody awful thing,used to shed leaf spring centre bolts for fun,so that when you took your foot of the throttle pedal the back end would slew round to which ever side the affected spring was,horrible bit of kit,also had the Scammel trailer break,which was a seperate lever on the rear cab back,you could apply the trailer brakes independantly of the units brakes!
Hope they have stopped making them by now■■?
Take it easy,
David
