Rootes75

I agree, now there is new metal there it at least gives you something to work with. A bit of careful panel beating and the result could be ideal. From experience though its just something that may take bloody ages .

Roll on 2022!

We had a very good weekend, re-fitted the securing wire on the flywheel bolts, that was a very tedious job. Next we re-fitted the clutch which was straightforward as we have an alignment tool. Then with the use of our large engine crane we lifted the gearbox back into place, this is quite difficult as the gear tower fouls the underside of the seat floor in the cab so the gearbox has to be coaxed in at an angle before the splines engage. Well, it took a while but it was all done safely. Then, we re-fitted the starter motor and the propshaft, next weekend it will be connecting all the smaller levers / cables etc and filling the gearbox with oil in readiness to see how she now starts with the new starter ring fitted. It has been a lot of work but I am so glad we decided to do it now rather than suffer the consequences later.

Looking back through the thread, some really good photos here.

I have a couple of Parts Lists and Handbooks for wartime Q4's and you're right Richard, they all list the chassis numbers of the vehicles in that particular contract, I also have a Q2 15cwt book that is the same. As of yet, I have found no Q2 30cwt books at all, I am always on the lookout. So where did you find this list?

So there are 437 Q2 Fixed sided lorrys for the Ministry of supply dated between 1939-43 and mine was built in 1942. And as you say Richard, a lot more were built for the air ministry but the 5000 or so were supplied as chassis cabs.

Hi Richard, I know the year of manufacture and the chassis number but I have no records of the contract number.

Very pleased, picked up the refitted starter ring on Friday. The garage were so helpful and I had a really good chat with the Mechanic who did the work. I was also surprised at the bill, £54 all in! Then on Sunday we refitted the flywheel with the intention of refitting the clutch and gearbox next weekend. Its nice to be moving forward. We have been rubbing down the rear wings recently and I did wonder about the layers of paint on the front wings. I rubbed down a small patch and you can see the layers of paint its had over the years. Best of all though and you can see it in the photo is the layer that looks very much like SCC2!!

Well I say that looks the business. Such a transformation from what you started with.

I have seen the 20cwt GS trailer before and also the 20cwt water bowser, when Googled they both come up on the forum!! I think the reason my Commer has a shortened body is to enable access to the tow bar which is on the rear cross member. I will try to get some pics when I next go down the yard.

Thanks Wally, thats quite a bit if weight they can tow. Does anyone have any photograhic information on the various types of trailers used by the British?

Well that looks like a superb piece of work, such good detail.

I envy your whole shed!

Yes, I noticed the 4 wheelers on the production line!

Thought this is a nice video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WgXCZT1Qtdw

So, after phoning round over 10 garages locally and in the town where I work, finally one of them has said they can fit the new starter ring to the flywheel on the Commer. I have dropped the flywheel and new ring gear off to the garage and had a good chat with the elderly garage owner. It was nice to see some vintage cars being worked on in their workshop, not many garages are sympathetic or have some of the old skills needed when working on older vehicles.

When it was demobbed it was used by a garage as far as we know, thats the red layer of paint. Then by a builder, thats the blue layer of paint. After that it was re-painted up in green as a military truck. So, either the garage rubbed it down and painted or just slapped the red on top of the existing? We will simply never know I think.

Starting the long process of stripping things down and removing old paint etc. Upon rubbing down the rear wings we found its various layers of paint from over the years. But interestingly, look a the very pale green / beige that's the original paint layer. Its hard but not impossible to make out in the photo. 1942 I would have expected SCC2 Brown or similar, not a light colour. Would it maybe imply first use was overseas?

Working on our 1942 Commer 30 cwt this morning and she is fitted with a pretty hefty wartime towbar/hook. It made me start wondering what type of trailer she may have towed when or if the need arised. Anyone have any photos of British trucks with trailers?

Well done that man.

Very good little booklet.

Looks brilliant. You are really cracking on with it.

I have just read through this. http://www.bayonetstrength.uk/BritishArmy/BritInfBn/Org of the British Inf Bn 1938-45.pdf

So, for a little while now I have been pondering the structure of Light Infantry Battalion's during WW2. Obviously Google provides quite a lot of details and I have found some information in my books. But, what I am really interested in is the Motor Transport used within Battalions and how its ranks would have their uniforms badged. For example, My Grandfathers served in the Somerset Light Infantry during WW2 and both were drivers or driver mechanics. I assume that the Infantry Battalion would have its own motor transport so they would wear their Somerset titles etc. But, recently I have been told by a few people that the motor transport would have been manned by RASC personnel attached to the said Infantry battalion? So, I suppose this is a sort of MV question yet also a Light Infantry uniform question?

So, a bit of a throw back. This clip is from before Christmas when we finally got the engine running and starting each time. At this point we were fine tuning the running and the exhaust was fitted but without a gasket. It took an awful lot of work to get to this point. Obviously, since then we have dropped the gearbox and removed the flywheel in order to replace the starter ring.