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We've got one actually, Irish lass on the Marine Engineering course, that's one in 70- odd. Not good odds really! Oliver North Witnesses will be invited in for a brew so they can explain the error or my ways... Facebook, yup, Matt Fowles. Piccy is me on a motorbike with no helmet (private land, before anyone says owt). Don't use it much but shout at me and I'll reply eventually (then ogle any Scammell photos I find on your profile).

Female engineering students? Now that's a rare breed. I have permission from the young lady to buy a Matador, and for that matter a narrowboat to live on. But apparently a living van instead of the boat crosses the line into "too pikey":rotfl: Shame, a Mat & living van seems a pretty ideal combination to me for a happy lifestyle. Still, I'm pretty lucky really... I like Explorers but a Mat has less tyres to replace and less transmission to go wrong! Conveniently ignoring any Scammell gearbox issues (not that I've been reading the Constructor gallery thread or anything like that!) of course...

Ta Ed! Will take you up on that should I ever find myself in that part of the world :-D Milk no sugar, how it should be, no problem... coffee has to be black though!

Interesting to get a bit of history on the one by the M5, always wondered why it was there, even if it is a (predictably) sad story. Where is/ was the one in Dursley then? The only breakers yard I know that's just off the A38 by Dursley is Martian- free sadly, and has been for the last 4 years at least. There was some interesting stuff in the private yard behind, but nothing as big as a Martian. Just down the road from "home", I shall have to go investigating.

Ta Nick! Not got the Landy anymore, on two wheels at the moment. Love riding, less keen on the biking community- too many egos, too much testosterone. MVs seem much more laid back and fun! Harder too fall off a Matador too... Land Rovers are still the first love, but I just fancy something different, and extremely illogical.

Final year now so I'll be escaping soon, going to try and get to a few this summer:-D

I'd love a big Scammell too- Pioneer, Explorer or Constructor, I'm not fussy:-D But a Matador is the number 1 choice, and it's almost sensible compared... You are only young once after all. Seems a better use of my money than widdling it up the wall like most folks my age seem to, that or on flash cars. And it's probably a safer investment than putting it in the bank, I'm unlikely to lose much should I have to sell it a few years down the line anyway- ignoring running and maintenance costs of course, but that's a small price to pay for the enjoyment factor methinks. Rambling now, s' bedtime!

Ask me this time next year... yours is a very nice example, just what I'd be looking for- but I'm still a skint student at the moment, s' dependent on me getting a halfway decent graduate job. Want to get one sooner rather than later, before buying houses, settling down and real life in general gets in the way. What is the "going rate" these days for a useable, roadworthy example? Don't want perfection, I'd never use it if it was and could never afford it anyway.

Thanks Mike & all for this excellent thread, fascinating photos and stories. I kind of wanted a Matador before, now I really want one. Mike, I'm holding you personally responsible for the financial distress this is likely to cause:drive:

Doesn't seem keen on "having a go" but she loves being driven about in old Land Rovers and the like. I will get her behind the wheel of one someday... Trying to persuade her to get a classic car too, but as she's pointed out, one of us has to have a car that starts more often than not :-D

Definitely tax free, that's one I know- 1st of January 1973 is the cut- off. If you ignore the running costs (10mpg- ish I'm guessing, possibly rather optimistically!) it'd almost be cheap transport :whistle: Probably wouldn't risk it with a trailer, seems a bit dubious. Ta!

Nothing yet but I too could be interested in the future. Gloucestershire must be full of hidey- holes! I'm from Wotton Under Edge by the way, can't think of anything locally but will get in touch with a few farmer friends next time I'm back from uni.

Thankyou Stone. May try and get my B+E at some point then, if that means I can pull a more Matador- sized trailer - be handy for dragging trailers about with Land Rovers anyway. And I'll make sure there is a lockable toolbox bolted to the vehicle, as by my reckoning they are then part of the vehicle and it's not carrying a load. I'd like my Cat C someday but it's not really a viable option right now- I could afford the license or the Mat, but not both! Ta :-D I can drive a Mat, that's made me happy... I also assume (from reading other threads) that they are also MOT exempt under the same conditions that I could drive one (i.e. unladen)?

Resurrecting an old thread as opposed to starting a new one, hope that's OK. I'd just like to confirm that myself- aged 21, having had a full car license for 4 years- can legally drive a unladen, pre 1960 large vehicle such as a Matador without any form of additional test, and without having to conform to any additional regulations other than those affecting me as a car driver? Well, except avoiding low bridges obviously... And is there an upper weight (or width) limit to this, i.e. could I also drive a Diamond T or a Constructor or similar (pre 1960)? And what about trailers- I've not got a "trailer entitlement" but could I legally tow a large empty trailer behind my hypothetical Matador? Sorry for the questions- just find it difficult to believe in this sea of red tape we live in that I can legally hop out of a eurobox and into a heavy lorry! Thanks:-D

Thanks for the welcome folks :-D definitely up for meeting up with other enthusiasts, especially when I'm back home after exams. Are there any form of local meetings? Not really had a look round yet, too distracted by the brilliant photo threads (I now want a Diamond T too...). This is my favourite of my ex- Land Rovers, known as "Dougal". Run as a daily driver from passing my test age 17 to when I went to uni and decided it was better to sell her than leave her sat on the drive to rot while I was away, I miss her. A Matador is sensible compared to most of the vehicles on here! In case you hadn't guessed, I'm more into heavy trucks and recovery wagons than armour, not specifically a military vehicle enthusiast- but of course, there's a pretty big overlap.

Hi all, I'll be polite and say hi before delving in! I'm Matt, 21 years old and a final year engineering student at the University of Plymouth. Currently being distracted from revision by this here forum- found it via the excellent AEC Matador thread from a google search. Decided I need one in my life, before real life and buying houses and settling down etc etc gets in the way- thought I'd get the mid life crisis out my system 20- odd years early! Hopefully if I can get a reasonable job I'll be in a position to start looking this time next year. Should probably get back to that revision so I've got a hope of graduating really! Have never owned a military vehicle before, although I have had a civvy- spec Land Rover which apparently had a military history on some form of research site. Have now had 3 1/3 Land Rovers to my name, including a 2a 1-ton. All gone now as uni ain't cheap! Also obviously have never owned anything quite as, erm, large as a Matador before so I'll be researching (and probably asking lots of questions too- apologies in advance) into licensing, vehicle annual tests etc. Hoping to do a few shows this year- including the GDSF, either as a visitor (although I'll probably bring a tent and make a few days of it- my 22nd Birthday is on the Saturday and I can't think of a better way to spend it than ogling old lorries and steam engines!) or as an exhibitor in the classic cars section. Hope to see some of you there! If anyone in Gloucestershire requires a tea boy/ grease monkey (I can wave a spanner vaguely at things but am probably better at making tea to be honest) for their weekend vehicle fixing sessions then get in touch!