w896andy

Just been in the shed to check and mine is on the right hand chassis just in front of the rear spring hanger of the front spring. The numbers are quite large just stick your head under the wing behind the front wheel with a torch.

Andy

Yes would agree with Adrian I have the original manual which came with mine and it says 969A0001 onward. The tankograd book says 5,696 A's were made so the highest number would be 969A5696. Mine is a 969B which is the lease-lend version for British/Canadians (I don't know how many of these were made in addition to the A's) and an open cab so post June 1943 and its number is only in the high hundreds.

Is yours open or closed cab, if closed civilian or military dashboard ?

It maybe that the number you have was a number 'allocated' just to get it registered, back in the 60's/70's when nobody had records it was not unusual for people to think up a number, stamp it on a plate and call that the chassis number, I had a Dodge a few years back which was done this way, all legal and not an issue just not the one it came out of the factory with.

The Chassis number according to the manual should be on the right hand chassis rail above the right front spring, rear hanger although I'm sure mine was stamped elsewhere, I'd need to check.

Andy

I've done it a couple of times. The workshop manual says remove the radiator hoses, I couldn't work out why until I didn't !! The slightest movement of the engine up and down will break the bottom radiator outlet because the hoses don't have any flex in them and breaks the radiator outlet. The next time I did it I removed the radiator mounting nuts so when the engine moved down at the back the radiator moved up with the front.

The rest is pretty easy I actually laid on my back and dropped it onto my tummy and then the floor, a trolley jack is most likely a much better idea !!

Andy

Yes a Sankey Narrow Track designed to fit behind a Land Rover Series 1/2/3 or Light Weight. Should have standard Land Rover wheels and tyres. Replaced by the wide track when the coil sprung 90/110 Land Rovers came out with their wider axles.

I would tend to agree with what's been said about leaving it alone. I have a Diamond T 969 Wrecker, its fitted with a Ford Cargo/D Series 6 cylinder Turbo engine by a previous owner. Its been well fitted and goes great, a 969 normally goes about 30-32 but I've opened this one up and due to the power & higher revs I've had it up to about 40-45mph.

I'll only ever do it the once, it was all moving far too fast, the props and diffs were spinning round quicker than was healthy and although the air brakes are great I wouldn't have liked too had to change direction at that speed. Maybe slightly larger tyres are a good compromise.

Regards Andy

My guess is that the Loco weights a little more than the 2 1/2 tons the USA stamped on the truck !! Guessing nearer 10 tons ?

Andy

Thanks for posting that a really good look back into the past.

Andy

Arthur

Welcome on board from a fellow Somerset,er.

Andy

Thanks for your reply, I have a look at the posts.

Andy

Yes it was the one on Milweb. I've seen some photos of a mount for a single gun on the back of a 15cwt truck, it looks a bit like the airborne trailer mount. Does anybody have any more info ?

Andy

Hi

I've just been a lucky boy and bought a 20mm Polsten Cannon (and a 81mm Mortar but that's another story), its on a made up cradle but I'm now looking for either a ground mounting of some sort or a trailer mounting. Also if anybody has any photos/drawings or info generally as I guess its all very rare now and I may have to make one somehow.

I've found some stuff on the internet but would love any more info anybody can give me.

Thanks

Andy

James

If you manage to find anybody breaking a Diamond T wrecker I've been looking for a rear body for my 969 for about a year now. Rex Cadman over in the South East has a complete 969 for breaking but I didn't have the space currently for a complete truck as well as all the other vehicles I have here at the moment.

Regards

Andy Norman

Hi

'Sunny Devon' ? well the sun has certainly not sneaked over the border into Somerset for the last year !!! Welcome aboard

Andy

I've got a Brockhouse trailer which is nearly the same. Mines a Mk2 with leaf springs, the Mk1 had torsion bars both are wartime made. I have to sort tyres for mine as well, the wheels are the same on both yours and mine, 8 stud with 13 inch rims.

The tyres will be a problem as 13 inch ones are not available now. Somebody mentioned agricultural wheels/tyres. 15.3 inch farm trailer wheels are widely available but they are only any good up to 25 mph max and the wheels are 6 stud. I'm going to use old 16 inch lorry wheels (Bedford, Ford D series, etc) from the 1980's. Most of these have 7.50-16 truck tyres which will take the weight and give you the speed (Land Rover type 7.50-16 tyres only take about 1,200 kg each). The stud pattern will be an issue but I've seen people who have had the centres of the wheels cut out and a new centre welded in with a 8 stud pattern made to suit, I've spoken to a local fabricator who is also into old trucks and he has done this a number of times.

This will give you the option of 7.50, 8.25 or 9.00 16 tyres or modern radial sizes all of which are around the same rolling diameter as yours, will give you the weight (mine has a plate on it stating 6 tons) and give you more than 25 mph without getting very hot and blowing.

Regarding reversing the trailer, totally agree with everything said, total nightmare !!!

Andy

I've nearly been caught a few times but luckily always managed to avoid it. From many years working in the Motor Industry I have a golden rule, never part with your money until you have the goods in your hand and never let anything go unless you have cleared funds (careful, sometimes even money put directly in your bank can be taken back again and bankers drafts are really not worth the paper they are written on).

I've always found that genuine buyers and sellers are not offended by you being careful, cash is a great option but even with that also be careful. I once took a large amount of money for something I was selling I went with the buyer to my bank and paid it in to my account as once the bank say its not forged notes and taken it its not your problem and then took him back to pick up the vehicle, again he understood as he was genuine and wanted the vehicle and understood that there are forged £50 notes around.

The other thing I have seen is 'renting' address's, its usually with high value executive used cars. The car is stolen, a forged V5 is made (the DVLA 'lost 300,000 of the old blue V5's a few years ago which resulted in them having to replace every one in the country with the latest red V5C as many of these reappeared as forgeries) and the address on the V5 is the same one as the buyer visits. The address has been rented for the day usually from some lowlife who goes away for the day. Therefore you visit, go in the house even get given a cup of tea, the car looks ok, the V5 is there and it matches the address. The car then gets identified as stolen as you tax, insure or MOT it the next time, you go back to the address and nobody knows anything about it saying he house must have been broken into when they were away. As the law says 'buyer beware' the car goes back to its owner and you lose the car and money with no comeback to anybody.

If in doubt about when funds are cleared ask your bank they will explain, within Car Dealerships a very strict set of rules are usually in place about taking money and if a say Sales Person doesn't follow the rules its instant dismissal. You then also have a law about having to declare all cash transactions over £10,000 (money laundering legislation) so don't walk into a bank with more than £10k in your pocket as the questions will really start and it may have to be notified by law to the Police.

Sorry to sound frightening be aware and its fine but you have to be on your toes, if you are buying in our hobby it can be tough, if you are buying a used 'normal' car always HPI it properly and ask for further ID.

Andy

Towbarlover

Thanks for your reply, pictures if you have them please, everybody on here loves pictures !!! I don't know how many 7144's there are in the UK but it can't be many.

I'm going to have to make the box behind the cab as mine as a radio body one never had one but I've managed to get a CD of the 7144 & 8144 manual from the US so I've got dimensions and it looks easy enough.

The pontoon trailer is a bit long really for both using it or storing it so I'm going to try and find something shorter, I've seen some photos of them with various other trailers apart from the pontoon one, something I can carry by Jeep with would be good.

If you do have a close up photo of the fifth wheel coupling and how its mounted that would be really helpful.

Regards

Andy

Hi

Welcome aboard, would welcome some pics of semi-trailers you have, I have an Autocar U8144 which I'm starting to restore and need to find a semi-trailer at some stage so would welcome pics and ideas of what would look good behind it.

Andy

Take some advice from somebody with a growing list of vehicles which get larger at every purchase.

A Bedford RL, like most other military vehicles on here is big, unreliable, slow, expensive, takes lots of time to restore, thirsty, not at all practical, most definitely a money pit and most likely ownership will lead to divorce.

Still don't try and justify your purchase just jump in and buy it you will never regret a moment, plus you will join the rest of us slightly not totally sane people all saying 'somebodies got to do it'.

My Name's Andy and I'm an addict. :nut:

Welcome aboard

I thought I would just post a couple of pictures of a little project I've just finished. I've had a couple of wartime Onan W3s 240v generators for a few years now and I always wanted to mount one in a trailer to use behind my Jeep.

I've seen a few photos of these generators mounted in frames over the years but never managed to find one so I made my own. Its not to a particular model just something that would look the period. I found a trailer which I assume is a wartime/early postwar fire pump trailer that most likely had a Coventry climax fire pump mounted in it. It must have been in dry store for many, many years as when I got it last year it was as new with brand new tyres that even have the mounding marks on the treads but was painted in Nato Green (Orange underneath). So all I had to do was spray it quickly in Dark Olive Drab.

I then made the frame to mount the generator, radiator, fuel tank and 240 volt sockets with a roof and skids so it fitted in the trailer runners and could be removable easily. Maybe not totally authentic but it looks the part, it used only the things I had around the workshop and I can now boil the kettle at shows !!!!!

Hi

Does anybody out there have a manual for a U8144 ? I have some information on the engine etc. out of a Diamond T manual I have but I'm looking for some breakdown on the open cab so I can see what panels I maybe missing (my cab came in bits) and information on the rear open box in front of the fifth wheel, the fifth wheel its self and a radio body as I have to decide if to rebuild it as a tractor unit or as a radio body so need to know what's the most practical option.

Andy

I would agree especially with removing the radiator hoses, in fact its easier to take the radiator out. If you don't take the hoses off you run a big risk of breaking the radiator bottom water pipe from the bottom radiator tank. This is due to lack of flex in the hoses and as the engine twists backward when the box comes out it snaps the radiator pipe.

I know I've done it !!!!

Welcome aboard. Careful with the variety of vehicles on here to look at you will get sucked in, I started with 2 Land Rovers, and now have 5 Land Rovers, a Jeep, a Diamond T 969, a Autocar U8144 and a Brockhouse Drag Trailer !!!! and of course a very understanding wife !!!! Want to buy another Land Rover I have a nice 6x6 stage 1 V8 for sale :cool2:

Yes a new steering wheel is defo on the list of parts needed along with an exhaust (any ideas for a supplier anybody please). Its a bit of a dilemma whether to go Radio Body or fifth wheel coupling/tractor unit, it does appear to be originally a Radio Bodied one according to some info I've been given.

As you say I'll get it restored and see what comes along I guess a proper Radio Body is going to be very tough to find. If I went that way the chassis would need extending behind the back axle but I've got with it another rear cross member of the same size with some short chassis legs attached, if I extended those and bolted the extension to what's there (all the cross members are bolted and not riveted in any case) it would be an easy job to fit and put a Radio Body on, this would make it easy to change from one to the other.

I'll spend a bit of time getting some of the bits together and starting work on it and take it from there but happy to listen to anybodies suggestions or ideas.

Andy

Guys

Thanks for your replies, yes a Red Ball Express with Autocars and GMC's would be very impressive, just got to find a fifth wheel and trailer to put on the back !!!!!!! (plus a couple of hours rebuilding it of course). :nut:

Andy

I’ve collected my new toy today in the shape of a Autocar U8144. I had no intention of buying it but I was looking at something else a while back and it caught my attention and now my barn is a little fuller than it was !!

It’s mostly complete and I’ve got most of the cab including some new panels (open cab). The engine runs nicely and mechanically it’s all there. The chassis is straight and just needs a quick shot blast and paint with no bad rust anywhere. It looks like it could have been a radio bodied truck as it has no winch and the rear chassis looks like its been cut back to the length of the tractor unit, however the chassis plate clearly says it’s a U8144T and states the semi-trailer weights etc. so I’m not sure if and when it was converted so if anybody could shed any light on anything similar they are aware of please let me know.

Not sure when I’m going to start restoring it as I’ve a couple of other jobs on the go currently and I’m still desperate to find a rear body for my Diamond T 969 Wrecker but I can’t wait to get going on it so perhaps it may jump the queue a little. :-D