Early guy ant 15cwt

[Runflat]

Hey Kiwi, that's a neat truck you've got there. In case you are unaware, some "before and after" restoration pics of this truck appear in Wheels and Tracks magazine #15.

 

What I find interesting with British vehicles is the sheer number of minor design changes they went through (and which of course makes it all the more difficult to find the right bits for an accurate restoration). We have the aero screen models, then yours with a full screen and canvas doors, and then those with solid doors. But even then there are differences - there are some links to Denis' example earlier on, here's another: http://ccmv.fotopic.net/p58114134.html You'll see the petrol tank filler pokes through the cab side, whereas Glynn's radio truck has the filler in the cab (I guess). No doubt there are other differences as well.

 

 

 

(NB Glynn's truck now has the correct Guy Motors badge for the grill.)

 

Glynn, this string is rapidly turning into an Ant gallery - and nothing wrong with that. Do you have pics of the other survivors?

[Kiwi]

any idea how i could see Wheels and Tracks magazine #15 ? can't find it with search

[early british ww2]

Hey Kiwi, that's a neat truck you've got there. In case you are unaware, some "before and after" restoration pics of this truck appear in Wheels and Tracks magazine #15.

 

What I find interesting with British vehicles is the sheer number of minor design changes they went through (and which of course makes it all the more difficult to find the right bits for an accurate restoration). We have the aero screen models, then yours with a full screen and canvas doors, and then those with solid doors. But even then there are differences - there are some links to Denis' example earlier on, here's another: http://ccmv.fotopic.net/p58114134.html You'll see the petrol tank filler pokes through the cab side, whereas Glynn's radio truck has the filler in the cab (I guess). No doubt there are other differences as well.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24396[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]24397[/ATTACH]

 

(NB Glynn's truck now has the correct Guy Motors badge for the grill.)

 

Glynn, this string is rapidly turning into an Ant gallery - and nothing wrong with that. Do you have pics of the other survivors?

 

No worries keep em coming it is good to know what is about ! I will try and dig out some more pics etc and post them up

 

As for the differences Guy Ant 4x2 certainly had 4 variations in the cab layout I know - Aerscreened pneumonia wagons with cloth doors , soft cabbed full windscreen with cloth doors the same again with metal doors and finally a tin cabbed version which I thinkl was possibly only done for wireless trucks for certain contracts - Interesting enough wireless trucks were also fitted with peaked bonnets where all others have flat ones .

 

Two different styles of petrol tanks - Early trucks had square tanks up to around 1939/40 when they seemed to change to the more familiar standard round tanks - The fillers on these generally stayed inside the cab doors or the canvas flap - The ones on Denis Matthewmans truck are wrong coming through the side panel as they are Morris Commercial tanks with the wrong fillers as are the doors etc on this very bonny truck - This truck is actually a 1940 model and is soon to join my collection when I collect it - So if you have some tanks or fillers please let me know .

The radiator badge was from a donor Guy Ant bought for spares in the late eighties/early nineties and is extremely rare as I have never so far seen another - Can these be copied???anyone know of any enamel badge restorers or manufacturers? cheers :coffee:

[Runflat]

I can't remember whether the enamel on the Guy badge is inlaid (cloisonné) or painted like an enamel sign.

 

If the former, you could start with these people: http://badgecraft.co.uk/ They may be able to do the latter as well.

 

These people do work on signs, albeit on other side of the globe: http://www.bowsersandsigns.com.au/enamel_sign_restoration.html

 

Some closer to home who also do vitreous enamel work:

http://www.ajwells.com/index.asp

http://www.stocksigns.co.uk/uploads/newsFiles/Burnhams%20flyer%20lowres.pdf

http://www.fattorini.co.uk/Badgemakers.aspx

Edited March 19, 2010 by Runflat

[early british ww2]

I can't remember whether the enamel on the Guy badge is inlaid (cloisonné) or painted like an enamel sign.

 

If the former, you could start with these people: http://badgecraft.co.uk/ They may be able to do the latter as well.

 

These people do work on signs, albeit on other side of the globe: http://www.bowsersandsigns.com.au/enamel_sign_restoration.html

 

Some closer to home who also do vitreous enamel work:

http://www.ajwells.com/index.asp

http://www.stocksigns.co.uk/uploads/newsFiles/Burnhams%20flyer%20lowres.pdf

http://www.fattorini.co.uk/Badgemakers.aspx

 

Cheers for that I will give them a try - Now anyone help with finding the petrol tanks ?? cheers Glynn :coffee:

[dgsadorset]

hi i have a 1938 guy ant full screen type with rag top and doors. have you any idea how to bleed or 1st fill the autovac fuel system on the guy.i cant remember what we did before it was parked up about 15 years ago. i need to make a start on mine and would like to hear it running first. alan.

[early british ww2]

hi i have a 1938 guy ant full screen type with rag top and doors. have you any idea how to bleed or 1st fill the autovac fuel system on the guy.i cant remember what we did before it was parked up about 15 years ago. i need to make a start on mine and would like to hear it running first. alan.

 

Hi Alan ,

Nice to hear from you , what model Guy Ant is yours ? - Is it a 4x2 or a Quad ?

 

Anyway , the Autovac as you are probably aware works on a vacuum system from the engine which draws the fuel from the tanks to the Autovac itself before sending it through to the carb - My trucks have a small solid state fuel pump just after the tap on the tank and a small hidden toggle switch on the dash which serves two purposes - firstly I use it to prime the fuel system and fill the autovac then turn it off after which the truck starts first time - Secondly the Guy's always seem prone to fuel starvation in the height of summer due to vapourisation , this neat adaptation works no end to stop this and helps the autovac out when it struggles .

You can also hand prime it with a hand primer off a modern car such as a peugeot or turn the engine over to create a vacuum to draw fuel through -if you struggle with owt just send me a pm or something . Also if you have any pics or other details about your truck either post them up or pm me cheers:coffee:

[Stableboy]

Hi, new to this forum, but i had the Eddie Smith Ant wireless truck before it was restored..

 

Originally found on a farm near Ash in Kent, the hand adjustment on the clutch was wound right in and there had been a circular saw run from a rear wheel via a band (old conveyor belt?). The MCC Mk3 wireless body was elsewhere on the farm, on blocks with the inspection panel in the floor lifted so that it could be used as a 'gentleman's place of relief'!

Work commitments (very) sadly meant although i had saved it from being sent to the scrap (although someone else had actually rescued it from the farm, they had no storage so it came to me), it was sold on to a guy called Shaun in Suffolk in the 80's.

I did offer E.S various small parts as well as some related documentation, but it's still here 'somewhere in a box', so in about 2 years should come to the surface again...

There is also a backcopy of 'Old Motor' magazine with a centrespread of an original colour pic of a Guy Ant gin-palace somewhere in Italy, Ravenna iirc.

 

The peaked radiator on the wireless trucks originates from the Guy Vixant commercial truck which ran in parallel production with the Ant during the war; as i recall from a 70's visit to the Guy Motors historian, metal doors were fitted to wireless trucks from 1942, some chassis being new and some updated from earlier production. As i recall, at that time the Guy librarian had various wartime military manuals including one covering waterproofing..

 

This particular vehicle had been handpainted by it's civvie owner a typical shade of 30s/50s green over it's original paint of black and dark earth/brown;

It's also worth pointing out that i uncovered the original census number - but on the vertical sides of the bonnet, not on the doors - the doors had the original large white stars on!

The front of the bonnet was too rusted for the original markings to have survived, but on the original radio body there was a clear marking of a red figures '81' on a white/blue background.

Hope this is of interest..

ps wish i had kept it - looking for an Ant again now! :nut:

[dgsadorset]

hi alan here back from the hotel magnum. the ant is a 4 x 2 the first time i saw it was when i went to cann near shaftsbury to collect it with mike gates from poole. this was in the late seventies early eighties. at the same time we collected a guy 6 wheel workshop which unfortunetly was ravaged buy rust and was falling apart where it stood not having moved from when mike moved into a new workshop and yard. i took it on a low loader to a young lad near oxford about two years ago. whilst helping mikes brother simon to empty the yard after his death. we took the ant to france in 1989 and then guernsey the following year. i cant remember when the ant was put in the van body but it did not come out until we emptied the yard. it did survive a serious fire which started in an adjoining pallet yard which destroyed quite a lot of other things. one being an opperman three wheel truck which had oniy just been restored.lots of military kit went then but simon was good at finding homes for it only rust and rubbish made it to the scrap yard. a couple of things were kept by simon a jeep, a bedford QL tanker, a morris commercial and a coventry climax fire pump all requireing restoration but still here.

[early british ww2]

hi alan here back from the hotel magnum. the ant is a 4 x 2 the first time i saw it was when i went to cann near shaftsbury to collect it with mike gates from poole. this was in the late seventies early eighties. at the same time we collected a guy 6 wheel workshop which unfortunetly was ravaged buy rust and was falling apart where it stood not having moved from when mike moved into a new workshop and yard. i took it on a low loader to a young lad near oxford about two years ago. whilst helping mikes brother simon to empty the yard after his death. we took the ant to france in 1989 and then guernsey the following year. i cant remember when the ant was put in the van body but it did not come out until we emptied the yard. it did survive a serious fire which started in an adjoining pallet yard which destroyed quite a lot of other things. one being an opperman three wheel truck which had oniy just been restored.lots of military kit went then but simon was good at finding homes for it only rust and rubbish made it to the scrap yard. a couple of things were kept by simon a jeep, a bedford QL tanker, a morris commercial and a coventry climax fire pump all requireing restoration but still here.

 

Hi Alan ,

Any pics of any of the material you mention especially the Guy Ant and the Morris Commercial ?? cheers:coffee:

[Runflat]

I been looking through some back copies of The Automobile magazine and found reference in the Feb 2001 edition to another Guy Ant in New Zealand. An accompanying photo shows it to be a full windscreen model with humped bonnet. It's carrying a generator, but that's probably a later addition. Registred EA693 or EA693? and in need of rescuing. I wonder what became of it.

[early british ww2]

I been looking through some back copies of The Automobile magazine and found reference in the Feb 2001 edition to another Guy Ant in New Zealand. An accompanying photo shows it to be a full windscreen model with humped bonnet. It's carrying a generator, but that's probably a later addition. Registred EA693 or EA693? and in need of rescuing. I wonder what became of it.

 

Not seen that one before , but who knows - Having the peaked bonnet would suggest that this truck had been another wireless truck or had had the bonnet retro fitted or borrowed it from a wartime vix-ant . I have heard of possibly an aeroscreen model surviving in the Merseyside area which I will hopefully try and find a bit more out this weekend when we attend the woodvale rally at formby .

 

Also hopefully soon going to have a look at the remains of a quad ant g.s. also ... watch this space:coffee:

 

Going back to the New Zealand truck perhaps Kiwi can shed some light on this one??

[Dave Page]

Hi, it warms my heart to see my old truck Z4646406 getting some use. And to all those that still think they are slow, and mechanical brakes are worthless, on the road they will maintain 40 mph up hill, down hill, empty or laden it makes no difference. The trick is to use the throttle correctly as the air velocity govenor will cut the throttle back if you bury the boot, especially when cold. The brakes, if set up properly, will stop you just as well as hydraulic with no risk of leaking cylinders and pumping to stop.

If the image attachment works you will see my Ant with an Indian 741 aboard, a 25lber limber and a 6lber in tow. Driving home and not wanting to hang about lest the cops wonder why I had two trailers behind a "light" truck, I was going along at 30 mph. Going up a steep hill I managed to gain 5mph in speed! The engine needs to be brought under load before increasing the throttle, then they just go.

Cheers,

Dave

[Brooky]

Not seen that one before , but who knows - Having the peaked bonnet would suggest that this truck had been another wireless truck or had had the bonnet retro fitted or borrowed it from a wartime vix-ant . I have heard of possibly an aeroscreen model surviving in the Merseyside area which I will hopefully try and find a bit more out this weekend when we attend the woodvale rally at formby .

 

Also hopefully soon going to have a look at the remains of a quad ant g.s. also ... watch this space:coffee:

 

Going back to the New Zealand truck perhaps Kiwi can shed some light on this one??

 

Glyn

 

Are you bringing the Guy to Woodvale??? or just the CS8

(am doing the commentary for the parade so might need to bone up :-D)

[Dave Page]

Hi, found this on flickr:

an FBAX with a Quad-Ant behind at Fallings Park.

Cheers,

Dave

[early british ww2]

Glyn

 

Are you bringing the Guy to Woodvale??? or just the CS8

(am doing the commentary for the parade so might need to bone up :-D)

 

Hi Chris , Looking like the Morris Commercial will be coming over this weekend to Woodvale - Saving the G.S. Guy Ant for next year !!!:cool2:

[79x100]

Do you know this photo Glyn ? A nice gaggle of Guys.

 

It's from the Rommel photo collection in the US National Archives and records Administration (NARA)

 

 

Location is St Valery-en-Caux and these probably belonged to 152 Infantry Bde Anti-Tank Company. (51st Division). The Motley mounts in the back look good.

[early british ww2]

Do you know this photo Glyn ? A nice gaggle of Guys.

 

It's from the Rommel photo collection in the US National Archives and records Administration (NARA)

 

 

Location is St Valery-en-Caux and these probably belonged to 152 Infantry Bde Anti-Tank Company. (51st Division). The Motley mounts in the back look good.

 

Hi Mate ,

Great stuff , not come across that one before - Would certainly love one of those motley mounts for the back of my early Guy G.S. Truck :idea:

Anyone out there got one?

Cheers

[packman]

I been looking through some back copies of The Automobile magazine and found reference in the Feb 2001 edition to another Guy Ant in New Zealand. An accompanying photo shows it to be a full windscreen model with humped bonnet. It's carrying a generator, but that's probably a later addition. Registred EA693 or EA693? and in need of rescuing. I wonder what became of it.

 

EA6939 is "rescued" and now in my military vehicle collection outside of Carterton NZ. See my profile for more pictures, This truck has a seized engine and gearbox selector it is missing a drivers door and passengers seat, also the device on the passengers side next to the dashboard (fuel or oil filter)? is missing (any one have mentioned spares they could bare to part with)? Thanks, Brent Delaney.

.

[Runflat]

Good to see it is safe.

[Nick Johns]

Can you tell what it is yet !

 

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56005[/ATTACH]

 

A 1938 Guy Ant that was driven into a Surrey garden over 40 Years ago

 

We were called in to assist the clearance of the property, The Guy was so hidden under trees and vegetation we almost missed it, the tree on the left of the above pic had grown around the chassis, you can just make out the engine under the blue bit of plastic sheet, there were several other military vehicles there too which have been recovered and will be restored, the Guy appears to be complete, the chassis is very fragile in the middle, we managed to crane it out ok with the Berliet wrecker without it breaking in half, we found all the cab tinwork and front end had been removed years ago and was stored elswhere, though rough some would repair or is good for patterns, see more pics below

Edited January 22, 2012 by Nick Johns

[Richard Farrant]

, also the device on the passengers side next to the dashboard (fuel or oil filter)? is missing (any one have mentioned spares they could bare to part with)?

.

 

Hi Brent,

 

I think you are refering to the Autovac, a fuel pumping system, Morris Commercial used a similar apparatus on their military vehicles at the time.

 

regards, Richard

[Nick Johns]

More pics of the Guy Ant as recovered, it has two restorable fuel tanks and a radiator, autovac, two rough front wings, bonnet, bulkhead, floors, cab bits and cab canopy frame, oh and a V5 reg document, we may well find other bits in the house which has every room packed to the ceiling

 

optional tree

 

 

All the bits we found piled on top, the Bulkhead, bonnet and inner wings, original towbar and underneath wooden dropsides off the back body,

 

If someone wants a challenge it could be restored or certainly good for spares

Edited January 22, 2012 by Nick Johns

[Nick Johns]

The same garden, clearing the rubbish and undergrowth to get to a Morris C8 which we recovered and is to be restored, the Guy Ant was hidden in the hedge behind the rotting Citroen

 

 

Edited January 22, 2012 by Nick Johns

[Willyslancs]

was the morris restored before then left to rot?...........