NickAbbott Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Having recently bought a Matador, which is in dire need of woodwork replacement for the cab and rear body - do such things as drawings exist of either the cab or rear body? Some of the wooden parts are non-existant in the cab, with just the panels left, so copying them isn't really an option! I'm particularly interested in drawings of the early cab, rather than the later ones. Thanks Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 The problem is AEC never built a Matador cab, they were all built by a variety of different coach builders, and Matadors from within the same contract have significantly different cabs. The differences are in things such as the section of the wood, to major differences such as some cabs having bracing frames in places that are not present in other cabs. I has two Matadors from the same contract and in one the wood that formed the front corner, roof to mudguard was one solid piece of carved wood, and on the other each was two pieces of wood spilced together. You will find all sorts of variation down to where joints and splices are in the wood, to the size of the doors that can vary by several inches. The doors on my two Matadors had completely different sealing arangements. You will find the bodies are far more standard than the cabs! To some extent the shape of the door is determined by the shape of the mudguard that fits to it angain there is wide variation in style between different periods and contractc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philb Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Nick, no drawings but if you would like me to take photos and rough dimensions of the cab sections you are interested in PM me with an e-mail address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickAbbott Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Antarmike, I thought that might be the case, but there is no harm in asking! My Matador was one bodied by Weymann, and has the early shaped cab, see picture below. Phil, thanks for the offer of pictures, but from your profile picture, your Matador doesn't have the same shape cab, and it is mainly the roof where the problems are. The attached pictures show the cab roof, which appears to have most of the metalwork still present, but most of the wood is missing behind it, which is what I will need to reconstruct! Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Nick your matador, its not the early one that was once owned by the Cadman brothers is it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickAbbott Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Not that I know of, the last owner had had it since 1980, when it was first registered, and it's been stored for the last 18 years. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 The 6x6 refueller at East Kirkby has a weyman type cab, maybe they would let you climb over that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I saw an early Matador with Weymann type cab and those early front mudguards with curved edges, in Normandy 2004. My friend got chatting with the owner, and I believe he was a member of the AEC Society, so it might be worth enquiring through them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 There are several early cabs surviving. I'll put some thought as to who has got one. 030 used to be with Butrton at Chalfont St Giles, There is an early petrol engined Mat chassis Chassis 145, That was with T Nicholson, an AEC Society member. J Gregory Darley dale had Chassis 620, 731 also derelict but Weyman cabbed was with H Bindley , Ballards Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 There are several early cabs surviving. I'll put some thought as to who has got one. 030 used to be with Butrton at Chalfont St Giles, There is an early petrol engined Mat chassis Chassis 145, That was with T Nicholson, an AEC Society member. J Gregory Darley dale had Chassis 620, 731 also derelict but Weyman cabbed was with H Bindley , Ballards Green Mike, The one I refered to was restored to original gun tractor, none of those names ring any bells. He may have supplied me with parts for a Matador some years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickAbbott Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Mike, the one I've bought is one of the ones you have listed! It's the petrol engined one from T Nicholson, hence the autovac on the front bulkhead. 140 also survives, which is restored as a gun tractor, but it's a bit of a long way away from me. The other problem with looking at the roof woodwork on the Weymann cabs is that they are double skinned, so unless you start to dismantle the metal panels, you can't see the wooden frame. Richard, and clue as to a name for the owner for the one you saw in 2004, or a reg number, as it may be 140? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 There is also 461 WFX 294 Ex BTS Coaches then D Potter an AEC Society man. And a late one with Weyman 5927 with F Aldgridge, Quidenham Norfolk ex Wilf Foulger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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