Matador Asisstance Needed

[Jim Rae]

High-res (modern) pics needed of cab interior/layout. I already have some scans of workshop manuals which shows some detail but it'd be nice to compare the two...:-\

 

Images of both Early & Late cab construction.

 

Contemporary images of Mats in service - particularly RA vehicles and especially in North Africa/Italy.

 

ANY Marking details of specific vehicles.

 

Thanks in advance! Jim :cheesy:

 

jim.rae@kitmaker.net

[antarmike]

Cab were not built by AEC but by many different bodybuilders. internal layout varies vastly. Some cabs had a top section that was designed to unbolt. This lead to the repositioning of the electrical control box, from a high position to a low position. Exact cab layout depends on who supplied the electrical control box. Both Clayton deWandre and Westinghouse brake gear was fitted. The different foot valve alters things, slightly.

 

Not all Matadors had winches so not all have winch dog clutch lever and winch brake lever.

 

Some vehicles had vacuum braking as well as air braking and this is an extra gauge on the dash.

 

Not all Matadors had an observers cupola.

 

I owned two Matadors from the same contract but there were noticable differences between them.

 

Some Matadors have Warner electric brake control gear on the scuttle, others do not.

 

Really you need to be more specific as to the particular contract number Matador you need layout for , but as I say even in the same contract there are noticible differences.

 

Windscreens differ in the way they open, and how the catches and stay bars work.

 

Some had Etherlet cold starting equipment in the cab, and then of course there are Petrol and Diesel (oil engined) Matadors.

 

I could go on but I hope you get the idea of how different they all are and how you need to tie down your request to a particular, contract, time period, armed service it was built for etc. Can't help much without more information.

 

A lot of the North Africa RA Matadors had the unboltable top half of the cab removed, and many picture exist of these roofless, windcreenless matadors in service. I have posted a couple in the Matador Gallery.

Edited February 25, 2010 by antarmike