Any interest in an old AEC (?) truck in Northern Ireland?

[Bryan]

I'm new to this site - been browsing around looking at the pics since finding the AEC (?) truck I found to find out more information about it. So sorry if this is in the wrong section.

 

Basically I came across this truck by accident when I was buying a welder. I asked him about it because from a distance I could only see four wheels (two are flat) and I thought it was a Bedford 4x4 truck which would have interested me more. Apparently this truck was used by a guy to drill water wells up until about 10 years ago. He told me it's an ex military truck of some sort and doesn't require MOT/Tax because of this.

 

I took a photo of it and then looked up similar trucks to try and identify it. I concluded that it was an AEC Militant MK1 SWB. Hard to tell without the radiator which appears to have been ripped off the front of it.

 

Would there be any interest from someone located in Northern Ireland in this truck? I would hate to see this going to the scrap but it's just too big for me - I can't drive anything over 3.5 tonnes on my license.

 

Is this a rare truck? I could be persuaded to have a go at getting it running and moving if it was. The engine is all there but the rocker cover has been stolen at some stage as well.

[sweetfield]

You are quite correct, it is a Mk1 AEC Militant. They are quite rare now compared to Matadors at least. The AEC society will have an idea as to how many remain. Last used in anger during the Falklands war. Many were destroyed for target practice by US A10 tank buster aircraft prior to the first Iraq war.

As far as I'm aware unless the rules have changed (as they did for vintage buses) you can drive one on your licence if taxed private and not used for any kind of load carrying. Unless it's pre 1960 it may well need an MOT.

The engine would be a 9.6 or 11.3 litre, the latter used in large numbers by British Rail in the diesel railcars, so spares wouldn't be a problem.

Well worth preserving! Very nice to drive, but very similar technology to a Matador. The army had these and later versions in large numbers until their demise under British Leyland who gave the Army no choice but to switch to Foden.

[radiomike7]

It will be an 11.3 litre 150bhp AEC A223

 

 

 

 

VEHICLE ENQUIRY

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The enquiry is complete

The vehicle details for SJX 44X are:

Date of Liability 01 11 1990 Date of First Registration 18 11 1981 Year of Manufacture 1954 Cylinder Capacity (cc) Not Available CO2 Emissions Not Available Fuel Type Heavy Oil Export Marker Export Vehicle Status Unlicensed Vehicle Colour YELLOW Vehicle Type Approval This vehicle can be licensed at a DVLA Local Office without the V5C Registration Certificate Vehicle Excise Duty Rate for vehicle 6 Months Rate Not Available 12 Months Rate Not Available

[Bryan]

I passed my test after 1997 so I'm stuck not being able to drive a 7.5 tonne truck! Quite a pain to say the least.

 

I'll have to go back and make further enquiries about the truck - apparently the people who own the yard want rid of it and since the owner is dead they will be looking little to nothing for it.

 

Any idea where I could obtain a radiator and rocker cover??

[julezee001]

Fortunately as it was manufactured in 1954 it is M.O.T test exempt as long as it is not used commercially. Also as it was manufactured before 1960 it can be driven by anyone with a car licence (manual). It would of course need to be both insured and in a roadworthy condition to drive on the public highway.

 

They are good solid, and relatively reliable trucks, and are certainly worth saving.

 

Jules

[davidg]

Hi Bryan - there may be parts for this truck available in Burneys in Armagh (website is 'lbs cranes') I was down there getting land rover parts recently and there were a couple of similar-looking trucks about - I'm no expert in these so can't be sure of what exactly they were.