Great War truck Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I am off to look at a pair of AEC Matadors soon. Where would i find the chassis number and is there any way that they can be dated? Thanks Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 A bit modern for you aren't they Tim?:shocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philb Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Brass plate on the near-side chassis rail just behind the cab - serial number O853xxxxx, W.D. number and overhaul record. I've not come across any direct stamps on the chassis but there might be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'm sure I found a Matador locally which was in very good order, and when I enquired about it the man-that-knows said it was one of a batch made for the RAF in the 1950's ( well post-war, basically ) Anyone know anything about that batch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmat Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 According to the book AEC Matador by Steve Richards the post war ones were numbered 0853 10103 - 10894. 200 went to the army,437 to the RAF the navy had a few, others went to civilian operators and foreign forces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzkpfw-e Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Cut them in half & count the rings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thanks guys. Although the Matador is one of my favourite modern lorries, these belong to Scott and i have to verify them for registration purposes. I am hopeing that someone has a list of chassis numbers which we could compare it to date them. However, i understand from Scott that one plate is missing which makes it a little problematical. Does Steve Ricahrds book have all the chassis numbers in it or just the post war ones? Thanks Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philb Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 The book has a good list of chassis numbers, going right back. I think it was supplied by John Harrington, the AEC Society historian. John seems to know it of the history of some of them too, he told me where mine had served in civilian life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickAbbott Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Mine has the chassis number stamped into the chassis frame, just underneath the brass plate - it only showed up when the paint was cleaned off the chassis in that area. A fair number of AECs have the number stamped in the same place - just behind the front near side spring mount. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmat Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 John Harrington is most knowledgeable and in my experience very helpful on military AEC's I am sure he will have lists of the serial numbers and the dates of the contracts they were supplied under. If firm dating evidence is required it was possible to obtain a copy of the delivery note for some if not all Matadors from the British Commercial Vehicle Museum archives, but there is/was a charge for this. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Batchelor Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Number is usually stamped into chassis as mentioned by N/S rear spring hanger on front spring if that makes sense, just by back of cab , this is also the place they usually break when used in timber (if front end lifted off ground too often/too aggressively, cracks just behind cab where channels for crane structure usually end) and often a big plate is welded over the top.... As a rough guide one of mine is around the 1000 mark and is apparently late 1940, the other is around the 10,000 mark and would be around 1945. Very early ones had the flatter roof and fuller mudgaurds on the front (although any of this could have changed by now!) and the earlier ones seemed to have just 2 winch rollers at the front, later ones having 4 (don't know when this changed over). Other differences include twin air tanks or one long one and I think the earlier ones have AEC cast into rear hub caps, this was then deleted. Im sure the list goes on but you get the idea. Probably best to take a bunch of pictures and get someone informed to take a look if there is any uncertainty. Regards Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scammell4199 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 yeah mine is stamped in the chassis too, however some t#&t has welded a make-shift exhaust bracket over it. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Thanks everyone. This has all been a great help. I will go along and see Scott and the Matadors soon. I will post up some pictures for you as i am sure you will be interested. Thanks again Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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