The Garrison Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Hi All Found this today and was hoping someone could shed a little bit of light on it. From what i understand it is a Leyland Hippo WLW Retriever. I have no idea how it came to be here or any other information. It is a huge restoration job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Your right about the truck being a Retriever but not a Hippo, that's a different truck altogether. The truck in your pictures is from the last production run of Retrievers in 1941, late style 'Scammel' radiator and solid sides to the cab. Nice truck and looks a fair start to a good project, nice find. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Thanks Pete. Guess i better find some pictures of the finished product and try and secure the find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The Leyland Retriever was introduced in 1939 and production ceased in 1943. The Leyland Hippo was not introduced until 1944 and ceased production in 1946. The Leyland Retriever WLW1 was fitted with several bodies (Not all on the same truck!!!) GS, Machinery, Breakdown, Workshop, Bridging, Gun Mounts, Wireless and Coles Crane. It had a four cylinder petrol engine, rated at 33.3 hp. somewhat underpowered............ but there aint many on the show scene, so I guess that it would be something of a show stopper if restored well............ good luck if you take it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Sorry that its somewhat poor quality, its the only one that I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Forget the Leyland ........ that looks like a Massey Harris 726 standing behind it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Thanks for the info. Looks like it might become a project. Only major issue is a shed big enough now. Richard, it could be. I understand the place where the truck is located has one of the largest farm machinery collections in the southern hemisphere. There is a lot of machinery outside at the moment as they are improving the grounds and making way for more covered areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Richard, it could be. I understand the place where the truck is located has one of the largest farm machinery collections in the southern hemisphere. There is a lot of machinery outside at the moment as they are improving the grounds and making way for more covered areas. Hi Adam, I got a bit excited there as my early apprentice days were spent on Massey combines, and that particular model was a late 1940's, usually powered by an Austin 4 litre lorry engine, sounded great when on load and a straight pipe ! Incidentally, here is a Retriever Coles crane that I was looking at a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 Oh you would be in totaly heaven if you ever got down to this part of the world then. All these retrievers seem to be of a similar yellow colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisgrove Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 The Leyland Retriever was introduced in 1939 and production ceased in 1943. The Leyland Hippo was not introduced until 1944 and ceased production in 1946. The Leyland Retriever WLW1 was fitted with several bodies (Not all on the same truck!!!) GS, Machinery, Breakdown, Workshop, Bridging, Gun Mounts, Wireless and Coles Crane. It had a four cylinder petrol engine, rated at 33.3 hp. somewhat underpowered............ but there aint many on the show scene, so I guess that it would be something of a show stopper if restored well............ good luck if you take it on. Beg pardon, Colonel, but the Hippo Mk 1 was in service long before 1944. Bart Vanderveen reckons that nearly 330 were supplied in 1939/40. Hippo Mk II were introduced in 1944. Hippo Mk IV (or 19H) were made much later than 1946 too! I suspect that there were Retrievers around before 1939 too, but cannot put my finger on a date - 1933 maybe. Two sources reckon the engine gave 73 bhp; only just over half of my car's engine, but better than 33.3hp - was that RAC rating? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 The leyland Hippo that I drove in the 1950s definitely did not come into service before 1944........... I maybe wrong about the 1946 date of termination of production so I stand to be corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Ray , the Hippo you drove would have been a Mk2 (or 2A or 2B), you are correct in saying they entered service in 1944. They went on postwar to the Mk3 and Mk4 versions. The Mk1 hippo was a prewar commercial design taken up by the Army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Does anyone have any details, pictures or info for the wrecker back? If we do go ahead and take on this project i am thinking a wrecker would be a nice addition. Will also fabricate up a GS back so they can be swapped if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Beg pardon, Colonel, but the Hippo Mk 1 was in service long before 1944. Bart Vanderveen reckons that nearly 330 were supplied in 1939/40. Hippo Mk II were introduced in 1944. Hippo Mk IV (or 19H) were made much later than 1946 too! I suspect that there were Retrievers around before 1939 too, but cannot put my finger on a date - 1933 maybe. Two sources reckon the engine gave 73 bhp; only just over half of my car's engine, but better than 33.3hp - was that RAC rating? Chris Chris The Mk 1 Hippo was indeed in use 1939/40 as a long haul 10 ton primary load carrier with open cab configuration although the prototype submitted by Leyland had the standard commercial closed cab of the day powered by Leylands very successful 6 cylinder commercial oil engine The Retriever came out a desire to uprate the the Army's range of 2 ton load carries to 3 ton in the early 1930's in the case of Leyland the Terrier had been used as stop gap. The MoD went to the main truck manufactures of the day with some basic requirements with regard to performance and capabilities and asked for submissions. Leyland came up with the Retriever, as with all things concerning Government bodies they thought they new best and rejected Leylands offer of the option of the well tried 6 cyl oil or 6 cyl petrol with conventional ignition and decided on a 4 cyl magneto petrol engine that was out of date even in the mid 1930's. It would appear the first Retrivers started to go into service around 1937 although I have seen some contract information that would suggest 1938 was the first order delivery. My truck was ordered under contract V 3929 and has build date of May 1940 there were in the order of 6500 trucks of all variants produced with the last contracts placed in November 1941. Through out the build period minor changes occurred most notably in the cab area and spare wheel arrangement. Three types of radiator were fitted 'commercial', 'bus' and finally the much smaller and to my mind ugly so called 'scammel' variant. The MoD relented eventually with regard to the magneto ignition system and later versions were fitted with conventional distribution systems some of the earlier ones being field converted either while still in service or after demob. They are altogether excellent trucks very much along the lines of 'hand built' with quality parts and excellent engineering all be it admittedly dated even by the standards of the day. To my mind they represent the last of this type of vehicle construction, even after 72 years 30 years of which was under a sheet in a scrap yard parts can be disassembled cleaned and reused.......... quality. here are couple of pictures of mine as found and under restoration Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Ray , the Hippo you drove would have been a Mk2 (or 2A or 2B), you are correct in saying they entered service in 1944.They went on postwar to the Mk3 and Mk4 versions. The Mk1 hippo was a prewar commercial design taken up by the Army. Thank you, I stand corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big ray Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Those were the days, circa 1957 / 58, taking scrapped items for disposal (Germany) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Nice looking truck Pete. Will be good to see her finished. What back are you putting on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Nice looking truck Pete. Will be good to see her finished. What back are you putting on? Thank you , The contract card states it was bodied for a search light which would have included a PTO generator which never appears to have been fitted. At this point in the war contract cards can be misleading as the need for trucks of any sort was desperate so I am not sure what type of body it had. By the time I saved it from the cutting torch the body was long gone. I intended to build a replica machinery type 3 body as I have all the measurements and drawings for this type of body. I should say that this truck will probably win the prize for the longest ever restoration as I keep starting and stopping as other restoration projects come along. I bought the truck from a scrap yard in Leeds in 1991 so you can see that progress is not staggering although it is an ‘every nut and bolt’ job with a lot of the parts and fitting having to be made from drawings and photographs. Most of the mechanical work is now complete and all of the cab has been rebuilt along with the frame so things are moving in the right direction. I keep thinking I should start a restoration blog for it if I get some time in the next few weeks I’ll see what I can do. Work has stopped again as the workshop is currently full of jeep bits all needing putting back together, but by the end of the summer I should be back to the Leyland. Regards Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 We know how that works. I have had the Power Plus on the bench for about 10 years now and it keeps getting the back seat to everything else. Even the Staff car got pushed back for the trailer and the jeep got moved to another part of the drive and put under cover. I guess every step is usually in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handy1882 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The Leyland is looking great Pete! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Morning Peter, I've lost track of where the family is with the WK60 too - in progress? moved on to someone? I've got four unfinished Dodges in the garage and the Snow Tractor, so I know how these things move and stop ... Gordon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Morning Peter, I've lost track of where the family is with the WK60 too - in progress? moved on to someone? I've got four unfinished Dodges in the garage and the Snow Tractor, so I know how these things move and stop ... Gordon Hello Gordon No the WK60 still forms part of the to do fleet in David's workshop. He has most of the small parts cleaned and painted and stored away and has been slowly collecting some of the hard to find bits and pieces. He is at the stage now where some major investment is required in both time and cash to rebuild the major mechanical units. As he's getting married this year he's a bit short of both commodities at the moment, there is also the little matter of the C30, C15A, GuyFBX, and James all making demands on time and money I think we are all the same........ to many projects not enough time or money. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Have to agree with Pete. Way to many projects and the money printing press is still broken. And way down here its just turning winter time, so days are short, painting is impossible and the fire place takes seniority to the unheated shed. :shake: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slurr Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 This looks like a good project, it looks to be in slightly better condition than my dads one! (which apparently it is a 1938 one that is ex military that was in New Zealand before WW2). David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Garrison Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 Would be good to see some pics of the collection David. Are you active with any MV or Military groups round the country? Adam & Dayna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.