Rootes75 Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 We went down the yard again this morning, she started nicely with minimal choke that was released straight away. She then sat on tickover for 10 minutes without missing a beat. Very pleased with her. Its something we havent thought about before, its just one of those things that when you replace your plugs or the like, you dont check that new parts aren't faulty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 So a question to other MV owners, my Commer has its petrol guage blanked off, not as an afterthought but a factory fitted guage. Is there a reason for this and do other British vehicles have similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67burwood Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 My Fordson has no gauge nor has there ever been one fitted, 2 tanks and a dipstick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 4 hours ago, Rootes75 said: So a question to other MV owners, my Commer has its petrol guage blanked off, not as an afterthought but a factory fitted guage. Is there a reason for this and do other British vehicles have similar? A lot of the British military vehicles did not have electrical fuel gauges in WW2 period, there were vehicles with mechanical gauges in the tanks but most were supplied with graduated dipsticks, the Bedfords had a pressed metal one about 2 inches wide and marked off in gallons. I believe in the army it was a chargeable offense to run out of fuel, so no excuse that the gauge must have been wrong! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted April 26, 2021 Author Share Posted April 26, 2021 I have contacted Geoff Fletcher, who has been very helpful. From his records my Commer is not with the RAF in 1949. It could simply mean she was with the RAF but sold off before 49. She was an Army truck, as they used the 30cwt GS trucks or he has suggested maybe she was RN? That could account for the blue paint over the SCC2 brown maybe? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Just a short update, work is progressing well now. Lots of rubbing down of cab panels and unfortunately finding plenty of rot. Think we will be pretty busy fabricating and welding in the near future. Aside that we have this very day removed the wooden GS body (with the help of a large forklift from a unit on the same yard), its actually in worse condition than we thought. Both body outers are rotten enough to put your fingers through, 3 cross members are the same and then the deck is only ply which is simply crumbling under any weight so we cant stand up in it or safely store things in the back. The other thing with the body is that for some reason it is shorter than all the GS bodies I can find in Rootes photos. I think we will take this opportunity to lengthen the body as we have to replace most of the timber anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67burwood Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Any pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Yes, took pics at various stages. I just have to download them now. We did have a big stroke of luck also at the start of the week. By chance I managed to track down a previous owners son and in turn he found out some documents they had relating to the lorry. We have found that roughly between 1955-65 the Commer was used as a Tow truck in a Rootes Garage called Woolleys in Windermere. Another piece of her history uncovered and another lead to follow. We put out a post on a lical Lakes page and have had a few responses of people recalling and even driving her! They have said that when she arrived she was still sporting desert type paint! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 So here's the dilema. As you can see in the photo below my Commer has a very short chassis. It is not cut down and the towbar is purpose made/fitted. The chassis on a Q2 with the GS body fitted extends at least a foot further than this. So, I wondered could it be that mine is a Pre-heater bodied truck that I know from pictures has a short overhang, it is not as yesterday I found that these trucks have a PTO fitted and mine does not. It really does throw up the question of what my truck was actually used for? Could it have been an RAF tug like some Fordsons and Bedfords? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Ashby Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Wild guess here, 5th wheel tractor unit ? Any evidence of extra holes in the frame for the fittings ? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 (edited) Best I can do I am afraid. There could be a towing hitch lurking in the shadows ?? Ted. Edited May 13, 2021 by ted angus 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 (edited) On 5/13/2021 at 11:22 AM, Pete Ashby said: Wild guess here, 5th wheel tractor unit ? Any evidence of extra holes in the frame for the fittings ? Pete Thanks Pete, We will check for holes in the top of the chassis rails. Edited May 17, 2021 by Rootes75 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 30 minutes ago, ted angus said: Best I can do I am afraid. There could be a towing hitch lurking in the shadows ?? Ted. Thanks Ted, Thats a very nice larger Superpoise. Its interesting to note that's its chassis does terminate very close to the rear spring hangers as mine does. I have no record though of the Q2 being used in this way. But as so many were supplied as simply cab/chassis to the RAF could there have been some one-offs or special purpose trucks? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 It was described as a Q2 in numerous RAF publications ?? Ted. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 You're right Ted, it is listed as a Q2. that's some really good information. Does the Data book give details of the other Q2 body styles? GS / Pre-Heater etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted angus Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 (edited) Q15 GS, Q2 15cwt van( canvas roof ), de-icing heater unit, type 105 signals DF. 8ft wheelbase tractor (for Tasker couplings). 10ft wheelbase tractor ( for Tasker couplings). that's all I can find and they are the only types I have come accross . TED Edited May 14, 2021 by ted angus 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 26, 2021 Author Share Posted May 26, 2021 With the body removed we now have really good access to the whole of the cab and rear chassis, its thrown up some nasty rust areas like the rear cab mounting and lower edge shown below. In removing the cab steps we have also found they need plenty of fabricating/welding as does the lower edges of the front wings. The passenger side cab door needs to be re-skinned too. It'll keep me busy for a while! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67burwood Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Are you removing the cab for a full inspection? it might make some of the repairs easier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 28, 2021 Author Share Posted May 28, 2021 I dont think we will remove this one, everything is stripped down off it and access is very good. Next week I have a few days off so hopefully will be getting quite a bit done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 We have now removed all the cab glass. The rear window needs a new rubber, the door windows are perspex so they need replacing but I am really at a loss regards the windscreen. We got the rubber off today and a replacement will be fine but the lower frame is crumbling apart, it has 2 internal lips and is a very complicated cross section. Fabricating a replacement will be very difficult. It shares the screen with the postwar Q4 so I have put some feelers out for any complete screens as spares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 This is what the lower frame section looks like, lots of rust with both corners completely rotted out and crumbling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Rootes75 said: This is what the lower frame section looks like, lots of rust with both corners completely rotted out and crumbling. Assume this is a one piece windscreen, do you have a Rootes part number for it? regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Hi Richard, Its a single piece windscreen but the frame is in 2 pieces (upper and lower frame). The parts book gives it as: Windshield Assembly - M-500-39-04 It does then list all the components within that assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 The windscreen assembly is new old stock (with glass) with a Rootes part number, but the number is not at all in the configuration like you quote. I will have to dig it out and find the number and some measurements for you to compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Sorry Richard, are you saying you have a windscreen? What about K.18547? The book gives a number before the description and one at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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