Rootes75 Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) So, cutting a very long story short. After 7 months of negotiating and red tape and transport issues we have managed to buy and import (From France via Holland) another Commer to our collection. We have already restored a 1942 Commer Q2 30cwt but once we were pointed in the direction of this one we pulled out all the stops to save her and bring her back to the UK. She's a 1944/5 Commer Q2 6 cylinder 15cwt AM Load Carrier (Q2). She is in a pretty poor state, the engine is seized, she requires welding to most panels and she will obviously need a body to be built and a full chassis up restoration. But, most importantly, she is saved and being such a rare truck its important that we restore her back to her original guise. There are a lot of different features on this truck compared to our earlier model so although both Q2's and only a couple years apart they are very different. Edited March 17 by Rootes75 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
67burwood Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Very nice, look forward to regular updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroman Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob.Brindley Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Look forward to following along - Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 (edited) Just a couple more photos.. The plate you can see on the back of the cab are backing plates for gun racks fitted in the cab. She looks better on the outside. The lower 2 to 3 inches of the cab and lower 4 to 5 inches of the inner doors are pretty much shot. Both bonnet sides need sections re-fabricated as does the grill surround. Internally the windscreen frames are rusted through so will also need re-fabricating. Edited March 15 by Rootes75 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Garwood Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 Hi Rootes75 have sent you a PM Jonny Garwood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 (edited) Well, this morning we have had a really good look round and explore of the Commer. She definitely isn't a pre Heater Truck. No pto driven belts. We were confused as she has a compressor fitted on the side of the gearbox, that's what initially made us wonder about the heater truck possibility. But she isn't. I have had a good look through all my later war Q4 3 tonner manuals and have found the compressor is actually a tyre pump compressor, it's only in my manuals from 1944 onwards, that's why we didn't recognise the set up. Edited March 17 by Rootes75 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 One other major find today though was the chassis plate in the cab that was completely unreadable due to rust and muck etc...well after an hour or two of extremely delicate cleaning we have managed to read all of the writing on it... Biggest surprise is that it gives the Contract Number (the plate on our 1942 Commer does not)... So we can at least date the lorry to it's Contract, the contract being issued May 1944. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Kevin, I'm happy to hear you were able to successfully follow up on my leads and made good use of my reconnaissance work over in France. Yes, it is rusty but it is rare and it is very complete down to two instruction plates and gun clamps inside the cab. Here are some photos I made during my recce trip. Good luck with the restoration! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 (edited) We have tentatively started work on the Commer, alongside getting our 1942 Q2 ready for this seasons shows. The engine is well seized so we have cleaned out the much from the bores and are now soaking the pistons. We've drained the oil and removed the sump to inspect inside and its all very good condition. We have also been very carefully cleaning off the chassis plate and the lubrication / Electrical charts that are mounted in the cab. Its interesting to note the Lubrication chart title below stating that she is a 'Load Carrier' so our guess as to body type may simply be a GS body. The next point of note that we have found and that is when we took the sheets off at the weekend in the sunshine is a very noticeable square type patch on the drivers front wing where the rust has taken on a very different form to the resto of the wing. Our first thoughts were maybe this was where an anti gas patch was painted and therefore the rust is reacting differently?? Edited May 14 by Rootes75 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Prof Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Hi @Rootes75 I just came across the anti gas instruction (working on something else) and remebered this post. Late 1939 “ARMY TRAINING MEMORANDUM No. 22” was issued. Under ‘ANTI-GAS DEFENCE’, the instruction was to apply a 36 square inches area patch of paste on all vehicles ahead of the driver where it may easily be seen. I hope that helps. (-: Best Regards; Adrian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted June 5 Author Share Posted June 5 What's better than one Commer Q2? Two Commer Q2's... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goanna Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 (edited) Watching this film I spotted a Commer https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060009567 Edited June 7 by goanna 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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