tyler Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any pics or info of Austin K4's in military service or post military service, also any website with info on this vehicle. Thanks. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rlangham Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Couple of post-war ones here http://www.vintagecommercialvehicle.freeserve.co.uk/austin/austin.html Theres a 1944 fire engine at the Science Museum reserves collection at Wroughton, open at certain times each month, if that's any use. A lot of stuff comes up if you type in Austin K4 to google, seems to be mostly fire engines though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Hi Rlangham, thanks for that its very much appreciated, I am off to look at one for sale tomorrow, if we do have it I'll post some pics of it. Thanks. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any pics or info of Austin K4's in military service or post military service, also any website with info on this vehicle. . Hi Tyler, The K4 was used, during the war that is, mainly by Civil Defence, National Fire Service and essential civilian use. It continued on after the war with detailed changes to the grille and eventually became the K4 Loadstar, cab like the K9. The military 3 tonner was the K3. To confuse the issue, the early 3 ton 6x4 was also a K3, before it had a change of cab, from open with civvy front end, to closed cab and a basic grille and front wings, to become the K6. There is a small website on Austin K series commercials, but most pics on there are ones in preservation and mostly civvy. As I have an interest in Austin lorries and have worked on a few military ones, maybe I can help with some info, what are you after? Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi, Ive bought it, Its 1944 Austin k4, RSK 187, LWB 5Ton flatbed/dropside with a 4Ltr straight 6 engine, the roof has the ability to have an Anti aircraft mount fitted, the dropsides need to be refurbished (new wood), the exhaust has a hole in the rear silencer, the sliding drivers windscreen needs renovating, new seat spings, and the handbrake needs adjusting, but apart from that its excellent condition and for £3000 thats not bad for a WW2 British Lorry, Its tax+MOT exempt, has a 4 speed Crash gearbox, built in tyre pump, its had a replacement engine at some point in its life, the original Reg number was EWW67 and it comes the original Steel number plate which was found under the seat. Someone has fitted a non standard tow bar and reat light units, all the bodywork is mint as is the rear loadbed wood and chassis, has original front lights (except indicators). it had been Civilianised after its DeMOB but the seller who I bought it off restored it back to its military spec. Here's a few pics, most were given to me buy the owner as well as a 1949 service manual, in all the excitement I had forgoten to charge the battery in the camera so the not very detailed pics, It will be delivered to our house asap as it would have taken 6hrs to drive back, we're based in Cambridgeshire and the K4 was based just across the boarded in Wales near Owestry so a wise choise I think. Here's the pics will post more once its arrived home. Civilianised: Remilitarised: Thanks. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rlangham Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Wow nice, apart from the things you listed, are you going to do anything else to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick garner Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Well done Tyler! She looks like a great truck. Will this slow down your Shorland project? I think you'll find that with the austin you'll be able to go to a lot more shows. Because a good deal of the shows throughout the show season are WW2 events. I'll look forward to seeing you at some of the events in it. Cheers, Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi Tyler, looks like a nice truck, and of British manufacture very nice indeed Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi, Rlangham unless I can find a British anti aircraft gun truck cab mount then no, apart from putting a load on the back, Mick no hopefully it will not impead on the Shorland, I was either going to have a Dodge 6x6 or the Austin K4 I chose the Austin over the Dodge purely because its British and I am glad I did. Thanks. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Grosvenor Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hello Tyler, You got it then, it looks a nice truck. Regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi, Rlangham unless I can find a British anti aircraft gun truck cab mount then no, Tyler, There were no mountings for AA guns on these WW2 British trucks. I had to make a new ring for an Austin K6 a few years ago and they are just a plain ring with a canvas cap over it, no other fixtures. More for look-out I would say. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi Kewelde, thanks for that, the roof has the pressing where the ring would go but has not been cut out, I will post a pic of the roof when its delivered. Thanks. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Hi Tyler Glad you have found what you wanted,it is good to see acomparatively rare vehicle going to a good home. I have seen many pics of a bren being used on the roof of Brit vehicles but they must have been very inaccurate with the tripod sliding around on the roof. Cheers Degsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 Hi, the very helpfull gentelman who I bought it off, while we were there said that someone was due to look at it today (Monday) and that he was going to civilianize it, so thats good that it wont happen now. Degsy I don't think I would have liked to man a Bren under those conditions, I think that anyone doing so would have made a very easy target. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Hi, It get delivered this Wednesday coming "cant wait" along with the Quad Polsten, I'll post loads of pics as soon as its off the lorry. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well done Tyler,it looks like a nice truck. you can probably trace it's history through the original reg number,if you want to I'll give you some pointers as I've done it with a couple of my trucks and I think it's interesting to know their post war history as well. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 WW is a Yorkshire plate. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Hi Matt, blimey you to quick for me, you've found out where it came from before I could even reply to your first message, I know you can contact the DVLA and find out all the previous owners addresses etc, so I will do that once I get the V5 back from them, also a mate told me the AA used to have a book/s of all the registrations in, I don't know how true this is. So yeh Matt/anyone else any help would be greatly appreciated in finding out its past history. Thanks. Tyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Hi Tyler, That's right once it's in your name for a charge of £5 DVLA will tell you all previous owners but only for the plate it's got now which I'd guess is an age related number with no history with the truck. The first number would have been allocated soon after demob and the record for that,if it survives,will be with the county records office(not sure where that is in Yorkshire,but York is my guess),give them a ring and ask if they have the registration records for the county,if they do they will probably make a charge to look up your number. in some cases it just gives date of registration,owners name and address but in other cases it may also give military registration number,chassis and engine numbers etc so it's worth a go. With my Dodge WC-52 which was registered in Worcestershire in 1946 I got the registration entry and the history of the estate on which it was used as a shooting brake,I'm it's third civvy owner since release. Any questions just ask! Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 To narrow it down a bit, WW is actually the West Riding of Yorks CC. Not sure where the licensing office would have been, but the old registration archives are sometimes kept by the County Library archives or similar. Just found out it would have been Wakefield, try the West Yorkshire Archive Service. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Hi Tyler The handbook which used to be issued to AA members contained a list of registration letters and their origins, you should be able to find one on a stall at one of the shows. I can't find any reference to the K4 in Army service but they were used for essential 'civi' purposes such as milk collection from farms and wholesale deliveries from dairies. I can remember seeing some with a roof ring and think that this may be that they shared the cab with the other K series Austins. It will be very interesting to see if you can turn up any evidence that they were used by the Army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Hi All, Matt thanks for the info about the DVLA service I'll do that as soon as I get the V5 back, Richard I'll try and contact the West Yorkshire Archive Service and see what comes up, Degsy did the AA just publish one of these books or did they update/amend them? Ive looked on the web for anything at all to do with the K4 but have only found pics of restored Civi examples but mostly K2/3 or K5's onwards, it seems that the K4 was/is a forgoten Austin. Thanks for all the help/info so far. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest matt Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Hi Tyler and Degsy, I have the old AA members handbook from 1959 and that's what I used to look up WW as a Yorkshire reg. you should be able to find one at a show or car boot sale for about £2. Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Using the cunning power of the internet you could also have a look here: http://www.fleetdata.co.uk/registrations.html These start for the original allocations in 1903 up to the present system! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Hi Matt and ArtistsRifles, thanks for the info, I'll keep my eyes pealed for the AA books, and I'll look both reg's up on that site aswell as the rest of my collection of MV's. Thanks. Tyler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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