RWUK's Commercial Break. Vault o' vans.

[mercrocker]

This is why I love old commercial brochures - check out those liveries!   No vinyl wraps, "mission statements" or other clever claptrap bollocks.  Just a striking colour scheme (even if badly executed on occasion...) a proper telephone number and recognisable logos.   No sticker on the back door inviting you to shop the driver, either....

[UmBongo]

And on the seventh day God created Morris Marina vans, or was it some bloke called Trevor?

[PiperCub]

IIRC it was a mates HA that I "Tuned-up" as a student. When I say tuned up, I mean removed a restrictor plate from between the carb and the inlet manifold. Went well after that. 

Don't know what firm owned it previously but it was a common practice apparently. 

[Guest Lord Sward]

Sounds like BT.

 

I've a friend who collects HA Vans.

[RoadworkUK]

That last one reminded me that Dodge also used real vehicles in their literature, and I know someone who's recently acquired something in this vein....

 

If, as I suspect, you're referring to me, I feel I must clarify that we're talking about a brochure. I'm nowhere near sufficiently heroic to have acquired an actual Dodge Van.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only that, but if you're all really, really good, I'll show you something later that's so outrageous you would never even consider to be possible.

 

Makes me feel a bit funny even thinking about it.

[Guest Lord Sward]

Those Dodge van had historic levels of NVH.  Scary.

[Asimo]

Only the front page sadly.

One just like this, but rotten, was my first motor.

[RoadworkUK]

Have some filthy, rusty Datsun action for your Bank Holiday Monday.

 

Apologies for the execrable photos.

 

 

 

 

[leakingstrut]

Good stuff, these old brochures are brilliant. I've been reading your stuff on Hooniverse for a while!

[chaseracer]

Those Dodge van had historic levels of NVH.  Scary.

 

True... but much can be forgiven by the fact that the 50-series formed the basis for the Reynolds-Boughton RB44, the best-looking army truck IN EVAH.

 

 

http://www.dodge50.co.uk/rb44-story-1.html

 

[Felly Magic]

My mad bus owning mate now has a Dodge 56 with the 3 speed Millsomatic box, and Reeve Burgess minibus body, it's got a borked driveplate ATM, but I bet he would love scans of that brochure

[martc]

Kenex was the coachbuilder responsible for "Kenebrake" utility conversions of panel vans - usually involving a metal framed side window and a couple of park benches down each side.   They did J2/JU/J4/CA/Standard Atlas and many others.

 

Lots of good stuff about Kenex, and others, here - http://myntransportblog.com/2014/10/16/kenex-coachworks-ltd-england-uk/

 

Here's a taster

 

[mercrocker]

Great site that, awesome photographs!

[djimbob]

True... but much can be forgiven by the fact that the 50-series formed the basis for the Reynolds-Boughton RB44, the best-looking army truck IN EVAH.

 

 

http://www.dodge50.co.uk/rb44-story-1.html

 

 

I had a manual dodge fiddy hippy bus, and it was truly awesome, but I would swap my first born and all my fleet for one of those military buggers right there - thanks for the share

[wuvvum]

Those Dodge van had historic levels of NVH.  Scary.

Compared to the Commer Walkthrough that preceded them, they were like a frigging Lexus.

[danthecapriman]

I love the Dodge 50 and the later Renault version.

What was the Southern Electricity board used to use them a lot back in the 80's and early 90's. A bit before my time unfortunately but two survived on the SSE fleet until about 2008.

One was a J reg Renault in silver and the other was an A reg Dodge in the original Southern Electric green livery. I loved driving these beasts! The A reg one was a right monster, slow as fuck but the amount of road respect you got driving it was brilliant. Both were scrapped in the end sadly.

[mercrocker]

Here is one for you, Dan!  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scruff]

I've had a bit to do with RB44s, they have a horrendous reputation but I don't actually think they are a bad truck. I fancied one as a camper/workhorse. Perkins Phaser turbo, decent gearbox; well, strong anyway, notchy and stiff otherwise. They are very noisy, worse than a normal Dodge 50 but I'm sure that could be reduced with a bit of clever soundproofing. We used to wind them up to 70mph on the A1 between Colsterworth and Grantham. Due to the well documented cock ups getting them into service (which of course makes them the Autoshite choice) lots of them have done bugger all. When I was at Withams we were still picking out 1992 trucks with the plastic on the seats and door cards and completely unmarked rear bodies. Spares are a bit of a problem but most of the military dealers seem to be breaking rough or crashed ones for bits and there's a bit of a question mark over licencing as they are pretty heavy, I know some military preservation types have got them plated as 3500kg so they can drive them on a pre-97 car licence. Also setting up the drum brakes (hyd not air) can be a twat. You buggers have got me wanting one again now.

 

I think I'm right in saying the only bits shared with the normal Dodge 50 are the cabs and a few small fixtures and fittings.

[wuvvum]

Bloody Nora, I didn't realise Walkthroughs came with a 4.203 as the standard diesel option!  Mine had a 4.236 (with a thunderous 75bhp) and that was slow enough.  51bhp in a fully-laden 4-tonne van doesn't really bear thinking about.

[danthecapriman]

I found a Freight Rover owners and operating manual, and an un stamped service booklet a while ago at work. Looks like it's been in the drawer I found it in since it was new.

 

 

 

 

Anyone want them? They're in really good condition.

[martc]

The Walk Thru brochure above - I-spy Elvis (the Vegas years), Noel Edmonds and Kevin Keegan. There's no wonder Chrylser went bust their advertisement expenses must have been enormous.

[solid61]

Sorry for poor pics.

[RoadworkUK]

Good work, chaps. And nice Transit and Thames work.

 

To say thanks, here's a Transit brochure which is more '70s than watching early Rentaghost wearing a kipper tie while in a picket line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ends.

[Spottedlaurel]

That is particularly bonkers.

[mercrocker]

And particularly nostalgic for me.....We got a school minibus in 1974.  LWB petrol Tranny with the park bench seating.   I never particularly had need to go in it because that would have involved being a "joiner-in" but we used to have to clean it out as punishment for various things.   Despite being anti-school I was quite proud of that Transit because not many places had one!   

 

Also they were built at nearby Southampton - amazing how many people can still produce brand new alternators and water pumps from the depths of their garages!

[Asimo]

+1 on School Transit in 1974.

Ours had the wheeltrims shown in that brochure, I always think of them as Zodiac trims.

I was dead miffed that the school wouldn't let me drive it  ,  after all I had learned in a Transit (thank f..k Mum had replaced that Thames) and I was driving the youth club Transit bus at weekends