Let's buy a Bedford Val car transporter together

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Love the style of these, and they're ridiculously thin on the ground now.

Who's in?! 

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F193242891782

[Timewaster]

Hold on lads, I've got an idea...... 

[somewhatfoolish]

Not exactly numerous to begin with either. Seems a bit salty for a fucked old bus made of unobtanium. Nice photobomb by the AS-liveried Freightrover camper.

[Zelandeth]

They're lovely things to drive.  VAM and VAL both passed through a friend's shop a good few years ago and I did quite a few shakedown miles in both.

What's this registered as?  I.e. can it be driven under the 30 year PSV rule on a normal licence?

Few things on earth can consume time and money (and sanity) than restoring a coach though...

Hadn't spotted the price...does seem steep depending on the state of the body structurally (Duples do like to rot for for a passtime...) though.  Half that seems more realistic unless it's ridiculously good under the grime...though I'll bet the step goes "scrunch" when you climb on board based on prior experience...

[Skizzer]

Love the idea but £10k does seem a bit steep, unless it still has a load of gold bars in the back?

[bangernomics]

Love the style of these, and they're ridiculously thin on the ground now.
Who's in?! 
 
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F193242891782

I’m in, let’s redress the balance of payments between Britain and Italy.

Righto Mr Grout.

[martc]

43 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

What's this registered as?  I.e. can it be driven under the 30 year PSV rule on a normal licence?

Quote ' BEDFORD VAL 1969 EX MOSS BROATHERS IOW TWIN STEER RECON 466 ENGINE RUNS MANY NEW PARTS AND SPARES REG AS MOTO HOME SO FREE TAX MOT''

Not sure what licence class a moto home is, but could it be driven with a 'normal' driving licence assuming it's actually a motor home? It would appear you get a pair of closely related wild west cows with it as well so you'll need a field of some kind. And some hay. Can't think of any snarky comment about 'broathers' soz.

[martc]

Also, is the Sherpa driver away, hunting tigers? With a machine gun?

[Zelandeth]

8 minutes ago, martc said:

Quote ' BEDFORD VAL 1969 EX MOSS BROATHERS IOW TWIN STEER RECON 466 ENGINE RUNS MANY NEW PARTS AND SPARES REG AS MOTO HOME SO FREE TAX MOT''

Not sure what licence class a moto home is, but could it be driven with a 'normal' driving licence assuming it's actually a motor home? It would appear you get a pair of wild west cows with it as well so you'll need a field of some kind. And some hay. Can't think of any snarky comment about 'broathers' soz.

Balls.  That'll mean a C1 licence needed then I believe due to the weight. 

The 30 year rule specifically relates to vehicles registered as a PCV - I have to assume purely because of rare case of the DVLA seeing sense and realising that not everyone who owns a preserved bus or coach can afford the time or money involved in getting a cat D licence...and that if they're taking it on as a project, they're probably going to take the time to make sure they know what they're doing with it.  Sadly if this is no longer registered as PCV that rule won't apply.

Obviously we're only going on some really awful photos here...but I do have to admit that she looks monumentally less fscked than quite a few that I've helped drag back into the land of the living...and have (ahem...entirely on private roads of course) driven back to the workshop for restoration. 

A decent wash and some photos in actual daylight would go a long way to making it look more saleable.

[rml2345]

Ten large for a barn find Duple bodied VAL does seem rather on the optimistic side, no matter how well it runs. Would be a great project at £2K or thereabouts but it would likely require some form of recovery regardless. 

[LightBulbFun]

body type comes back as Motor home/caravan, I wonder could you change it back to being a single decker bus/coach? 

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Cough Mr Bridger cough

[HMC]

Where’s big William when you need him?!

[Zelandeth]

21 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

body type comes back as Motor home/caravan, I wonder could you change it back to being a single decker bus/coach? 

 

I can't remember the exact process, but you definitely can - or at least you could ten years or so back when I used to see my mate back up north regularly.  We'd done precisely that with a couple of restored vehicles which had done time as a mobile kid's play house prior to registration.

[LightBulbFun]

1 minute ago, Zelandeth said:

I can't remember the exact process, but you definitely can - or at least you could ten years or so back when I used to see my mate back up north regularly.  We'd done precisely that with a couple of restored vehicles which had done time as a mobile kid's play house prior to registration.

I figured such, since I could see cases of buses being converted to caravans then restored back to buses, and you would want to change the body type back to the correct type for a bus!

if its anything like Invacars, its fill in the correct section of the V5 send it off and pray to the DVLA gods LOL

[busmansholiday]

27 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

body type comes back as Motor home/caravan, I wonder could you change it back to being a single decker bus/coach? 

 

New as NDL360G.

Bedford / Duple, I'm sure there's space in one of the local Barnsley scrapyards for it. Never have been a fan, driven enough in service, never will like. 

 

[HMC]

I think Big William is in agreement; handles like shit on alpine passes apparently.

[HMC]

“It’s OK but I don’t like the colour”

 

[sutty2006]

I’d have a go at that...... might take me a few years longer than I’m predicted to live, but hey, everyone loves a trier! 

[Wack]

40 minutes ago, rml2345 said:

Ten large for a barn find Duple bodied VAL does seem rather on the optimistic side, no matter how well it runs. Would be a great project at £2K or thereabouts but it would likely require some form of recovery regardless. 

 

[Wack]

Sorted , hitch bolted to the front bumper and some planks to extend the trailer 

[wuvvum]

17 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

if its anything like Invacars

It's nothing like Invacars.  It has twice as many wheels, thrice as many cylinders, 15 times the cubic capacity and it's made out of metal.

It is blue though, so there's that.  Built in Britain too.

[LightBulbFun]

9 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

It's nothing like Invacars.  It has twice as many wheels, thrice as many cylinders, 15 times the cubic capacity and it's made out of metal.

It is blue though, so there's that.  Built in Britain too.

single seater like an invacar tho! LOL

(it would be hilarious to nail the "passenger carrying is forbidden" plaque from an invacar, to the inside of a bus LOL)

[Skizzer]

ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING INVACARS ON EVERY FUCKING THREAD.

Jesus fucking wept.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Balls.  That'll mean a C1 licence needed then I believe due to the weight. 

The 30 year rule specifically relates to vehicles registered as a PCV - I have to assume purely because of rare case of the DVLA seeing sense and realising that not everyone who owns a preserved bus or coach can afford the time or money involved in getting a cat D licence...and that if they're taking it on as a project, they're probably going to take the time to make sure they know what they're doing with it.  Sadly if this is no longer registered as PCV that rule won't apply.

Obviously we're only going on some really awful photos here...but I do have to admit that she looks monumentally less fscked than quite a few that I've helped drag back into the land of the living...and have (ahem...entirely on private roads of course) driven back to the workshop for restoration. 

A decent wash and some photos in actual daylight would go a long way to making it look more saleable.

I believe Sam Glover's old Val still exists, but is ruinous. Would make a half-decent donor for this one however. 

Interesting that you've actually driven a couple before though. I'd love a drive in one. 

[warch]

I have absolutely no concept of the value and rarity of these coaches, although as I'm sure everyone on here is well aware it isn't exactly the iconic Italian Job model, which was fitted with a different body. 10 large does sound rather expensive unless it is in rather better nick than it appears in the photos.

I do love Chinese Sixes though, they are such a weird looking old fashioned design, especially on rigid lorries. 

[wuvvum]

Would this not be painfully slow in modern traffic?  466 naturally aspirated cubic inches doesn't seem a lot for something that size - especially when the equivalent Leyland would have had 680.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Would this not be painfully slow in modern traffic?  466 naturally aspirated cubic inches doesn't seem a lot for something that size - especially when the equivalent Leyland would have had 680.

Regardless of speed, I find these twin steer Vals are all about the aesthetics. Such a pretty looking design. 

[wuvvum]

They are a nice looking beast.  Not sure about the practicality though - if they'd put the twin axles at the back instead of the front, Big William wouldn't have lost the arse end round that hairpin and the film might have had a more satisfying ending.

[ianbmw]

Right,that's my reason to enter Euros on friday!

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