Hard shoulder hero's

[DVee8]

Reading Classic, retro, modern. There were some great photos of 1960s, 70s, and 80s breakdown and recovery vehicles.

I had a YTS in a garage in Sunderland called Car Maintenance.

They had an MK1 transit with an A-frame winch on the back. I helped them convert it to a spectacle lift. 

They are still using it with what appears to be the same lift on the back.

Google gives loads of great recovery/breakdown photos

Bedford J3

 

 

 

[Richard_FM]

 

A few from my collection.

[delux]

Found this a while ago...

https://www.vehiclerecovery.org/History-of-Vehicle-Recovery-Part2.html

...plenty pics of old wreckers!

[Rustybullethole]

Thats Bedford J looks fantastic. Crew cab and long bed have evened out its big hooter looks a treat. 

[Rustybullethole]

[Rustybullethole]

Used to pass one of these regularly when I was racing up at Mablethorpe sitting at the side of the road. Cool as.

[Vantman]

My ex AA Bedford J recovering a Cortina and towing a trailer to collect a Mini as well,that 3 litre straight 6 petrol engine worked hard!

 

 

 

[Barry Cade]

This was outside a garage near St Just

And my first breakdown truck, covering the Highlands. Wasn't a bad steer at all.

[Vantman]

My 'reserve' recovery vehicle!

 

[Barry Cade]

11 minutes ago, Vantman said:

My 'reserve' recovery vehicle!

 

Please tell me that's a 454 petrol 3 on the tree..

[Cavcraft]

5 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

 

A few from my collection.

Impressed they got Citizen Smith to collect them.

[delux]

Some luckies found here...

https://www.vehiclerecovery.org/Pictures-of-Recovery-Vehicles.html

[sheffcortinacentre]

2 hours ago, Vantman said:

My 'reserve' recovery vehicle!

 

Funny that Doncaster std code is 302  when so far apart.

[Metal Guru]

3 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Funny that Doncaster std code is 302  when so far apart.

Folkestone has a Dover number. Dover next alphabetically area code after Doncaster. 

[worldofceri]

10 hours ago, Vantman said:

My 'reserve' recovery vehicle!

 

Remarkably similar to this one run by Stones Garage of Coventry since the dawn of time.

[Vantman]

5 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

Folkestone has a Dover number. Dover next alphabetically area code after Doncaster. 

Dover (was) 0304,now 01304.

[quicksilver]

This looks like a suitable place to share my favourite old-school wrecker.

Built by the operator in the late seventies using the front of a written-off tractor unit, back of an older 6x4 unit and recovery gear fabricated in their own workshop. It's had several different engines and that was the very last brand new cab fitted around 1988. It's a real timewarp, especially as it's still in 1980s Seddon Atkinson livery.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, Vantman said:

Dover (was) 0304,now 01304.

So it is. Should have checked. Codes are partly in alphabetical order with randoms inserted in various places. 

[5speedracer]

12 hours ago, delux said:

Some luckies found here...

https://www.vehiclerecovery.org/Pictures-of-Recovery-Vehicles.html

That Scania 110 looks the dogs 👍

[eddyramrod]

3 hours ago, worldofceri said:

Remarkably similar to this one run by Stones Garage of Coventry since the dawn of time.

Is it 258 or 285?  His local Interceptors will be interested....

[Rustybullethole]

[Rustybullethole]

[lesapandre]

Modern: London on Saturday collecting a bus.

[delux]

I've worked in a few places that have done heavy recovery. Back in the day when my old boss (George) started out you pretty much had to build your own trucks. One of them was 'Thomas the tank engine'!

Thomas was an ERF arctic tractor unit that had been stretched but was light as fuck so it could easily top 100mph (too old to be restricted, lol!) 

We had a few older ones kicking about the yard, old ERFs or high spec Ford Cargo thingys.

I was sure I'd saved some pics in my favs on flickr but couldnt find them!

Did find some of my other employers old trucks though (not my pic)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dramofwhisky/16280533732/

Not my pic either...

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133794880@N04/52534640149/in/faves-159422664@N08/

Have pics of the older one somewhere as the owner and I had to change the points on it so it could pull the local round tables santa sleigh! 😀

[worldofceri]

9 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Is it 258 or 285?  His local Interceptors will be interested....

Nothing gets past Lord Ramrod of Barrow!

That was the main reason I took the photos… The local Interceptors however, seemingly don’t give a shit; It’s been running around like that for years. 😂

(The older plate on the back shows the correct reg.)

[quicksilver]

20 minutes ago, worldofceri said:

Nothing gets past Lord Ramrod of Barrow!

That was the main reason I took the photos… The local Interceptors however, seemingly don’t give a shit; It’s been running around like that for years. 😂

(The older plate on the back shows the correct reg.)

I thought you must be mistaken when you said it's been running around for years given the state of it, but amazingly it is taxed (and MOTed even though I thought it would be exempt) until April. I'm not sure I'd have much confidence in a garage that turned up with a recovery truck looking so in need of recovery itself.

The real Q258RNH was a Komatsu forklift untaxed since 1990.

[delux]

Thomas the tank engine!

Credit to https://www.flickr.com/photos/scammell_amazon/5417349472/

 

[Marina door handles]

22 hours ago, quicksilver said:

I thought you must be mistaken when you said it's been running around for years given the state of it, but amazingly it is taxed (and MOTed even though I thought it would be exempt) until April. I'm not sure I'd have much confidence in a garage that turned up with a recovery truck looking so in need of recovery itself.

The real Q258RNH was a Komatsu forklift untaxed since 1990.

I am pretty sure Q plate vehicles cannot be registered as historic and don't get free tax and MOT exemption?

[Barry Cade]

20 minutes ago, Marina door handles said:

I am pretty sure Q plate vehicles cannot be registered as historic and don't get free tax and MOT exemption?

If i remember correctly, any Q plate vehicle is tested to 1971 standards.

[quicksilver]

49 minutes ago, Marina door handles said:

I am pretty sure Q plate vehicles cannot be registered as historic and don't get free tax and MOT exemption?

There's an exemption for certain recovery vehicles though. As an old spec lift it looks like it would qualify if it's used only for recovery.