You needed a start with something

I love the homemade mudguards on the old Ford. I'm also a big fan of the swan on the bonnet(called a bugler) I run them on my trucks.

I would say those mudguards were a army issue ISTBC, the swan is there with a FC Holden bonnet mascot to if you look close





I wonder why they don't make them any more with the neck long like these.

Ron. Those Blitz's are still every where now Ford and Chev

My old mate, Ken Townsend came back from World War 11, I guess in 1945. He bought a 1929 Chevrolet truck. Tthe manufacturer rated them at 30 CWT (one and a half tons). Ken went into business carting wool from Bourke to Sydney. He told me the number of bales he carried but I have forgotten. You can bet the Chev. was very overloaded. He had his dog with him and Ken told me the dog would jump out at the start of an uphill gradient, trot up to the top of the hill and wait for the truck to catch up. Dog would then jump up on the running board.

Ken graduated to driving Mercedes Benz tippers and trailers carting sand and gravel to ready mixed concrete plants in the West of Sydney. He collected many Chevrolets and Maple Leafs, as well as Packard cars. He had a write-up in Restored Cars magazine many years ago as "The Packard Farm."


When Ken found a Chevrolet, Maple Leaf or Packard, he would drive his Maple Leaf tow truck into the tipper on the Benz, drive as near as he could to the 'victim", back into a likely bank, reverse the tow truck out of the tipper, hook up the victim and drive back into the tipper sand body. He would then drive the Benz back home and unload.

One day in the 1970's he was driving a Benz and trailer loaded with wet sand West along Parramatta Road when a young fellow in a Volkswagen Kombi came out of a side road and ran straight across in front of Ken's truck. Ken said he carried the Kombi about 100 metres before he could stop. The young guy said he did not see Ken's truck and trailer.

Ken's Wife, Margaret, could trace her family back to the First Fleet, and was known as a "First Fleeter" Their Daughter carries this on today.

Margaret was a lovely lady and Ken was one of nature's gentlemen. I miss him.

Morris.

Like has already been said - many a big time operator got thair start with those 58 model F600 Fords. Mr L Fox is one of those many.

That model was the first of the overhead valve motors - and (as Col reported) had a problem with dropping valve seats (I think it was). So carrying a couple of spare heads in the tool box wasnt uncommon.

Oldfulla

Morris, I think the 1929 Chev trucks had the new 6 cylinder over head valve motor, that's a modern looking engine for 1929 and he might of had a semi on it . Hell form Bourke to Sydney would be good weeks drive : : : : : : : ::)Tuff way to make a living


And yes the weight they put on wouldn't be the weight the manufacture recommended .Here is a 1938 D30 Inter[30CWT] with it's load of wool but it's got duel wheels,



Here's a little Bedford with it's load



Colin

Colin

Yes Colin, 29 Chev would be 6 cyl...4 speed box...steel spoked wheels on the drive, very slow top speed too.

Colin I don't think the D 30 Inter is 30cwt it's more than likely a 40 cwt & the Bedford is a 1936 - 39 WH 40 cwt with a 120 inch wheel base. Dave

Mairjimmy

There might be a mix up there. I was the one who made the '1st overhead valve comment' - refering to Ford F600's. And V8's more specifically.

I think the twin head light model (as per your photos) - which superceeded the similar shape with single headlights - was the engine change point for the Ford F600 range.

Hope that makes sense and doesnt confuse things?

Oldfulla

Colin I don't think the D 30 Inter is 30cwt it's more than likely a 40 cwt & the Bedford is a 1936 - 39 WH 40 cwt with a 120 inch wheel base. Dave

Dave , You are half right about Inter D30 I should have said 3 ton [60CWT], was writing that at 1:30 AM when I should have been sleeping, but thinking about it now it had a N.S.W. F

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number plate meant it had to pay road tax which applied to trucks that could carry 5 ton or was that 5 ton including the tare[Gross weight].
oldfulla, don't worry about a mix up, I am mixed up most of the time, it comes with age, best bet is to not let on about it
Colin

Could be wrong about this, thought those American vehicle numbers related to the cab- chassis tare, not to what it could carry. David.