1972 Atkinson half cab sleeper restoration

thanks for the update oilman, some of us sit here dribbling over your acquisition and plans....

if you knew then what you have discovered now would you have gone for a different option?
EMNTK

Hi Sarge, unfortunately there aren't a lot of MKII 1/2 sleeper cabs out there to chose from, but in hindsight I would probably have only bought it if I had bought the 'spares' truck at the same time and was confident that the 2 trucks together would give me what I needed (and perhaps negotiated a bit harder on the price!). At the moment I'm not unhappy with my purchase, I just expect the project to take a bit longer than planned, but that always happens anyway. I'm 4 years into a build of a Cobra kit car that I thought would take 3 years and I started a resto on a '32 BSA 500cc sloper 25 years ago that isn't quite finished. At least I finished the Mustang and that only took me 2 years. Nothing like a project or 2 to keep you off the streets.............

good on ya Oilman as I have said before everything takes me way longer than I ever planned glad to hear your making progress


Paul

Well, this one got a bit hard and is on the back burner until I collect a few more parts including a chassis. Picked this new project up from down Port Fairy way this weekend and drove it home. Needs a few jobs doing to it, but doesn't seem to have any big problems. Fitted with a 6LXB Gardner which you would think would be a bit unusual in 1975 for a bogie drive. If you were spending that money on a 'custom' built truck at that time and wanted a Gardner would have thought you would have gone with a 8LXB. From the paint color I think it was probably a Nestle prime mover pulling a milk tanker before being 'stretched'.

good looking truck Im guessing you know you well and truly have the bug now :blink: :blink: :blink:
I dont think the doctor has any magic pill not that you would want one

Paul

Congratulations on your new purchase Oilman .. I know you'll wince when I say this, but after a while.. and after a lot of hand wringing about your very treasured projects, it's just easier to say "I'm a ............collector !! lol !

...that way you don't have to sweat the small stuff after outlaying big amounts of dosh with nothing to see. Collecting stuff means there's big piles of things to see for your hard earned....just be sure to have a big paddock or shed lol :blink: :blink:

defective wrote: Congratulations on your new purchase Oilman .. I know you'll wince when I say this, but after a while.. and after a lot of hand wringing about your very treasured projects, it's just easier to say "I'm a ............collector !! lol !

...that way you don't have to sweat the small stuff after outlaying big amounts of dosh with nothing to see. Collecting stuff means there's big piles of things to see for your hard earned....just be sure to have a big paddock or shed lol :blink: :blink:

They do go up in value too Defective, so you also have an investment portfolio :blink:

Hi southbound .. I completely agree they can be seen as an "investment", but the minute you want to sell one of your old treasures, and you think the price should attract a buyer, is when you notice it all doesn't happen that easily.

...I would let a few things go right now (including an old Atkinson Mk 1 ex Shell roadtrain rigid) but the buyers money seems to be firmly stuck in their pocket...no matter what the price or discount. It seems like it's one of those things where you need to have a clearing sale at 110 years of age to generate any interest ! Lol

It has been quite some time since I posted, and not a lot of progress. I have spent about 8 hours with a steam cleaner trying to get most of the oil/grease/other crud off and even pulled out the radiator for better access. The bushes on the top radiator bracket were flogged out so I replaced those. Have given the interior a good clean and it didn't come up too bad. The biggest project has been to make a replacement bullbar which is finished except the paint. Next step is to remove the tray and get it inside the shed out of the weather where I can start on a few smaller jobs.

That is a good looking bulbar. Nestles trucks were light green ( as I remember) so there might be a bit of that paint under the blue.