1958 BMC

Hello All,

Does anyone know much about these old BMC trucks? ie. were there many around and are parts available anywhere?


This old girl was kindly rescued from a property south west of Charleville. It spent most of its life carting bees and honey between there and Allora, at a very slow pace I am told. I am in the process of restoration, but it has been hindered by the fact that the truck lives in Clifton and I live in Brisbane. I am hoping to get in to it again soon.

Nice truck ... but what happened to the roof? Looks like it was professionally c!rcumc!sed up top!

The roof has taken on a decidedly concave appearance. I unbolted it for some panel beating.

Hi Dave, are you in either of the Brisbane clubs? Both of the clubs have members with a fair old following of English trucks and oil engined lorries. The Heritage truck Assoc has at least one member with a very similar truck to yours. The Heritage Truck association's show is on at Beenleigh on the 21st/22nd of May. Might be worth a visit. If you see a truck you like, ask at the club tent and they will probobly put you on to the owner. Peter Needer owns this oner, and odds he will be there.

Thanks, might have to go have a looksee.

Progress report and some photos from the archives:


The roof has been repaired. It now curves up in the middle. When I picked the truck up, it was caved in and would have made an excellent birdbath.


Front panel before


Front panel partially repaired.

When we first got it home.


Cleaning off the first of several wheelbarrowloads of red dust.


Painting the chassis.

I checked the date on the last 3 photos, these were taken in 1999. This became one of those 'when I get around to it' jobs. Typical, it sat in the open out west for 20 years, but put it in a shed and leave it for 10 yrs and now the engine has seized up.

I was advised to pour some diesel down the bores and it may free up. Good theory, but is this just wishful thinking?

D.

My Diamond Reo had been living outside for years, I put it in the shed, took the fuel tank off, a month later it starts leaking out of a rust hole on the bottom.

Don't know about the diesel, I do know you havn't got much too loose by giving it a go.

It is a series 3 Morris with FE cab (actually made by Willenhall) introduced in 1955, sometimes badged as BMC as Morris was in bed with Austin by that time. It was superseded in 1959 by the FG and FFK models. The smallest rated at 3 tons and the largest, the 701, at 7 tons. There wasn't much that changed in the following models so parts from them would fit, although many of the parts from the light models don't fit the heavy & vice versa.
Re seizure, you might have to take the head off and loosen the pistons with a lump of wood and sledge. Easy does it. Some people recommend molasses and other mixtures or acetic acid to eat the rust around the rings.

Diesel is what i would use fill up through the spark plug hole and leave it for a few days (leave the plugs out), then try rocking the engine back and forth slightly if no movement let it sit a bit longer and then try again, you should see the diesel disappear past the rings. Once you free it up make sure you change the oil.

I used Diesel to free up one of my 1927 CT Lycoming spare engines it took about 3 months before i got movement.

Trevor