Knockers on the brain, for the Commer enthusiast

I wasn't born into a trucking back ground but was born into family surroundings that enjoyed the old, classic, unusual and rare creations of man, especially those things with wheels and engines

So really it was no supprise to myself or anyone else that I was passionate about most things that sat under trees, in sheds under 4" of dust or abandoned where it was last used. Vintage tractors, classic cars, old engines and iconic trucks.

This story stems from a passing comment to a simple idea to an epic recovery.

My uncle many years ago ran a fleet of Commer trucks in Tas, 11 in total at different times I think. They were a mix of petols and diesels, but the stories of the mighty Knockers stuck with me, grossly over loaded but still highly reliable and fuel efficent, to me they were a classic! On one such story telling visit to my uncle of the good old days the photos albums came out and suddenly I wanted to own a Commer Knocker, not a problem there were plenty around, only problem was that upon searching high and low around Tas there seemed to be none left...... Maybe too capable and reliable in the harsh rigours of Tassie work (like logging) for their own good that when the day came they were only good for scrap.

So a while later and after a trip I think to the Echuca steam rally where I had been admiring more restored classics, my determination to own a Commer Knocker had not deminished.
Another visit to my uncle and another photo album came out, one particuliar photo stood out, a Commer in a shed, well back from the door, under decades of red dust and with mountains of junk blocking it's path, it was enough to get my attention.

To be continued............................

That is a cracking start... bring on the rest.

....yes...please classic .. bring it all on....i've had knockers on the brain since i was an adolescent 14 year old ...

Hell yeah bring it on .... Always great to hear about Tassie truckin of old

Hated them 45 years ago when I drove one. Love them now, (especially the noise). Probably the same old story, "The older I get the better..............etc." Don't forget to download all the photos from the albums. I still love the other type of knockers too.

Not too much information was forthcoming, the photo was one of many of Commer trucks, the others laying idle in a yard and was around 12 - 15 years old and was taken by his brother who drove interstate at the time somewhere near West Wyalong.

My uncle who at this point was retired had once had ambitions of maybe oneday buying it and once again having that Rootes rattle in his ears, still holding onto this hope he was reluuctant to tell more and really after possibly 15 years it was most likely gone.

Up to another year past with no real developments, I was not actively searching but had my eyes open if something popped up. My Dad and I were over the water on an unrelated trip looking at Machinery near Hay and it came to mind that we weren't that far away from West Wyalong and had a day to fill in. After a call back home to my uncle and some arm twisting I got a name and location. Searched a local phone book and bingo!
This would still be a long shot and possibly a little hard to explain. A quiet, elderly voice answered the phone and he was reluctant to say much at first, after telling the story he warmed a little and yes he did have an old Commer in the shed
Wasn't worth the drive to look at according to him but we were welcome too come and look.

So off we went, this fellow was 85, short of hearing, spoke very quietly and pottered about pretty slowly. He could not understand why a couple of Tasmanians were interested in an old Commer truck in NSW. He had another early Commer sitting behind the house with a factory fitted 6354 Perkins in it laid over like the petrol variation (still the only one I have seen like this) and this on it's own was a pretty good solid truck but it had unfortunately had the vandals through it taking out the windows and gauges etc.

Then onto the shed, the story was that he had run a fleet of Commer trucks on grain cartage and general freight. He was more a hoarder than a seller and the Commers over time were retired to the yard and replaced with Mercedes. As more time went by the Commers were sold off to local farmers or wrecked etc, then retirement came and pretty well all the trucks and gear were sold off. So why the lone truck in the shed, a favourite?

After it had been replaced with a Benz on it's regular run (Melbourne and return) it like the others had been sitting in the yard. It was one day taken to a clearing sale and a pulled down shed in kit form was purchased and loaded on the back, the thought was that he didn't want the framing etc to go rusty before he got a chance to put it up so the truck was backed into the shed loaded kit and all. Some time passed and as mentioned he was a bit of a hoarder, things started to accumulate in front of the old Commer so that is where it stayed.

So just how long had the old Knocker been in it's chance luck storage you wonder................ 33 YEARS!!!

I know.... Photos, where are the photos????

This is what was starring back at us as the door opened and the sunlight streamed in:

To be continued...................

looks tops classic,might take a day or two to get it out, but i bet there's some gems to been seen.....jk..

Gotta follow this one.

Good story, well written.
I am wetting myself with eager excetement in anticipation of part III.

And photo's! Your putting up photo's !!!
Too Good, what a champion you are.

-b

the one with the perkadyne fitted at a slant would be a p6 not a 6354 unless it got a update???

great story!!!!!!!

Nope. The first Perks fitted were in the bullnose cab, canted over to the right and were 6354's.
Tiny steering wheel, no power steer, vacuum "Hydrovac" brakes, same gearbox as the old TS3's.
I think Rootes hated fitting that engine but they went really well.
The one at the back was brand new Perkins powered back in the day.