Knockers on the brain, for the Commer enthusiast

Ah, you're the Tassie blokes?! Love the story so far.

Rankins Springs, Classic? Old mate passed away about 18 months ago. A couple of his Commers stayed local with a farmer who wanted to save them. If he's still on the property (noted it for sale a while ago), then the trucks are available for anyone interested.

Rankin Springs. Going back over twenty years. There was a yard on the right at the edge of the village heading for Hay.

There was a heap of Commers there. Have they been 'rescued'?

TDU

Yes, the majority going to China :'(

But the story here is relating to the last remaining few

A Classic Ode....
Knocker, Knocker...Who's there..?
Classic Truckin from Sunny Tassie.
Another tale about a vintage chassis
On the track...
to nither and back.
Not out lookin for an '88,
...he may have been a little too late!
Hot on the trail for a long lost Commer...
Hope it isn't a rusty 'ole bomber!
They ended up, not at dusty Bylong...
But way out west in a shed at Wyalong!
His story is a 'riveting' read!
Now come on 'ole mate, and take the lead....!

Yes Cunning, canted to over a fair old angle but nowhere near horizontal.
You got great access to the pump, exhauster and so on.
No exhaust manifold visible, that was buried under the driver's side.
I don't remember ever having to overhaul one, they went pretty well, outlasted the chassis anyway which was typical for the day, no shocks and small front springs.
I think they came with the No3 Eaton instead of the usual No4 fitted in the 2-strokes.
I don't think they even scored a rev counter which was obviously an afterthought in the 2-strokes.

Great story CT, I'm closer to it than you think, he told me that a bloke from Tassie was interested in it...............I have a few pics of it that I'll put up.

As far as the Perkins power goes, I'm not sure of whether or not they were P6 or 6354 but I was always under the impression it was the latter. Like jeffo said they were laid over almost horizontal and were only available from factory in the small cab single screen model in 61/62, not the split windscreen version like mine. They were distinguished with a plain 'Diesel' badge as opposed to the 'Rootes Diesel' for the knocker or nothing for the petrol.

I'll check on some books at home for curiosity and you might be right binder, it may be a P6. For what its worth the red one (my Dads) in the photo you put up is a petrol R7 from 1950.

I'll dig out some pics from the West Wyalong collection, well done CT for finding it, it was the best unrestored example of one I have ever seen.

Bruce out of curiosity, where was that photo of your dads truck taken. Love the lack of kerb and gutter of early Sydney? streets.

You're on the money Fellas, Rankins Springs is the place. Knew it was only a matter of time before someone twigged

Should have mentioned at the start that all this took place between 2000 and 2004, but thought it would be a story of interest..........

Re Perkins Commer: I am 95% certain that the truck up there was 6354 powered, I am familiar with these as we still run a few on pumps but have had nothing to do with P6's.
We actually had it fired up and it ran really well, pity it had been vandalised, still it was in good shape as far as being straight and free of rust. I would have loved to cart them both home, but running on a shoe string budget the cost of getting two home was just too much :'(

I hope it did find a good home.....

Andy: We actually took the Knocker out of town to a farm just north to do some work on it, can't remember his name but he had a couple of the other old Commers from the first sale sitting in the yard. They were early two piece windscreen petrols for memory.

Not much time for typing tonight but here's a few photos to carry you over........

Bruce out of curiosity, where was that photo of your dads truck taken. Love the lack of kerb and gutter of early Sydney? streets.

Hi Wayne, it was outside his parents place in Stratford avenue Denistone, he took a few there. I keep thinking that I should take mine down and get some photos of him with it outside the old house

Bruce,that would make interesting pics. Better be quick,the way that buildings are being demolished in Sydney, it could already be gone.

One thing I remember was the extra height of the cab and yet it's not obvious in the Rankin Springs photos.
Also the Rankin Springs diff looks big too.
This Perk was brand new in the video, would have been 1962 ???