Bedfords

As I have seen how much you all love Bedfords I thought that I would post a couple of pics of local (to me) Bedfords taken at on of our road runs in 2006. Two of the O types are from 1951 and the other is 1950.
The 30cwt WS is from 1932.
As Australians seeem to like to take a quite serviceable English lorry and improve it, as you did with Atkinsons, I would like to know if the same was done with Bedfords. I know we had an option of a 6v71 or 8v71 in the TM but did you improve the TKs etc?
Rod


ps The Mammoth Major trying to hide behind the WS is from 1939.

Our TK Beddys used the local 253 and 308 car engines but not sure this was an improvement. We also got the KM Bedford with the 6V53 but I think this was UK spec as well.
We didnt get the TM, but they sold imported Isuzu trucks and sold then as "Bedford by Isuzu"

Just a note of correction, and I have rarely seen this anywhere .. but the "TK" series with the Holden 253/308 or 4.2L & 5.0L (they had both red and blue Holden engines fitted, ex-factory), were known as "E" series, not TK's.

What is even more interesting, and something that few people also know, is that ALL the Holden V8's in the Bedfords had the block drilled with the Turbo-Hydramatic housing bolt pattern.
In the Holden car and commercial range, only the 308 fitted with the Turbo-Hydramatic had the T-H bolt pattern in the block .. all the rest of the V8's had the Holden housing bolt pattern.

Didnt know that re the bolt pattern on the GMH block.
Some of them used the chev 292 six from memory also.
Im sure there was a handfull of TM's sold here in WA.
A cocky down Katanning way has his restored his he bought new here in Perth. 6V-71 Detroit.
There is another in Geraldton out near Mallee Stn with a 8V-71 Detroit also sold here apparently.
The TM was the big euro looking square beddie yeh ??

Basil

That's the one, Baz.

The cab on the KM was the basic TK cab AFAIK, but it had additional panels around the front, as well as the 4-headlight grille section.
The last time I saw a working KM with a screemer, was in Adelaide in mid-1998 .. I passed him in my E Series, on the Main North Rd, heading out of town.

www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/gid/slv-pic-aab85781/1/a51534

Oooops .. just realised you wrote TM, not KM .. :-[ .. yeah, big ugly square looking mongrel of a thing. Never seen one over here on the left coast, you must be able to count them on one hand ..

About 30 years ago, I drove for a company in Sydney that had the ugliest trucks in the country (they were all painted yellow with black "lion like" stripes) and one of them I drove was a TK with a 6V53 jimmy.
It had a 5 speed box with a No.3 Eaton 2 speed. Was this how they come or would it have a botch up?
Performance with a load - Nil
Noise, Vibration, Harshness - 1 out of 1000 - my ears are still ringing 30 years on!!
cheers
Bretto

Thanks for the replies, I would have thought that a TK with a 6V53 would have been a flying machine! twice the power of the "standard" UK spec 330 diesel! One of my reasons for asking is that I am thinking of putting a 6V53 into a TK or TL and if that had been an Aussie option from Bedford then engine mounts etc may be available, if only to copy. The only trucks produced here, that I know of, using Detroit engines were the TM and the Scammel Crusader, there is one of each close to me being restored. I have seen more Detroits on standby gensets than any other application.
Rod

the reason bedford used the "chev" bolt pattern holden V8s was because they already had the chev 292 engines fitted to the bedys . . also there were a few turboed 500ci bedfords(aftermarket turbo?) i just remembered a few years ago a mate of mine used to run Melbourne to Cairns in a 308 lpg powered bedford it would do 100km/hs but would loose a bit on the hills(he would average about 10ton all up) . . ive also seen the odd 350 chev powered TK for sale maybe factory fitted when they were still using those motors in the HQ and HJ holdens ?