Modern Commer Replacement

[Lazy B'stard]

I always get laughed at during the old 'if I won the lotto' conversation when I say that I would love to build a nice period 50's race transporter cum motorhome but on a modern bus chassis- air con, power steering and brakes that work etc. I have even sketched it out and priced the chassis.... We can all dream eh?

[Andy Zarse]

I always get laughed at during the old 'if I won the lotto' conversation when I say that I would love to build a nice period 50's race transporter cum motorhome but on a modern bus chassis- air con, power steering and brakes that work etc. I have even sketched it out and priced the chassis.... We can all dream eh?

Great minds think alike. I was thinking about this very thing at about 06.30 this morning - on what chassis to coachbuild a replica of that Commer streamliner? I decided a Leyland Daf LF55 with a Cummins 6.7 engine would do the trick. The body could easily be modded to allow for some suitably whacky side windows. The car would go on the roof.

Here's a pic (again!) of the famous Commer Ecurrie Ecosse transporter with it's C and D Type cargo at LM in 2003. I got chatting to the owner at the Goodwood Revival last year. He was entirely charming, as you'd expect of a Commer owner, and showed us round inside. He explained the secrets of the fantastic 2-stroke diesel TS3 engine, and then cracked open a bottle of shampoo! We spent a very enjoyable hour in his company and hopefully we'll meet up again this year.

[garyfrogeye]

There is a website somewhere that has a losd of Race transporters on it. I'll try to find it.
If you win the lottery I'd love to have a look at your race transporter.
I'll keep my fingers crossed as it would be one of my fantasy must haves too.

[Andy Zarse]

Again, apologies if this has been posted before

Is that the coolest?
Check out those lines,that grill.

Randy, you are a gentleman of exquisite taste and refinement! That classic design is straight out of a 1930's cartoon such as Hoppity Goes to Town. You know the sort, where you see traffic roaring around in NYC and a Postal Service telegram delivery dog on an Indian motorcycle with full wheel spats. There's also some great scenes with cigar smoking bugs going up and down on girders on the construction hoist outside the equally wonderful Chrysler building.

[Catchpole]

thinking of the 'Indian' motorcycles, last weekend there was an AutoJumble at Sammy Millers, saw two, yes 2 Indians going to the event.  One was in US Army colours, including the leather sheath for the rifle? maybe Thompson, and the second in a most beautiful deep blood red colour.

Just wonderful, they looked too,

[Nordic]

http://www.old-dodge-trucks.co.uk/dodge_vk.htm

Here is one story

http://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p10304765kr.jpg

http://www.wilms-garage.de/Restauration/restauration.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2006/04/29/mftrans29.xml

There is a very interesting thread on the Atlas fourm about old transporters. Alot more than you would expect are still around or are being restored.

http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63980&perpage=40&display=&pagenumber=1

[Lazy B'stard]

If you win the lottery I'd love to have a look at your race transporter. I'll keep my fingers crossed as it would be one of my fantasy must haves too.

To put flesh on the bones it would have a steamlined body with an early 60's FIAT T8 series or Pegaso cab with an air cooled V12 Magirus-Deutz motor, take 2 cars and have Ice cold beer on tap. Surely there is someone with £200k to spare to let me build it for them?

[garyfrogeye]

I'll check down the back of my sofa

[Lazy B'stard]

I'll check down the back of my sofa

Tried that, found just over 3 quid, several Drachma, a small toy pig and a mouldy Toffet. And loads of fluff- must get on tor of the cleaning. Any luck your end?

[vqdave]

Slight digression (but still tenuously linked) but on the way back for LM this year, there we were 2 gentleman smoking pipes in a golden humber (theres the rootes connection) in the traffic jam for the peage before the rouen traffic jam and next to us was an artic (theres the truck connection) which a rooded up sports exhaust and it sounded great. Didn't know they did such things as tubi's for trucks. Anyone else see or hear this? I think your race transporter should have one of these, i'll bet it sounded bloody loud if you were next to it in a caterham rather than the limo comfort of a mid 70's Humber.

And it was good to see the full cab was covered in an airbrush mural, its good to see truck art is still alive and well.

[garyfrogeye]

Not much really, just a mint humbug sum fluff, Oh and an old rolled up parchment some instructions and a map on it. I haven't had time to read it yet but I'll report back later.

[Lazy B'stard]

X marks the spot eh Gary?
 On the subject of airBrushed trucks, has anyone seen the DAF that runs up and down the A1 thats covered in The League Of Gentlemen stuff? Its fantastic!  Just to keep this post on topic there used to be an awfull VW camper in Barnsley that had been done with those Ninja Turtle things on it- and badly too. Come to think of it, I knew I'd seen Honda's F1 livery somewhere before.

[SteveB]

If you can stetch your budget to a little more , maybe you could contemplate a GM Futurliner......





Only 12 were ever built in 1939/40 , and i believe one was sold last year for just over $4million.
... so keep digging down the back of the sofa

[garyfrogeye]

 Futurliner, Schmuterliner. I think the Commer looks way better

[Steve Pyro]

My LM co-pilot (or pilot when the cobras having a rest), Dick, very nearly bought an old 60's red double decker bus complete with Gardiner diesel engine earlier this year, with the express desire to convert it to a 'Cliff Richard Summer Holiday' stylie double deck LM camper / party bus / viewing platform.

Unfortunately, the purchase was vetoed by his better half. 

I did insist, however, that it would have to be themed like The Who's Magis Bus - sod Cliff Richard!