i agree about a great looking truc made better jamie but i’m not so sure about the mirrors, the mirrors on most ergomatic cabs were bad for getting covered if you went through a pudddle and those are astill on the doors! blimey mate dont they aver loo behind 'em (lol) i did see an irish truck a ford d serries and he didnt even have a mirror fitted to it , i followed him for miles until it was clear to pass and i was getting really wound up at his driving , loaded with straw which was about a foot wider than his when we got to a little cafe just before dublin he pulled in and so did i i went to remonstrate with him (being young and silly) his answer was “well i know where i’ve been but i want to see where i’m going” how’s that for good old irish logic?
NZ JAMIE:
I can’t say for sure Ramone mate,but I don’t reckon it has got an AV11OO under the bonnet. It’s a bonneted Mammoth Major MK3 from the mid to late 50’s. I think it could have a 9.6 LTR or the 11.3 LTR straight six’s at 125 or 155 horse. Or it may have been fitted with the later AV690 with 190 horse.As for NZ AEC’s being different spec ,well no they weren’t,not to start off with anyway. The AV760 was the motor of choice,you could spec them with a 13 speed Fuller,but lots had the AEC 6 speed box and some with the splitter giving twelve.
With most if not all MM8 pulling trailers the AEC box was not really suitable so many 6 speeds were fitted with 4 speed ‘joey’ or Auxiliary boxes mounted behind the gear box. Third gear in the ‘joey’ would have been the direct drive in the main box and I dont think you would use crawler in the main box when in second or fouth in the ‘Joey’. So this could give you a possible 16 gears,although I doubt if you would hook fouth gear in the ‘joey’ too often!
A 13 speed fuller would have been far easier to use.
As many of the 760’s clapped out probably due to over work and over heating after carting 40 tonne on logs or stock work. they were re-powered. Detroit Diesel straight six 671’s were a popular choice as were 250 ■■■■■■■ and 3406 CAT’s all mated up the the Fuller 13 speed. They made a good truck better.
1
This one has been restored in the last year and is fitted with a 671 and 13 speed.
0
This I’m lead to believe is the same truck,old number ‘one’ when working. It was re-powerd with the Detroit back in the early 70’s.
A great looking truck you have to agree.
Its a great restoration New Zealand style, its a shame they couldnt repower it with an AV760 to make it more original
Hiya…i come across this photo on semi trailers site… the photo was nicked but has got the copy write mark
i think this was a driver of the year that adams had entered
i think this driver was George Bailey and he may have won a section
cheers john
here,s a few more of Adams Butter, i have got them on here already under my Adams Butter 1960s site.but think they belong on here as well pics courtesy of Alan Smith 
I drove for Adams from 1963 to 1970 and would have driven all of these at some time or other. but my main truck for 3 years was the MK 5 in the news clipping, WRE 581 C One of the finest trucks i have ever driven, even up to the newer models of today. terry
I DONT KNOW HOW THE DOUBLE POSTING HAPPENED BUT APPOLOGIES FOR THAT. some that it missed posting
John was correct about the lorry driver of the year with this mercury. George Bailey won one category, and John Lancaster won another wth 1918 RE. mk 3 mandator ,pics on my other thread along with many more. Adams Butter Transport 1960 to 1970 regards terry
Adams Butter, thats a blast from the past, I used to deliver Containers loaded with imported butter, I was handy I used to drop the trailer, go to Smallthorne & stay at my sister in laws , return the next morning & it had been tipped during the night, The good old days , Regards Larry
a couple more from my Adams days
this is early pic of Les Bailey and Colin Higgins with 2 of our new mk 5 trunk motors
Hiya…popped into the place 2 days after christmas looking for a door for my truck and took a couple of pikkies
the first one is a london brick AEC with full air suspension(must be off a scania britan could’nt make anything that good
or could they) i thought thay maybe some of you lads would be intrested to see the setup as we’re not all lucky enough to
visit the place…first the lorry and then the front nearside axle.
I’am going back in Feb so i’ll take a camera to take some better shots and some of the back setup.
John
3300John:
Hiya…popped into the place 2 days after christmas looking for a door for my truck and took a couple of pikkies
the first one is a london brick AEC with full air suspension(must be off a scania britan could’nt make anything that good
or could they) i thought thay maybe some of you lads would be intrested to see the setup as we’re not all lucky enough to
visit the place…first the lorry and then the front nearside axle.
I’am going back in Feb so i’ll take a camera to take some better shots and some of the back setup.
John
Is it all on hardstandings now?
Hiya Steve…bruv has moved most of the old stuff to the top of the yard ,thats all on hard standing(well scalpings)
i would think h’es got down to the second row parrall with the top fence(there was a AEC mercury box van(green)
with a tree growing through the o/s head light the tree has gone the AEC is still in the same place the viewmaster
has moved but only where that brick lorry is in the photo they are about to move into the patch where the Halfcab
foden mixers are next. theres a massive pile of scalpings ready to be layed when they move the next lot out.
it seems like they’ve moved into skip hire as theres about 600 skips there now and a pile of brick rubble.
theres been alot of damage done moveing trucks around on a chain with locked up wheels.theres a pile of gearboxes
as big as a large semi detatched house and a stack of chassis rails 40ft high just in a pile. theres everything in that
yard but i could’nt find a guy with a 8lxb…ha ha har I got a spare door for my truck, i’am going back in Feb to
collect it as i’am goint to the outlaws then.I’ll take a camera as i forgot to take mine.I my sneak a vidio in and
pan around a little.have a good one tonight speak soon
John
Does anyone know the location of this view
just realised the 1st and last 2 photos are the same motor …think i`m losing it
This thread Harry
ramone:
This thread Harry
hiya,
Got there eventually thank you, remember the firm very well, never worked there but ran tidy tackle did work for several Blackburn firms Bowkers a mixed fleet, BRS mixed plenty of AECs there Mercury’s, Mandators and M Ms in the early days also did a couple of stints for Killingbeck’s and we all know his preference also did a very short spell (holiday relief) for Jack’s Motors part of the Gilbraith group they had ERFs, thanks again.
thanks harry long retired
ramone:
And this from Sheffield do you recognise it Chris?
I recognise the name “River Don Castings” but I don’t recall ever seeing that motor.Looks like a “P” reg which would be 1975.Maybe my mate Sammieoposite knows a bit more about it.
fryske:
3300John:
Hiya…popped into the place 2 days after christmas looking for a door for my truck and took a couple of pikkies
the first one is a london brick AEC with full air suspension(must be off a scania britan could’nt make anything that good
or could they) i thought thay maybe some of you lads would be intrested to see the setup as we’re not all lucky enough to
visit the place…first the lorry and then the front nearside axle.
I’am going back in Feb so i’ll take a camera to take some better shots and some of the back setup.
JohnIs it all on hardstandings now?
The air suspenion Mercury’s were built for London Brick and there were 40 of them, using the same suspension as used on contemporary AEC Reliance coaches. This was the mid-1950’s, well before Scania or Volvo had even thought about air suspension. There were also some disc braked AEC’s on trial with Shell-Mex and B.P. at the same time, but then that idea was ahead of the pad and disc technology then available so it wasn’t pursued. What we take for granted now with modern vehicle specifications has usually been tried in much earlier days.
gingerfold:
fryske:
3300John:
Hiya…popped into the place 2 days after christmas looking for a door for my truck and took a couple of pikkies
the first one is a london brick AEC with full air suspension(must be off a scania britan could’nt make anything that good
or could they) i thought thay maybe some of you lads would be intrested to see the setup as we’re not all lucky enough to
visit the place…first the lorry and then the front nearside axle.
I’am going back in Feb so i’ll take a camera to take some better shots and some of the back setup.
JohnIs it all on hardstandings now?
The air suspenion Mercury’s were built for London Brick and there were 40 of them, using the same suspension as used on contemporary AEC Reliance coaches. This was the mid-1950’s, well before Scania or Volvo had even thought about air suspension. There were also some disc braked AEC’s on trial with Shell-Mex and B.P. at the same time, but then that idea was ahead of the pad and disc technology then available so it wasn’t pursued. What we take for granted now with modern vehicle specifications has usually been tried in much earlier days.
For a moment i thought you were going to say Leyland shelved it ,something else they ruined ,but not this time Graham