Dennis
Yes , I spoke to Dusty recently, we was backwards and forwards on the M62 like Dodgem cars, couldn’t see for exhaust fumes and cement dust. 25 years since we last spoke to each other . Will try and keep the contact going now, Many thanks,
Cheers Bassman
Kev73:
I know Guy fitted big ■■■■■■■ and RR engines in the BigJ,but is there any actual
evidence that an 8LXB powered BigJ was ever made? os is it just a myth?
How on earth can it be a myth when I for one drove one when at SoM,and others on here have worked on them,its just Dennis taking the pyth!!!..still a great topic and its generated 79 pages!!!
David 
I stand corrected! My mythstake 
Guy Big J4T and 6T Gardner 8LXB 240-250 Tractive Units.
I’m sure TRUCKNETUK member,[ZB] Anorak,has posted the following COMMERCIAL MOTOR News Information
in regard to the Guy Big J Gardner 8LXB Tractive Unit before,months since on this thread:-
This news information was published in the Friday,2nd November,1973,edition of Commercial Motor with
the headlines:-"AND MORE POWER FOR GUY TRACTIVE UNITS,which clearly states that three new engine
options were available in Guy Big J tractive units:-
1.■■■■■■■ NTL290 276 BHP. Power to weight ratio at 32 tons GTW:8.62 BHP/Ton.
2.Gardner 8LXB 240-250 246 BHP. Power to weight ratio at 32 tons GTW:7.7 BHP/Ton.
3.Rolls-Royce Eagle MkIII 290 271 BHP. Power to weight ratio at 32 tons GTW:8.47 BHP/Ton.
The standard clutch and gearbox for Guy Big J tractive units fitted with these engines
were the Borg and Beck Twin Plate Clutch and Fuller RTO9509A 9-Speed Overdrive Top Range Change
Gearbox.
And hear is the link to this news and information article in the Commercial Motor of Friday,2nd November,
1973:-
archive.commercialmotor.com/arti … tive-units
It has actually been stated on this thread several times,by differant people, that some Guy Big J tractive units were fitted with Gardner 8LXB 240-250 Diesel Engines ,and there are several photographs on this thread of these actual lorries:-
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … 2,s:0,i:86
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … ,s:0,i:128
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … ,s:0,i:119
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … ,s:0,i:179
TRUCKNETUK,Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:02 pm,at the bottom of page 1 of this thread:-
fryske:
handbags away lads…from Rich Stanier…
they did some with Gardner 240’s but not many. One was exhibited at a Commercial Motor show.
VALKYRIE
VALKYRIE:
Guy Big J4T and 6T Gardner 8LXB 240-250 Tractive Units.I’m sure TRUCKNETUK member,[ZB] Anorak,has posted the following COMMERCIAL MOTOR News Information
in regard to the Guy Big J Gardner 8LXB Tractive Unit before,months since on this thread:-This news information was published in the Friday,2nd November,1973,edition of Commercial Motor with
the headlines:-"AND MORE POWER FOR GUY TRACTIVE UNITS,which clearly states that three new engine
options were available in Guy Big J tractive units:-1.■■■■■■■ NTL290 276 BHP. Power to weight ratio at 32 tons GTW:8.62 BHP/Ton.
2.Gardner 8LXB 240-250 246 BHP. Power to weight ratio at 32 tons GTW:7.7 BHP/Ton.
3.Rolls-Royce Eagle MkIII 290 271 BHP. Power to weight ratio at 32 tons GTW:8.47 BHP/Ton.
The standard clutch and gearbox for Guy Big J tractive units fitted with these engines
were the Borg and Beck Twin Plate Clutch and Fuller RTO9509A 9-Speed Overdrive Top Range Change
Gearbox.And hear is the link to this news and information article in the Commercial Motor of Friday,2nd November,
1973:-
archive.commercialmotor.com/arti … tive-unitsIt has actually been stated on this thread several times,by differant people, that some Guy Big J tractive units were fitted with Gardner 8LXB 240-250 Diesel Engines
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … 2,s:0,i:86google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … ,s:0,i:128
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … ,s:0,i:119
google.co.uk/imgres?q=GUY+BI … ,s:0,i:179
TRUCKNETUK,Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:02 pm,at the bottom of page 1 of this thread:-
fryske:
handbags away lads…from Rich Stanier…
they did some with Gardner 240’s but not many. One was exhibited at a Commercial Motor show.
VALKYRIE
Hi Valkyrie. Yes, I posted a CM article some time back. The response was that, while the specification may have appeared in a press release, that was no guarantee that any were ever built, which is a good argument. Is it possible to communicate with Flickr subscribers? Maybe the ex-G L Baker driver has more to tell, or even another photo, showing the engine in the chassis! There is a Flickr contributor called Valkyrie- I assume that is you?
Of course, even if such a photo does materialise, it will not be conclusive proof that Guy built the vehicle, because the engine could have been retro-fitted by the operator! The CM archives may contain one of those small articles, saying that an operator has bought such a vehicle new. Try finding it- the search engine will not help much.
I must dig through my pile of old photographs- I’m sure there is one of a stream of Big J’s going down the Fallings Park production line. I can’t remember if they were 6 or 8LXBs…
5thwheel:
Kev73:
I know Guy fitted big ■■■■■■■ and RR engines in the BigJ,but is there any actual
evidence that an 8LXB powered BigJ was ever made? os is it just a myth?How on earth can it be a myth when I for one drove one when at SoM,and others on here have worked on them,its just Dennis taking the pyth!!!..still a great topic and its generated 79 pages!!!
David
That Big J you collected at Newton-Le-Willows for SOM’s Cheetham Hill depot had an AEC 505 engine,you don’t think Maddiston would have let you lot loose with an 8LXB?,you should have looked at the back of the cab David,and not just the 240 badge on the grille ! 
Dennis.
Bewick:
5thwheel:
Kev73:
I know Guy fitted big ■■■■■■■ and RR engines in the BigJ,but is there any actual
evidence that an 8LXB powered BigJ was ever made? os is it just a myth?How on earth can it be a myth when I for one drove one when at SoM,and others on here have worked on them,its just Dennis taking the pyth!!!..still a great topic and its generated 79 pages!!!
David
That Big J you collected at Newton-Le-Willows for SOM’s Manchester depot had an AEC 505 engine,you don’t think Maddiston would have let you lot loose with an 8LXB?,you should have looked at the back of the cab David,and not just the 240 badge on the grille !
Some say they changed it for the AEC motor after it had been collected when no one could work out what the 2 extra cylinders and all the extra engine size was actually supposed to be doing and then forgot to change the badge. 
Carryfast:
Bewick:
5thwheel:
Kev73:
I know Guy fitted big ■■■■■■■ and RR engines in the BigJ,but is there any actual
evidence that an 8LXB powered BigJ was ever made? os is it just a myth?How on earth can it be a myth when I for one drove one when at SoM,and others on here have worked on them,its just Dennis taking the pyth!!!..still a great topic and its generated 79 pages!!!
David
That Big J you collected at Newton-Le-Willows for SOM’s Manchester depot had an AEC 505 engine,you don’t think Maddiston would have let you lot loose with an 8LXB?,you should have looked at the back of the cab David,and not just the 240 badge on the grille !
Some say they changed it for the AEC motor after it had been collected when no one could work out what the 2 extra cylinders and all the extra engine size was actually supposed to be doing and then forgot to change the badge.
The extra two pots were to keep your Tea Can and bacon butties warm “CF”,or in your case your bowl of Museli and two slices of Toast ! 
Bewick.
Bewick:
5thwheel:
Kev73:
I know Guy fitted big ■■■■■■■ and RR engines in the BigJ,but is there any actual
evidence that an 8LXB powered BigJ was ever made? os is it just a myth?How on earth can it be a myth when I for one drove one when at SoM,and others on here have worked on them,its just Dennis taking the pyth!!!..still a great topic and its generated 79 pages!!!
David
That Big J you collected at Newton-Le-Willows for SOM’s Cheetham Hill depot had an AEC 505 engine,you don’t think Maddiston would have let you lot loose with an 8LXB?,you should have looked at the back of the cab David,and not just the 240 badge on the grille !
Non of the Manchester Guys had AEC engines,I certainly know a 240 Percy by the sound alone,I dont need any badges to confirm Dennis!!
You are being plain daft now.
David
There isn’t usually much difficulty telling the sound of an 8LXB! 
Kev73:
There isn’t usually much difficulty telling the sound of an 8LXB!
All depends on what kind of “gear” they were smoking !! Cheers Dennis.
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?
ramone:
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?
Hiya “ramone”,it didn’t exactly work out like that when I bought the half dozen Big J’s we ran between 1975 and late '76,the new ones were ex stockers and the near new seconhand ones I snapped up from a dealer at a time when new Atkis were hard to find.You would never have found an “ex stock” 8LXB chassis anywhere because for reasons I’ve already given in earlier posts an 8LXB would have had to be a firm order at a premium price for Guys to get an engine and there was no way I would have got involved in that kind of deal on a Guy.The Big J’s I got were all at knock down prices as they were nearing the “end of the line” so to speak,and, IIRC the last couple I bought were circa £9000 plus VAT each and a new Sed/Atk and F88 I got at the same time time were about £15000 plus VAT each.However,the Guys did a reliable job on the fleet but were not expected to do three round trips to the South East each week like the Sed/Atk and Volvo ! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
ramone:
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?Hiya “ramone”,it didn’t exactly work out like that when I bought the half dozen Big J’s we ran between 1975 and late '76,the new ones were ex stockers and the near new seconhand ones I snapped up from a dealer at a time when new Atkis were hard to find.You would never have found an “ex stock” 8LXB chassis anywhere because for reasons I’ve already given in earlier posts an 8LXB would have had to be a firm order at a premium price for Guys to get an engine and there was no way I would have got involved in that kind of deal on a Guy.The Big J’s I got were all at knock down prices as they were nearing the “end of the line” so to speak,and, IIRC the last couple I bought were circa £9000 plus VAT each and a new Sed/Atk and F88 I got at the same time time were about £15000 plus VAT each.However,the Guys did a reliable job on the fleet but were not expected to do three round trips to the South East each week like the Sed/Atk and Volvo ! Cheers Dennis.
In hindsight the Volvos would have been the better buy especially from a drivers point of view
ramone:
Bewick:
ramone:
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?Hiya “ramone”,it didn’t exactly work out like that when I bought the half dozen Big J’s we ran between 1975 and late '76,the new ones were ex stockers and the near new seconhand ones I snapped up from a dealer at a time when new Atkis were hard to find.You would never have found an “ex stock” 8LXB chassis anywhere because for reasons I’ve already given in earlier posts an 8LXB would have had to be a firm order at a premium price for Guys to get an engine and there was no way I would have got involved in that kind of deal on a Guy.The Big J’s I got were all at knock down prices as they were nearing the “end of the line” so to speak,and, IIRC the last couple I bought were circa £9000 plus VAT each and a new Sed/Atk and F88 I got at the same time time were about £15000 plus VAT each.However,the Guys did a reliable job on the fleet but were not expected to do three round trips to the South East each week like the Sed/Atk and Volvo ! Cheers Dennis.
In hindsight the Volvos would have been the better buy especially from a drivers point of view
But there was even more to my reasoning at that time “ramone”,you see I was desperate for “wheels on the ground” because of the ammount of traffic we were generating both from our regular customers and new ones plus I bought out to other local hauliers within an 18 month period between '74 and '76,there was also,for obvious reasons, limitations to the finances available.However,the traffic we were handling was a good cross section of local,day running to Lancs/W.■■■■■■■ and Long distance so a few cheaper motors were quite capable of earning good money on lesser demanding work plus I was having to build up the trailer fleet at a ration of around 2:5 trls to one unit.It was,believe me,quite a feat of inginuity to build the fleet up in the earlier years and to spread the eggs and not become solely dependant on a couple of customers on your doorstep ! Interesting and demanding days,but enjoyable all the same! Cheers Dennis.
Evening all, it keeps on rumbling on does it not!!
Valkyries post, the RK Crisp Big J, all were ■■■■■■■■ and some, like the illustration, had Longton Garages, (Stoke on Trent), sleeper cabs, as did their, (the Longton Industrial Holdings Group), Knight and Riley Big Js.
Longton did some spectacular cabs for Leyland Group, crew cabs for the Roadtrain/Constructor models, and a very good sleeper for the Roadrunner,nice operation, and some well skilled “Potters” working there.
Back to my Bollinger, long day "on the “Prarie”, but good acerage planted ready to grow…hopefully!
Cheerio for now.
Bewick:
ramone:
Bewick:
ramone:
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?Hiya “ramone”,it didn’t exactly work out like that when I bought the half dozen Big J’s we ran between 1975 and late '76,the new ones were ex stockers and the near new seconhand ones I snapped up from a dealer at a time when new Atkis were hard to find.You would never have found an “ex stock” 8LXB chassis anywhere because for reasons I’ve already given in earlier posts an 8LXB would have had to be a firm order at a premium price for Guys to get an engine and there was no way I would have got involved in that kind of deal on a Guy.The Big J’s I got were all at knock down prices as they were nearing the “end of the line” so to speak,and, IIRC the last couple I bought were circa £9000 plus VAT each and a new Sed/Atk and F88 I got at the same time time were about £15000 plus VAT each.However,the Guys did a reliable job on the fleet but were not expected to do three round trips to the South East each week like the Sed/Atk and Volvo ! Cheers Dennis.
In hindsight the Volvos would have been the better buy especially from a drivers point of view
But there was even more to my reasoning at that time “ramone”,you see I was desperate for “wheels on the ground” because of the ammount of traffic we were generating both from our regular customers and new ones plus I bought out to other local hauliers within an 18 month period between '74 and '76,there was also,for obvious reasons, limitations to the finances available.However,the traffic we were handling was a good cross section of local,day running to Lancs/W.■■■■■■■ and Long distance so a few cheaper motors were quite capable of earning good money on lesser demanding work plus I was having to build up the trailer fleet at a ration of around 2:5 trls to one unit.It was,believe me,quite a feat of inginuity to build the fleet up in the earlier years and to spread the eggs and not become solely dependant on a couple of customers on your doorstep ! Interesting and demanding days,but enjoyable all the same! Cheers Dennis.
It wasn`t a criticism Dennis quite the contarary,i was suprised that the F88 was the same price as a SA, as for your judgement i dont think that could be questioned and the success speaks for itself, i would imagine the Big Js would have similar running gear to the SAs with a considerable saving, and in the end you made the right choice running mainly Scanias
ramone:
Bewick:
ramone:
Bewick:
ramone:
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?Hiya “ramone”,it didn’t exactly work out like that when I bought the half dozen Big J’s we ran between 1975 and late '76,the new ones were ex stockers and the near new seconhand ones I snapped up from a dealer at a time when new Atkis were hard to find.You would never have found an “ex stock” 8LXB chassis anywhere because for reasons I’ve already given in earlier posts an 8LXB would have had to be a firm order at a premium price for Guys to get an engine and there was no way I would have got involved in that kind of deal on a Guy.The Big J’s I got were all at knock down prices as they were nearing the “end of the line” so to speak,and, IIRC the last couple I bought were circa £9000 plus VAT each and a new Sed/Atk and F88 I got at the same time time were about £15000 plus VAT each.However,the Guys did a reliable job on the fleet but were not expected to do three round trips to the South East each week like the Sed/Atk and Volvo ! Cheers Dennis.
In hindsight the Volvos would have been the better buy especially from a drivers point of view
But there was even more to my reasoning at that time “ramone”,you see I was desperate for “wheels on the ground” because of the ammount of traffic we were generating both from our regular customers and new ones plus I bought out to other local hauliers within an 18 month period between '74 and '76,there was also,for obvious reasons, limitations to the finances available.However,the traffic we were handling was a good cross section of local,day running to Lancs/W.■■■■■■■ and Long distance so a few cheaper motors were quite capable of earning good money on lesser demanding work plus I was having to build up the trailer fleet at a ration of around 2:5 trls to one unit.It was,believe me,quite a feat of inginuity to build the fleet up in the earlier years and to spread the eggs and not become solely dependant on a couple of customers on your doorstep ! Interesting and demanding days,but enjoyable all the same! Cheers Dennis.
It wasn`t a criticism Dennis quite the contarary,i was suprised that the F88 was the same price as a SA, as for your judgement i dont think that could be questioned and the success speaks for itself, i would imagine the Big Js would have similar running gear to the SAs with a considerable saving, and in the end you made the right choice running mainly Scanias
I didn’t think for one minute “ramone” that you were being critical,just observant !! The Sed/Atk and the Volvo were consequtive numbers 570R and 571R and the SA was an 8LXB.Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
ramone:
Bewick:
ramone:
Bewick:
ramone:
Would you have bought a 8LXB Guy then Dennis if you`d have been aware they were available at the time ■■?Hiya “ramone”,it didn’t exactly work out like that when I bought the half dozen Big J’s we ran between 1975 and late '76,the new ones were ex stockers and the near new seconhand ones I snapped up from a dealer at a time when new Atkis were hard to find.You would never have found an “ex stock” 8LXB chassis anywhere because for reasons I’ve already given in earlier posts an 8LXB would have had to be a firm order at a premium price for Guys to get an engine and there was no way I would have got involved in that kind of deal on a Guy.The Big J’s I got were all at knock down prices as they were nearing the “end of the line” so to speak,and, IIRC the last couple I bought were circa £9000 plus VAT each and a new Sed/Atk and F88 I got at the same time time were about £15000 plus VAT each.However,the Guys did a reliable job on the fleet but were not expected to do three round trips to the South East each week like the Sed/Atk and Volvo ! Cheers Dennis.
In hindsight the Volvos would have been the better buy especially from a drivers point of view
But there was even more to my reasoning at that time “ramone”,you see I was desperate for “wheels on the ground” because of the ammount of traffic we were generating both from our regular customers and new ones plus I bought out to other local hauliers within an 18 month period between '74 and '76,there was also,for obvious reasons, limitations to the finances available.However,the traffic we were handling was a good cross section of local,day running to Lancs/W.■■■■■■■ and Long distance so a few cheaper motors were quite capable of earning good money on lesser demanding work plus I was having to build up the trailer fleet at a ration of around 2:5 trls to one unit.It was,believe me,quite a feat of inginuity to build the fleet up in the earlier years and to spread the eggs and not become solely dependant on a couple of customers on your doorstep ! Interesting and demanding days,but enjoyable all the same! Cheers Dennis.
It wasn`t a criticism Dennis quite the contarary,i was suprised that the F88 was the same price as a SA, as for your judgement i dont think that could be questioned and the success speaks for itself, i would imagine the Big Js would have similar running gear to the SAs with a considerable saving, and in the end you made the right choice running mainly Scanias
I didn’t think for one minute “ramone” that you were being critical,just observant !! The Sed/Atk and the Volvo were consequtive numbers 570R and 571R and the SA was an 8LXB.Cheers Dennis.
hiya,
Yes Dennis there was nowt wrong with the Big Js I tramped the length
and breadth of the UK with a Roller engined job and it never once let
me down, it did as much as the “more expensive” motors and the time
I had it it was only called in for regular serviceing, I liked them, and it
was a lot more reliable than the sleeper cabbed F88 I had previous that
very rarely completed a trip it had the cab tipped over more often than
my night out case lid.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hiya “H”,all ours had the 6LXB and ran at 30:5 tons gross(or thereabouts,dependant on how busy we were !) we also ran 4 Seddon 32/4’s with the 6LXB engine but three of these were prior to the 6BHP law coming in so they were 32 tonners.All the Seddons had the Group axle and were never any problem,but this same axle in the Sed/Atk 8LXB was not up to the job,they needed recon at around 70’000 so on a double shift job @ 3000 miles plus per week it wasn’t long between “dockings”.We never had a minutes problem with big Eaton axles,they did '000’s of miles and were never touched !! Cheers Dennis.
