The Gardner 8LXB was announced in 1970. Between 1970 and 1975 (the last year data was available in the Gardner engine sales list) Guy bought 2,690 Gardner engines of all sizes. It is therefore very probable that some of these were 8LXBs. I did have for many years the British Leyland Truck division specifications file, a very comprehensive file about 5 inches thick containing every Leyland group marque and models available in the 1970s including every specification sheet with every engine option. Unfortunately in a major clear out 3 years ago I sold the file on Ebay. If whoever bought it from me reads this then the answer to this puzzle will be in said file. 
Good morning Gentlemen,
I used to own a book titled something like ‘Guy Motors & the Wulfrunian’ by Robin Hannay, with an orange cover, (not to be confused with his later book ‘80 Years of Guy Motors’).
I’m certain that there was a photo in there, all be it a front three-quarter view & not a rear cab shot, which had a caption stating that the Big-J shown was fitted with a 240 Gardner. I can’t remember the operator’s name, but I’m fairly sure it wasn’t S-O-M.
Is anybody in contact with Robin Hannay, perhaps through the PSV side of things, to ask his opinion on the ‘great debate’?
Regards, Andrew.
The link to a Pickford’s Big J by Pebbles 74 appears to show a rear engine cowling behind the cab. Now if any of the Pickfords/BRS anoraks have the wherewithall to investigate the unit’s fleet number M6786 we could be in with a chance of clearing up the mystery.
Hiya that Guy is a J reg that was too early for a 8lxb i’am certain the first regestered was L reg, ERF did’nt get the first 240
but i think they got their test one on the road first.i was at ERF when they started the first one up.
John
Pebbles 74:
So what’s this all about then…?na3t.org/road/photo/CX00999-04
It’s Pickfords /Tankfreight it’s a fire screen for tank regs.
3300John:
Hiya that Guy is a J reg that was too early for a 8lxb i’am certain the first regestered was L reg, ERF did’nt get the first 240
but i think they got their test one on the road first.i was at ERF when they started the first one up.
John
First 8LXB 1970.
J Registration Plate 1st August 1970 until 31st July 1971. So… theoretically a ‘J’ reg Guy Big J 8LXB is possible. But…
gingerfold:
3300John:
Hiya that Guy is a J reg that was too early for a 8lxb i’am certain the first regestered was L reg, ERF did’nt get the first 240
but i think they got their test one on the road first.i was at ERF when they started the first one up.
JohnFirst 8LXB 1970.
J Registration Plate 1st August 1970 until 31st July 1971. So… theoretically a ‘J’ reg Guy Big J 8LXB is possible. But…
…but the 8LXB was only available in Guys from November 1973, according to this:
Plus, as some others have already pointed out, its presence in the catalogue is not evidence that any were actually built.
The details of radiators and air filter arrangements may aid identification, if any more grainy photographs crop up…
Pebbles 74:
Good morning Gentlemen,I used to own a book titled something like ‘Guy Motors & the Wulfrunian’ by Robin Hannay, with an orange cover, (not to be confused with his later book ‘80 Years of Guy Motors’).
I’m certain that there was a photo in there, all be it a front three-quarter view & not a rear cab shot, which had a caption stating that the Big-J shown was fitted with a 240 Gardner. I can’t remember the operator’s name, but I’m fairly sure it wasn’t S-O-M.
Is anybody in contact with Robin Hannay, perhaps through the PSV side of things, to ask his opinion on the ‘great debate’?
Regards, Andrew.
GUY BIG J Gardner 8LXB TRACTIVE UNIT.
Guy Motors Limited and The Wulfrunian,Robin N.Hannay,Transport Publishing Company,1978.
Robin Hannay worked for Guy Motors at one time,and later became a commercial vehicle salesman for a British Leyland lorry,bus and motorcoach
dealer.
On page 31 of the above book there is a photograph of a Guy BJ4T 4x2 Tractive-Flat-bodied Artic,BYJ 774D,parked next to a Guy Invinicible Mk II
4x2 Tractive Unit-Flat-bodied Articulated Lorry,BYJ 570C,both operated by Allinson’s Transport,Glasgow,Preston,Dundee and London.
The text on page 31 covers the Guy Big J Lorry range,and mentions AEC,Leyland,■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ and Rolls-Royce engines being used in this lorry range - INCLUDING Rolls-Royce Eagle 280 and Gardner 8LXB 240 engine options in the 4x2 tractive units…
VALKYRIE
I can confirm that the SoM life boat loaded Big J tractor unit,is not powered by a 240 Percy,due to the length of the 240 engine,the front of the unit had to be extended by about 65mm,close study of the unit in question reveals the front is flush fitted.
I drove a 240 Percy for SoM Manchester,as some of the TNUK members will know,I await any comments from Dennis.
David
Evening Gentlemen…
Am I just getting older, more beucholic…and if you, as I , had been struggling for more than 14 hours in this fair day to extract Mr Estyma`s finest from Shropshires wet and gluggy soil, (to keep your fair ladies, and your insatiable taste buds) so economicaly fed with such delectable flavours, I would not be so rattled by the doubters of such a magnificent beasts existence than Wolverhamptons 8LXB Guy Big J, (although if confronted by the driving seat of such a beast at this hour…well I would decline the obvious pleasure)!!!
Dennis you mischievous pensioner…perchance your photographs are of Mr Seddons 8LXB creations??
Pebbles, Robin Hannay was a great archievist of Guy, and although I have no knowledge of his written
works, …if he said something existed…well Gentlemen …it really did!! For he had the real depth of knowledge of being a worker for both the factory…and a Dealer, (and I speak from such experience, although not with Guy), but with that experience you really get to know the inside story…(.that that the PR people never disclose)!!!
Yes Smith of Maddiston had 8LXB`s…, somewhere early on in this thread I gave the registration number of one coupled to a Highway Superlightweight Trailer, that I was evaluating. Hulme Robertson was a Gardner man…as many a fishing boat skipper at Leith would confirm!!!
In those, (are they really far off days), one really did not notice the spec, or engine, for it was not either rare or exotic, but as Trev H quite rightly says…later the engine would have been worth more than the lorry!!!
gingerfold`s lists would have the key, but how many of us have sold, given away, or just scrapped information that today would be the “key” to a question…I am guilty as charged!!
All I can remember…Guy, (in their corporate death throes), built over 500 Scammell Crusaders, (check where yours was built…if the chassis number starts GHV, then it is a daughter of Wolverhampton)…Over 50 Marathons were built at Fallings Park, and they all had Guy Chassis numbers, and of course the Land Train was a Wolverhampton product…and those redundant ex Sankey cab builders made those cabs fit onto the chassis…those Southerners could not…neither could those Lancastrian bandits!!!
Guy was a great company, with a great workforce, sacrificed on the alter of corporate mismanagement, and like so many innovative operations its records were not always accurate, or even recorded…
The 8LXB Big J existed, (but in what limited numbers who knows)? The evidence is there…
Im away for copious Bollinger, I have mud like the Somme could not produce......and over 100 acres of Estymas finest trapped within,…and I have to liberate them on the morrow…or your wives/partners/whatever, will have nothing for your teas on Friday!!!
Bon Chance mes Braves
Cheerio for now…
Saviem,yes the Seddon 32/4 Range with Motor Panels cab. Gardner 8LXB engine option DID exist and was built. There is a photo of one clearly shown in Pat Kennett’s excellent World Truck Series book - Seddon Atkinson. (Again in a moment of stupidity I diosposed of my copy in my clear out 3 years ago) And I did see one of these Seddons “in the flesh” so to speak, with my own eyes. I’m fairly certain the 8LXB was mated to a 9-speed Fuller gearbox and the driveline was completed by Seddon’s 13-tonne hub reduction rear axle. The vision of this interesting lorry is swirling about in the distant and fading mists of my memory and the picture of the livery that keeps materialising is… Smiths of Maddiston.
Saviem:
Evening Gentlemen…Am I just getting older, more beucholic…and if you, as I , had been struggling for more than 14 hours in this fair day to extract Mr Estyma`s finest from Shropshires wet and gluggy soil, (to keep your fair ladies, and your insatiable taste buds) so economicaly fed with such delectable flavours, I would not be so rattled by the doubters of such a magnificent beasts existence than Wolverhamptons 8LXB Guy Big J, (although if confronted by the driving seat of such a beast at this hour…well I would decline the obvious pleasure)!!!
Dennis you mischievous pensioner…perchance your photographs are of Mr Seddons 8LXB creations??
Pebbles, Robin Hannay was a great archievist of Guy, and although I have no knowledge of his written
works, …if he said something existed…well Gentlemen …it really did!! For he had the real depth of knowledge of being a worker for both the factory…and a Dealer, (and I speak from such experience, although not with Guy), but with that experience you really get to know the inside story…(.that that the PR people never disclose)!!!
Yes Smith of Maddiston had 8LXB`s…, somewhere early on in this thread I gave the registration number of one coupled to a Highway Superlightweight Trailer, that I was evaluating. Hulme Robertson was a Gardner man…as many a fishing boat skipper at Leith would confirm!!!
In those, (are they really far off days), one really did not notice the spec, or engine, for it was not either rare or exotic, but as Trev H quite rightly says…later the engine would have been worth more than the lorry!!!
gingerfold`s lists would have the key, but how many of us have sold, given away, or just scrapped information that today would be the “key” to a question…I am guilty as charged!!
All I can remember…Guy, (in their corporate death throes), built over 500 Scammell Crusaders, (check where yours was built…if the chassis number starts GHV, then it is a daughter of Wolverhampton)…Over 50 Marathons were built at Fallings Park, and they all had Guy Chassis numbers, and of course the Land Train was a Wolverhampton product…and those redundant ex Sankey cab builders made those cabs fit onto the chassis…those Southerners could not…neither could those Lancastrian bandits!!!
Guy was a great company, with a great workforce, sacrificed on the alter of corporate mismanagement, and like so many innovative operations its records were not always accurate, or even recorded…
The 8LXB Big J existed, (but in what limited numbers who knows)? The evidence is there…
I
m away for copious Bollinger, I have mud like the Somme could not produce......and over 100 acres of Estymas finest trapped within,…and I have to liberate them on the morrow…or your wives/partners/whatever, will have nothing for your teas on Friday!!!Bon Chance mes Braves
Cheerio for now…
my apologies for sounding thick but what pray is a 100 acres of estymas finest please , fredm
Potatoes. Don’t worry, one of the attractions of these threads is the wonderful tangents that we diversify into. 
can only omagine what those 100 acres are like as my garden is like a quagmire, hope it dries out a bit for them, fredm
Good evening Gents,
VALKYRIE: many thanks for corroborating my memory regarding the ‘Guy Motors / Wulfrunian’ book!
Saviem: I also enjoy reading about your agricultural endeavors. I wouldn’t envy you lifting 100 acre of spuds at any time but surely this season must be one of the worst in memory? What equipment do you use? I used to have a very good friend, sadly no longer with us, who was a Field Service Engineer for Standen Engineering over in your part of the world.
Returning to the thread, I have managed to find an email address for Mr Hannay & have sent him a message requesting further details of everybody’s favorite Guy sales option. So it’s fingers crossed for now.
Regards, Andrew.
gingerfold:
Potatoes. Don’t worry, one of the attractions of these threads is the wonderful tangents that we diversify into.
Some interesting posts from Gngerfold & 5th Wheel on previous page .
If , between 1970 & 75 there are 6 years of figures , 2690 engines over a 6 year period ,this equates to an average of 450 Gardner units a year , although , more likely the figure would be expected to be higher in 1970 & dropping off towards 75 . As has been stated many times previously on this thread Guy would have been well down pecking order to receive any 8LXB engines , so if there were 40 produced ,and they were produced in one year this would be approximately 10 % of Guys yearly intake of Gardner products .
The option date from late 73 , ( which would be M registration onwards ) along with the update of cab front ( being longer by about 3 inches ) tie in together and would then allow fitment of an 8LXB . Any fitments prior to cab front update would appear noticeable at once .
On the Guy Motors website it states that around 16000 Guy Big Js were produced . If there were 40 8LXB powered Big Js , this is a tiny 0.25 % , yes , one quarter of one percent of the production run so fitted , so a rare beast it would have been .
C.O,- 0.25%? Then it figures that the chances of noticing one flying over Milnthorpe must be infinitesimal, does it not? No wonder the ■■■■■■■■ Sheeter doesn’t think they existed!
Saviem, mon brave,
In my day, it was expected that potatoes would all be out of the ground well before the land turned to the quagmire that we are seeing recently. It appears that we are hearing the same old tale year after year from you and your agricultural brethren and, to be perfectly honest, the story is beginning to wear a tiny bit thin.
May I, in what may be perceived as a bit of “Teaching grandma to ■■■■ eggs”, suggest that you move your overpriced, diesel-guzzling technology into the crop in September, as is traditionally the “proper” time, rather than concentrating on running booze trips into Frogland on the pretext of collecting rare vehicles.
I trust that this advice will be accepted in the spirit in which it was intended and that you will seek to improve your performance in future seasons.
Yours sincerely,
Chip Spud.