Hi All,
First up, thanks for accepting me onto your forum from the other side of the world.
A little bit about myself. Have been retired just on ten years now after all adult working life involved in either earthmoving or transport. Operating plant mixed with both interstate and local driving, from rigids up to B-Doubles and floats.
Have always been fond of your “Large British Lorries”, very fondly remember the Gardner powered “Friendly Fodens” of Australia Blue Metal back in the mid to late sixties. In fact, casting my mind back, my very first interstate trip was in a 185 ■■■■■■■ powerered single drive BMC day cab, pulling a closed bogie trailer. Look back at it now and if anyone asked you to do it these days, you would tell them where to get off! Sleeping (when you could) on a rolled up tarp under the trailer! But no doubt that would be the norm for most blokes those days.
In retirement, started looking around for something to “tinker” with, not enough room for anything too big here, and when I was a young buck, had a Karrier Bantam that I used to muck about with. Have always liked the shape of them, especially the one piece windscreen models. One came up I heard about 3 years or so ago, about 60km away, a deceased estate that had been sitting in a cockies (farmers) paddock for about 15 years, a 1963 model. Cost me as much to get it home as what I paid for it! After we kept rocking it to and fro finally got the brakes free enough to winch up onto the tilt tray.
Started attacking it over the next couple of years, cab off and blasted (like swiss cheese), stripped to chassis rails and painted. The old Humber 4 banger was seized so donated that to a local preservation society along with the trans.
Had a Perkins Turbo 4:203 bolted to a NP445 close ratio box that had originally been set up for another project here, so made a few measurements, yep! That’ll fit! Added a 4 speed auxilliary overdrive box (another project which I have had here tinkering around with for quite some time), changed the rims/wheels out from those skinny little 6.00"X13" to the larger 6:00X16" which also could take a 7.50" tyre, very easy to get, plus give a few extra kmh.
About a month ago, heard from a bloke interstate who had a 1959-60 model Bantam sitting in his yard, but already on the 16" wheels,
so after a bit of jockeying back and forth, arranged a price delivered to my place here in Central Victoria. Just waiting for it as I write. Don’t know much about this one, bought more or less sight unseen (except for photos), but bloke seemed pretty genuine, he is doing up a 1949 Karrier cab over himself.
Getting both a bit old now, as well as getting a bit scarce on the ground, although have seen about 3 fully restored at truck shows both here and interstate. Anyway, keeps me out of the waterhole and TAB, (you blokes would probably translate that to mean the pub and the off-course betting shop!).
I get a few photos when the “new” one arrives, I’ll post them up.
Just thought I would add, we have a very good club over here, HCVC (Historical Commercial Vehicle Club), full of ex-drivers, mechanics, tinkerers, anyone interested in restoring old and new trucks, very lively forum.
Cheers for now, Dave 6418
Hello, and welcome. Interesting post.
Seen the “Opal Outback Hunters” thread over in the Oldies forum?
You may find that up your street: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=165285
Some other Aussies, and ex-Oz drivers, are regular contributors there too.
Edit. Suggest you check the Heavy Haulage posts on the Oldies too.
G’day mate. [emoji112]
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Thanks, Men!
Had a quick look at the “outback opal miners” piece, had seen Coober Pedy and Andamooka and yes, the guys are spot on. Loads of old English trucks still hiding away out there, although when scrap was bringing top price, a lot of it ended up going to China to be remade into imports!
Dave6418
Hi All,
Still trying to find my way around this forum, have a few questions to ask, but not sure exactly where I should be asking, so don’t rip my head off just yet, please!
Until recently I was on a couple of transport forums over your way, mostly for designated makes of trucks. This was on Facebook which I personally find a huge PITA, so after getting disgusted with it, pulled the pin.
I really only had a couple of queries, one pertaining to where I may be able to buy sets of cabin glass rubbers (the rubbers, not the actual glass!), the other one which I thought would be relatively easy, was trying to find out just where I could get the exact measurements of wheels/rims including bore centres, PCD, stud hole size, stud diameters etc etc. If anyone can let me know where I could find the above relating to specific makes and models, it would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks, Dave6418
Fancy bumping into you here, Dave. 
Welcome. Here is a link to a good wheel place. I don’t know what they are like for delivery to Oz but have plenty of info on their website.
Star down under,
Hmmm…you have me at a disadvantage, no moniker!
Gotta be someone from either the Commer Car club, or more likely, from the HCVC??
Dave 64.
ChrisArbon,
Thanks for the link, went and had a look. Don’t come within coo-ee of being able to help, but thanks again.
Dave 64
Dave6418:
Star down under,
Hmmm…you have me at a disadvantage, no moniker!
Gotta be someone from either the Commer Car club, or more likely, from the HCVC??
Dave 64.ChrisArbon,
Thanks for the link, went and had a look. Don’t come within coo-ee of being able to help, but thanks again.
Dave 64
HCVC. 
OK, Star down under. Gimmee hint??
Hi All,
Been hounding just about everyone that I can think of trying to find these ■■■■ wheel/specs.
Closest we have come up with is either J3 or TFK Bedford.
We found out that if we were given the correct specs, the PCD is 205mm (one I need is 206.1mm).
The centrebore is 165.1mm (we need 167mm, but if can’t get, will have to be machined out).
So, whats needed is the STUD HOLE diameter as well as the actual wheel stud size (possibly either 11/16" OR 3/4").
The OFFSET of the rim. (either given from the face of the INSIDE of the rim to the CENTRE of the brake drum, or from the outside of the flat area where the studs are put on, to the safety bead of the rim. That could even be measured without having the actual wheel off.
The DEPTH or WIDTH of the rim from inside the safety rim side to side. (Which determines what size tyre can be fitted…e.g. a 6:00" rim could take a 7.50"X16" tyre).
Most good workshop manuals carry these figures in them, so if anyone has a manual for either a J3 or TFK Bedford, or even an old rim you can accurately measure, it would be really appreciated.
As helpful as the blokes on our home forum have been, no one as yet has been able to find out the above.
Thanks, Dave6418
Hi All,
Just a quick hello from down under, what with this covid bug and the onset of what looks likely to be a wet winter, thought I better call in.
Still ginning around with the little Karrier Bantam, engine/transmission(s) installed, cabin resited on chassis, just about got the full tilt cab sorted, making brackets, new cab mounts etc. Then have to rip the cabin off and go through it (rust), give me something to keep me out of the waterhole and the TAB. Ended up buying another complete vehicle from interstate so have quite a few parts to play with.
Roll on spring!
Dave64
Dave6418:
Hi All,
Still trying to find my way around this forum, have a few questions to ask, but not sure exactly where I should be asking, so don’t rip my head off just yet, please!
Until recently I was on a couple of transport forums over your way, mostly for designated makes of trucks. This was on Facebook which I personally find a huge PITA, so after getting disgusted with it, pulled the pin.I really only had a couple of queries, one pertaining to where I may be able to buy sets of cabin glass rubbers (the rubbers, not the actual glass!), the other one which I thought would be relatively easy, was trying to find out just where I could get the exact measurements of wheels/rims including bore centres, PCD, stud hole size, stud diameters etc etc. If anyone can let me know where I could find the above relating to specific makes and models, it would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks, Dave6418
Hi Mate, regarding the window rubbers, Claytonrite is the company still making window rubber. Supplier on Ebay,
just quote what size each slot you want and length.
Dave6418:
Hi All,
Just a quick hello from down under, what with this covid bug and the onset of what looks likely to be a wet winter, thought I better call in.
Still ginning around with the little Karrier Bantam, engine/transmission(s) installed, cabin resited on chassis, just about got the full tilt cab sorted, making brackets, new cab mounts etc. Then have to rip the cabin off and go through it (rust), give me something to keep me out of the waterhole and the TAB. Ended up buying another complete vehicle from interstate so have quite a few parts to play with.
Roll on spring!
Dave64
Hello Dave, is this the Karrier you are restoring ?
The UK bus restorers use this company for window rubber
aspect wheels.co.uk make commercial wheels.
GUYS!
Thanks for the replies, had almost given up on cabin rubbers!
Yes, the Bantam in the advertisment is identical almost down to the tipper body, although mine manufactured locally here in Vic. Only thing I can see is mine has 16" X 5" rims and there is also the two flip up vents in the front panels about knee high, could be original, maybe not.
Will shoot those links an email.
Cheers, Dave