Does anyone know what happened to this lorry ?
The vehicle details held with the DVLA for ONH 567 are:
Date of Liability 01 11 2013
Date of First Registration 30 11 1983
Year of Manufacture 1961
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 12200cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type HEAVY OIL
Export Marker N
Vehicle Status Licence Not Due
Vehicle Colour GREEN
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available
There is a bit more info HERE
Here it is again going through its paces in a driver of the year competition.
I think it was last seen in Cossington commercials yard. In the link that Paul gives, mention is made of rumours it was being restored in Northants. I think this was a mix up with Mick Austin’s restoration of the Whitworths 8wh ERF. I have certainly never heard of it being around Northants.
Thanks chaps - would be a real shame if its gone - dont think theres any restored butty’s motors even though they been around donkeys
None of Butts but there’s one of MB Transports (Michael Bletsoe-Brown) of Sywell up for sale in the mags this month.
The fact that it was the first ■■■■■■■ engined vehicle in UK should have made her a must have for the ERF restorers. But hopefully somebody will save it. Eddie.
Last time I heard anything about this ERF was that it was being stored in a warehouse at Challis’s yard near Daventry. As ERFman says it really should be restored being the first ■■■■■■■ engined ERF KV. I reckon there would be a queue waiting to get their ‘mits’ on this old girl. These stories do tend to circulate though. I remember the hunt that went on for my Whitworth’s ERF KV. Everyone knew she existed (899 ABD) but no one could find her. I was lucky to get the location by pure accident and the story is worth repeating here.
899 ABD was stored inside a barn at Pytchley, Northamptonshire only a few miles from her old base of Wellingborough, locating her would have been a nightmare even if you were actually on the farm itself. Now heres the luck element. The farmer decided to concrete the floor of the barn where she stood, for a few days she was driven out of the barn while the work was completed and had time to harden. It was just pure luck that my brother happened to deliver to the farm when she was out in the open, he rang me and i immediately called the farmer to find out if he would sell her. 899 ABD was in wonderful condition but alas he refused to let her go. I gave up trying but as a last desperate attempt to get my hands on her i wrote a message in the dust on the engine cover inside, it simply said ‘IF THIS VEHICLE IS EVER FOR SALE CALL THIS NUMBER’…I bought an ex Lilley’s ERF tractor unit from Steve Owen and was half way through that restoration when my wife had a call from the farmers son. His father had passed away and he had found my message on the engine cover and rang me immediately…within two weeks she was driven off the farm to Davella’s transport yard where she was safe and restoration began. The fact 899 ABD was in such good order I purposely tried my hardest to keep all the original and only repair the things that would threaten the MOT or were not original ERF parts. I have never been a fan of spit and polish motors, I prefer to see them as they were during their working days, infact I completely refused to touch the interior of the cab, I left it as it was and it was like travelling back in time to sit in the old motor. Dave Mitchell (owner of Davella Transport was a saint to be honest and remains to be even now) he let me store the vehicle in his yard, use his garage and even issued me with keys to the gate so I could come and go as I please, he has never charged me one penny for all his good will …I didn;t even work for him !! Few more people like ‘Buck’ Mitchell in this world could only make this world a happier place. Thanks Dave if you’re reading this, you’re a great man.
boris:
Thanks chaps - would be a real shame if its gone - dont think theres any restored butty’s motors even though they been around donkeys
Hi Boris, That ERF, was first Driven by Tom Grindley, the talk at the time was Gerald ■■■■ who ran the garage got his Dad Billy to spec it with a ■■■■■■■ as he had done his apprenticeship ■■■■■■■■
I had a chat back in September with Brian ■■■■ S T Challis and he said that my old waggon was being restored, by someone in Rushden, this being Challis’s first 20 ton ERF PNH 227J No 127 so there is every chance that the 8 legger is being restored if can catch up with Brian I’ll ask, Cheers Graham
gardnersmoke:
Last time I heard anything about this ERF was that it was being stored in a warehouse at Challis’s yard near Daventry. As ERFman says it really should be restored being the first ■■■■■■■ engined ERF KV. I reckon there would be a queue waiting to get their ‘mits’ on this old girl. These stories do tend to circulate though. I remember the hunt that went on for my Whitworth’s ERF KV. Everyone knew she existed (899 ABD) but no one could find her. I was lucky to get the location by pure accident and the story is worth repeating here.
899 ABD was stored inside a barn at Pytchley, Northamptonshire only a few miles from her old base of Wellingborough, locating her would have been a nightmare even if you were actually on the farm itself. Now heres the luck element. The farmer decided to concrete the floor of the barn where she stood, for a few days she was driven out of the barn while the work was completed and had time to harden. It was just pure luck that my brother happened to deliver to the farm when she was out in the open, he rang me and i immediately called the farmer to find out if he would sell her. 899 ABD was in wonderful condition but alas he refused to let her go. I gave up trying but as a last desperate attempt to get my hands on her i wrote a message in the dust on the engine cover inside, it simply said ‘IF THIS VEHICLE IS EVER FOR SALE CALL THIS NUMBER’…I bought an ex Lilley’s ERF tractor unit from Steve Owen and was half way through that restoration when my wife had a call from the farmers son. His father had passed away and he had found my message on the engine cover and rang me immediately…within two weeks she was driven off the farm to Davella’s transport yard where she was safe and restoration began. The fact 899 ABD was in such good order I purposely tried my hardest to keep all the original and only repair the things that would threaten the MOT or were not original ERF parts. I have never been a fan of spit and polish motors, I prefer to see them as they were during their working days, infact I completely refused to touch the interior of the cab, I left it as it was and it was like travelling back in time to sit in the old motor. Dave Mitchell (owner of Davella Transport was a saint to be honest and remains to be even now) he let me store the vehicle in his yard, use his garage and even issued me with keys to the gate so I could come and go as I please, he has never charged me one penny for all his good will …I didn;t even work for him !! Few more people like ‘Buck’ Mitchell in this world could only make this world a happier place. Thanks Dave if you’re reading this, you’re a great man.
What a superbly heart-warming tale! Cheers. Robert 
Last time I saw this motor was on the Halloween run at Huddersfield 2013 and owned by a lad called John Murphy who I believe has now sold it on.
Going off topic here a bit but the comments reveal a knowledge of the Northampton haulage scene in the 1960 s. I am trying to trace a Sabrina cabbed six wheeler ERF tipper 326CUT grey in colour it was new in 1962 to the late MR Fred Broadley of coalville Leicestershire who ran it for a short while at whitwick granite Quarry. The vehicle was sold to a Northamptonshire hauler whose name excapes me.I wonder if any one has any knowledge of this fine vehicle . I realise that this is quite a long shot
gardnersmoke:
Last time I heard anything about this ERF was that it was being stored in a warehouse at Challis’s yard near Daventry. As ERFman says it really should be restored being the first ■■■■■■■ engined ERF KV. I reckon there would be a queue waiting to get their ‘mits’ on this old girl…
I’m sure it was alledged to be someone associated with ■■■■■■■ at Wellingborough that owned it.
I know John Thomas (Ken Thomas Ltd) looked at it with a view to fully restoring it, but was put off because the chassis had been sandblasted with the engine in situ, and that had been blasted too. Someone trying to a quick job of tidying it up at the time.
robinswh:
Going off topic here a bit but the comments reveal a knowledge of the Northampton haulage scene in the 1960 s. I am trying to trace a Sabrina cabbed six wheeler ERF tipper 326CUT grey in colour it was new in 1962 to the late MR Fred Broadley of coalville Leicestershire who ran it for a short while at whitwick granite Quarry. The vehicle was sold to a Northamptonshire hauler whose name excapes me.I wonder if any one has any knowledge of this fine vehicle . I realise that this is quite a long shot
It’s not one of the three (well, two and one cut in half!) Sabrina six wheelers known to survive.
There is also the cement mixer with a KV bonneted cab to hide the hydraulic pump, but no other Sabrina features.
Thank you for your reply sir!!