Update - contacted my Dad, he cant find the number - but did confirm that he is running a man and a van service, so the uship contact may be him. sorry i cant help any further
Thanks a lot!! I will try and contact him through the site.
I hope stacked it wont mind, but thought i would post an update on this truck…
last week I was at my fathers funeral and bumped into Brian Wilson who I suspected was the original owner (B&B Transport), I told him the story of what I has seen on this forum and asked if it was okay to pass his number onto stacked it.
Turns out yes, it is the crusader that Brian bought new back in the day and they are now both in contact.
I just think it is an incredible coincidence.
hardyd44:
I hope stacked it wont mind, but thought i would post an update on this truck…last week I was at my fathers funeral and bumped into Brian Wilson who I suspected was the original owner (B&B Transport), I told him the story of what I has seen on this forum and asked if it was okay to pass his number onto stacked it.
Turns out yes, it is the crusader that Brian bought new back in the day and they are now both in contact.
I just think it is an incredible coincidence.
Of course I don’t mind you posting - I am very grateful that you managed to get Brian’s number. As I said - Beers are waiting
We have had a brief email exchange and he has confirmed it is his old motor. He ran it to Bagdad so the story is true. I wan to connect with him again and get a bit more details and hopefully meet up. I am gob smacked and very excited.
Not had so much time on it as of late but the main work on the cab is not done. Just have to convert to a sleeper like the original one that is on. But progress is slow but steady.
Started stripping the origninal cab at the weekend. Then I will go through the brakes. Need a few pipes but all the valves etc… seem present.
Also had another exchange with Brian. He ran it for 4 years and the. Sold it to a dealer in Hyde. That matches with the DVLA records. So was only on the road for 4 years. Brian said she was a good motor but very thirsty.
All the best.
Just a quick update – Been having a nice couple of exchanges with Brian on this lorry and he has been kind enough to donate the 10 pence coin I found under the bunk at the weekend towards the cost of restoration.
Sadly, she is looking pretty rough now as I cut the sleeper pod off to graft on to the now complete spare cab. The original really was totaled. Both the A and B pillars were AWOL and the roof was attached to fresh air. Everything is restorable but I am glad I bought the spare cab as although it too was bad, it was better than the original.
I am now going to try and fill in the blank years between 1984 and 2012.
Keep you posted.
Cheers
Hi all,
Just sitting in a bar reading about 8 pot Big js. I need a break… so thought I would post an update on my Crusader resto.
Got the old cab off and trial fitted the semi finished new so I could weld on the can mounts.
I am slowly getting there.
Stacked it:
Hi all,Just sitting in a bar reading about 8 pot Big js. I need a break… so thought I would post an update on my Crusader resto.
Got the old cab off and trial fitted the semi finished new so I could weld on the can mounts.I am slowly getting there.
Nice to see the Crusader coming along,the cab looks good ! 
Keep the pics coming chap. 
Thanks - and thanks for sorting the pic out. No Idea why it was sideways
Stacked it:
cav551:
I am seriously impressed with the sheet metal work you are doing. Unless you have got the drawings or a good pattern to go from that looks one step back from impossible, there is virtually nothing there.As I posted on the FBook page - its all guess work, careful un-stitching what was there and copying it, lost of measuring, lost of tack welding, lost of F%&k it - its in the wrong place moments and lots and lots of welding.
Bought two flat sheets of 1m x2m steel and both have gone. Also a cheap bender and a lump of girder for an anvil were good investments. Used the doors as my datum points as I think if they fit and the gaps are right then everything else can be built around.
Sounds like you are doing it to a very high standard. I looked at the “Before” pic and thought, “Surely he could have found a better donor cab” then, when I saw the “After” photo, I went “Wow.”
Beware the doors- if the bottom is sufficiently rotted out, they can “lozenge”, which makes them a bit unreliable as a guide. Don’t trust reskinned doors for the same reason- they might not have been done accurately. I speak from red-faced experience 
Stacked It
Very well done on your work restoring the Crusader, your doing a fine job of it fair play to you. Your sheer determination and hard graft will pay off soon i’m sure, and you will be proudly able to display the finished article.
Are you thinking of taking the old girl to shows when complete?
I look forward to reading and seeing the photo’s of your progress.
E.W.
I am certainly planing to do a few shows but the first big target is to drive it back to the UK and pick up a trailer I have reserved for it. It is sitting in a field in the undergrowth but is an original tandem axle Scammell trailer so should look nice behind the Crusader.
I will keep you posted.
Hi All
A quick update. Major mile stone reached - the cab welding is finished. I will now focus on the chassis and powertrain before returning to the cab for finishing, prep work and painting.
Stacked it:
Hi AllA quick update. Major mile stone reached - the cab welding is finished. I will now focus on the chassis and powertrain before returning to the cab for finishing, prep work and painting.
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2
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Good stuff ,looks like alot of work has gone into that,keep the pics coming chap.
Well done mate! Hope the rest is in a better state than the cab was…
Another amazing coincidence from last week prompted me to update this blog. Further to the history of this lorry, a photo turned up on FBook of JVM during her working days: [img
This Photo came courtesy of Dave Lee.
So update:
Stripped the whole motor back to bear chassis
Then disaster struck, the Block had a crack in it. It was then I thought that the project was over. Fortunately, Eagle engines are common and unwanted which means cheap. So I managed to secure a good reconditioned unit for a great price.
Stripping the axles revealed more horrors however, but Ebay turned up some new hub seals and I managed to source some new bearings for the S cam shafts.
The latest now is the chassis and axles are blasted and they received a fresh coat of paint at the weekend. So next its re, assemble, engine and box back in before focusing back on the cab.
I will try not to leave it too long to post next time.
Good to see an update, great you have a photo of it in service, looks like an atki bumper, like the shot of all the components set out. You look to be doing a great job on it.
Stacked it:
Another amazing coincidence from last week prompted me to update this blog. Further to the history of this lorry, a photo turned up on FBook of JVM during her working days: [img
2
This Photo came courtesy of Dave Lee.So update:
Stripped the whole motor back to bear chassis
1
0Then disaster struck, the Block had a crack in it. It was then I thought that the project was over. Fortunately, Eagle engines are common and unwanted which means cheap. So I managed to secure a good reconditioned unit for a great price.
Stripping the axles revealed more horrors however, but Ebay turned up some new hub seals and I managed to source some new bearings for the S cam shafts.The latest now is the chassis and axles are blasted and they received a fresh coat of paint at the weekend. So next its re, assemble, engine and box back in before focusing back on the cab.
I will try not to leave it too long to post next time.
She looks a hard worked old gal certainly done a bit across the water
Cracking pic of it when it was in service, Stacked-it! The Eagle 3 was a reliable motor: good luck with it. Ro
Hi Stacked it, I think that photograph must have been taken after Brian sold it (i could be wrong), I don’t remember it being grey at the bottom and one thing I do remember is that Brian liked to keep his motors tidy regardless of the work they did