For once, I’ll open a new thread on a topic about which I know very little at all! It has been suggested on another Atkinson thread by TN member ‘240Gardner’ that the rugged Australian version of the Atkinson produced in the late '60s, with its GRP sleeper cab might have made a good over-lander for the flourishing Middle-East run at the time. He provided this picture to whet our appetites!
He pointed out that the GRP was indeed considered for use in the UK and an example was even imported, mounted on a UK chassis and exhibited outside the Earls Court show in 1968. Again, he provided a picture.
My first thoughts are that a LHD might have been better, but hundreds of RHD lorries went down there with no problems. So what was available as a drive-line in Atki chassis in the late '60s and early '70s? And were they up to the job?
To get the ball rolling I’ve just looked this model up in a couple of books. The Nick Baldwin book on SA shows pics of Australian Atkis with the following drivelines:
Detroit 8V71:290 + 15-sp Fuller
■■■■■■■ 250 + 13-sp Fuller
■■■■■■■ 335 + 13-sp Fuller
A GRP-cabbed sleeper with Cu 335 and F13 sounds good enough to me already! Which tilt do you want me back under? Robert
Oh my god Robert, what have you done■■?
You’ve started off with an open ended question, there’s no right or wrong answer - and, you’ve mentioned the ‘D’ word.
I’m running for cover before the CF from Leatherhead jumps in.
You have been warned!
kmills:
Oh my god Robert, what have you done■■?
You’ve started off with an open ended question, there’s no right or wrong answer - and, you’ve mentioned the ‘D’ word.
I’m running for cover before the CF from Leatherhead jumps in.
You have been warned!
By the way, merry Christmas to you all
Just my little Christmas Eve grenade Keith! Robert
kmills:
Oh my god Robert, what have you done■■?
You’ve started off with an open ended question, there’s no right or wrong answer - and, you’ve mentioned the ‘D’ word.
I’m running for cover before the CF from Leatherhead jumps in.
You have been warned!
By the way, merry Christmas to you all
Just my little Christmas Eve grenade Keith! Robert
The Marathon post boys will be well happy with you Robert, they’ve been taking all the heat. Merry Xmas to you n yours
kmills:
Oh my god Robert, what have you done■■?
You’ve started off with an open ended question, there’s no right or wrong answer - and, you’ve mentioned the ‘D’ word.
I’m running for cover before the CF from Leatherhead jumps in.
You have been warned!
By the way, merry Christmas to you all
Was thinking the same thing… he hasn’t made a appearance yet… do they lock the “nutters” up at festive season…?
Flamin Eck Uncle Bob talk about a loaded question… The short answer would be NO…
I wouldn’t even drive an Aus Atki to the middle of our yard let alone the Middle East…
They didn’t sell here in big numbers at all as they were just a pile of ( insert your own rude word Here )… many of them sat about here for years as the dealers couldn’t shift them… The cabs were totally inadequate. the windows were too big, so they let in too much heat, no cab insulation, build quality was diabolical, in most cases the engine choice was too small. They tried too sell them as a fully imported truck so the Aus government bunged an enormous amount of tax on them. US Glider kits were a lot cheaper. Lets face it what would you rather have a New Kenworth or a Aus Atki for $1200 more.
They have the feel that they had been designed and built by a bunch of school boys on a long weekend who found a keg of beer in their dad’s shed. And they would surely only appeal too someone that treads the fine line between slightly eccentric and barking mad.
I know a guy ( Wayne George ) that used to buy them second hand so he could get the running gear out of them. The most he would pay was $250 each and he managed to get 10 for that price or less. He bought one with a Gardner engine so he could fit it into his boat.
Jelliot:
Flamin Eck Uncle Bob talk about a loaded question… The short answer would be NO…
I wouldn’t even drive an Aus Atki to the middle of our yard let alone the Middle East…
They didn’t sell here in big numbers at all as they were just a pile of ( insert your own rude word Here )… many of them sat about here for years as the dealers couldn’t shift them… The cabs were totally inadequate. the windows were too big, so they let in too much heat, no cab insulation, build quality was diabolical, in most cases the engine choice was too small. They tried too sell them as a fully imported truck so the Aus government bunged an enormous amount of tax on them. US Glider kits were a lot cheaper. Lets face it what would you rather have a New Kenworth or a Aus Atki for $1200 more.
They have the feel that they had been designed and built by a bunch of school boys on a long weekend who found a keg of beer in their dad’s shed. And they would surely only appeal too someone that treads the fine line between slightly eccentric and barking mad.
I know a guy ( Wayne George ) that used to buy them second hand so he could get the running gear out of them. The most he would pay was $250 each and he managed to get 10 for that price or less. He bought one with a Gardner engine so he could fit it into his boat.
Jeff…
Good - a proper answer! Cheers Jeff! I see that they put 180 Gardners in some of them - mind you, chaps like Hutpik (Mike) on here did M/E with an ERF and 150 Gardner so it’s all relative! The Kenworth’s looking good. Robert
Not sure what you meant about the comment "The Kenworth’s looking good " are you inferring that you have recently seen my Kenworth and you are impressed but it’s cleanliness. I which case why didn’t you say Hallo…
Or choice number 2… It’s looking good as a choice for 1970’s Middle East trucking which as far as I know Feredrici were using them in copious amounts as were SASA tyres out of Ankara and one or to other independent truckers…
As for the Atki… it once again shows that as far as 1960’s 70’s British design and build quality was concerned they had their heads buried in the sand… even the Americans were beating them in the desirable vehicle stakes…
Jelliot:
Not sure what you meant about the comment "The Kenworth’s looking good " are you inferring that you have recently seen my Kenworth and you are impressed but it’s cleanliness. I which case why didn’t you say Hallo…
Or choice number 2… It’s looking good as a choice for 1970’s Middle East trucking which as far as I know Feredrici were using them in copious amounts as were SASA tyres out of Ankara and one or to other independent truckers…
As for the Atki… it once again shows that as far as 1960’s 70’s British design and build quality was concerned they had their heads buried in the sand… even the Americans were beating them in the desirable vehicle stakes…
Jeff…
Aye! I’d better stick to the single exception then: that funny left-■■■■■■ ERF I keep going on about!! Merry Christmas! Robert
Robert - no one else answered your question about which tilt you’re backing under ?
Suggest you take the 12m Crane Freuhauf fitted Cooks of Rainham superstructure and a Roland’s tilt or maybe one of my Pacton’s ? ( By the way, they are both over in back of the yard as usual and you’ll need to shunt a couple of others out the way first ) !
So what tilt did you take in the end ?
Best wishes for the New Year to you all - we’ve finished with Christmas by now and hoping for some relief from the humidity - been a very hot & humid 37c for Christmas, so a few cold beers with the family today
I read in an old Australian transport book I had that when Shell bought a bunch to pull fuel up in the territory the author said the drivers all handed in there notice and went to a nearby competitor that ran US iron. note…think it might have been BIRDUM OR BUST OR BEYOND BIRDUM that they mentioned this happening.
I notice in the above pictures that some have the wipers mounted above the screen ( trying to shove water up-hill ) and some mounted below the screen. I assume that maybe the latter are a later updated model ■■ The roofs appear much the same, so no obvious reason there …
Robert please don’t make a judgement on some of the previous quoted here about the OSS Atki where do I start .
The last models where an excellent truck ,the cab was all plastic mounted on a shock absorber system which made them a comfortable truck and inside decor was the equal of anything including Kenilworth in the 70s I don’t know where Jeff bought his tape measure but it has a different scale too mine.I will let you be the judge of windscreen size compared to a later model KW in the photo
Oss Atki were ahead of the field with vented tropical roof design the vents [2nd photo below brown truck vents can be clearly seen above the screens] controlled by inside cab controls ,the system worked well in our summer temperatures with a roof mounted A/C unit.
They came with a variety of engine makes the first one I had anything to do with was an 8 wheeler tanker unit with Shell which had a inline 6 cylinder 71 series Detroit about 200hp the last unit similar to look at as the first photo the Brown unit was powered by a V8 3408Cat set at 450 hp , the company that owned them were in the low loader game.
I drove a 318hp 8v71 Detroit powered 8 wheeler flat top for 3 months for a friend pulling a 6 wheel dog trailer servicing the construction industry over most of western Aus about the only complaint I had was no sleeper cab but a comfortable unit to drive and not noisy which was unusual in a 2 stroke powered truck.
The first tri drive unit I saw on the roads here was similar to the photo below in the double decker cattle carting industry.I.m not 100% sure they produced the first but it was certainly the first one I saw.There was one unit here inWA that was powered by a V12 71 series Detroit not sure of the hp but the atkinson was one of the few trucks with enough radiator to handle that type of hp.
An owner drive friend purchased 2 units the first was a 350hp 8v71turbo model and was a bit of a problem child engine wise so he traded it back after a couple of years for a 350hp ■■■■■■■ powered unit which saw him to retirement in transport.
I have never seen a Gardener powered unit I would have liked to have seen the 8 cyl one if you know of one going for $250 Jeff let me know it would be a good retirement project.
I think these trucks would have held there own on the M/E work.
Regrettably I believe there demise was due to an amalgamation with the International company who brought out the 4070 model based on their butter box cab with some velour type upholstery and badged Atkinson they did hang about the dealers yards.
Robert
Just my little Christmas Eve grenade Keith! 
