HCVC takes off in South Australia

In the great scheme of things the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club (South Australia) hasn't been around for very long with 2009 being their first year for club events. Their recent Hills of Adelaide run was an outstanding success. How to keep such a high standard of event? A display at Port Adelaide will help. Throw in a bus trip and dinner the night before and you've got all the trappings of a good HCVC event.

With a club membership of about 50 already, the dinner was a marked success with roughly 30 people attending for the trip on the Obhan bus. On the Sunday, September 20, only 10 trucks were displayed but this was to be expected with hay season well underway. Having said that, the attending trucks, as you can see, were excellent.

Above: some superb restorations are coming out of SA these days. Good to see older restos, like Dave Kent's well-travelled Commer and the Austin's Morris Commercial, waving the flag too.

Murray Langford, who sent these great pics in, also drove in the 'Classic' Bay to Birdwood Run. This event attracted "50 or so" commercials ranging from ute to heavy bangers. Here's just a small selection. Driving my own truck in a Bay to Birdwood is one of my goals. I think I need to add an HCVC SA run or three to that list. Well done those men and women!

Top: the most stunning Inter AA ever? I think so! Above: tidy G88. Good to see older Volvos attracting as much attention as their English and American cousins.

Above: nice Dodge. Looks like she's just been retired or still works with an appreciative owner. Below: Commer CB prime mover. Phwoar.

Old Thunder Guts retires

In September I received another welcome email from Mike Houghton. He said he'd just been with his wife to check out an AEC Marshall that was still working on a farm a couple of hours away. Peter Vincent, of yellow Octopus fame (see below), had bought the truck and asked Mike to go over her. As you can see from the photos, Mike found her very scruffy and well named - "Old Thunder Guts". How did she get this name? "Well, the muffler is very small and right behind the driver's ear and she does thunder", said Mike.

Above: note the muffler and exhaust. Mmm, noisy...

Mike reported the good news to Peter and they arranged to collect the AEC on Thursday, October 1 before checking her over on the Friday prior to an early start on Saturday morning for a 9am arrival in Gore for the start of the Southern Classic Commercials tour of Southland.

At the time, Mike said, "None of the other guys know that Vic is coming or that the Marshall will be there." It stands to reason that you can imagine their immense surprise at seeing the Marshall turn up. More on this and other wonderful Kiwi trucks on the run shortly.

What a magic, magic machine. She looks rough but if she can do the Southland run after a day's TLC...

On the road to Auckland - with Peter and Vic

First of all, thanks to Mike Houghton for initially sending this email through waaaaaay back in May. Thanks also to Peter Vincent for permission to use his photos here.

Peter had bought a 20-foot box in Auckland and needed to pick it up. Taking along fellow Leyland nut Vic Draper (he of Hypo Hippo fame - loves LADs, must be a good bloke), they hit the road in what must be the best-travelled Octopus in the world (the yellow Ergo cab in the photos). On the way they stopped off at a number of interesting places. Perhaps the most interesting of all was Alf Williamson's yard which was found to be full of Crusaders and Ergo-cabbed AECs among others.

Top: Octopus, Alf, Vic and Crusader. Above: it's all there...and in good company.

Mike adds: "Alf's father, Stan, is a legend over here. He ran a fleet of 50-plus Crusaders on logs and drove a restored one on the Long Lap. Not bad for an 82 year old!!"

"Alf just loves GMs", said Peter.

Alf is doing a ground-up rebuild of an Ergomatic Mammoth Major 6. Peter continues: "It will have a GM 6-71 which it had been re-powered with before Alf purchased it."

Above: very early days in the rebuild of the GM-powered Mammoth Major 6.

Regardless of the engine (I know some of you will be most excited!), this sounds like it will be an impressive bit of gear once she's on the road.

I'll take this opportunity to also thank Mike, Peter and Vic for their efforts in getting/keeping a significant number of LAD and Ergo-cabbed trucks active. You all know my link to these 'style' of trucks, so to see them on the road in this part of the world really warms the heart.

You can tell Vic and Peter are good mates!

As Found - 1938 Inter D-series

Jim Hawkes reports that this 1938 International D-series truck is quietly resting on a farm near Bathurst and is still does an occasional day’s work carrying firewood and performing other farm duties.

It has a strong local history. As can be seen from the sign-writing she used to belong to Bourke’s Transport of Bathurst (still operating) and is surviving well in the dry climate. One day she will be available for restoration but for the moment she continues to be a necessary part of the farm’s working equipment.