need help from england
 

can any one help with the history of my truck?
G8GA23032172.
its a morris GS8
thanks
dave

Re: need help from england
 

Dave,

I think your chassis number has an incorrect first digit, should be "C" and not G. Also the model is a C8 with GS body. I do not know who has any records of chassis numbers for Morris Commercials. The army museums records will not be able to pinpoint it without a WD serial number. As these C8 trucks were late war, they carried on into service well into the Fifties and thus would have had the postwar system of military rego, for example 04ZT97 , the first letter of the pair would probably be Z or R. Armed with this serial, there is a possibility of verifying it on the records, but all that will tell you is the original WD serial and the date of disposal. The records are only of vehicles that were switched to the postwar numbering, those disposed of before that, no record.

Richard

ok here is the lic. plate no.
can anyone help me with the history of this vehicle?
english (black on white) VVS785
thanks
dave

Dave,

That number is the civil registration. It is what is known as an age related number, meaning that it has been granted in recent years, any previous number may have been cancelled. Now, what I have been able to find from registration records, is the following;

Vehicle type : MOBILE PLANT
Colour : GREEN
Fuel : HEAVY OIL
Date of manufacture : 30th December 1944
No. of Previous owners : 1
Last owner change : 1995

The term "Mobile Plant", could mean it was an Air Compressor truck, this should be born out by an auxillary gear behind the gearbox with a drive flange facing to the rear of the vehicle above floor level. Heavy oil, I remember you saying it was fitted with a Perkins diesel, I am most positive this was not done by the army, although it had a rebuild, this is something that has been done in civvy service. The military were not bothered about fuel consumption and at that time, the majority of vehicles were on petrol. The manufacture date is probably correct about being 1944, but note it is nearly the last day of the year, searching other vehicles records, if they do not have an accurate date it is always the end of the year. Hope this is of some help, also you may be able to contact the vehicle licencing authority in Swansea for the details of the previous owner.

Richard

Dave
If as Richard has suggested your Morris could be a compressor truck this image could be of use during restoration
good luck
Les

thanks les, but thats not even close.
i have the real late war version of the morris with the steel body, 4x4, and the full windscreen. but its set up as a GS truck now with troop seats and a NO. 19 radio in the back.

but thanks
dave

Dave,

The pic that Les showed, was for a CS8, but the compressor was also fitted to C4 and C8 such as yours. It was the registration details that I unearthed, that made me think it was one these versions, ie Mobile plant, this would not have been allocated to an ordinary GS truck. My guess is, that originally this was what it was, and the diesel was fitted for economy while in use. When it went for preservation, the Compressor was removed. As I said before, look for some kind of large power take off on the transfer box, also in the floor of the body, a new section inserted, as the compressor was fixed straight to the chassis, through a large aperture in the floor.

There were around 300 C8 4x4 compressor versions made, on several contracts.

Richard

yes thanks, i know all about the conversions, and i have changed it over to the GS version, when i bought it in swindon in 2002 it had the center still open and was fitted with a bolt on break down hoist fitted. i know about the general history about the 15CWT and who used them after WWII. i was just looking to see if anyone had the WD number or the date it was built. thanks
dave

Dave,

Best that I can offer is this, they were built in 1944/45, and here are some groups of census numbers relating to the compressor version;

Z5872837 - Z5872964
Z6168855 - Z6168857
Z6233521 - Z6233753

Richard

richard thank you so much
do you have any numbers for the GS truck (late war). with no compressor and being here in the US there would be no way to retrofit it. thanks
dave

Dave,

What may have been the last contract of C8 4x4 GS trucks is numbered;
Z6185999 to Z6188498

I seem to think the metal bodies were later than the wooden ones, so this batch should be as near as you will get.

Richard

BINGO!!!!
thats what im looking for
.
thanks
dave

Dave
OK it must be this one
Les

Interesting one there, Les. According to the census number it is a GS "fitted for winch", this is the quote from the Groucho Publishing copy of the records. Now I think this is a mistake, because what is probably meant is FFW, which means Fitted For Wireless and that accounts for the two "windows" in the side of the tilt.

Richard

there is no way that my truck could have been fitted with a winch, wireless yes, winch NO WAY. but that is my truck. photos tomorrow

here is a pic prior to the big crash