Bedford MW aeroscreen restoration

[rampant rivet]

Well its been a while since I last posted on this forum I've been flirting with an Austin Champ resto project ,but thought you good folks on here might enjoy this tale of fun with this old Bedford Mw aeroscreen which I guess is a cousin of sorts to all those Chevy CMP's
This tale started over 18 months ago when I started my quest for an MW to restore and was lucky to find the old girl in a green house in the east midlands almost a year ago.
It turned out that its an early aero screen version dating from the start of the war this is a good thing as its a rarer model but does mean some parts have been / are hard to find.
Will add more pics of progress when I have more time.

RR.

[rampant rivet]

Picked up the truck last march

[rampant rivet]

new home and the tear down begins

[rampant rivet]

And so on.

[rampant rivet]

getting into it now.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jeremy,

This promises to be an interesting thread. Keep up the good work!

Hanno

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Jeremy

Bedford looks like a great project, always fun to watch another MV being restored. It looks surprisingly complete for an unrestored truck, particularly the wood cargo bed, even if the wood needs to be replaced you have all the hardware and wood to work with as templates.

What is the story on the cab structure?

Keep us posted on your progress.

Cheers Phil

[rampant rivet]

Cab was originally an aero screen type but had a civilian closed in cab fitted when it was used for years in a zoo carrying animal feeds etc.
All rear body complete apart from inner wheel arches but timber shot and will need replacing.

[John A. Rippingham]

Hello Jeremy,

Nice to see you on here mate.

This is a very early truck in the first 1500 made. Luckily its kept most of its early features. The bulkhead made from an oy one, the very early type of rear body, as has been said it has all its hardware, early steps and shock absorbers, and the thing that makes this truck unique (at the monent) is the front panel, only one hole to secure the bedford badge.

I came across this truck about 25 years ago when it had first been sold from the welsh mountain zoo. I was about 15 years old, didn't really realise what it was other than a mw, and it was more work than my dad wanted so we walked away.

Keep the pictures coming jeremy.......

John

[rampant rivet]

Cheers Matey good to see you on here too

[rampant rivet]

here's a few more pics.

[rampant rivet]

yep heres a couple more

[rampant rivet]

having a go at the gearbox. and ins panel

[rampant rivet]

here's some of gearbox back together, brakes being sorted, master cylinder back after relining in stainless and engine coming back together after head/valve work, new water pump and core plugs and gaskets.

[rampant rivet]

again more images as work progresses, Bedford front panel badge, making patterns to have new aero screen brackets cast in bronze, chassis in primer after cleaning down, replacing gearbox after adjustments to get correct clutch pedal and engine coming together.

[rampant rivet]

yes there's more chassis in green with some soda blasted wheel atop which reminds me that I now have two spare Canadian 9.00 x 16 wheel rims for sale dated 1941 and 42 I think.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by rampant rivet

Well its been a while since I last posted on this forum I've been flirting with an Austin Champ resto project ,but thought you good folks on here might enjoy this tale of fun with this old Bedford Mw aeroscreen which I guess is a cousin of sorts to all those Chevy CMP's

For those of you who don't know already, Jeremy restored a C15 back in 2004-2007 - see my C15 restoration (just cleaned up the thread a little by merging postings and threads).

Jeremy, here's hoping you reach the same sort of standard with the MW!

H.

[rampant rivet]

Thanks Hanno I certainly hope that the Bedford will turn out just as good if not better than the C 15 luckily this time the MW came with an engine and the spares situation is a bit better though there will always be that elusive part that will finish off the truck 100% first pic is of the small fitting that holds two spare spark plugs on the bulkhead under the bonnet, then general views of the chassis and finally one of the same just in 1/35 scale

[rampant rivet]

one major problem was the front springs were broken when I took them apart luckily Pete Gaine had a pair of good ones also had some nice xmas presents which inc an original air hose and gauge. the steering wheel is now refurbished and so are the headlamps.

[rampant rivet]

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to pick up this early type air filter as you can see I have had to make a new filter element.

[rampant rivet]

Work has also been started on the bulkhead lots of tin worm to sort

[rampant rivet]

Managed to get the air filter element together today and it looks like it should work bit more fettling and paint and that's another part of the jigsaw coming together

[rampant rivet]

Got stuck in today with lots of painting and replacing repaired front cross member and engine mount also fitted new oil filter will have filter finished by tomo will post pics then.

[rampant rivet]

After yups of fiddling at last it is done also replaced the repaired front cross member front spring hanger and sorted new oil filter

[rampant rivet]

The good weather this wkend has allowed lots of spraying and playing

[rampant rivet]

More fun with bulkhead tinworm

[John A. Rippingham]

Hello jeremy,

Nice work mate .

john

[rampant rivet]

Started to replace all the spring bushes and pins today a job I should have done whilst fettling the springs did manage to fit the radiator brckts and have a look at the rad.

[Keith Orpin]

Hi Jeremy
Just picked up on your latest thread ( ref Aerosceen Bedford 15 cwt), nice find and very nice resto so far. Will follow this thread with great interest.
Keith
(C30 LAAT, WC51, March 42 slat grill MB)
P.S. Who owns the Dodge the Dodge in the background ?

[rampant rivet]

Thanks keith its been good fun so far though I have had a lot of luck finding some hard to get items, the Dodge belongs to my mate we restored it about 15 years ago and I built the shed / workshop for free for him and have been a squatter ever since