Scammell Wrecker

[cliff]

While on a port stop in Tauranga New Zealand on a recent Cruise Friends showed me this ex Army Wreaker sitting beside a main road being used as advertising by a boutique Brewery/pub.

I assume it is ex-New Zealand Army but was wondering what year/model it is please?

[Michael R.]

Is that the one Lynn E. drove during his service days?

[Lynn Eades]

No, A bit modern for me.
4th Med. battery had a 6x4 coffee pot job. I think I drove that, but not far. I certainly worked on it.
The Army had a couple of 6x6's, but I never drove one of them. That truck Cliff is over at Papamoa, about 35km away. I suspect it's an import, but don't know.
There is a very tidy ex NZ army 6x4 that has lived in town for 20 plus years.

What's the go with the grid ref. It's in Antartica

[Richard Farrant]

The Scammell Explorer 6x6 breakdown tractor with the Bedford O type cab shell and square front guards was as far as I know for a small order from the NZ army. All the British ones had the larger coachbuilt cab with cycle mudguards attached to the axle.

[Ilian Filipov]

Isn't it Constuctor?

[Niels V]

No it Ilian, it is an Explore.
The NZ delivered, Explores, has a same cab as the Constructor, and not the normal boxy shaped.

[Lionelgee]

Hello Cliff,

Thank you for posting the photographs of the truck. Just wondering if you took any photographs of the business end of the truck?

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Ilian Filipov]

Hi Niels,
Probably it is so but my PC says all models with this cab and front end, the type of the front fenders apart, are Constructors and Super Constructors (the latter with different cab indeed).

[Niels V]

The business end is the same as a regular Scammell Explore, I have attached a picture of one minus the lockers.

Scammell did a lot of small series production vehicles, so its "dangerous" to say the cab determines the type.

The same cab is also used on the 4x4 Mountaineer.
Furthermore the constructors (in your pictures) do not have the walking beam rear suspension like the explore.

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Just some clarification - as the truck is a "Wrecker" the business end to me would be the lifting arrangement..

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Niels V]

there isn't that much to see on the business end

[cliff]

Rear view. Not very detailed as I had no intention of climbing on it.

[David Herbert]

Now that we have established that he subject of this thread is an Explorer but built with the same cab as a Constructor, Does anyone know what engine was fitted ? Hopefully not the Meadows petrol engine that the British army ones had.

David

[Lynn Eades]

The 6 x 4s were Meadows Diesels. I assume these were the same?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

The 6 x 4s were Meadows Diesels. I assume these were the same?

The 6x4 Pioneer was fitted with the Gardner 6LW diesel engine, not a Meadows.

Richard

[Lynn Eades]

Of course!. Thanks Richard for correcting my mistake.
While on mistakes, can someone correct the spelling of the thread title please?

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Can't help but think that the wrecker could find a more worthy use....
Rich.

[Lynn Eades]

So, what country does the number plate belong to? (as it is not a Kiwi one)

[David Herbert]

I think the number on the bonnet is latitude and longitude ! But looking it up that location is in the sea (just) very close to the antarctic circle. Very odd.

David

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by cliff

Rear view. Not very detailed as I had no intention of climbing on it.

Hello Cliff,

Thanks for posting the photographs. You will have to get a drone so you can get an aerial view that eliminates the need for climbing on trucks.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Lynn Eades]

David, see my post #3. Antartica south of South America. Maybe just to wind us up?

[Rob Beale]

This pic comes from a collection of NZ Army vehicle pics.

How does it compare?

Rob

[Tony Smith]

Much better resolution than the copy posted by Neils V above!

[Michael Pearson]

Hi

This is my first post here. I have chosen an older thread to announce my entry and add my $0.02 worth, as I couldn't find a specific "introductions" thread. Apologies if this is incorrect form.

I stumbled across this forum and thread while googling for anything I could find out about the fate of the 4 NZ Army Scammell Explorers. These handsome beasts were in their last days of service in the early part of my stellar (not so much) service in RNZEME from 1977-1985 and where being phased out out in favour of the M816, supported by the ever trusty Bedford RL in the light role.

Recovery was my obsession throughout my time, which included a spell in an armoured LAD on the M806 ARV. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to lay my greasy mits on the mighty Scammell. However, I can confirm that the vehicle pictured in the OP is a NZ spec Explorer with the very handsome (imho) Constructor style cab. I can also confirm that motivation was by Rolls Royce C6NFL diesel, approximately 180hp if memory serves. This seems to be another point of difference from the UK spec machines which look, mostly, to have either a Meadows petrol or a Gardner.

I attach a grainy image (taken approximately 1978 on a Kodak Instamatic) of a Scammell and an RL in the yard of the, then, RNZEME Waiouru Workshop. The Scammell was in good health at that time and was still, nominally, on the fleet, the M816 having not yet been deployed to Waiouru.

I last saw a Scammell in the early 80's at Base Wksp, Trentham, where it sat forlornly with, I was told, a worn out worm wheel in the rear final drive and no parts available for repair. I suspect it was scrapped in the end.

A bit sad to see the fate of the vehicle in the OP, although it does look saveable. I'm sure it would be a hit all restored up at one of those big UK rallies I see all over Youtube, given its history and rarity. If only my pockets were deeper it was worth the investment.

Mike.

[Niels V]

Hi Michael
The Uk Explore’s where yes Meadows petrol, But frequently in civilian hands converted to Gardner diesel or similar. The war time Pioneers where delivered with Gardner diesels

[Michael Pearson]

Originally Posted by Niels V

Hi Michael
The Uk Explore’s where yes Meadows petrol, But frequently in civilian hands converted to Gardner diesel or similar. The war time Pioneers where delivered with Gardener diesels

Hi Niels

I can understand why. I guess you'd need to be independently wealthy to run the Meadows these days. This raises another point of difference between the UK & NZ versions; the large fuel tank on the RH side, doubling a nice step up for the NZ driver. Looks like the UK versions carry their fuel on the opposite side.