Hancock motors selling spares

[Mike K]

Hi Keith

Yes your correct , there must have been other cases where the various Govt. Departments sold stuff then bought back the stuff later on.

Regarding Auto Surplus at Nunawading , I got to know Colin Bell, the chap on the counter , as I often went there to go through the shelves. I asked Colin directly : who actually owned the parts. His reply " old man Hancock " Colin would tell me interesting stories, he was a buyer for Healings just after the war and he was involved in the surplus game over many years. He was a Lieutenant in a transport company during WW2. He told me he had a large collection of vehicle manuals . Auto Surplus changed hands during the 1980s and the new owners went over to vintage car stuff. I'm guessing much of the WW2 parts were sold at giveaway prices to make room for the vintage car parts.

[motto]

There are some interesting stories around about military vehicle parts and the shifty deals that went on.
One has to do with a large amount of Studebaker spares that was acquired by the government when the stock of U.S. 6 trucks were being put into service. Many of the spares were repackaged used parts instead of NOS. I remember seeing a knackered transfer case in its transit box all greased up at one of the dealers and that is where I was told the story. You had to be careful what you were buying.
I even came across some of this stuff in the possession of Chris Wilkinson in the UK. A large number of used Hercules JXD big end shells that were individually repacked.
The story went that one of the three characters involved in the scam committed suicide when it started to come to light.
I also remember visiting Auto Surplus when they were having a sort out and the scrap skip in their yard containing a mass of NOS stuff that had got too slow moving.

David

[Keith Webb]

Having met quite a few of these characters I can fully believe that, although I hadn't heard the one about the suicide.

I was overseas when Hughes Auto Spares was being cleared, there were stories about a Hillman Husky which made many severely overloaded trips out of that place.

Originally Posted by motto

There are some interesting stories around about military vehicle parts and the shifty deals that went on.
One has to do with a large amount of Studebaker spares that was acquired by the government when the stock of U.S. 6 trucks were being put into service. Many of the spares were repackaged used parts instead of NOS. I remember seeing a knackered transfer case in its transit box all greased up at one of the dealers and that is where I was told the story. You had to be careful what you were buying.
I even came across some of this stuff in the possession of Chris Wilkinson in the UK. A large number of used Hercules JXD big end shells that were individually repacked.
The story went that one of the three characters involved in the scam committed suicide when it started to come to light.
I also remember visiting Auto Surplus when they were having a sort out and the scrap skip in their yard containing a mass of NOS stuff that had got too slow moving.

David