The great ACCO - and how they began - Page 2

Tony Smith · #31 21-06-06, 11:25

Keith found some pics of the trials of the AACO No1 Mk1, which had round mirrors (ex GMC or Studebaker?). It appears that these were quicky put back in the box if you look at the truck style mirrors on the Mk1 at the top of this post.

Tony Smith · #32 21-06-06, 11:43

The Mk 3s that went to Vietnam in 1966 (like this one being unloaded off HMAS Sydney) still had the round mirrors.

Tony Smith · #33 21-06-06, 11:49

By 1967, some of the Mk3s in Vietnam have rectangular mirrors (with rounded corners) on a single mounting post. These mirrors are larger than CMP mirrors. These rectangular mirrors are seen on other Mk3, Mk4, and Mk5 ACCOs throughout the 60s-70s.
(note: The sign on the front of the truck in this AWM pic says "BEER TRUCK - Do not delay")

Tony Smith · #34 21-06-06, 12:18

Mk5 GS in Vietnam 1971:

MurrayC · #35 21-06-06, 14:26

Doors were always the first casualties of war. This is a Mk5 G.S. of Admin Troop B Sqn Ist Armd Regt taking hundreds of jerry cans of Petrol and water to the Centrurions which had a huge thirst for both liquids.

MurrayC · #36 21-06-06, 14:40

While I have the photos out, here are Australian Army wreckers past and present, a Diamond T of WW2 era, Acco of the 60's and Mack from the 80's on.

Pedr · #37 21-06-06, 16:33

Hey guys

In answer to some of your questions.

I found the original PR / Advertising manager for International Trucks in Adelaide. At the time he owned and operated a model shop in a side street off of Rundle Mall ( the main shopping drag in Adelaide, for those whom haven't visited here yet )

Spoke with him at some depth about his time at International. He claimed ( I can only go on what he said ) that AACO definately stood for "Australian Army Cab Over"

As for "what happened to Mk 2?", Mk 2 is Mk 1 with a winch.

Wing mirrors on the first pic are sh!tty "westcoasters", they vibrate and move and are not good mirrors - but the cockies ( outback farmers ) love 'em and fix 'em to anything they can. I know that truck ( in the first pic ) its in central Victoria and it spent a period as a farm truck. So mirrors on it are not original. Original mirrors for Mk's 1 & 2 are the small round ones on a long arm.

Question to Tony: What about 6X6 Garbage Compactor and 6X6 105mm M2A2 Gun Tractor with Abbey Hydralic Crane. Are there "F" no.s for these models??

My beloved AACO's :love:

GO AUSSIE GO

Pedr

Tony Smith · #38 21-06-06, 23:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Pedr
Hey guys

Question to Tony: What about 6X6 Garbage Compactor and 6X6 105mm M2A2 Gun Tractor with Abbey Hydralic Crane. Are there "F" no.s for these models??

Pedr

I haven't seen any for them. Some variants would have been too small in number to have gotten a F number, although the Abbey was fairly widespread. Maybe as Rod and pand65au have suggested, they were just called a F2 or Mk5?
Here's a rare one, a Mk5 Cement Mixer!

Pedr · #39 22-06-06, 14:15

Is it just me, or does the mix bowl's mudguards look like it may have been transplanted from a single drive truck.

Last Garbage truck that I am aware of is in Bandiana Museum. According to Mjr Graham Docksey it spent some time as the Singleton Base Garbage truck.

Here's one for you all, Graham Docksey said that I'd never identify this truck and was a bit disappointed when I did so quickly.

Can you work out what this truck is??

Pedr

Tony Smith · #40 22-06-06, 23:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Pedr
Here's one for you all, Graham Docksey said that I'd never identify this truck and was a bit disappointed when I did so quickly.

Can you work out what this truck is??

Pedr

Is it a trials or prototype Mk5 with a Mk3 cab? The "A2" looks like a trials number.

pand65au · #41 23-06-06, 04:34

has to be a trials veh even the the front fuel tank filler is diferent let alone the glass nose.

heres onother strange variant i saw years ago outside lillydale in vic. a mk5 with what looked like tracks from a m3 1/2 track i have some photos burried some wear.

in the previous picture of the mack wrecker is that the new model? set up like the mog 6x6 wrecker? because there is no homes gear on the back. saw one last week for the first time and whant to know some more.

Pedr · #42 25-06-06, 16:38

Evening Gentlemen,

Ofcourse Tony and Pand65au are correct - this is one of the Prototype 6X6's

The "give-away's" are the Mk3 bonnet and tank, as listed by pand65au. The production run of this vehicle as many ( or all ) of our Viet-vets can atest, had a pressed steel bonnet and pressed steel tanks.

Here's the half-track version. ( once again I am not sure where this picture came from, so go and have a look at Keith Webb's www.oldcmp.net because its a bloody good site and I probably got it from there anyway )

Pedr

Keith Webb · #43 25-06-06, 17:31

Hi Pedr

No, that one wasn't from my site!

Keith

Pedr · #44 25-06-06, 18:03

Heck!

Dunno where I got it then!

But if you haven't done it yet...do yourself a favour and visit www.oldcmp.net its worth your time ( shameless plug

)

Pedr

P.S. if I got this pic from your site...sorry for not crediting you.

MurrayC · #45 26-06-06, 06:04

For Pand 65au who asked about the Mack Wrecker, i am informed it is the new one with about 500hp as distict from the previous Mack which had about 3oohp.
Its business end has a lifting bar rather than crane booms. My informant from Tenex who maintains them says they cant be used at present. I think the reason given was the bar didnt have a proper locking mechanism and would lower the towed vehicle half way through the tow. Thats what I'm told anyway.

pand65au · #46 26-06-06, 07:53

thanks for that. i saw one on the bruce high way heading north from brisbane the other week, and it caught my eye as it when past.
when i was discharged there had been lots and lots of discussions and design teams from mack and others about how to "improve" and what to change on a the mack mid life revamp. then they also found out that homes used substandard steel in the wreckers and the whinch drum brakes were slipping. so it seems that after nearly 8 years (that i know of) they have finaly done somthing!!! that must be a record ! whats the point of having a wrecker if you can't recover or lift tow anything bigger than a landrover.

pand65au · #47 27-06-06, 04:09

finaly found the pictures i took on the side of the road. i think it was about 1985 or 86. i wonder what ever happend to the old girl. or indeed if it is the same conversion?

pand65au · #48 27-06-06, 04:10

and

pand65au · #49 27-06-06, 04:10

finaly

phoenix · #50 27-06-06, 04:47

For the record, here is my mates Mk.5 acco. Still trying to find out which unit the rhino belongs to as well.

He is looking for a workshop manual, brake booster bracket, tool box and hurdles if anybody knows a good source of acco parts (or has any).

MurrayC · #51 28-06-06, 13:08

I found this on the internet but can't remember exactly where so I can't acknowledge them, but it is a R.A.E.M.E truck in Vietnam with an air conditioned Instrument Fitters body on the back.

phoenix · #52 29-06-06, 02:26

That pic is on the website for one of the field workshops from memory. Would be great as a camper

gjamo · #53 29-06-06, 02:50

I reckon thats the same half track conversion I photographed at a clearing sale in Coldstream in the early 80s.

http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...?threadid=5867