Bedford O Type Lorry/Truck 1952- Full Restoration

Restoration of my 1952 Bedford. The photos/video are not the best quality as they were taken between 2001 and 2011, but I hope that the video will be interesting and possibly useful to others doing a similar project. This version is a revision of earlier KZbin uploads, I have altered the soundtrack to avoid copyright issues.
Please click "Like" if you enjoyed the video or found parts of it useful- Thanks

[@LouisMcNabb]

Thanks for this video, I don't know what you mean by bad quality because it most definitely is excellent! I am currently going through an OLBC myself, and I was wondering what oil you got, and any tips you have, like If you were to do It again, what would you change? I used to see these around a lot but they are not so common anymore. Cheers, from Dunedin, New Zealand.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello Louis, thanks for the compliment, I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. All that I meant really was that the film was made up of old photograph prints which I scanned as digital photography was quite new when I did most of the work. With regard to the oil grades, I have photographed some pages from the Bedford O supplement manual. Here is a link to Dropbox where you can see the relevant information: www.dropbox.com/sh/sffkkofaxb0dczc/AAB5OTVVuZeorLAC-Pp2bc_la?dl=0 I'm unsure what year your O type is but most of the info should be relevant. The engine oil listed is "straight" (non-detergent) SAE 20 but I found that in hot weather the oil pressure was slightly below that specified even though I rebuilt the engine completely with new shells etc. I have a supplementary oil pressure gauge fitted so could see this issue. I now run with "straight" SAE 30 and this is perfect in warmer conditions. I would recommend getting both the main manual and the supplementary one if you have not already got them. Norman Aish of "Bygone Bedford Bits" in the U.K. is an excellent supplier with great knowledge of the Bedford range, good stock of parts and is a first rate guy. The contact details are in the last photo of the manual in the Dropbox. Chris Morter also in the U.K. is excellent for parts too, website here : www.vintagebedfordspares.com/our-history.html That is assuming that you cannot source things locally... In answer to your question regarding things learned, I would say that my approach was to do everything as correctly as possible without cutting corners to avoid having to re-do things again later. This seems to have paid off as we have now done in excess of 4000 miles without any significant issues. The only thing which I did not do in the original restoration was to rebuild the gearbox, recently it became noisy so I decided to replace all of the bearings. Having completed the job I still think that it is noisier than I am happy with ( although you may say that I am quite fussy and some may be okay with the noise level) so I would suggest getting someone who is a real professional with the correct knowledge to recondition it if funds permit. The other suggestion that I would make is to have the carburettor ultrasonically cleaned and rebuilt professionally. I rebuilt the carb' initially but the running was a bit patchy as it is impossible to clean inside the galleries and this results in lean supply, the running after the professional job has been faultless. As for the request for a video about running the lorry, a good idea but this is very straightforward really. For starting from cold I always pump to accelerator (not when hot though!) and use choke but push that back in as soon as possible. I'm not sure if you have the "crash" gearbox or the synchromesh as fitted to mine. My experience with the synchro' box is that changing up is easy, when changing down I hold the gear-lever over the next lower gear until the synchros slow down and then the gear can be selected. The only other modification which I have done is to add an overdrive unit in a cradle behind the gearbox, with shortened front Propshaft. This definitely makes driving in modern traffic easier and overdrive 3rd gear is very useful on long hills. This added to the high ratio ring gear and pinion which I fitted the the diff' means cruising at 45 MPH is easy. Not a cheap option though! I hope this helps, good luck with your project, I'm happy to help further if you are stuck. All the best Alan

[@LouisMcNabb]

​ @Mostly Old Things Thanks, It's a 1948 model. The manual I have managed to find is a Bedford shop manual, and it has a similar layout to yours pictured. In the general maintenance section, it only lists about 5 different types of now no longer produced, British exclusive oils for the engine, and nothing about temperature. What it does tell me is how to remove, rebuild and replace most pieces and assemblies. I plan to keep it relatively stock, with the only differences being in the wiring or brakes, for safety purposes, as long as the upgrades can't be seen. This probably won't matter though, as the top speed without an overdrive unit and high ratio ring gear and pinion would be quite slow. It is very complete, although a non-runner. It was driven into a shed and parked for 30+ years, where unfortunately rats and degradation got to some parts of it. Other than that it is in very good condition, and the restoration will definitely take 10 years if not more as I do not have much free time.

[@mostlyoldthings]

@@LouisMcNabb Hello Louis, it sounds like you have got an excellent find there all be it a bit rough around the edges. The brakes as fitted are excellent so you may find that the stock ones are fine without modifications. I had the master and slave units re-sleeved in stainless but the work turned out to be not so well done as the seals leaked a bit and I ended up fitting another set of new old stock parts. As I understand it all of the running gear was built to incorporate the 12 ton artic unit, so the lower rated O types performed well within limits. Complete Wiring harnesses are available and can include extra wires for indicators etc. The wiring Harness Company provided a fully braided loom for mine , link here: thewiringharnesscompany.co.uk/ Any "Straight" Non-detergent oil will be fine in the engine, a lot of lawnmower engines use "straight" oils so that may be a potential source for you. It's also important that you use non-EP (extreme pressure additives) in the gearbox as those Bedford boxes contain brass/bronze components which can be damaged by EP additives. Morris and Millers are two brands which I believe can be imported to NZ. Regarding the loom, of course this is again in the U.K. so not so convenient for you but they can provide the complete looms from drawings which they have access to. Yes, the job is bound to take a long time if you can only work on it occasionally, this was the same with me as I was working when I did the restoration, I'm now retired. What with time and weather constraints as well as the cost of all of those jobs it's good not to rush. I agree that keeping it stock with only unseen modifications is the best approach in my opinion. All the best Alan

[@kenh3344]

Bn

[@armaanhafiz]

Awesome Build mate 🔥 pleasure meeting you up Dunstable downs yesterday 😀 thanks for letting us take pictures and have a look round 🙏

[@mostlyoldthings]

Glad that you liked it👍🙂Very nice to meet you too and very impressed with your enthusiasm, great to keep interest in our old vehicles alive.

[@rickywigmore1438]

Now there,s a tradesman, well done she looks great.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks, glad that you enjoyed the work and the result.

[@acersalman8258]

Beautiful trucks good 👍

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks 👍 Glad that you enjoyed it😊

[@Steven_Rowe]

The best 30 minute I have spent watching KZbin. That is OUTSTANDING. The tenacity, love and passions is evident. Love the sign writing, I remember the old before O series, and the 0B buses.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks very much Steven, glad that you enjoyed my efforts.🙂

[@Steven_Rowe]

@@mostlyoldthings did you prefabricate the grill too? It's amazing to thing you have the vision to put restore it. Some people would have put low profile tyres on and 6 litre GM V8 and ruined it. I can see the coalman jumping coal sacks on his back off the back.

[@mostlyoldthings]

@@Steven_Rowe Hello again Steven, no the grille was the original one which was very beaten up, it took loads of work to get it looking good again, apart from being bent it was also a little pitted, I had it sandblasted first, then lots of fettling..... I prefer restorations back to as near original specifications, I guess that some would prefer the "Hot Rod" treatment but that's not really my thing, each to their own though. Since the video was done I have now added drop sides all round which means that the coalman might struggle to get his sacks on and off🙂

[@Steven_Rowe]

@@mostlyoldthings they were. Lovely lorries

[@Steven_Rowe]

@@mostlyoldthings A quick question regarding the front windscreens. Is the passenger side windscreen slightly smaller than the drivers? I have seen some 1/24 scale kits and it looks like the screens are slightly different

[@BLOWN8CYLINDER]

Very nice...... loving the old Volvo estate.... You made a nice job of restoration.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks..we still have two Volvo estates 1995 960 and a 1997 series 1 V70, unfortunately the old 760 died as the loom in the engine bay disintegrated and would have been a nightmare to replace☹️, out of the 9 Volvos that we have had over the last 40 years it was the only on I could not fix, it was a shame as it was otherwise a great car, I think the Renault/Peugeot/Volvo engine and wiring were not the best.....

[@thomasconetsco361]

Quite an undertaking. Well done.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thank you Thomas, yes, not a job I would ever wish to repeat. However, we have now been (mostly!) enjoying owning and driving the Bedford for about 10 years now, so the effort has now been forgotten somewhat.

[@garryoconnor2654]

Well done. Beautiful job on a nice old Beddy. I have just spent about 12 years doing exactly the same to an OLB, so have a fair idea of the work involved. definitly a labour of love. I have yet to build a flatdeck and may use some of your ideas for the frame. These trucks were a common sight on our roads in the 50's, 60's and even the 70's. Thanks for sharing your video. Garry O'Connor. Christchurch, New Zealand.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks Gary I can appreciate what you are up against! I enjoyed doing mine but would probably never do it again.... It all becomes worth it when you get to drive it for the first time, just keep going, you will get there eventually. I'm glad that you got some ideas from my video, that was really the idea of posting it. The pictures were taken ages ago and the format and quality were not the best by modern standards but hopefully everyone who is interested can see the details that they require.

[@tonyday7233]

Very good restoration, lovely truck.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks Tony, your comment appreciated 👍🙂

[@Georgeolddrones]

Lovely job thanks for the video 👍😂🇬🇧

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks George, glad that you enjoyed it👍

[@skinner219]

You’ve done a good job of the restoration mate. It’s a very unique design of old British lorry’s. In you’re spear time, do you like to give it a spin? Or help around transporting boxes/materials?

[@mostlyoldthings]

Thanks, I wish that the photo quality was better though, I had to scan old film to get the pictures onto the video as there were not many digital cameras around when I started the restoration. We use the lorry mainly for going to shows and as you say also for just going out just for a drive, maybe the occasional transportation of personal stuff like building materials etc but not generally.

[@MrDianadoll]

Since I love these trucks with all my heart, I found this a real joy to watch. My guess is that you must really know what you are doing and have patients, time, money, space, the tools and friends who can help that wont rip you off because of your lack of understanding. When I have the money and the time, I believe that somewhere out there, just a little beyond the stars, there is a one calling out to me, which I would buy and really cherish forever. I often wonder about the writing on the doors. Is it just made up advertisement and can you invent your very own, or did the firms and companies really exist?. I really don't know the answer but made up would be a guess. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful story!.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello David, thanks for such a heartfelt comment, I'm glad that my efforts are enjoyed. I had never done a restoration before I did this, I do have an engineering background but most of this was new to me really, including the painting. I had help with the panel repairs from a good professional panel beater who charged reasonable rates, my good friend also helped fitting the tyres as that was his background before he retired. I think the main way that this was tackled was to just keep going and learn the detail whist doing the various aspects of the job. The genuine workshop manuals were a great help. Also my excellent parts supplier at Mr Norman Aish at "Bygone Bedford Bits" and "also "Chris MortarBedford Spares" in the U.K. were also both very helpful, in particular, Norman has good records of which specific parts were the correct ones for my particular model and year. As for the cost, this was spread over the 10 years or so that it took me to complete the bulk of the work, so although not cheap it was doable. I hope this encourages you, I think that all that is required really is obviously some basic skill but mainly tenacity to just keep going until the job is done🙂 With regard to the sign writing on the doors: we did not have any real history for our lorry, so the writing on the doors is made up with our name featuring. If we had a fuller history then we may have considered putting the original sign writing in place of ours for the purposes of authenticity, I guess this is a personal choice. Most of the operators who ran these vehicles would have had some form of sign writing with their name etc on the doors and sometimes elsewhere such as the tailboard or on a headboard above the cab. Hope that helps....

[@MrDianadoll]

@@mostlyoldthings Thanks so much for all of this. Interesting about the writing. I guess you could always make your own up and even put your own name on it if it's your vehicle which I would also love. Nice to know where I could gets parts if I owned one. I'm quite clueless when it comes to anything mechanical and patients is another one. I could still buy one in great working order and see from there, maybe something for the future but I really adore these trucks. I had a couple of classic cars but the cost to keep on top ended up being stress and worry so I gave up in the end. If you know nothing, you rely on garages and other people. These trucks are coming and going all the time so I would certainly consider one some day with some cash to spare. Great stuff and you are appreciated!!.

[@mostlyoldthings]

@@MrDianadoll You are welcome David. I hope that you realise your dream at some time in the future. Old lorries are definitely something different to take to car shows, the driving experience is perhaps quite different to a classic car, probably not for the feint hearted🙂

[@mostlyoldthings]

With regard to the fitting of the bed, the woodwork needs cushioning from the chassis to prevent chafing. This was not shown in the video but when an old trucker friend of mine saw the new bed he told me that there was usually "Balata" flat belting cut into strips between the wood and the metal. Since making the original video an now I have added drop sides. All the metalwork is still available, a company called Albert Jagger in the UK still stocks all of those vintage coach building bits.

[@SuperJohn2400]

Nice report with a beautiful result. Compliments. I am now also working with an O type and I must tell you it is really nice work to do this. And indeed, a lot of time goes into it. But I saw that you replaced your Diff and pinion for a faster one. Did you get that made? Or does it come from another truck? I would like to know more about that iff it possible

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello, thanks for the compliment 🙂 Are you in the U.K.? If so that would be good as I get many parts from "Bygone Bedford Bits" in Poole, Dorset. Norman Aishe is a very good supplier and the ring gear and pinion were purchased from him although if you are not in the U.K. I'm sure that he would ship if he still has any. I have also fitted a Laycock J Type (not Bedford J Type) overdrive. This was done after the video was completed so not shown there. If you could not get the ring gear and pinion then the overdrive on its own may also be an option, I have a contact who supplies refurbished overdrives and all the necessary hardware to do the conversion if you are interested. There is another supplier in Norfolk UK called Chris Mortar Bedford Spares, he is also very helpful and has a wide range of spares. If I can help with anything else please do let me know.

[@benters3509]

I used to live in Redbourne in the "bad old days" of my marriage.

[@mostlyoldthings]

Nice place, sorry about your past experiences there....our friends from the video have also moved away now.

[@rossbennett5934]

Beautiful truck mate! Do you know what the gap in the points should be?

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello Ross Thanks! Points gap (Lucas DVZ6A-P.29. Distributor) is 0.012 to 0.010 inch, 0.300 to 0.254mm. Hope that helps.

[@rossbennett5934]

@@mostlyoldthings Thank you, mine is running rough, I have cleaned the carby twice I think the timing is out. I put it on classic registration I just want to drive it!

[@mostlyoldthings]

@@rossbennett5934 Hello Ross. What are the symptoms? If it is spitting back though the carb when accelerating as mine was initially, then I would suggest that although it seems like a timing issue, it may be the carb. I completely stripped and rebuilt it but still had issues as I just described. This was solved by getting the carb ultrasonically cleaned. The problem with doing the job yourself is that there are galleries inside which you are unable to access by normal means, these get blocked over time, especially on something 60 to 70 years old and the mixture ends up too lean. Try pulling the choke out and see if it improves the misfire, this would indicate a similar problem. If your symptoms are different such as random misfire above idle, then maybe try the distributor cap, particularly the carbon brush on the coil electrode or the cap itself, or rotor arm if you haven't already. Hope this helps and you are driving soon.....

[@barrystaples8270]

Hi, my friend is restoring one of these, could you tell me the name of the green you've used please?

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello Barry The colour is Light Brunswick Green(BS 381C number 225). The paint on mine is a single pack polyurethane called "Tekaloid" which is a hand brushing coach paint which can also be sprayed. It comes with an undercoat and a topcoat varnish which gives an excellent smooth and shiny finish. I got mine here: breakwellspaints.co.uk/product/tekaloid-products/ Hope that helps.....

[@marvwatkins7029]

No driving?

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello Marv Try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIHIhIyhnLR1d6s - it's on my channel.... all the best - Alan

[@ocelot2234]

At 26:06 what is the song ?

[@mostlyoldthings]

Hello, the song is one of the copyright free pieces of music which can be added to KZbin videos to avoid getting a copyright strike. I don’t have access to my main computer at the moment as I am travelling. If you really want to know I can check this when I get home in a week or so....

[@ocelot2234]

@@mostlyoldthings please can you find out what the song is Kind Regards Ocelot622

[@mostlyoldthings]

Will do, I will post a link when I return home in a week or so.... all the best , Alan

[@mostlyoldthings]

@@ocelot2234 Hello, I'm home now, the tune is "Front Porch Blues" by Chris Haugen- MP3 Royalty Free. Here is a link: happysoulmusic.com/gmedia/guitar-front-porch-blues-by-chris-haugen-free-music-for-videos-mp3/ Enjoy!

[@ocelot2234]

@@mostlyoldthings Thanks 😊