1956 Red Goddess - No socks for this birthday!

theres some RL videos on youtube actually, called something like heavies at the quarry (or similar)

i was looking up AEC matadors and scammell explorers a couple weeks ago, saw a few RL's when i got stuck in the youtube loop

The most asked question at Goodwood was where's the Goddess then and, as usual, thereby hangs a tale! A sad tale

At RRW Goodwood minus 2 weekends, Dangerous and myself were wrestling with the air system, the electrics and various sundry bits and pieces.

The air system was a total barsteward and the pressure relief valve wasn't so we were getting 150psi and that was no good for the air clutch. Much farting around ensued trying to strip the pressure relief valve without a large vice so a work surface was found comprising of the top of a wheelie bin and a socket as a spacer to apply pressure on the end cap to unload the spring to enable to circlip to be fiddled out



Still needed a vice and then the inspiration light bulb pinged and we did it using a mastic gun Scrapyard Challenge stylle.



Air system was finally solved to give me air-assisted clutch and enough pressure to run air tools or inflate the mighty Goodyear G388 tyres. It also made the Stuttertone™ horn perform at it's rated 140 dBA giving the sheep a spazz when I sounded it. With the air on I pumped up the rear bags and we moved her out of the field and just went round the block to test minor things such as brakes etc. Everything was normal, the expected noise in the cab, the heat, the ultra-heavy steering and the annoyed neighbours. There was an 'oil' smell and an injector leak but these things are easily fixed, n'est-ce que pas?

Back at the field we found we were losing reasonably copious amounts of EP80 from the bottom of the bellhousing.



Familiarity breeds contempt and what we remembered after a weekend of clambering under the beast is that all becomes pretty accessible if we tilt the bed



Input oil seal or blocked breather? Time was up and I put a bucket underneath to check how much we were losing. A few hours later it looked like the breather but that would have to wait until another time, like next weekend. I could easily make a simple catch tank for the amount coming out and as long as I checked the gearbox oil every 40 miles everything would have been OK on that front. I was even contemplating using them Always Ultra pads that they keep advertising on TV because they soak up everything and fit all body shapes though perhaps not the Goddess.

Work is manic and I don't get home until late so the light nights are not much of an advantage and generally I'm knackered when I get in.

At RRW Goodwood minus 1 weekend my mate Rob comes over to be banksman and we uncover the old girl.



I had some bits and pieces to fit



Including some hardly used rally headsets and amplifier scored off Fleabay so we can hear ourselves in the cab.



Before all this we decided that a longer shakedown first. Topped up the gearbox oil, checked the levels of the front Tracta joints and both diffs, water, fuel and brake fluid. The bl00dy thing has more pre-flight checks than a light aircraft. Here is the silent video. It seems that when Rob & I are driving a large red truck the language becomes rather salty about the personal habits and antecedents of other road users. All we needed was some Yorkie bars and a dog-end hanging from our lips.



Everything was going spiffingly until I realised we had no speedo, no oil pressure and no water temps. Being close to home we continued on, straining to hear unusual noises and waiting for a steam explosion or the ominous clunk, clunk clunk of main bearings out of oil. Nothing like that happened. Back in the field with the instrument cluster out it was obvious that the NOS combined ignition and lighting switch, which all the feeds for the Speedhut instruments were wired, was faulty with a wobbly terminal and intermittent supply

Good points : She was as good to drive as ever (for a 1956 cheaply thrown together AFS vehicle with a projected lifespan of probably no longer than 8-10 years.

Looks like the economy has doubled at least but needs a long trip to be sure.

Bad points : She wasn't going to make RRW because I was not going the jeopardise all the hard work over the last few years by venturing on a 160 mile return trip without oil pressure gauge and water temps. I could have ignored the speedo as she won't comfortably go over 50mph without a lot of anxiety.

Also I've put in the VTG1 for plating for her first MOT and I had a piece of good luck by approaching the guy who owns the Peterbilt towed diner at RRW. Nice guy gave me lots of tips and and assurances that it will get past the minions of the Dark Lord, I mean VOSA/DVSA.

Shame about the RRW but gauges are quite important!

It was advertised as camouflage red you know

My new electrical protection system. It's sheep-proof

It looks Like a Frozen Mamoth.

So, with the MOT in the offing I will have to ditch the Classic Transporter Company branding because I don't want any stupidity over a tacho or other commercial foolishness.

This has to go, sorry Littlepixel



Going to make it the team name but as for font etc. I'm up for suggestions. A sample below

as blackpopracing says, if you remove the word company, then you are simply describing the vehicle itself!

the classic transporter!

JP