1953 Bradford Truck barn find

[The Bradford man]

Just picked up a 1953 CC Bradford Truck barn find. It’s been parked in the shed for at least 30 years.
Not run in that time.

[Keith Clements]

On the road for April?

[The Bradford man]

I wish lol. I just want a holiday then go work on it lol

[Tony Fearn]

Hello James.
Looks quite a reasonable task when compared with the photo of a 1934 long saloon a friend of mine had at one time.

Best of luck with it.
Tony.

[ian Howell]

That all-metal body looks interesting? I thought they were usually wooden load spaces.

Is this an option, a 'special' or a very nicely made DIY job?

I wonder why it came off the road? (Nasty bump on the N/S from wing) If it was simply disused then it should not present too much of an effort to get it running at least.

After that . . ...

[David Kemp]

My 1st Bradford had a tray just the same.

[ian Howell]

Ah Ha!

I wonder I this was an 'export' feature?

Any more in the UK?

Could the chassis number shed any light, I think there may have been an extra digit in the number?

These things are sent to make our life 'interesting'!

[Alastair Gregg]

Ian,

Doug Rath in Oz has one, I, like you, suspect it was an export version.

I will ask him if he has any info.

[The Bradford man]

It’s a NZ new one. Think the deck maybe made in Ashburton. Saying that is only a guess. Engine code has it as a knock down on it. It’s registered as a 53 but according to the engine code it’s a 1951. Same engine code on paper work for owners papers.
It was used on the farm a lot. It’s believed gearbox blown 2nd gear

That all-metal body looks interesting? I thought they were usually wooden load spaces.

Is this an option, a 'special' or a very nicely made DIY job?

I wonder why it came off the road? (Nasty bump on the N/S from wing) If it was simply disused then it should not present too much of an effort to get it running at least.

After that . . ...

[The Bradford man]

KDE1CC253

Ah Ha!

I wonder I this was an 'export' feature?

Any more in the UK?

Could the chassis number shed any light, I think there may have been an extra digit in the number?

These things are sent to make our life 'interesting'!

[The Bradford man]

What do you mean by wooden load spaces?
Thank you

That all-metal body looks interesting? I thought they were usually wooden load spaces.
...

[dougie]

Hello All,
Our CC Bradford utility/lorry what ever you want to call these things has a steel body with timber floor and timber reinforcing on the inside of the sides.
I believe that the vehicles were imported into Australia in cab chassis form and the rear body built by ,and I stand to be corrected, the dealer Liberty Motors in Melbourne.
Our Bradford is totally original as regards the body work.
Some photos are here.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jowett.australia/

[ian Howell]

I thought this might turn out to be interesting!

By wooden load space I was thinking of not just the floor, but the sides and tailgate as was often the case for 'builder's' type lorries in the UK.

My Bradford van (in the 1960's) had wooden T & G planks for a floor (rotten when I got it) which I/we replaced with a sheet of waterproof ply donated by an adjacent building site.

A wooden floor makes sense, less likely to bend under dropped loads, cheaper, lighter?, and easier than sheet steel when dealing with CKD units.

I'm not so sure about termites though?