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Half-price rebuilds: are they bargainsi
Page 92
Page 93
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Bill Brock examines ne recycling incus-ry Dick Ross took ne pic-ures
RECYCLED LORRIES at half the price of new ones. Are they value for money? I was asked this question by a reader. How could I refuse to go and see for myself?
In the Berkshire village of Holyport, just 30 miles out of London, Bennetts of Holyport (Garage) Ltd has set up in the vehicle rebuild business selling mainly to owner-drivers at the rate of about one a week.
The proprietor, Reg Bennett, first started rebuilding Bedford KMs in 1976 for use in his own general haulage fleet. And not until the disposal of his transport business only last year did he realise the potential demand for his rebuilt vehicles.
Comparative costs show that there is a large saving to be made compared with the price to be paid for a new vehicle. For example, only £7,800 is the quoted price for the ERV3, the longest wheelbase KM model, against about £15,000, the price of an equivalent new vehicle.
To gain an acceptable profit margin within this price necessitates the original vehicle to be purchased for as little as possible. The condition is immaterial and many come straight from the scrap yard. The prime interest is to acquire units which can be traded in for factory-built or reconditioned replacements. Other components which do not fit into this category must be refurbished either on site or with local specialists. Any other items are brought in as new.
In normal circumstances the scrap vehicle will be fitted with the older Bedford 466 engine. Vehicles with the later 500Series engine as yet still demand too high a price for this type of exercise.
The unit is exchanged for separate short engine a cylinder head which ; assembled on site along with other necessary ancillary ow. ment such as new injectors E an exchange pump. The 13N system is stripped down a again major components ; replaced with new ones. airlines may be perfectly sa factory and not need to renewed but chambers, + panders and drums would be, a matter of course.
Bedford gearboxes are fai resilient, but a strip down so shows any faults. Top gear a selectors are most comm parts to show signs of wear.
Continuing down the dri line all CV joints are replacE The axle casing is retained, t differential and bearings a most likely to be changed • new. Shock absorbers are r overhauled on the premises r are the springs which must retempered before refitting.
Fuel tanks and radiators a sent out for overhaul by Tuck( of Reading.
Even the backbone of t vehicle may be replaced. If WE and tear is just minimal t chassis can be shot-blasted ai used again, but if it is damag€ then replacement is the tor term satisfactory solution avoid assembly problems handling difficulties for the no owner.
However, in _virtually eve case new tyres are fitted.
In this area it has be proved too often that it does n pay to cut costs at the expen of reliability. Imported remou tyres. I am told, at first looked be the best buy, but they did n stand up in use, and display( all that was worst in the early days of British remoulds.
I looked at some tyres which showed no obvious sign of their origin. In other respects they looked good, but Reg's experience is of tread loss and blow-outs. Unless the customer specifies otherwise he gets new tyres.
The electrical loom of the chassis is replaced with a slight modification to the original design and dispenses with those dreadful popper clips. Instead, the loom terminates inside a water-tight Rubbolite junction box before continuing to the new light clusters.
The crowning glory is to provide a new cab. As with all the other components these are obtained from Vauxhall Motors via the local Bedford main dealer, Davenport and Vernon, at High Wycombe. As they are supplied fully fitted with trim and instrumentation, little more has to be added other than the foot controls and steering wheel. Unfortunately an inflationary pricing policy has made this an expensive component, rising from only (.900 to £1400 in just 12 months. With luck Reg will be able to fit the new TL cab on some future rebuilds to give the vehicles an up-to-date look.
One final point: just so that there can be no doubt as to its origins, the vehicle plate clearly states that it has been rebuilt.
All this takes little more than 200 man-hours, Reg claims. Bennetts' own hardwood platform body can be fitted or an all-alloy kit box body kit can be purchased from Unitruck, Waltham Cross, Herts, and assembled to meet an individual customer's requirements.
Little of the original vehicle is left; all the components will have been either replaced with factory components by specialists or overhauled on site. The finished vehicle is sold with a 12-month warranty which is said to give the same cover as one provided by Vauxhall Motors themselves. And why not? Most parts are supplied by them.