No major engine failure
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Before making the decision to recondition, Percy Snow satisfies himself that the damaged vehicle has not suffered any major engine failure. If the vehicle has been involved in a head-on collision, for instance, and has sustained damage to the front end of the engine, the vehicle would not be considered for rebuilding and would be taken into the company's stock for dismantling.
If the vehicle — and it is likely to be only a DAF or a Volvo — is considered suitable for rebuilding, Snow's then decabs it to see the extent of chassis damage. The engine and gearbox are then removed — Snow's does this even though other companies would not consider this strictly necessary.
"I prefer to strip the chassis so that we can accurately realign it and check it for mounting-bolt distortion and the like," comments Percy Snow. The chassis is then straightened on the company's Josam chassis aligner. If a bend in the chassis has occurred by a cross-member or mounting point, these items are removed to allow proper straightening and reriveted as required using a 40-tonne cold riveter.
Snow's has the full range of Josam chassis straightening and cab repair equip ment, including laser alignment facilities. Frame gauges are used to check that the axles have not been bent in any accident the vehicle has been involved in. These axle checks ensure that the unit is correct in both planes and is at right angles to the chassis centre-line.
MoT prepartion
Once the chassis is correctly aligned and fully repaired, the rebuilding process then starts, using a mixture of original, new or salvaged components. Suspension bushes are replaced and brake drums are removed. At this stage, Snow's generally relines all the brakes. Wheel bearings are stripped down, examined and replaced as required. All vehicles being reconditioned undergo a full pre-MoT preparation.
Most of Snow's rebuilt vehicles are prepared to individual customer order. Therefore, the company incorporates features to meet individual operator requirements at the rebuilding stage. Among the more major items that Snow's will consider is cab modification. The company will either rebuild the core vehicle's existing cab, retrimming it to original or later specification, using new or good reclaimed parts.
Percy Snow reckons that all cabs on his rebuilt vehicles are stripped down to the shell, repaired, primed and treated with good quality cavity protection fluid and primer. At the cab rebuild stage, individual operator preferences come into play — for instance, Snow's has completed a sleeper DAF 3300 to a full space cab during rebuilding.
While the bulk of the reconditioned vehicles turned out by Snow's Commercials are Volvos or DAFs, the company has turned its attention to MANs and Fords.
Snow's concentration of effort on Volvo and DAF is based on long experience with these makes and a good relationship with local suppliers which speeds up the acquisition of new parts.
Within the company's rebuild policy, is a tendency to concentrate on top-of-therange models. The bulk of the rebuild customers are made up of smaller operators, though the company also has a few very large customers on its books.
Trucks are sold complete with a new MoT and Percy Snow reckons to sell at mid to top book price, dependent on the model's desirability. His best selling models are DAF 3300 and Volvo F12 4 x 2 and F10 Intercooler 4x 2 tractors.
Typical prices for a Snow's Commercials reconditioned are: 1984 Volvo F10 Interco°ler 6x2 tractive unit £24,000, 1984 DAF 2100 6x2 platform 212,000 and 1986 Volvo FL7 4x2 curtainsider £21,000.
Snow's Turbo 76 Josam Turbo 77