Bedford Off to a Good Start: Important Developments
Page 37
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Wanew tractor unit: greater power from the 300-cu.-in, petrol engine; and DER use of the Bedford 300-cu.-in, oil engine, with lower chassis prices;
an up-rated version of the R-type 4 x 4 • ehis is the New Year news from Vauxhall Motors, Ltd.'
The 300-cu.-in, oil engine is offered as optional equipment in the Bedford 7-tonner, the passenger chassis and the 10-ton tractor unit, the alternatives being the Leyland 0.350 oil engine and the Bedford 300-cu.-in. petrol engine. Until now the Bedford oil engine has not been available in chassis heavier than the 6-tonner.
When the engine is used in the 7-tonner and the 10-ton tractor the new Bedford two-speed axle is fitted as standard, but this axle remains optional in the coach chassis.' With 7.00-20-in. (10-ply) tyres and a 6.8: 1 rear axle the tractor unit can be used as an 8-tortner, thus becoming a forward-control counterpart of the existing normal-control 8-ton tractor.
chassis gross rating is 8+ tons.
P.y raising the compression ratio of the 300-cu.-in. petrol engine from 6.5 : 1 to 6.6: I, using larger carburetter and inlet valves, and new manifolds, the gross torque output has been raised from 2'40 lb.-ft. at 1,400 r.p.m. to 267 lb.-ft. at 1,200 Ivan. The gross power output is now 133 b.h.p. at 3,400 r.p.m., whereas formerly it was 115 b.h.p. at 3.000 r.p.m.
The Zenith 42 VIR-3 carburetter previously used has been replaced by a 48 VIR unit, and better breathing has been obtained by increasing the inlet part and valve-head diameters by + in. These improvements have been made without increas:og the price.
The option of twin rear wheels and tyres on the R-type 4 x 4 raises its allowable gross weight from 8 tons to 91 tons. Either 8,25-20-in. (12-ply) or 9.00-20-in. 112-ply) twin rear equipment is offered in conjunction with the standard 7-ton rear axle and rear springs.
Specimen prices of the new models are as follows, purchase tax being additional and quoted in brackets:
7-ion short-wheelbase chassis with Bedford oil engine, £1,152 (£270 4s. id.); 7-tort long-wheelbase chassis with Bedford oil engine, 51,168 (5274 30. 4d.); ft}-ton tractor with Bedford oil engine, 51,154 (5257 16s. ROI 8-ton tractor with Bedford oil engine, £1,437 (5229 Os. Id.); 8-ton tractor with Bedford petrol engine, £912 (5197 15s. Id.); passenger chassis with Bedford oil engine, 51,109; It-type 4 x 4 with 9.00-20-in. (12-ply) twin rear tyres. £1.253 5s. (£271 19s. hcl.).
4 x 4 COMETS FOR AIR BASE PROJECT TWO batches of 20 Leyland Comets with four-wheel-drive conversions by All Wheel Drive, Ltd., and Telehoist 5-cu.-yd. bodywork are to be sent to the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean, where Richard Costain, Ltd.. are building a new air base.
The vehicles will carry crushed coral and sand from the beaches for the construction of landing strips, and it is expected that they will be able to work during the monsoon period when normal types of vehicle are bogged down by the rainstorms.