Tonibell Ice Cream.

From the late 1950s a familiar sight and sound around the streets of Basildon Essex was a Tonibell ice cream van. The company, known as Tonibell Manufacturing Co. Ltd, was founded as Tonis in 1937 by Italian born Toni Pignatelli and his wife. Originally operating from a shop in Burnt Oak, Middlesex, their first vehicle did not take to the streets until 1951 by which time they were joined by their son Ronald. During the fifties the business grew and Basildon, with its new town status offering fresh custom, was seen as the ideal place to expand operations. Their first depot, a yard adjacent to the Laindon Service Station on the Southend bound carriageway of the A127 before the Fortune-of-War roundabout, opened sometime in the late 1950s. They continued here, having become Tonibell following a change of name in 1960, for a few more years before relocating to Bowlers Croft on the Nevendon Industrial Estate.

Their vehicles were custom variations of among others; Morris vans and the Bedford CA series. Early vehicles were finished in a blue livery with some featuring a scaled down cow astride the front roof. Later models also included the cow and a memorable colour change to pink, which was probably how people best remember them. They also had a specially written chime.

In addition to the street operations there were several ice cream parlours and snack bars in Basildon town centre.

In the late 1960s Tonibell moved again, this time to a new depot in Bentalls on Industrial Estate No.2 (Pipps Hill), but by the early 1990s had closed. Many thanks to the great GD for more fantastic period pictures, NICE....

More period pictures and recent rally picture.

Further street shots taken in the 1950's. Kindly supplied by GD again.
Play spot the vehicle.

Morris J Type . Morris J2 van. Vauxhall Ten Four. Standard 10 Companion (estate car). Simca estate. Austin A30 van. Triumph TR2. Standard 8. Austin A40 Countryman. Standard 10. Morris Minor pickup. Austin A40 Devon.949 BYY Seen at the Welland Rally this weekend.

Other interesting news is Alex popped round to see me on Sunday evening, he is restoring an early J type and has been watching all the blogs and gleaming valuable information along the way. Well he is doing a splendid job, I could see that from the pictures he brought along. I suggested that he should share them with us all so I hope to be doing a blog for his vehicle shortly. He does not have a computer, prefers to spend his hard earned money on J spares rather than a "PC" what a sensible chap. Taking of blogs the one I was doing for MYH has dried up, the owner has not sent me anything to share, come on GS, send us some more!!!!!! the world awaits.

Still packing/sorting/clearing.

If it was not for the great GD, sending me classic period pictures like this one above, this blog would be like others, nothing going on. Cheers mate.
Got up early Saturday morning, fitted my new rocker shaft and re-profiled rockers. Adjusted them using the "rule of 9", turn the engine over, watch to see a valve being fully open, number the valves from the front of the engine, so if valve number three is being opened, take 3 from 9 which gives you 6, so valve six will now be "on the back of the cam" or "fully closed" so you can now adjust the valve clearance to 12 thou.
All went well, I had already cleaned the rocker cover and had stuck the new cork seal to the cover with some silicon sealant. This was now dry and it was easy to fit the cover with the seal which now stayed in place. I have always found , when I use to tighten the cover bolts up the seal would either squeeze out or in and a nice oil leak would be the result. Sticking it in place stoppes that problem.
Later on In the day before my wife Caroline came back from food shopping I gate crashed the local fete and flower show. They had a small display of about 30 vehicles, the newest a 1986 mini and the oldest a 1934 Rolls Royce. No other commercials just me at the end of the line. I put a picture of the actor David Tennant (with the van) in the windscreen and was an instant hit with all the seven year old's who wanted to be with the "Doctor's Van".
I left the van on site and walked home to carry on with the D.I.Y. etc. I collected the van about 6 pm just as they were shutting the gates.. So that's my one and only rally this year I hope all you other J type owners have better luck.

Van for sale and another period picture from GD!

A recent rally picture of a J type, yet another one I have not been face to face with.Kensal Green Underground Station, August 1950. I wonder if my mate in London could take a current picture of the tube station from the same spot?
Another van for sale, a nice LHD 1950 van, Note the square side lamp holes a good give away to an early van.

Love the roof mounted rear lamp and number plate. Anybody want to pop over there and save it?

Sunday Night and Monday nights jobs.

Sorry these entries are in the wrong order.

Monday night I set about doing the tappets on OBL. A very easy job and on a J type you can sit down while you do it. After slackening off the adjusters I felt the ends of the rockers. These were stepped and so they would be imposable to adjust correctly with feeler gauges.

So I removed the complete rocker assembly and as you can see there is some wear/ridges on the underside of the rocker shaft.
Not a problem I have a new shaft and a set of reconditioned/re-profiled rockers in the garage so I might as well fit them. A job to do the next time I have a free hour.
Sunday night I had about half an hour to myself, so I thought I would replace the rear gearbox oil seal, so undid the four bolts on the propeller shaft, and pulled it from the gear box. Off to the garage to get the new oil seal, bugger wrong one! So lets reassemble it and do something else.

Gearbox mounting rubbers needed changing, yet another job I have put off for months. New ones are available off the shelf if you know what to ask for.

The off side one was easy, the near side was harder as it has the gearbox steady assembly and my home made exhaust was also in the way, Still both replaced in about three quarters of an hour.

I will be very busy this weekend but not on vehicles.

So as I will have nothing to report, here is something to keep you interested in this blog site. So many other sites have died I just have to keep posting interesting vehicle stuff.

As you know I'm also into Morris Minor Vans, mainly G.P.O. vehicles mail and telephone vans. So here is an interesting picture of a slightly bent one and how it happened.

VAN DRIVER IN CRASH ESCAPES BY 'A MIRACLE'.

A Post Office driver was trapped in the cabin of his van and dragged along upside down for 150 feet after collision with waggons near Dalkeith today. Three of the waggons were derailed and the van ended up across the rails on its roof, a total wreck. But the driver, George Harrison escaped with only minor bruises and shock.

"It was a miracle" said colliery worker, William J Brown who was one of the first on the scene. The accident happened shortly before 8am on a level crossing connecting a farm road with Smeaton Colliery, Dalkeith. The van was delivering mail to the colliery's preparation plant. As it went over the crossing it was caught by waggons which wee being shunted. At the side of the railway, workers in the colliery smithy stood watching the smithy operations. Then 17-year old Thomas Dixon, shouted "There's an accident. " The men rushed up the embankment and found Harrison trapped in his cabin. Said Mr Brown "His right trouser leg was ripped and his left foot was jammed. We freed it and he climbed out himself. "His first concern was for the mail". He actually ran about collecting the scattered mail and packages and refused to go to the first aid centre for treatment until the last package was found. "As the workers tried to release the van driver, Brown handed over a knife to cut a boot from Harrison's foot but they managed to treat him without it. Harrison, after treatment at the first aid centre was allowed home.

Taken from the Evening Dispatch: October 8, 1958.

From the POVC.

The van is OXN 81 (GPO serial number 50120), part of a batch of 680 Morris Minor mailvans registered NYH 498-999 and OXN 1-178. They were registered on 22nd April 1954 but delivery extended through 1954 and into early 1955. We hold the GPO records for most mailvans from 1950 to 1985; the card for OXN 81 is missing suggesting that something "happened to it". We also hold the licensing sheets (GPO vans didn't have individual road fund licences but carried Crown Exemption Certificates) for most mailvans - this lists London County Council as having been advised of sale or break-up of OXN 81 on 8th December 1958. This date is much earlier that normal withdrawal of these vans - they generally lasted until 1963 or 1964.The record card for a later Morris Minor - UXH 285 new on 16th October 1958 shows it to have replaced 50120 (accident). UXH 285 was based at Dalkeith in Head Postmaster Edinburgh's area with the van maintained at Carlton Road in Edinburgh.

I hope to have more vehicle stuff for you next week!

Latest news.

Well here are three pictures of a J type that is new to me, apart from the nasty age related number plate there are one or two other things wrong with this vehicle, still on the whole a very nice restoration. This vehicle was seen at a rally in AYR in Scotland last weekend.

OBL 432 has come home it arrived in sunshine but traveled in a massive downpour on the journey home.

Looking rather splendid. The super sill/step repairs has put the rest of the van to shame.
While trawling the net I came across some Ministry of Information films from the 1950's. Well one was about "the day in the life of a north London Copper" and in the background to them parading before setting off on beat patrol is a nice little J. This was the best screen shot I could get.
The Welsh milk float on e-bay has sold for £4100, one hundred pounds more than the last time it was for sale, about a year ago. New owner unknown, I will try to find out.
As for me, no vehicle work has been happening, still sorting/packing/dumping etc to get the house ready to sell. One high point last night was being in the loft and finding a wasps nest hanging there. It was much bigger than a football, a good 14/16 inches in diameter. Very active wasps came to greet me. I went and got a large "bin" bag and carefully got the nest into the bag, I then attempted to break the nest away from the roof beam, which when the nest broke away fell into the bag, but I dropped the lot.. Wasps not very happy now! So time to make a hasty exit. I was hardly bitten at all.

Checked this morning and they are still there, and still not happy. More fun tonight!!!

Polly B Pick up progress.

Well progress? All I have done this week is spend about 20 Mins with an angle grinder, cutting out the first part of the rot.
The section that has been cut out has three patches on the back of it and the filler is over 8mm thick in places.

At least it is easier now to fit the rear part of the exhaust system.
What has delayed me this week? well as some of you know I have been, cleaning, packing, sorting, nipping down the rubbish dump, further cleaning, sorting and generally getting ready to sell the house. No time for the hobby!

OBL432 ready for collection!

OBL 432 seen just outside of the workshop of MTR Restorations. A quick wash off of any remaining dust from the spray booth and with the offside headlamp straightened up it was taken to the local M.O.T. station for the "TEST". It passed so it's now ready for me to collect.

What a splendid job!!!!

What started GD's interest in J types, why 115BLK.

Here's the van that started it all.   I remember this some 30 odd years ago , nearer 40. When I was courting, I remember seeing it parked near her home. It was in the very early 70's, and so seemed pretty dated then .

Pale grey in colour, probably Farina Grey, and I'm sure it had the bakers' name nicely sign-written on the sides. His name was Theo Evans , and had a bakery / bread /cake shop in Gilfach , near Bargoed.

The enclosed picture is the only one I can find. It shows the van parked in a side street , down behind the bakery. The shop was up the hill behind the van , and around the corner to the left.

Sorry about it's poor quality.

So the question is what started your interest in J's? Do let me know.

OBL 432 update.

Just received some pictures of the finished sides and steps from the body shop at MTR Restorations. Here are two of them to show you just how fantastic a job they have carried out.




It puts the rest of the van to shame, still they are going to M.O.T it for me shortly so I can make arrangement to drive it back home or have it transported.
It has been rather strange to be "J" less these last few weeks.

Yoda he said "problems there is from the darkside".

Well the dark side of Polly needs some work, the angle grinder with a cutting disc is going to be busy soon.
The large round hole is correct, its for the fuel filler tube to the petrol tank.
Rather a thick layer of filler over very thin metal.

Well a new wheel arch repair panel is in place as is a light cluster repair panel, they are not too well attached to the very "frilly" existing pick-up side panel. We will need to cut out rather a large portion of the side panel and "let" new metal in.
Also the top rear corner of the pick-up side is buckled and slightly crushed. A nasty job to fix and well beyond my skill level, so I'm going to leave this "dent of distinction" to help prove this is a working vehicle.
As they say "every dent tells a story", so this is one chatty pick-up.

Re-advertised J type and minor progress!

As keen J type hunters will know, this J type was for sale in the Midlands last month for a very reasonable £8K. It sold same day to a cash buyer. (GD) has spotted that it is now for sale at nearly £12K at a car dealers near Portsmouth.
Details are Trojan Cars
245 – 247 Francis Avenue, Southsea, Hampshire PO4 0AL4
PO4 0AL
tel: 07860 844409
The DVLA still thinks this is green, nobody has told them about the recent respray.!!






If your bored, play spot the errors, with the above vehicle, front badge is wrong, that one's off an FG Morris lorry, 2 of the six DZUS fasteners on the front panel missing and holes filled, Rear vehicle badge, looks odd and is in the wrong location, no door retaining spikes on rear wings, Cab interior unpainted, wrong side lamps fitted or wrong lens. We could go on, at least its on the road but if I'm going to pay over £2K over the odds for the van, it should at least be correct!

MORRIS MINOR PROGRESS.
Further work has been going on as we enjoy the mini heat wave, yes the filling and sanding has been completed on the off side rear of Polly B pickup. a quick coat of zinc based primer has been applied to it, as I'm not sure when I will get back to paint it!
I'm letting Caroline choose the colour, well its going to be green, the shade is up to her!!!

As you can see the brick has been removed, the gap between tailgate and pick up side is alright on the off-side, so we must now turn the vehicle round and repeat the repairs to the nearside.

The "B" series engine.

I was asked "where can I get some engines spares?" I said "which engine?" "why a B series" came the reply. I replied "B series, common as muck, no problem".
Well the guy felt spares were hard to get. I sat down and made a list from my small memory and a stack of data books of vehicles that had the "B" engine fitted in one of its many forms, I'm sure any one of the owners clubs could help.
Here is my list.
Austin Devon/Dorset 1947-52 (1200cc)
Austin A40 sports 1951-53 (1200cc twin carb)
Austin A40 Somerset 1952-54 (1200cc)
MG Magnette ZA/ZB 1953-58 (1200 and 1489 cc versions)
Austin Cambridge A40/A50/A55 1954-58 (1200/1489cc versions)
Morris Oxford/Cowley 1954-60 (1200/1489cc versions)
Metropolitan 1954-61 (1200/1489cc versions)
MGA 1955-62 1489/1588/1622cc versions
Wolseley 15/50 1956-58 1489 cc
Riley 1.5/Wolseley 1500 1957-65 1498cc
Morris JB/J2/JU250/Austin 101/152 1957-74 1489/1622/1798 cc versions
Elva Courier 1958-65 1489/1622/1798 cc versions
TVR Grantura 1958-67 1489/1588/1622/1798 cc versions
Austin A55/60 Cambridge/Morris Oxford/MG magnette Mk3/4 Riley 4/68 and 4/72 Wolseley 15/60 and 16/60 1959-71 1498/1622 versions
Rochdale Olympic 1959-65 kit car 1489cc
Gilbern GT 1961-67 1622/1798 cc
MGB 1962-80 1798 cc
Austin/Morris 1800/Wolseley 18/85 1964-75 Transverse mounted 1798cc
Morris Marina 1.8 1971-78 1798 cc
Leyland Sherpa 1974-87 1622/1798 cc
BL Princess 1975-78 1798cc
I'm sure there are plenty more. Sometimes I feel that the new type of old vehicle owner, does not have a clue about what there getting into. All us old timers in the vehicle owner/restorers have had to find out the hard way, the "youngsters" just want to point and click on a computer screen for help in getting info/data/parts they want it all too easy, maybe that's why they don't stay with it and after a few years move on to a new hobby.

Morris Minor update.

The original pick-up side panel, all the dents and rust don't show up in this picture. The rear light repair panel has been tacked in place. Below is the new rear wing that is to be fitted.

Old rear wing cut out showing very rusty inner wing, most of the "lip" where inner and outer join is missing/badly repaired.

New repair panel welded in place and some body filler has been applied with a light coat of primer to show up the high spot when rubbing down the filler.

Inside cab view of the newly fitted windscreen rubber, shows the double width of the rubber, half on the glass and half on the dashboard top.

From out side, the rubber seal is much smaller and over half of it is covered by a "C" shaped chrome brass trim, its a bit springy in the corners but at least its fitted. Only missing the two small joiner parts in the centre, top and bottom of centre pillar.

Other small jobs done include finding some original "cardboard" door trims along with correct door handle and window winder handle. The window now even goes up and down now that the "felt" in the runners (to stop wind noise and the glass from rattling) has been fixed correctly in place and everything well lubricated. More body work and welding to do on the tailgate and the whole of the nearside.