Spotted on e-bay by the great G.D.

The summers over, so what do you do with an ice cream van, why try an hire it out.

The starting bid price is 99, only us British will understand the "Pun" in this number.

I wonder if he will throw in a free flake?

Great news its the last day of the month, I've been paid so I can now go and buy the boring things of life like some food and petrol..

The latest from Magpies world of J types.

UEW 151, a fantastic 1957 JB van, spotted on a transporters low loader along with a tractor. Seen on the 12/7/09 at the Willinghams transport yard near Hull. The van came from the Hornsea area and I understand it was being transported down to Cornwall.Further pictures here of the JB tipper truck that recently sold on e-bay for £820.
Rather overloaded with the tyres and old petrol pump it has not turned a wheel in 25 years.
As you can see it is weed and nettle powered but has the optional windscreen heater vents fitted.
Showing signs of bad corrosion with holes at the top of the "A" post and the lower curved corner of the quarter light window.

Very heavy corrosion in the lower grill and from valence.

Chassis is also in a poor state and will need major work. For £820 this is a brave project or a very expensive source of a few spare parts. I do hope it is saved and I hope the new owner makes contact.

May I thank K.D. for all the pictures and information for this blog entry.

The Truman Van is for sale...

The current bid is £3150.66, reserve unknown, what work that has been done is to the highest standard, no expense spared.
It is a very "original van" apart from the many many new parts fitted. Pictures and full details as and when I'm sent them. (I no longer look at e-bay, I have better things to do and other things to waste my money on).
Check out the link Here http://morrisjbvan.blogspot.com/ to see the fantastic blog site record of the restoration.
Item number is 290353373187.

I have also been promised a set of pictures of the tipper truck that sold recently, (HBF 263) a very brave restoration project but it could be saved, (and should be). Purchased about 25 years ago it has lain in the open since then. The wooden back end is badly rotten and had been loaded with an old petrol pump and tractor tyres for many years. It is a JB version and still retains its original hand tipping mechanism. Also new to the J type world is UEW 151, seen on a transporter. Further details shortly.
Also please note, my new e-mail address for this site is

morris.jtype@yahoo.co.uk

How much? You cannot be serious!

More and more I'm living in a world I don't understand.

This pick-up truck sells for £820, you are going to spend thousand's to get that back on the road and yet my pick-up truck was sold for £6K.

So the question is, if vans are worth more than pick-up's what is this worth?
There are some silly prices being paid over here for J type projects.

I thought there was a recession in Britain, that's why my bosses have deemed NO pay rises yet again (not even cost of living). I looked back through all my old pay slips, (I have every one since I started work as an apprentice, age 16, the days of pounds,shillings and pence). I was earning a lot more money ten years ago than I'm now, there's inflation for you.!!

Only a few months ago I was thinking about a five speed gearbox conversion for the JB, as the clutch cover was collapsing and the thrust lever in the gearbox was badly worn . I look at my bank balance now and at the moment I cannot even afford a clutch cover!

I will have to take a long hard look at my fleet and decided which is the next one to sell.

nonymous said...

Well thanks for the interest in the j on my auction.
The next thing for sale on eBay is a 1929 Albion lorry which is in need of renavation but in suprizingly good condition. Great blog site

by the way.

Regards lup1n aka phil.24 September 2009 11:52

Hi Iup1n aka phil,

Thanks for praise about the blog, I cannot contact you as I have cancel my e-bay account, should you read this, could you give me a tiny clue who or where the purchaser lives? Do you happen to know if he has any other old vehicles? How did you get hold of all these wonderful classics? Please reply using the e-mail address rolyjb@yahoo.co.uk. Also if you ever fall over another J type do tip me off as I'm always being contacted and can pass the enquires on. Many thanks..

Magpie gets an invite!

The magpie van has been honored to receive an invite to the classic car show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. A three day event, full of polished classics, tools, equipment, every type of car spare and "Gadget" for your pride and joy.

I'm tempted by the offer and thought about borrowing a full size Dalek from a friend to further enhance the Dr Who/J type van link.

My main problem is lack of time and money, money for the drive, money for the return train fares, also as the van would have to be there well before the show opens and I would have to collect very late on the Sunday night.

This would entail taking time off work and as I would be baby sitting as I do every weekend I would miss the show anyway. Should I dare to do two more trips in the van with the clutch cover collapsing, I chanced it for our holiday, should I chance it again?

Yet another J type located.

You get to hear about wonderful things, a farm with old buildings and some old vehicles scattered about. You come across a nice 1951 Morris Oxford.
You wander about and what do you see a rather strange back end but it looks rather familiar.
Yes its a J type, surrounded by about 100 other cars and a few odd lorries.

Identity unknown, a side valve engine fitted but round side lamps. A brave restoration but it should be saved, we are down to the last 450/500 (very rough estimate) J's world wide and I urge somebody to take it on, if only to give it a bit of cover. If need be scrap it later, maybe twenty years later.

The back end has been cut away, maybe to make some sort of half van half pickup.

Its great that J's are still out there waiting to be rediscovered but we must not be complacent as once they are gone they are gone.

Another "New" J type.

A rather fetching 1955 Hi Top van. First seen 30 years ago in Hereford.


According to the DVLA web site this is a September 1955 vehicle, un-taxed but with a recent owner change and fitted with a 1489cc engine, colour Brown.

Looking just the same as it did 30 years ago it re-surfaced and was for sale with a classic car dealer and restorer.

As you can see it is ex-Ministry of Defence, Army Transport. Dating from 1955 it's actual use within the Army can only be guessed at, maybe a NAFFI wagon?

Needing a bit of work but on the whole all there. It was advertised for £950 and I assume it sold very quickly.
The new owner has left it with the vehicle restorers David Wall of Wroham Nr Norwich to be restored!!
Further details to follow.

Some South Island J's and yet another J type for sale!

New Zealand, South Island J types, pictures sent in by the great GD. See him in print soon in Classic Van and Pick-up.



For those of us that like a project, yet another JB pick up is on e-bay. Item number is 330349902429. Age unknown but a JB, supposedly all there, hand made cab and hand tipper body. Would be nice to see this restored. Current bid at 13.15pm 14/9/09 is £10!

How much will it go for? If it's like some of the others in this state, about £1500!

Latest news.

Hi all, I'm back from my small holiday break.

The good news is the J type drove very well, no problems in any way.

OBL432 waiting to first off the car ferry, to touch down on "foreign" soil.

The other good news is yet another J type blog is out there and it looks to be another good one. Do take a look here.http://kimsjvan.blogspot.com/ . I have added a link on the right hand side...

While I'm away, here are some J pictures from the world of films.

If you don't know what film these pictures are from you should be shot....No its not J type runs over blurred chicken.
Or the dustbins fight back.
Or how to fail your driving test.
Or pay your bills at the garage or else..
Yes its the dreaded Dr Who film from the sixties.

Moving on to serious things anybody seen the following film?
The well known 1966 film made in India jin-pu-sa



This one is British, not sure why the need for sub titles, maybe the cyclist was deaf. Stone of destiny, made in 2008. A nice 1957? jb van 829UXO in the background.

From the well known film General. Zamach na Gibraltarze!!