The £4000 plus van, what it looked like many years ago. And has been re-advertised for one day only at a reduced price of £2100!

Strange old world, the van below sold for over £4k, then it reappeared Saturday morning on e-bay, for a buy it now price of £2100, the advert has since disappeared! Why buy something then re-advertise it at half price? The new seller was London based, May-be the (SWMBO) said no way! I have done no work on the J's but have been e-mailing various people to gain parts for Charlie's and Steve's restoration. I will post some pictures of the modified bike shortly.It use to deliver Paraffin with its first owner! Then Riverboats? Sort of a FIRE and WATER theme here. I believe it is going up north, Scotland to be restored and sign written for a shop advertisement.!!
If you do happen to spot it out and about do let us know, and please take a picture of its new livery.

No J type progress, why? The bike needed me!

The Royal Enfield let me down, it had been standing in the back garden for two years without a cover, I decided to start using it again so brought it in to the garage before Christmas to check it over.

After a service and a brake overhaul it went to the MOT station and passed so I started using it for work.

It has always been a heavy uneven lump but the other day excess vibration, strange rumbling noises and finally it stop with a metalic click, like a spring braking.

So its full strip down time.
Off with the tank, cylinder head, barrel, timing cover.
I drained the oil out of the oil pump and crankcase but forgot when I was stipping it down to drain the clutch housing.

Oil every where..
Here is the crank with a broken oil control ring on the piston and the big end has so much play in it, no wonder I had bad vibrations....
Timing side plate showing oil pump housing and oil filter housing.

Now all I have to do is buy some bits!!!

The reason for the big end bearing failing is normally due to low oil pressure or blocked drillings in the crank shaft itself.

A nice surprise in the post,

I had a nice surprise in the post, a little letter from a fellow J type owner who had taken the trouble to have his own van printed on his stamps.

I knew you could do this and I had had one before but It was still nice to get it.

I wonder what our postman thought of it? 

Realised that there were more of these quirky vans elsewhere in the world and not just the two in my driveway.

Yet another YLH !

You have seen on this blog YLH 449 and YLH 859, Now feast your eyes on YLH 799.

Many thanks for Maurice Rapley the best welder in the west! for these pictures from his collection.

All strapped in and ready for the off.

The Bowie van all strapped up and ready to roll.

A long journey and all went well, no problems at all.

A J type changes hands.

A beautiful 1954 J type van (Bowie) changed hands on Saturday afternoon, I had been invited to watch/help/get in the way and drink coffee. Its a lovely vehicle and has some work already done to the near side front wing, sill and step.

Also some new brake parts had been fitted some time ago and the seller had the foresight not to fully adjust up the brake shoes, meaning that when it came time to push it it rolled easily.

It comes with all the main items and has been fitted with a later "B" series engine and four speed box. This improves the drive-ability no end.

This is the only picture I took as the camera batteries went flat and the spares I took also failed!!

A van finds a new owner.

This pre-55 van is moving home, from being a bit of a film star, he (Bowie) has been "resting" while he waits to meet his public again. I hope to meet both the seller and the new owner on Saturday when he is loaded up for a return journey of four hours.

I will try to find out some more history about this delightful van and I'm pleased to say he is in good hands.