Heart transplant, first road test.
It doesn't happen very often, but today I was forced to crack a smile. For rather longer than planned ... due to staff shortage and too much work, we've been operating on this ex Mayne's AEC Regent V ably assisted by its owner. The object of the exercise was to fit an ex MoD reconditioned AEC AV760 lorry spec. engine in lieu of the bus's aged and worn AEC AV590. Finally the last conversion parts were manufactured and fitted today which allowed the first road test and I'm happy to report it was a success. Although it's my opinion that its not getting full throttle, it is however getting more than sufficient so we'll leave it as it is. A few little tweaks and it should be able to go home tomorrow.
8860 VR is seen paused for a celebratory picture near the top of the climb out of Chatterley Valley between Tunstall and Talke.
East Lancs bodies of this era were really quite a thing of beauty in my opinion ... what became of them in the 1980s beggars belief when a comparison is drawn.
Heart transplant, first road test.
It doesn't happen very often, but today I was forced to crack a smile. For rather longer than planned ... due to staff shortage and too much work, we've been operating on this ex Mayne's AEC Regent V ably assisted by its owner. The object of the exercise was to fit an ex MoD reconditioned AEC AV760 lorry spec. engine in lieu of the bus's aged and worn AEC AV590. Finally the last conversion parts were manufactured and fitted today which allowed the first road test and I'm happy to report it was a success. Although it's my opinion that its not getting full throttle, it is however getting more than sufficient so we'll leave it as it is. A few little tweaks and it should be able to go home tomorrow.
8860 VR is seen paused for a celebratory picture near the top of the climb out of Chatterley Valley between Tunstall and Talke.
East Lancs bodies of this era were really quite a thing of beauty in my opinion ... what became of them in the 1980s beggars belief when a comparison is drawn.