OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC |
1955 Commer truck Story and specifications by Barry Guy. Pictures by Bob Killoran and Brian Vogt. |
OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC |
Returning home from my regular run up north, I was travelling through Paskeville where there was a run-down oil company yard with a Commer sitting in the background, along with many other vehicles, stationary engines, and numerous bits & pieces from clearing sales all over Yorke Peninsula. I said to my brother Doug (who came on a one-off trip) – "Look over there and you'll see an old Commer exactly the same as what you had." I also said that I wouldn't mind restoring one. That was the end of the conversation.
Three weeks later, the phone rang at 7 o'clock on Sunday morning. Brother Doug on the phone, and the first thing he said "Guess what – I've just bought you a Commer truck at a clearing sale at Coonalpyn. Great! What do I tell Bev? This was an emergency now, and all I could do was to explain that I had no intention of buying any more vehicles, and blame it on Doug. After explaining that it was only $65 and had 26,000 genuine miles on the odometer, it was a bargain.
To cut a long story short, this was a nightmare. Totally rusted out, wheels seized up, the motor wouldn't turn, and it had to be out in a week. It would have been better to hire a front end loader for the day and bury it. It finally ended up in Echunga for 2 years. During this period, I changed my mind a dozen times as to whether it would be used as spares, and whether I was going to eventually restore a Commer.
The decision was made to restore a Commer, so an advert went into the Stock Journal, and before the week was gone, there must have been a dozen replies. Three days were required, and after looking at vehicles from the Murraylands, Murray Bridge, Loxton, Terowie, Morchard, Coffin Bay and various Yorke Peninsula farms, 2 trucks were purchased – one from Sandilands and the other from Murray Bridge. One late enquiry from a farmer at Yatina sounded as though it might be a good vehicle and well worth a look. Approximately 6 months later I was in the area, so I went and had a look. It was housed in a shed with a thatched roof – totally covered in hay, dust, farm material etc. – but totally original. That's the cream Commer I have now.
Vehicle type | Commer Superpoise TB3 |
Model | Mark IIIA |
Load capacity | 3-4 tons |
Engine type | 6 cylinder, overhead valve |
Bore x Stroke | 3.5" x 4.375" |
Piston displacement | 4140cc (252.6 cubic inches) |
Compression ratio | 6.48 : 1 |
Piston material | Lo-Ex aluminium alloy |
RAC rating | 29.4 horsepower |
Brake horsepower | 85 @ 3200 rpm |
Max. torque | 200 foot-pounds @ 1200 rpm |