Bedfords

[billyboy]

How many of us suffered the indignity of the 46 bedford coaches. Wind em up on the flats ok, But soon as you started to climb a bank you began changing down the box searching for more power only to find the HGV's you shot passed earlier are now overtaking you at a great rate of knots

[wayoutwest]

hi billyboy.i did a trip from the uk to austria with a bedford and as you say great on the flat but as we got down towards southern germany down through the gears and out came the black smoke and everything flew passed us except a police chopper who seemed to spend a lot of time hovering around us.i think they were taking bets to see if we made the border. mike.

[Mr-Tomcat]

Bedfords sorry too say I hated driving them under powered and wandered all over the road, give me an A.E.C anyday even now.

Andy.

[bedfordvalman]

Absolutely right, the 466 engine was a slow old beast, much better when the Leyland 400 was fitted as on the early VAL14's. Smaller engine, but much more free revving.

I drove a much later VAL with the 466 for several years which also had an Eaton 2 speed axle, which made it somewhat better, but still a slow old pull up the Medway loaded with passengers & luggage headed for europe!

The later 500 engine in the YMT's did have a bit more go in them but didn't seem to last like the 466's in the earlier YRT's.

Happy days nonetheless!

[G-CPTN]

Originally Posted by bedfordvalman

The later 500 engine in the YMT's did have a bit more go in them but didn't seem to last like the 466's in the earlier YRT's.

How true!
Think it was the turbo . . .

[bristol1318]

Unfortunately from a coach point of view Bedfords were for operators that couldnt afford proper coaches!!!

[bedfordvalman]

That's a rather biased opinion. It was the operation of Bedford coaches that made many operators the money to buy heavyweights in later years. Most smaller operators could never have afforded the luxury of AEC's Bristols or Leylands and would never have underestimated the earning capabilities of the lightweights in the 50's & 60's.

[TheMuttMondoe]

I just bought a bedford duple bus on a ymt chassis, great breaks and with the isuzu 6bd1 7sp box cruses very nicely... easy to drive... In short, I love my bedford. I know people experience financial pain when facing an engine rebuild, the cost of parts alone for a 466 will get you a 5yr old isuzu engine and box (shipped in from japan) making it an attractive option in Australia (the down side is the cost of the legal hoops you have to jump through - engineering certificates and fabrication of new engine mounts etc)

[bedfordvalman]

Glad to hear you are pleased with your YMT, it sounds quite interesting with the Isuzu engine & box. What size engine is that and is it a simple enough conversion?

Presumably the body being a Duple is a Dominant, is it the early model, or the later one with deep heated windscreens?

Do you know who the original operators were, or indeed any other history?

[TheMuttMondoe]

It is a Dominant (early model... still learning/researching specifics), The bus finished its commercial life in VIC (Australia) bought at action... I am still tracking down info from a motor home club about the person who bought it (at the action) or when I travel to vic I will try to track down the action - only hitting dead ends so far butt I am particularly interested to find out the history of my home.


Isuzu 6BD1 6 Cylinder 5785cc 160 H.p
Suits Models: FSR11, FTR11, FVR11, JBR422, JCR360, JCR420, JCR500, JCS420, SCR420, SCR480, TWD25, TSD45
Year: 1978-1992
Variants: Early And Late
Available Ex-Stock.


from http://yamato.rtrk.com.au/?scid=7351...id=17081696138

Note my Isuzu is turbo charged (/T some where in it name - the above spec are for the naturally aspirated) and it was ordered/built with this engine instead of a 466... the most popular choice 4 people who choose to swap their 466 (instead of rebuild) for an Isuzu is the 6BD2 (T)...

Conversion requirements are basic... new engine mounts... re size/balance tail shaft if you go for the longer 7sp gear box and/or get the engine mounts wrong... remount (and or replace) radiator... jump through legal hoops for engineer certificates *** you need to chase up the detail requirements for engineer cert first, the engineer will typically require a licensed welder and specific high tensile bolts, steal types, steal thicknesses etc - you may find it MUCH easier to get the engineer to fabricate the mounts (hence the need to do the tail shaft when they don't quite get it right)