For sale: 1939 Morris Commercial CS8

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ad found on MilWeb (no connections to the seller):

1939 Morris Commercial CS8
Fully Restored over many years to original condition. All new woodwork to rear body, Engine rebuilt etc, all brass data plates and hard to find bits have been collected for this rare vehicle. Owned and restored over last 30 years. £6000.
01995 61555/07967 694111
Chris Till 11 August '04

[Mike Kelly]

This looks like a job well done . Wish I could buy it . I worked out , it would cost at least 20K Aust. dollars to get it here .

$1 Aust = about U.K. 38p at the moment .

The tyres look like the WW2 Michelin brand 9.00-16's made in the U.K. Has the restorer found some old stock examples ? Or are these tyes being re - made , does anyone know ?

The colour looks a little too brown , not grassy green enough to be G5 light bronze green , but it could be the hue of the picture giving a false impression .


Mike

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
The tyres look like the WW2 Michelin brand 9.00-16's made in the U.K. Has the restorer found some old stock examples ? Or are these tyes being re - made , does anyone know ?

I have seen these before elsewhere, I "think" they're just aftermarket LR/Defender/Discovery tyres.

The colour looks a little too brown , not grassy green enough to be G5 light bronze green , but it could be the hue of the picture giving a false impression .

Indeed, its almost No.2 Brown!

R.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
The tyres look like the WW2 Michelin brand 9.00-16's made in the U.K.

Like the one in this picture you sent me, Mike?

If the Morris is indeed fitted with aftermarket tyres resembling these Michelins, they would be a good alternative to US NDCC tyres.

[Mike Kelly]

Yes Hanno , that's the one .

I wish I could see the makers name on the tyres on that restored CS8 for Sale . I emailed the seller for some details , but , no reply .

They do look European in nature .

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
The tyres look like the WW2 Michelin brand 9.00-16's made in the U.K. Has the restorer found some old stock examples ? Or are these tyes being re - made , does anyone know ?

I recently saw a 25-pdr gun fitted with these tyres, made by Michelin in the UK as you say. They had a 1950s date on them, maybe the owner of this CS8 found some of these tyres from a postwar stock?

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

More of these trucks for sale on MilWeb:

1940 Morris Commercial CS8
Fully restored and on the road. Tax exempt and MOT till April 2006. A rare chance to aquire an early British aero screened 15cwt. Located in Lancashire Serious offers please.
07799 034731
Chris Brook 23 November '05

See http://www.mvt.org.uk/members_files/brook_c.htm for a picture.

Morris Commercial Military Truck
15 CWT four WHLD GS body Mark II registered in 1940. Believed to be rare, in need of restoration, lack of time forces sale. Private sale therefore sold as seen.
Tony 01271 867285 04 November '05

[Neil Ashley]

I believe these tyres are still in production.

From memory they are either the Petras product or Indian in manufacture.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Ad found on MilWeb (no connections to the seller):

1940 Morris Commercial CS8
Rare aero screened model. Known history from demob in 1947. Fully restored and on the road. New canvas, two new tyres,rewired,rebuilt master cylinder etc. Owner retiring from military vehicle scene. Please no time wasters, This vehicle is to be sold. £6800 ono.
01772 313736 or 07799 034731
Chris Brook 07 September '06

[Hanno Spoelstra]

This Morris-Commercial was offered to me some 4 years ago.

Who knows where it is now?

[Mike Kelly]

Hanno

The total production of the six cyl. CS8's , was just over 20,000. There are not that many left , so if you get the chance again , don't hesitate . Having said that, they don't seem to appeal to a wide audience . Spare parts are like hens teeth , aside from ROLF's recent find .

The major mechanical components were over engineered , the rear axle is similar to a 3 ton truck . The problematic area is rebuilding engines ..... very expensive , things like poured white metal rod bearings etc.

They turn up for sale in the MVT green sheet ads sometimes , usually somebody has given up and decided to let go of the dream .

Mike

[Alex van de Wetering]

This Morris-Commercial was offered to me some 4 years ago.

It reminds me of a CS8 that once was on display at a museum in Dieppe, France, that closed down years ago, altough I don't think it is the same one. The owner had a fair amount of British and Canadian soft-skins, but sadly about all of them were on outside display, close to the salty sea....

Mike, you don't happen to know where that one went? I guess it must have been already 15 years ago that the museum closed down.

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
This Morris-Commercial was offered to me some 4 years ago.

Who knows where it is now?

Did some digging. The first picture shows the CS8 around the turn of the century, the one below shows the same truck in 2003 in a partly dismantled state ready for restoration. At this point in time the owner gave up and decided to let go of the dream.

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
There are not that many left , so if you get the chance again , don't hesitate

Got in touch with the previous owner, the Morris has been sold, it took him quite a while. Of course you are right Mike, I should have grabbed it. But to be honest, it would still have been in the same condition as I´ve been swamped with other work the last few years.

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Alex van de Wetering
It reminds me of a CS8 that once was on display at a museum in Dieppe, France, that closed down years ago, altough I don't think it is the same one. The owner had a fair amount of British and Canadian soft-skins, but sadly about all of them were on outside display, close to the salty sea....

Good one Alex, I remember it now you mention it. But it's a different one than the one shown above.

Have no idea where the Dieppe M-C went, I do know the CMP Chevrolet CGT was bought and restored by a man in France, he has restored it and comes over to Beltring quite often.
There also was a pre-war Leyland (Albion?) 6x4 truck. It is now in Belgium, in a horrible unrestored but complete state.

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Owner told me he had this truck for 12 years, but never got round to restoring it. Is an ex-timber yard truck. Rear body, seats, doors, hoops and vacuum fuel pump are missing. Last 12" of the chassis rear had been cut off, but rewelded under the chassis.

No need to contact the seller as it's been sold as of today.

1942 Morris Commercial CS8.6 cyl 4x2

Barn find.95% complete. Engine turns over on the starter. Bonnet panels etc. also available. Needs restoration. hand book & manual available. £1200. Suffolk.
07850 078432

Richard Taylor 04 August '07

[Mike Kelly]

I see it has the full type windscreen there . Most of the CS8's found here , have the full W/sceen , these were late production I think . There are too many of them here for it to be an army workshop mod. , factory I think . 1941 seems to be the last of them . The chassis' on them do suffer from abuse . One wreck I bought , had the chassis bent upwards in the centre - it had been a yard crane and it tried to lift something very heavy .... this truck has brass wheel nuts fitted , very odd .

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
I see it has the full type windscreen there . Most of the CS8's found here , have the full W/sceen , these were late production I think . There are too many of them here for it to be an army workshop mod. , factory I think . 1941 seems to be the last of them .

Mike, I don't know who bought it. The seller was nice enough to call me and send me an e-mail once it had been sold.

Reportedly, it is a 1942 CS8 with full cab (as in: windscreen and doors). From the pictures I have I deduct the change over from open to full cab was concurrent with the change over from 6 to 4 cylinder engine, broadly speaking that is. I have no doubt however you as a Morris man will come up with a list of exact manufacturing detail changes, eh?

Hanno

[Mike Kelly]

Guy Ant 1942

Part restored with original radio body which is very tatty, but not beyond recovery). Chassis cab runs and drives with wood and plans to make rear G.S body. Located in Essex.£2,500 o.v.n.o.
01621 783034

Did you spot this Hanno ? On MILWEB some weeks ago

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Owner told me he had this truck for 12 years, but never got round to restoring it. Is an ex-timber yard truck. Rear body, seats, doors, hoops and vacuum fuel pump are missing. Last 12" of the chassis rear had been cut off, but rewelded under the chassis.

Some more info and picture from Simon:

the guy said it was almost complete which is just not true. Not only would it need complete restauration, but most of it was missing! No rear GS body, or fittings, no cab canvas, no cab canopy tubs, no cab( doors sides, floor!!!!, no seats, the fuel tanks were rooten through, the dashboard was rotten, no small items like original jack etc. Every cowl panel was corroded along the edges and damaged. The chassis had holes in it!!!!!. The rear of the chassis had been cut off to shorten it and then welded on under the the rear rails ( I suppose at least it was still there!). Tyres were scrap. Only really nice items were the brass instruments and the two brass fuel tank caps.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mike Kelly
Did you spot this Hanno ? On MILWEB some weeks ago

Mike, yes I did - it's still on there. A couple of Bedford MW's were advertised on Milweb recently as well, but they are gone now.

H.

[Mike Kelly]

Simon's description of that wood yard CS8 would be also applicable here :

Take a look at this one I ended up with, or the remains of it after other collectors took the best parts from it ..... !

Wood has rotted away badly and the steering wheel has disintegrated ..... Amazingly , you can see the ring pull device for the gearbox PTO tyre pump , to the left of the gear stick , is still there !

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

Feb. 1985 . That is Mike Cecil ( now at the AWM ) in the background , perusing this CS8 , or the remains of a CS8 . Ballarat .

This vehicle is the above one I think .

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

This is another one I ended up with . A 1939 aero screen model-They all seem to make their way to Neerim South ..... It had a very hard life with a bush fire brigade . One of the fire volunteers fancied himself as a welder and just about everything on this truck has been welded . Tie rod ends , steering pitman arm , spring shackles . You name it , its been welded .

The GS body is a mock up with boards from uncles wood pile . If I had seen it beforehand I think I would have pulled out of the deal .

Mike

[Mike Kelly]

Another one I ended up with .

The chassis on this one is so corroded , it amazes me how it hasn't broken in half . The LH chassis rail looks like swiss cheese . Most of these trucks have been cut up for spares , the only option for them . On one of them, the wheel nuts were corroded away ..... from sitting in mud for 30 years .

[Mike Kelly]

This the only MCC military vehicle I have ever seen at a rally here in Australia . Ballarat airfirld in Feb. 1985 . This truck was literally found in a farmers shed , given a fresh coat of khaki paint and driven to the rally ...... the original canvas top was still in the back .

The WOT2 beside the Morris , is a D model fitted with a later H model windscreen .

[Ryan]

Haven't seen one of these down under for sale before.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MORRIS-C8-GS-...item1c0f783f3d
In QLD.

[Mike Kelly]

I bought another CS8 ...it's in central QLD - just a doddle down the road .

MIKE

[aj.lec]

Congratulations
Have you got some pics ?
If it was off ebay (farmprincess)near Rockhampton it is the number I gave you earlier and it is ex Ken Hughes from Kingaroy cS8

[hrpearce]

Call in on your way past

[Ryan]

Was it off ebay?