Raumer's Heavy Vehicles - Unipower Bodywork

[surprisingskoda]

My brother took it down to the Great Dorset Steam Fair (GDSF) for the 50th anniversary in 2018. Didn't manage to get it on the big load but they did put 4 Scammells behind it, about 60 tons. It managed to drag all of them with their brakes locked on. Impressive when you remember it is a tractor unit with no ballast.

THAT would be an amazing sight. Any photos of that one?

Really liking this thread. I took a few days at it just to individually flavour each of the trucks as it's a world I'm not familiar with at all. Hoping to see lots of posts as progress is made.

[raumer]

I'll be putting some of the history in our ownership of each of them and some more details. A couple of photos of the Kraz in action at Dorset, the one with the load is my photo, the other two taken by friends and show it towing the Scammells.

[landieles]

You don't appreciate how big the Kraz is until it is up against the T.

[yoeddynz]

Jan 6, 2021 18:32:07 GMT raumer said:

I'm finally getting round to doing a thread on my retro vehicles a well as my girlfriends.

Awesome thread and fantastic trucks! However- I am still waiting to see your collection of girlfriends you mentioned at the beginning?

[raumer]

That would make for a very expensive hobby!

[raumer]

The Unipower being from a small scale manufacturer uses lots of components from other vehicles. I'm trying to identify what the door handles are from. I don't have keys for the door handles and would like to replace with ones that work. Photos of the door handles below, the first photo shows it mounted to the vehicle.

I've seen similar handles that have a boss with 2 bolt holes (Mk1 mini etc...) but not this type where there is a tab to locate outer of the door handle (the bit circled in red). Can anyone identify them or suggest something that might work instead?


On vehicle complete with recessed surround

[Rich]

Jan 17, 2021 16:22:37 GMT raumer said:

The Unipower being from a small scale manufacturer uses lots of components from other vehicles. I'm trying to identify what the door handles are from. I don't have keys for the door handles and would like to replace with ones that work. Photos of the door handles below, the first photo shows it mounted to the vehicle.

I've seen similar handles that have a boss with 2 bolt holes (Mk1 mini etc...) but not this type where there is a tab to locate outer of the door handle (the bit circled in red). Can anyone identify them or suggest something that might work instead?


On vehicle complete with recessed surround

If you can get the handles out, and possibly even the barrels a good locksmith should be able to make keys for the barrels you have. They don't by chance have a number on the front of the lock cylinder?

[norfolkshire]

In days of yore in Birmingham, each Police Division had a SWB Land Rover, whose job was primarily keeping the arterial roads into the City clear and traffic running freely. In addition the vehicles were also used to snatch in stolen vehicles, or one used in crimes, and which required the attention of Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO).
The Land Rovers used to carry bucket loads of car keys, which were all sorted into number and letter type. There weren't many cars that couldn't be sorted out. That is other than ones such as Rolls Royce's, etc... which had Yale Type door locks.
The advent of steering locks changed all that though and the buckets of keys were no longer.
Some Officers had a personal selection of car keys, usually courtesy of some nefarious character, who willing donated them to the greater cause. Many of these keys had been filed down to very slim profiles and a bit of giggle with them in a door/ignition lock would soon have them working.
Re the present problem, if you could find a blank key that will slide into the lock, and then cover it with soot from a smokey candle, by inserting the sooty blank into the lock and turning, this will mark the areas which require filing down. Long protracted job, but you will succeed eventually.

[raumer]

Thanks for the ideas. Hopefully something along those lines will get this handle working. The other problem which I failed to mention is that only the drivers side locks. Ideally I'd like a second locking one for the passenger side. Currently to secure it we use a padlock and chain the whole way cross the vehicle to lock the two doors together. Bit of a faff.

[llwynogmon]

Could the number stamped on the square shaft be a key number??

[llwynogmon]

As an aside American pick ups from the 40s and 50's only have an external key ( lock) on the passenger side meaning that the driver would need to lock his side door internally, slide over the seat and exit via the passenger side door.An early attempt at a safety feature ??.

[glenanderson]

They look like standard handles out of the coachbuilder’s catalogue. Austin/Morris/BMC FG ones are similar.

[igor]

My first Mini had a key lock on the driver's door and a lever on the inside to lock the passenger's door. Thought the Unipower would have had something similar.

[norfolkshire]

Try this company, by sending photograph, etc...

www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/categories/vintage-car-parts-coachfittings-and-body-parts-handle-exterior

[j0hn]

Jan 17, 2021 16:22:37 GMT raumer said:

The Unipower being from a small scale manufacturer uses lots of components from other vehicles. I'm trying to identify what the door handles are from. I don't have keys for the door handles and would like to replace with ones that work. Photos of the door handles below, the first photo shows it mounted to the vehicle.

I've seen similar handles that have a boss with 2 bolt holes (Mk1 mini etc...) but not this type where there is a tab to locate outer of the door handle (the bit circled in red). Can anyone identify them or suggest something that might work instead?

They look like a similar setup to VW Splitty cargo door handles.

If the threaded collar (red circled bit) rotates around the handle shaft then check through the locating tab keyway when it's in the door open position - if it's like the VW ones you'll find a small slotted grub screw in there that's only accessible in the handle open position. Unscrew this and pop the barrel out. You will then be able to either work out the code for a new key to be cut, or retumble the leaves to match an existing key that fits the lock profile. I've done this on a couple of VW locks, and yours looks to be a similar style.

[raumer]

That's interesting. The collar does indeed rotate round the handle shaft. Mine doesn't have a grub screw, possibly the end of a large diameter pin but no easy way to get it out.

When lockdown is over I'll see if I can get a VW door handle to modify. It's the only type suggested to me that makes do without the two bolt mounting collar.

[colnerov]

Hi, If you get a small screwdriver or pin punch of some sort and push that pin it will push a corresponding spring loaded pin in the end of the lock barrel which will enable the barrel to be pulled out. Then proceed from there.

Colin

[norfolkshire]

Look at www.westonbodyhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/WBH-Catalogue-2018-compressedv2.pdf

Page B4

In fact look through the whole of Section B.

[glenanderson]

Jan 19, 2021 18:33:14 GMT norfolkshire said:

Look at www.westonbodyhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/WBH-Catalogue-2018-compressedv2.pdf

Page B4

In fact look through the whole of Section B.

I was trying to find that lot yesterday. If they don’t have what you need then I’d be surprised. 

[raumer]

Jan 19, 2021 18:33:14 GMT norfolkshire said:

Look at www.westonbodyhardware.com/wp-content/uploads/WBH-Catalogue-2018-compressedv2.pdf

Page B4

In fact look through the whole of Section B.

That is a superb find.  The chrome one on B4 is incredibly close.  Dimensions are exactly the same.  The only minor difference is the mounting detail.  My one has a small tab to hold it and this one uses a pair of flats.  But I can work with that.  Brilliant.

I'll find a stockist and order one.

Many thanks for everyones help.  Top marks to norfolkshire!