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| Since I owned it the speedo panel and steering wheel have been changed for earlier items. The driver seat I recovered badly. |
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| Sporting a cut down Foden front bumper, the front wings I repaired still look good. |
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| The tow bar has been added and apart from the front wings the body was Cream and the strange Brown that I had to have mixed to match the HOVIS colour. |
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| Nice Art deco, I spent many many hours cleaning it all as it was all brown from the cigarettes. |
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| I replaced some of the side windows, these were very heavy but each passenger had a handle and could wind the windows up and down, they worked very well. |
From the sale pitch.This KCD 697 is an Albion Victor FT3AB was completed in November 1949. It was initially used a demonstrator by its body manufacturer, Harrington’s of Hove, Sussex. It then passed to St. Dunstan’s home for the blind, just outside Brighton, and worked there for many years. The vendor believes that this bus was used at the World famous Star and Garter Hospital for injured serviceman in Richmond-upon-Thames and then after changing owners, this Albion was the subject to an external restoration sometime in the Eighties, painting the bus in the Hovis colours, which she is presented here today. The Art Deco style interior is completely original and in very good order. The vendor purchased this Albion in 2002 and added it to his collection of commercial vehicles and has had very little use since. This 26 seat bus is supplied with a V5 registration document and a Class V MoT test certificate. Please note if the coach was to be used for fare paying passengers it would require a full PSV standard test certificate.
Quiet a bit of its history seems to be missing, St Dunstan's sold it to Rank Hovis who used it for the sports/cricket club. I bought it from them. While in their ownership they removed the 6cly petrol engine and fitted a 4 cly diesel.
Some of the jobs I did on it, some new side windows, rubbed down all the interior wood work and re-varnished it all with four coats. Had some seat covers repaired. Recovered the roof as it leaked badly. Made an exhaust for it. Repaired the fuel gauge, magnet/float inside the fuel tank was sized. Rewired, repainted the whole of the outside. Had it sign written Hovis, front back and sides along with the motto "don't say brown say Hovis" on the rear doors just as it had been in service but was removed when they sold it.
New tyres and brakes, engine hoses but it never let me down in 8 years of ownership. Glad to see it's still around.
I sold it to a "mate" for £350, to a good home, he had it less than 6 weeks and he had made £1000 when he sold it on. I only sold it as I was buying my first house and was short of money that's also when I had to sell my first Morris JB van, VOU 562 which is also still about I'm glad to say.
