Ken James' 1950 Morris Light Commercial (LC3)
My 1950 Morris Commercial LC3 was bought new by my father when I was less than a year old. Colin's Green Truck, as everyone we knew referred to it, was the family's only means of transport for many years. Although it was purchased as a work vehicle for Dad's building business it was also our transport, shelter, and sometimes cookshop for the many picnics, shooting trips and family holidays which took us all over the South Island.
Lake Sumner, Easter 1959.
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Right down to Milford (where Dad had to tow his brothers Chev with a broken axle out of the Homer tunnel), as far into the Haast Pass as a vehicle could go from both sides before the road was completed, and up over the Takaka hill to Collingwood.
The office.
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I remember Dad having to come up behind my Sister's boyfriend's Morris 8 and push on the spare wheel to help get it over Porters Pass. Being the youngest I was lucky enough to sit in the middle in the cab, one leg each side of the gearstick, while my older Brother and Sister rode inside the canopy on the back. In those days I thought I was missing out on the fun! I do remember being in the back with the canvas sides rolled up when we passed very close to a waterfall on the West Coast!
Between tours of duty..
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The old truck is now on it's 4th motor and I'm not sure what number gearbox. Whenever something went seriously wrong with a motor, Dad would rescue a motor from an old truck rusting away on one of the many farms he visited and do a transplant, often including the gearbox. I installed the last one myself when it ran a bearing late one night just as I was driving past the Casino.
Heart of gold.
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The Green Truck is a well loved family heirloom ( my son even wrote a poem about it) and while it doesn't get out on the road very often these days I keep it registered and warranted. One of these days I intend to put a more modern drive train in it and build a camper on it so that my grandchildren can experience some of the fun we had.
Ken, Andy, Colin - 3 generations - 1 truck.
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Ken James.