• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

BMC Training Unit Bus

Share this page

<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">Well, at least the news about the new owner came to me too !!!

Who have not heard about Mr "Chasing Classic Cars" Wayne Carini !!!
I see the bus is still in LA area, guess it's in the progress of getting a great mobile home interior.

Might be for sale again in a short time.

Or do anybody out there have any knowledge of what other plans Wayne might have???</span></span>

Greatings,
NORWAY

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brimen/
 
also, there is an article about said bus in this months Vintage Truck magazine.
 
So does that mean that Wayne has sold the bus to Jay Leno?

It's becoming a celebrity now, from a humble discovery in Ontario a few years ago to the spotlight of southern California... Very cool! :thumbsup:
 
Interestingly the article (I have the magazine) says it is a USA truck not a Canadian. I can scan the article for those interested.
 
JPSmit said:
Interestingly the article (I have the magazine) says it is a USA truck not a Canadian. I can scan the article for those interested.
Click to expand...

A little revisionist history here I think

We all know that Al Guest (a resident of southern Ontario) purchased it in southern Ontario a number of years ago, and also did most of the work to get it to this condition... I think Al should get a lot more credit in this whole story, which he clearly isn't... I have a film photo somewhere (not a very good one) of the truck before it got the paint job, actually I saw both the Ontario trucks once (before Al sold one to England), they both showed up at the big Bronte Creek British Car Show one year, I have photos to prove it and really need to track them down, but they are rather poor quality...
 
"I have photos to prove it and really need to track them down, but they are rather poor quality..."


Here is a scan I got from BigAl some times ago.

3952989080_0e304d6fc6_b.jpg


Photo from a Campsite near BigAl's home.
The brown one is the Union Jack-painted today, the white were exported to UK 2000.

Also got a big article about those two busses from "OLD AUTOS, Oct. 4, 1999". There are several photos, included one of the first owner, Mr. Mike "Cannonball" Balzer.


Cheers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brimen/sets/72157608734124638/
 
They did mention the previous Canadian owner in the video, nice and specific fo them...

You have the 1999 article you said, what did that article say about the history of the trucks? I'm almost certain that Al always said they were both Canadian trucks from new, but I could be wrong...

So have you been in contact with Wayne yet?
 
Sherlock said:
You have the 1999 article you said, what did that article say about the history of the trucks? I'm almost certain that Al always said they were both Canadian trucks from new, but I could be wrong...
Click to expand...

The article says that both buses were based in Canada, at the "BMC Distribution center on Kennilworth Ave., Hamilton". They also spoke with former BMC staff members Mr. Deacon and Mr. Green. Deacon often drove the Ontario based Unit. The other Unit used to drive coast to coast towed an Austin 1100 which they used for local transportation and as a demonstration vehicle.
The buses were sold out from BMC (British Leyland) in approximately 1973, and Mr. Balzer of Burlington bought his Unit 1976, (BigAl's bus).

4723829029_e1a62db90c_b.jpg


No I have not been in contact with Mr. Carini.

Brimen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brimen/
 
:savewave: :savewave: :savewave:

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">Have you ever wondered what they looked like inside??</span></span></span>


<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'"><span style="font-size: 12pt">This is one of the original interiors. This Unit is a Series two, 1963.</span></span>


4723902585_66ba0edf18_b.jpg


<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Cheers,</span></span>

:driving: :driving: :driving:
 
very cool - thanks. the next question then, how many were right and and how many left hand drive?
 
JPSmit said:
very cool - thanks. the next question then, how many were right and and how many left hand drive?
Click to expand...


:smile: :smile:<span style="font-size: 12pt"> No, I do not know.
But I'm sure there were more RHD than LHD. (Maby 2/3rd) I have been in contact with Marchall about history and numbers, but their records are "not public"!

Quiz:
Can you or anyone identify this bus' rear lights?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brimen/5059997533/

Edition two has light from Morris Oxford V, but ...

Many thanks,
Brimen
NORWAY :savewave:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brimen/</span>
 
Hello,

Can anyone tell me what production truck the windscreens for the series 2 BMC Training Unit came from?

Much obliged.

Seb
 
Back
Top