In the 1970s, British manufacturers dominated the domestic market. One Scottish operator of today is doing its best to keep a link to that tradition with a restored Plaxton-bodied AEC Reliance from 1979
Sometimes it’s worth looking to the past to see how advanced today’s vehicles are, and McCalls Coaches of Lockerbie is able to do that with ease thanks to its restored AEC Reliance with Plaxton Supreme IV body.
The mid-engined, chunkily-built Reliance was perhaps the ultimate British heavyweight coach chassis. McCalls’ example was new in April 1979 to a Somerset operator and it came to Scotland in 2015, since when Director Andy McCall has returned it to ‘as used’ condition.
Earlier in its history, McCalls had a handful of restored coaches but they were sold as the business grew. The Reliance came from its previous owner “in quite a state,” says Andy, and had he not stepped in, it would likely have been scrapped.
“I only got back into heritage coaches because of the threat to scrap the Reliance. My first vehicle as an operator was a Plaxton AEC, so the decision to buy it was not difficult.”
Best of British
The AEC has since been joined by a Plaxton-bodied Leyland Leopard that is part way through a similar restoration. Once the Leopard is complete, that will give the opportunity to compare head-to-head what until the Reliance’s discontinuation were major rivals, and coaches that dominated the heavyweight scene until Volvo’s B58 arrived.
Andy’s Reliance is as close to original as possible, but a small number of items are replicas. The seats are newer and are thought to be from a Plaxton Paragon, although they suit the period look.
A homemade silencer from a Leopard is fitted for two reasons. A genuine example was proving hard to find, but it also gives the Reliance a throatier exhaust note, and the latter was certainly evident when driving along the main street of McCalls’ home town.
Silencer apart, the AEC element is as built. A horizontal AH760 engine displacing no less than 12.4 litres is fitted, coupled to a six-speed ZF synchromesh gearbox. The exact power output is unknown, but it is thought to be around 230bhp.
The Reliance has a Class VI MoT and it is used occasionally for hire and reward work. When taken to shows with a light load it delivers 11-12mpg, and when worked in anger, around 10mpg.
Labour of love
“I have restored coaches before and, like the AEC is now and the Leopard will be, I have never believed in overdoing it,” says Andy.
Although the body had no seats when purchased, the chassis was sound and the engine was in a fixable condition. Andy, an experienced engineer, dealt with problems as and when they were found – including fabricating a set of legs to accommodate the Paragon seats.
The underframe was given a coat of protective paint and the injector pump timing was tweaked to deliver as much power as possible.
Significantly, the coach retains all of its manufacturers’ badges, supplier Yeates’ plaque, and the famous Plaxton clock.
At the front, a suitably weathered pair of AEC ‘wings’ is on the dash, while the Scarborough coachbuilder’s logos are present at the rear to complement the trademark polished model lettering by the door.
Inside is typical of a British coach of the 1970s. Formica abounds, and the era’s de rigeur forced air ventilation via the luggage racks is present. Visibility throughout is excellent thanks to the Supreme IV’s deep windows, and luggage storage is in a rear boot.
Engine access is surprisingly good, and a lifting side panel gives access to the cylinder head of the horizontal unit. Various hatches are also located along the gangway.
Put to the test
Andy kindly made the Reliance available for routeone to put through its paces in and around Lockerbie. If today’s coaches represent a step change for passengers compared to the domestic models of the 1970s, that’s nothing compared to how the driving experience has evolved.
The cab is spartan. Centrepiece is a fixed powder-coated metal steering wheel. It’s substantially larger than most found on current models, and the indicator switch is mounted on the right of the column, more conveniently than found on products from the traditional Leyland stable of the time.
Comfort for the driver is as would be expected of a coach from this period. The seat adjusts for pitch and height and a cab heater is part of the demister unit, but everything apart from the power steering relies on elbow grease, including the ratchet handbrake.
The gear stick is well sited. It has a long ‘throw’, and although second is suitable for moving away on most occasions, the driver’s knuckles make contact with the dashboard when selecting third or fifth – something that, again, will be familiar to those well-versed in coaches from the 1970s.
Although much of the above is far removed from today’s vehicles, the act of driving the AEC is not difficult.
The gearbox, while benefiting from a suitable pause between ratios when accelerating and a blip of the throttle when coming back down, does not require doubling the clutch. It is surprisingly easy to use and good progress can be made.
Naturally, the AH760 requires a boot-full of revs before shifting up, and its power delivery does not compare with today’s variable geometry turbo-equipped units for the simple reason that it does not have a turbo at all.
But when climbing, it hangs on well, no doubt aided by its substantial displacement. Andy demonstrated its capabilities when heading into Lockerbie from Lochmaben near to the Dryfesdale Lodge Visitor Centre. On a significant incline, engine speed in fifth gear dropped, but the AEC completed the ascent without a downshift.
At almost 39 years old, the Reliance does not require a speed limiter. It is highly composed at 50mph and above, and doesn’t give the impression of being pushed harder than it is comfortable with. Andy adds that, on journeys to and from shows, it is happy cruising at around 60mph.
Based on that, along with no speed limiter and much less traffic in their day, there is no doubt that coaches like the Reliance and Leopard could cover huge distances with ease. In fact, it was that which saw them preferred to lighter models from Bedford and Ford for tougher duties.
While the history of McCalls Coaches leaves Andy biased toward AEC, his honest view is that a Reliance is better to drive than a Leopard. The ZF gearbox is a prime reason for his opinion; Leopards came with either a semi-automatic ‘box or a manual that was inferior to the ZF, and Leyland only began to fit the German unit later. By then it was too late, and the Leopard was about to be replaced by the Tiger.
Last of the line
The Reliance was the final passenger-carrying model built by AEC before the manufacturer was entirely absorbed by Leyland, and Andy’s example must be among a tiny number that remain available for hire and reward.
He has taken a pragmatic approach to its restoration. While some operators spend huge amounts to return every aspect of a classic to as-built condition, this example’s Plaxton body has been restored to how it will have looked when in service, and how most people will remember coaches of its generation.
“We thought that it would never be finished, but eventually it was and it made its debut at the Kirby Stephen gathering this year,” says Andy.
“The difference between a coach of this age and a modern vehicle is that these have to be driven. You don’t just point and shoot. The driver needs to know what he or she is doing and be able to control everything.”
Various parts have been sourced from other operators and preservationists via Facebook, and now that restoration is complete, work is proceeding with the Leopard.
What after that? Once the Leyland is finished, a Bedford VAL is in Andy’s sights. If he finds one, it will further aid the creation of a snapshot of the heyday of the British coach manufacturing industry.