Vintage JCB digger goes on parade
Pride of place for restored JCB 3 at last weekend’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in London
A JCB digger took pride of place at last weekend’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in London after being restored to showroom condition – more than 50 years after it first rolled off the production line.
The dilapidated JCB 3 – which cost £2,500 when it was new – was discovered rotting in a field in Kent. Thanks to the efforts of JCB employee Julian Carder, it is now back to the condition it was in in 1963 when it was first manufactured at JCB’s World HQ in Rocester.
Mr Carder (pictured) said: ‘The machine was in a pretty poor state, rusty and leaking oil through a lack of care, so it took about 10 months of evenings and weekends at a friend’s workshop to bring it back to life. All in all, we put in about 1,400 hours of restoration.
‘We tried to keep as much of the original machine as possible but had to replace the metalwork which was rotten and beyond repair. The carcass of the cab is original but totally rebuilt. We even had to get some parts specially made because you can’t get them anymore. Every last detail was researched to keep it authentic.’
The machine was bought by plant, demolition and haulage contractors George Killoughery Ltd, of Mitcham, south London, to mark their 50 years in business in 2015. Managing director Joe Killoughery approached Julian Carder, JCB’s worldwide product marketing manager, about a rebuild of the machine.
Mr Carder, who is based at JCB World HQ in Rocester, has so far restored five JCB machines over the past five years and is regularly approached for his expertise with vintage diggers.
Speaking ahead of last weekend’s parade, Mr Carder said: ‘Joe Killoughery had seen a JCB 3C Mark 111 backhoe that I’d previously restored and wanted the same craftsmanship and showroom condition for his machine. His machine looks fabulous and now Killoughery are having one of their oldest operators come over from Ireland to drive it at the parade.
‘I’ll be behind it at the wheel of one of our brand new 70th anniversary 3CX backhoes. This rebuild really has been a labour of love and I’m proud that I'll have a bird’s-eye view as the reborn JCB 3 wows the crowds during the parade.’
