Old Roger Dyson equipment never dies - it just gets swapped onto new chassis and starts life all over again!

That's what happened when Ainsworth's Recovery, of Ulverston, Cumbria, needed a new heavy wrecker. The company's 17-year-old Scania 142 was on its last legs, but the truck's Dyson Brimec Commander equipment was still going strong.

So, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater, proprietor Richard Ainsworth sent the vehicle to Roger Dyson's workshop in Droitwich, Worcestershire, where the equipment was stripped off and given a comprehensive refurbishment and upgrade. It was then mounted on a replacement DAF CF 6x4 chassis which was also repainted, and the resulting vehicle is now indistinguishable from a brand new unit.

Mr Ainsworth takes up the tale: "We bought the Commander 10 years ago, at which point it was already seven years old but in perfect condition. Eventually, though, the chassis started to show its age and we decided it needed replacing.

"I contacted Dyson's Sales Manager Tony Rayner and he came up to visit us. He immediately agreed that the recovery equipment was still in excellent working order and had many years of hard work left in it. We therefore decided to get the vehicle back to Dyson's factory to see what could be done, so Tony took it down and the team set to work."

The first task for Roger Dyson's technicians was to put the equipment through an exacting series of tests, in order to gauge precisely what work was needed to restore it to original condition.

Once the investigations had been completed, the bodywork panels and original flyer were removed, and the project began. Some of the initial work was carried out with the equipment still in place on the chassis, before it too was removed.

The Dyson team gave it a complete overhaul but there was more to this project than simply restoring the recovery equipment to its former glory - in several key areas it was also upgraded, or fitted with new components, in line with the specification of Dyson's most recent models. For instance, while the original neck assembly was cleaned, strengthened and repainted, a complete new Maxi-reach Underlift was fabricated and installed.

Meanwhile, the new chassis was also being prepared. The truck began life as a tractor unit but Roger Dyson extended the wheelbase and gave its electrical and air systems a thorough service. It also constructed a new body in four shell sections which were then fitted to the lengthened chassis along with a new X-type flyer and front axle ballast box. Finally, the new bodywork, refurbished and upgraded equipment, and a complete new wiring harness were assembled and the complete vehicle fully tested and re-certified.

"With a smart new livery providing the finishing touch it really does look and feel like a brand new truck, but at a fraction of the cost," adds Mr Ainsworth. "Roger Dyson's recovery equipment just doesn't wear out so we're now looking forward to at least another 17 years of hard working life."