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Hi all, I've just started building this kit from the new post-war range, never attempted a resin and metal kit before, but all I can say is "WOW!", such a high amount of detail!!!, all credit to you, Howard, and your team!....there'll be some photos up soon of the progress.... I'll need to make up some alternative smoke grenade launchers though, as the ones on my real Mk 5 are the earlier fan/triangular shaped bases..., unless you have this typAshton another kit, available as spares that you coul send me Howard?... great kit though!, Best regards, Matt

I'll be there with a few mates from my M.V.club, S.O.E.

How much for those tyres?

I found an old ITN newsreel clip, Ref No. 156166,.... which happens to feature MY ACTUAL VEHICLE 83 BA 78!, ... but sadly they want an extortionate amount (£300 approx!) :shocked:, to download the 5-or-so minute clip, (of which my saracen features for about a minute!):cry:

I've seen it, ... it would look nice on my bookshelf, but I couldn't afford one.....:-(

....lets see if I can make it for this one, since last years's was out of the question!....

...hmmm, not sure how many are left, but my saracen is one of only 1850 that were made by Alvis,.... what with people cutting them up, left right and centre, surely the numbers are dwindling!....:nut:

....I just had a look at the above footage, and then did a search for Alvis Saracen, and lo and behold, on the 1st clip I watched 'Ulster Clip 1', at 00:58, is MY saracen!.... although it seems this was shot before it was up-armoured.... how cool is that!:cool2:

...am currently on the lookout for a 'pixie - suit' type tank suit, 1950's,... to fit me, I'm 6'1", I know finding one for someone my height is probably a tall order:-D:rotfl:, but someone must have one, I'm sure...

also, when you've got one apart this far, the oil hoses should be checked to make sure thy are still pliable and not perished, if they need replacing, don't go to Pirtek, as they'll charge about £280 for the lot!, generally they should be ok. It's worth changing all the drivebelts for new ones, not new, old stock,the twin fan belts, should be a matched pair, ideally.... and most important is the hydraulic pump drive belt, which I think is probably nigh on impossible to change without removing the rad and from grille at the very least, ... and if this belt snaps, you will need a whole pallet of Popeye's Spinach to steer the thing, and there will be virtually no braking assistance after a couple of pushes on the brake pedal.....:wow:

B81 = 6500cc, B80 = 5760cc.... so B81 would be even less stressed in saracen, due to it's obvious higher bhp figure, (depending on how heavy your right foot is of course! lol!). On the cooling fan note, you may have a point with the electric fans producing a higher air flow, but they'd more than likely be running all the time, due to a build up of heat, as the engine bay in a saracen is very restrictive as regards letting hot air out, the air from the rad leaves the engine bay by various tortuous routes, depending on what version/mk you have. 'Normal' Saracens, -air comes in through front grille, through rad, past engine, some escapes out through the engine access hatches, and some along the 'channels', below the drivers side vision blocks/hatches, and whats left is forced along, under the floor, around the petrol tank and out of the vent pipes at roof level either side of the top of the rear doors. During the developement of the saracen, it was discovered that in hot climates this air-flow direction effectively turned the hull into an oven, and very quickly became an uncomfortable place to be, when in a hot climate. To combat this, a Reverse-Flow Cooling (RFC) system was developed, by fitting the fans from I believe a Saladin, these had blades the opposite way round, and so sucked air in through the engine access hatches, and through the raised 'bee-hive' rear engine hatches, and the other under floor route, so sucking in cooler air from outside, effectively cooling the interior slightly, to a more bearable level for the crew. In doing this the air then was forced forwards through the rad, and out trough the grille,.... causing a huge cloud of dust/sand to blow up infront of the vehicle,... a problem solved by the fitting of a rubber and sheet metal shroud to deflect the flow of air down and to each side. Some owners have experienced overheating problems when running a RFC (reverse flow cooling) saracen with this shroud/cowling removed. All this kind of explains why no heaters were fitted to saracens, as they get hot/up to running temp very quickly.... a saracen on a road run in the depths of winter is a very cosy place to be, and I speak from experience!.... It may be possible to fit a pair of electric fans in front of the rad as a back-up, for when the engine is idling, ie, busy traffic, if you are brave enough to drive it in rush hour, through a town centre, (I did, and things get VERY warm!), especially the floor below and to the side of the GCP, due to the route of the exhaust downpipe....on a hot day, mine has suffered from heat/vapour block, in the fuel system, which I have overcome by leaving the engine access hatches open for a short while after parking up, following a longish road run.... the heat dissipates quicker as it can rise up,up and away... Good luck with yours, and hope you sort it soon,.... I'm about to put my engine back in mine, after having changed the fluid flywheel seals.... soooo many bolts to undo! ahhhh! good job I've labeled all of them!....:red:

interesting project you have going on here..... I might be interested in the tyres, if we can find a cheap way of getting them to the UK....

it could be a UVA Fugitive, apparently they made long wheelbase 4 seater ones, and short wheelbase 2 seater ones. In the USA there was a similar vehicle made called a Chenowth, not sure of its engine though, have a feeling it had a Chevy V8 fitted,......:-\

...... My own uparmoured Saracen is as far as I know, totally standard, but still remains suprisingly spritely, for such a large vehicle. It has been clocked at 60mph, on a long motorway journey, and manages all but the steepest of hills with ease,... is your gearbox working properly?... an easy upgrade is to fit an Alvis Stalwart engine, a B81,(6500cc) instead of the saracens' standard B80 (5760cc).... and a whole lot cheaper to do, aswell!:-D

Amongst other pipes, I replaced the main brake booster/power valve - to centre and rear brake pipe connector, ('T' joint under front edge of fuel tank), and the left and right pipes from this to the hull, these are both full-pressure pipes, and were done back in 2006 and are still perfect.... my original ones had more holes than a penny whistle!:wow:

I think you'll find the fittings are BSP, and the tubing is imperial, but steel hydraulic pipe of a modern metric size can work if the flares on the ends of the tubing are made big enough, I had to replace several of the steel pipes on my saracen and this is how I did mine, although I was able to reuse most of the fittings. regards, Matt

The 2 Ferrets my Dad used for 'his' time with them, when he was in Aden, were 32 BA 79, and 34 BA 97.:undecided: I had a look but didn't see a Ferret Plate among the plates you have with either of those numbers on....:undecided:

I'd love a Ferret one,... moreso, I'd love one that depicts the number of my recently late Dad's Ferret, which seems to now be non-existant, according to records... will check on the number of his, and re-post....and i'd pay a fair price for it too, of course!

a German Wermacht Saracen!!!?....ha, ha... defineatly NOT a German vehicle, but it is certainly a truly marvellous vehicle none the less!, but then I am biased!:laugh:

How does a 20ft shipping container in a secure yard sound?..... I keep my saracen in the same yard, it's very safe...:cool2:

:undecided:....well if it hadn't have been for my poorly departed Dad, (unexpectedly, early morning on the 9th) both he and I would have joined you all in my saracen.... so I shall be looking forward to next years event with renewed enthusiasm.... It looks as if it was an enjoyable time had by all.... kind regards, Matt

does anyone know if Hirsts have any saracen/saladin parts?... I'm always on the look out for bits and bobs for my saracen:D

I'm thinking he still has a leak there somewhere... I replaced the centre seals, and driving members (finned-cover part facing the gearbox), on my saracen, but I've yet to refill it with oil and put the engine back into my engine bay, every couple of days, when I'm passing the yard I check and release the pressure that's built up by itself, due to atmospheric pressure, (well I'm guessing that's what causes it to pressurise itself). I modified a spare oil-level bung with a bolt-in tyre valve, so I could check for leaks with compressed air and soapy water....I expect it'll all have to come apart again, -still at least he knows how it comes apart....

Thank you to all members who have passed on your condolences to myself and my family. Very kind words from all of you. Dad had a really fitting send-off, with some of his favourite military band music: 'Time To Say Goodbye', by the Band of H.M. Household Division - Beating The Retreat 2004, and 'The Evening Hymn and The Last Post', by the Band of H.M. Royal Marines Portsmouth........... My Dad, a real trooper,:saluting:..... and an amazing father, I'm gonna miss you....x

Should any members wish to attend, Bob Kill's funeral is at 1.00pm, on the 22nd August, 2011, at: Wessex Vale Crematorium, Bubb Lane, West End, Southampton, Hampshire. SO30 2HL Family Foral tributes only to Paul Capper Undertakers, Eastleigh. Donations to Bob's favourite charities, would be greatfully recieved: Ambulance Benevolent Fund The Royal British Legion Help for Heroes.