Fugly

It would be an interesting proposition, the extra power on the gearbox might be a problem on a combat vehicle in arduous long term conditions but my baby wont be getting thrashed too hard - unless the revolution comes and I might need to go shopping in it ! Well no one has pointed out any major flaws at the moment - cooling I understand because of the pulley layout , but I am considering fitting twin electric fans and a truck radiator, which may help the MPG and reliability. Ideally I would like to end up with an extremely reliable vehicle , with power on tap. Not that a Saladin shouldn't be reliable if well maintained of course.... For those interested - this is what a B80 looks like fitted into a replica Bentley.

Just a passing thought , but could a RR B81 be installed into a Saladin. I have an ex - Stalwart B81 configured with a dry sump. Could it go into a Saladin ?. The engines dimensions on paper are the same . The B80 Gearbox mounting casting fits the B81 - holes seem identical. I have not studied the idea in depth but would assume there is someone out there who has installed a B81 in place of a B80 in a MV. Before I get too carried away with the idea could someone please point out the blindingly obvious? ( I do have a mint B80 sitting in its crate just in case....) but maybe that extra HP attracts !!

There are some threaded holes around the outer flange - if everything is undone, put some long bolts into the holes and wind them in, From memory this "jacks" the bevel box away from the hull .

Great Photos ! Similar modifications to my ferret seen in a different setting in Aden. ( one of the same vehicles involved I think?) Interestingly, all the studs for mounting the centre bin have been removed off the O/s excape hatch, and I originally thought this was when it was prepared as a possible gate guard HOWEVER , I have been watching a you tube video of ferrets in cyprus in 1991 ( mine was there also) , and the close up shots reveal they had the centre bin removed , and the studs ground off / removed . So these modifications on my ferret probably started in the early 60's and stayed that way thru to the end of its life . So its not having a centre bin fitted !!

Looks like an item for the scrap man then !!!! :undecided: Thanks for your assistance .

Thats a start ! Thanks - any more takers ?

Hello All Again I turn to the culmulative hundred of years of experience of the forum for help. Can anyone ID these exhaust sections The long slim one ( Which has no internals- straight through ) has number 9AHY 2990-99-826-4634 The stubby one is 9HY 2990-99-813-9860 I presume they are of the same type of vehice? Can anyone help? Thanks again.

Thanks Chaps for the suggestions, I'm sure someone will ID this very soon.

Hello Can someone please identify this tool for me , it came with Ferret parts / Saladin parts and it carries the Fv367662 number and part number (9AAD) 5120-99-835-8633. Its about an inch in dia, and 2 and 3/4 inches long. Its described as a spanner and is clearly a tool rather than a part. Please can someone identify it for me and hopefully describe its purpose. Many Thanks

I have details on the replacement of the Saladin wheelstation and its very similar. Please PM me your email address and I will scan in and forward to you. Cheers Jim:D

Thanks Andy Your fantastic site has inspired me to do this , I doubt the Saladin site will ever have the sheer depth of information that your site holds but I will try to do the 6 wheeler some justice !! Thanks

Saladin Owners and enthusiasts ! I am building a website www.fv601-saladin.co.uk ( Its not online yet , so don't try to go to it yet...) and I am hoping to encourage owners and enthusiasts to forward me details / pictures of surviving vehicles and their location etc to allow a global register to be developed. A friend has been keeping an informal count and he is up to 60 so I would like to formalise that , and also build a network of owners and enthusiasts to share information and network on spares supply etc. PM me with your details ! Many thanks

There is really only one way to find out - Go for it ! Or buy a 432 ?

Beats going to the gym. A day clambering in and out of a vehicle like a saladin can give all the muscles a stretch ! Anyway - have potential interest in 7 exhausts, so its a goer. Will keep you informed.

You can never have enough Saladin spares !!!!!!!! I will add you name to the "maybe list !!

Thanks Tim :-):-)

Just hoping to reach out to any Alvis Saladin restorers / owners who may have a ropey exhaust. There is a tentative plan to produce some mild steel Saladin exhausts and heat shields using mine as a template . This has already been done with the ferret exhausts and these are now available for £270. The ferret exhausts are not expensive , and sound great. The plan is to make the Saladin exhausts as close to original as possible in terms of material thickness and to try and keep the costs reasonable . For this reason we wont be using stainless, titanium or carbon fibre :-D It will only be a small batch so if anyone is interested please contact me by PM or jim@strategicplacements.com or 07866 367059 . As this is an expensive committment please only contact me if you seriously interested. If on the other hand you have a crate of Saladin exhausts ( or even just one ...) you want to sell please contact me and I will be round your house faster than a Ikea meatball on Derby day . Jim

Hello All Any van drivers / truck owners running from Stowmarket to the midlands ? I want to bring back about 10 crates ( wooden ) about a 1 metre x 1 metre by 1/2 metre high. They are not too heavy and are EMPTY! I can meet you once you get nearby, anywhere within a reasonable radius of Derby. Will pay a reasonable amount. Any takers ?

"The Beast" Maybe thats a good name for it !!

And losing all that weight (bins , wings ) may push the MPG up......... I need to lose a little weight too......... :-) I have had the photo blown up . The tank museum kindly sent it on CD as a 9mb file ( apparantly thats a big file). When I blew it up it reveals more details . The rectangular box on the back looks like an ammo box, .. The front portion of the front wing is in place ( to hold the lights and the wing mirrors ) and the tyres dont look so balloonish, and appear to have a standard road tyre tread. There appears to be something like a water can attached to the rear panel on two of the vehicles.

I think the angle effect is from the angle I held the camera at ( Its a photo of a photo) - I am getting a high res scan from the tank museum so it should appear better on there . No ideas on the tyres then anyone ?? Definate that the wings were often removed to prevent nine damage after speaking to a friend who was in Aden, their reg't had ferrets mined 12 times , leading to one fatality. I really like the way the ferrets look minus wings and would save me restoration time........ ( or is that me being lazy) !!

2 more pics

Hi - Does anyone have any good photos of ferrets being used without wings or most of the stowage bins. I understand that they were removed to restrict mine damage. I have a photo of 3 ferrets on convoy duty , showing them without wings , and running on road tyres ( sand tyres?) . I am tempted to recreate this look on a ferret and would like some other pics , and also details of the tyres used . I assume that it could not be legally driven on the road without the wings. The other modifications were a storage box attached to the n/s rear hull, behind the rear tyre, and a cable reel attached to the n/s of the hull beneath the turret. The front wings appear removed but the headlamps are still in position. I will post the picture of the 3 later this week, but here is a similar shot. Any more pics - I have seen the oned on the ferret website, and would like some more reference material? :-D

Here is the link to the pics of the gearbox / brake bands etc http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?16685-FERRET-GEARBOX-RENEWING-BRAKEBANDS-part-needed&highlight=ferret+brake+bands

I agree with Andy - take the box out and partially strip it , you will be able to remove the brake bands and see how badly worn they are . There is a thread on here somewhere with pics .