thedawnpatrol

Sorry Guys, it's me bleating on about my WOT2 again, Well, after waiting what seamed like months for the DVLA to come and check my truck, I was finally given a registration number last Thursday, So for the first time today, I drove her the 8 miles from where she was off loaded to my home, this is the first time she has been on the road. Over all she drove quite well, steering was good, power ok at 30MPH ish, Gears...............well I'll have to get used to those, Clutch..............very jerky when slowly releasing the clutch, is this normal ? Brakes..............Poor, will have to ajust! But.......................................my bigest disapointment was I over heated, set of with a full rad, but was dumping water all the way, my wife tells me who was following!. Now, before I ask you wise fellows for ideas, hears some back ground. Before I had her, the chap had a cylinder head go, so he changed the gaskett, so, persume all ok, when i ran her in the yard on tick over, I thought I had a leak from one of the water pumps, so I tipped in a bottle of Holts Rad weld..............great, that cured it! Untill today!, but, when I pulled up on my drive, steaming well, and after she had cooled slightly, I added more water to an empty Rad, and ran the engine again, now she was again fine on tick over, but, as soon as I gave her some revs she dumped a load out of the over fill pipe, (more than normal) Also when I un screwed the Rad cap, water was bubbling and spitting, rising and falling! So, any thoughts gents? Cheers Jules

Can any one shed any light on my question. My White M3 Half Track has a pintol mount for a .50 Cal front centre, not the scarf mounting ring. Now, when I mount my .50 I can not put the roof on, I have original hood bows and an original canvas with crossed zips where the .50 is, but..................... the level of the hood is to high to go under the gun, but not high enough to go over ! I would have thought that it should zip up to the underside of the .50 and the gun outside ? What is wrong ? any thoughts ? Jules

Hi Runflat I don't have that copy, can anyone scan it and post it here ? Thanks ever so ! Jules

That really is a fantastic job Steve, well done. It seams like a life time ago that I rebuilt my MKV (full size) but your attention to detail is just like mine was. well done Jules

Gary, Did you jump at Weston -on Green ? That is where this Baloon has come from. Going by what people have said................it's not worth the hassle sadly. Jules

I have been offered an original WW2 Barrage Balloon, great, I thought, all I need is a nice Ford winch truck to attach it to and what a display it would make flying high above a show! But then I thought what shall I fill it with, and whats it going to cost me? also what hight could I fly it too ? any one any thoughts ? Jules

Here's the latest photo of mine, now in RAF colours & just waiting the stencils.

Here is another photo of a Guy Ant with Light Warning Body. Jules

Here are three Paintings that I saved many years ago from an old Airfield in Oxfordshire, the largest one with the Spitfire is 6ft square and the other two about 4 ft square, they were painted in the old Airmans Mess during the war, the timber hut was falling down in the early 1980's so we asked if we could remove them, they are just painted on plaster board, the only reason they survived is that after the war it became a displaced persons camp and it was thought a good idea to wall paper over the paintings. Jules

Yes Les, they are really nice. I'll add some to this later. Jules

The Main jet does unscrew, if you look inside, there is a slotted 'top' this unscrews and the main jet drops out. i'll take some photos of my spare carb. Jules

Don't be put off fitting a US tyre, I have just fitted 4 to my 1944 Morris C8. Ok they need a trim, but as I have said before, a nice sharp blade in your electric Jig Saw and just carefully trim about an 1/8 th all round to get that snug fit on British rims. Jules

Yes, Ted I think you are right it is the two shades of Brown. That is a lovely photo, any idea of the year ? I have two sample cards from RR Services paint range, one is 'RAF Dark Earth' which is a match for SCC2, the other is called 'Service brown' which is very dark and I believe it is a match for SCC1a. So, thats my colours sorted, but next question, what about the finish, Satin or Matt ? Jules

Thank you Ted, and all you others, I have also been in touch with Mike Starmer who also has carried out much research on this subject and he agrees that the colours on the original photo of the WOT above would be SCC2 Brown basic with SCC1a Dark Brown disrupter. So, armed with this info, thank you all, and look out for my RAF WOT2 Light Warning Truck in these colours! Jules

Sorry, I should have added..................... What do you think the colours of the WOT in the above photo are ? Jules

Thanks Ted, Well, a date...............My truck was built in late 1943/early 44. What has foxed me is, when you see restored Ford WOT2's nearly all are brown with green camo, (not MM). You have seen photos of mine on my other thread, the green is far to 'US Olive Drab' for my liking, I do think that the Black Camo patt. is correct though? I want my truck to look like an RAF 'Light Warning' Truck used in 1944. I like the look of the picture that was posted on my thread, I want the paint to be dead matt like the originals. So, there you have it, I have no RAF Number, so will have to make it up, any thoughts ? Over to you Ted. ( I don't like what it is at the moment though!) I am in Oxfordshire. Cheers Jules

Hello Ted Thank you for being so quick to answer with some very interesting photos. Well, My question is back to my old subject of my WOT2 Light Warning truck, I have made my mind up to restore it as an RAF vehicle, I was inspired by your photo of the Guy Ant Light Warning truck on my other thread, the one in Bomber Command markings............. So it is with this in mind and also the other pictures on that thread that I want to copy. I assume that the B/26 would be correct on the front wing and rear (as that photo) and the roundel, would it be ok to put 'RAF' and number on the door sides ? Not sure what number to use, any ideas? and would this be the same as the 'number plate'? My bigest dilemma is what colours to paint the truck, I like the idea of the Brown base (RAF Dark Earth) with Dark Green cammo, just like the aircraft and lots of vehicles, but you will also see from the original photos, again on my 'Light Warning' thread, that the 'Mickey Mouse' pattern was used, could this be in the above colours or was the 'MM' always in Black ? I would really apreachate you imput Ted. Kind regards Julian.

Does any one have any original photos of Vehicles in RAF service ? I am looking for details of the painting of the RAF Number and the Cockade. Ideally any trucks, but what ever you have. Jules

Here's another photo, again showing two WOT2's and in front a WOT2 Light Warning Truck, interestingly, note that the door opens the other way to my other photos? Anyone have anymore pictures?

Yep, I plan a ride down with the family from the 'North Cotswolds' hopefully in my Wot2. Will fill out the forms next week. Jules

Sorry Here is that Photo

Here is a very interesting photo that Simon sent me, and the same angle taken of my body. As I have said before, the guy I got the truck from thought it was a radio body and again thought that the 5" hole in the forward end of the roof was for a fan, but I now think it was for the main pole to go through. See what you make of the original photo, sadly I only have this photocopy, there are lots of interesting shadows ! I would guess that somewhere there must be a series of photos showing the inside. Hope my scan works, if not I will try again. Jules

Hello Luis Thats looks like a nice 19 set, well done, I think you did very well there. I know Pete Gain, he is a nice chap, and always very friendly. Good luck with your project, send in some photos as you go, as a jeep owner, (ford GPW) it is always interesting to see how other people get on. Best of luck Julian.

Just to keep this ball rolling, I have been lent a manual called Concise Details of Radio Vehicles, an Air Ministry publication, but dated 1950. It covers many types of radio trucks, but there are two that are simular to my Light Warning Truck, One refurs to a Type 105 Radio Vehicle, the other a Type 267 mk.1 although this is on a Bedford cab/chassis, the back body is very simular to mine, the body is refured to as a 'type E' stores ref 16a/1672. The discription states:- This is a mobile Monitoring unit used for centimetric pulsed transmissions. Three aerial systems are provided, one to cover the upper end, one set in the horizontal plane and the other in the vertical plane. the equipment consists of a pair of waveguid aerials mounted on a suitable turning gear...............it goes on for pages! The Equipment listed is :- Two recievers Type R.1392D Two power units Type 234A Control Unit Type 7a Transmitter-Reciever Type TR.5043 Power unit type 15 Petrol Generating set, 1260w, 35V Control unit Type 714 Control unit Type 715 Indicator CRT Type4 Power unit type 820 Amplifying unit type A.3269 Test set Type 219 The purpose of this installation is a mobile VHF direction finder station. Here is a photo of the above, sadly it does not show the Aerial set up. Your thoughts Gentlemen ! Jules

A Sherman............thats on the List, Have enough on my hands at the moment with the two Comet's! Jules