david56

It is so sad to see Witham’s on-line auctions. Gone is the interesting stuff. I have bought a few HGV trucks over the years and been very happy with them. Now since loosing the MOD contract the stuff they put on the web site is crap. Old chain saws, lots of Chinese generators. Brightwells have a few snatch land rovers and some 90’s with incredibly low mileages but that’s it where is the heavy stuff going? what also happened to the “Lots of assorted spare parts” I suppose that the truth is now a days Military equipment is leased and at the end of its life it disappears. Contrast this with the Eastern European and Russian stuff of which there seems to be tons available. Though nowadays There isn’t much available that is complete I want to replace my old DAF with a GAZ 66 but I can’t find one that is complete and running. That isn’t in Siberia and won’t cost three times more than it’s worth to get customs and transport clearance I feel that civilian access to old heavy MV’s is probably drawing to a close. I have been looking at ex Local Authority gritters and snow ploughs as a route to 4x4 and 6x6 chassis cabs. It’s a mine field too. Also the new MOT rules are a further constriction as well as the 10 year rule on tyres. Im sad because as a lad I bought all my cars from Ruddington auctions including a run of Austin 1800 ex staff cars they were dead cheap and very well looked after. Now I use 4x4 trucks for my business but new iveco/ unimogs are well beyond reach. I suppose it’s a sign of the times. in sadness David

Hi, you also need to find your nearest HGV mot station in order to fill in the form. I would check on the waiting list, they can be quite long. You could find a commercial vehicle garage who can do a pre MOT so you get an idea what is needed. David.

Anybody interested https://www.brightwellslive.com/lot/details/410781

Does anybody Saxon armoured vehicle. That they could measure the wheel stud centres, diameter, width and offset for me please. I want to buy some wheels that came off a Saxon and was hoping they might fit my truck. David.

https://whitelabel-2.globalauctionplatform.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/wca/catalogue-id-witham1-10000/lot-f4c424c0-f62b-43cc-9499-aa39010b65e6 these are the tyres.

Hi. I have been considering changing the tyres on my truck. On Ebay there is a set of wheels and tyres I am keen to try They are fitted with “Run Flat Inserts” what are these? do they effect the maximum speed when used on the road is there any downside to using them Are all ten stud wheels interchangeable. Many thanks David.

I spoke to the DVSA and I came away with the understanding that anybody can fill in the form and declare tachograph exemption but it is for the officer at the side of the road and any subsequent court proceedings that will decide it. So yes at the time of registration and MOT exemption can be claimed but this does not mean that the vehicle is exempt. After all if you have a tachograph why not use it. Unless you are a lorry driver. Also if, as I do, you disconnect the battery for long periods then I was told to put in the backing plastic and two discs.

Ian, on the VTG1 it asks for the test centre and date and time. Did you leave this blank? Or had you sorted out the test before do I understand the GVW is less than the actual weight or is the 23,000kg some sort of calculated theoretical weight for brake testing david

Thanks so much for your story it has been very useful and certainly focuses the mind. I am sure there are lots of problems around the lack of use of brakes It takes months to get a test date. But it seems like retests are much easier. Am I right ? in the MOT manual it talks about wheels that lock during the brake test. They seem to want to add weights so that the weight goes up to between 50& 65% of the gross weight. Unless the truck has fitted plant. Then they might use a tapley deaccelerometer Did they add weights to your AEC. David.

It’s a thought but I have discovered that the dodge RB44 used the same headlights so I am looking at that. The best permanent solution is probably to change the lights for Land Rover ones a little bit of fabrication and a few hours with the angle grinder should do it. I am very nervous of the HGV MOT testers.

Oh dear I don’t understand how or why Facebook functions. I’m not old just ignorant. I will get the grandchildren to have a go for me. thanks.

Anybody know anybody who has a RB44 that they are breaking for spares? or folk who have and sell RB44 spares.

This LGV mot is much more serious, and expensive than the car one. I have just had my Renault Maxter pre MOTed and it has thrown up a whole load of things I never expected to be a problem Most are easy to fix , missing rear marker lights, spare wheel (which affects the side bars) , a missing exhaust bracket, an air leak from the drivers seat and the spray suppression mud guards are not widenough Others not so easy an air leak from the brake master cylinder and most problematical of all it has a left hand drive headlight. I cannot find a right hand drive one. I have tried Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, India to no avail. I don’t know what to do next. My thoughts are re fabricating the front bumper so as to fit Military 24v Landrover lights. Should look ok. Or cutting the end off the bumpers and welding in the ends from something much younger probably a DAF with a steel bumper. Hey ho when I do sort out all this then at lest it will be done for good. David. Ps anybody got a 10 stud wheel and legal tyre size not important they could sell me.

There is a non running Daimler ferret in Brightwells Leominster classic auction. Looks like quite a lot of bits missing from engine and transmission. https://www.brightwells.com/classic-motoring/leominster-classic-vintage/leominster-classic-vintage-6th-march-2019/leominster-catalogue-6th-march/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=sharpspring&sslid=MzUwMDMzMjAxNzexAAA&sseid=MzQzMjQwtzQwMQEA&jobid=42e40a86-baba-4464-a899-119e0339816e also some very nice looking land rovers in their weekly auction. https://www.brightwells.com/4x4s-cars-vans/4x4-car-van-leisure-auctions/5th-march-4x4-car-van-auction/catalogue/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=sharpspring&sslid=MzG1NDYzNDOzNDQyAQA&sseid=MzQzMjQyNzQ1NQMA&jobid=6b9535b4-3882-4979-88e2-7cfb6f9794df And an ex Malaysian military Land Rover too.

I am attempting to MOT my Renault Maxter as we speak. As far as I can see it is in the original condition but there is plenty of things that were missing when new that it now needs. Like marker lights on the rear and three point seat belts. Also the spray suppression on the rear wheels is not wide enough. The biggie is at some point the passenger head light was replaced with one from a Left Hand drive truck. The correct one is now unobtainable not new or second hand. Buying it could have been a massive mistake. I understand that the DAFs did not conform to the regulations when they were new and now need quite a lot of work to get them through the MOT. Older vehicles might be easier.

Hi, anybody got a pair of right hand drive headlights with the cones they could sell me.

I know it applies to all new registration applications (V55) but, are you sure this is applied retrospectively. I don’t know. But I would have suspected that there would have been much more noise from the DVSA by now. At the least a letter to all “exempt” keepers. Informing them of the Change. Some bloke once told me that there was a three year period of grace. I don’t know if it is true or not.

Ian it does have the inflator but I can’t get it to work. I think there is a non return valve in the system that only lets a small amount of air out.

Try the invicta club they sorted mine out. With out even seeing it and I had no documents at all. I imported it from Italy and the vendor removed the licence plates and would not give me even a copy of the Italian registration.

I have a DAF it’s very usable. I have driven it 12,000 miles for work It is slow and can’t really keep up with traffic nowadays. On the motorway it doesn’t matter but on A roads i find a queue tends to build up behind so I stop and let them pass. it is thirsty especially if it is pushed buying an unregistered one is a minefield now. In order to pass an MOT they need so much doing Tachograph, speed limiter side impact bars and rear under run bars for a start the so-called blue form is not enough to register with. If you buy one that is registered check what it is registered as anything other than HGV or Private HGV comes with restrictions. The basic Agricultural class is useless. Registering them as 7.5 tonne is possible but remember they weigh over 6 tonnes empty so any body you put on must be light. Unregistered direct from MOD £2k should buy one that runs and drives. But might have a little rust in the front wings. All of them are now over 25 years old. The mileage is generally around 70k KM, so they must have been sitting in storage for most of that time. Mine did 20 miles in 10 years sat in Germany. Dealers seem to want around £4-5k. A registered one from a dealer £5-6.6k. Like the Bedford’s there are very few spare parts. The army has just about sold all of them now. DAF don’t have anything on the shelf. Dave Crouch has lots of parts but the cost soon mounts up. You will need an HGV class C1 licence if you don’t have one they are now expensive to get It’s not just the test it’s all the rest. The transmission is not designed for high (relatively) speed work all the universal joints have gone on mine one collapsed the rest wore out. oh and it’s Euro1 emissions soon could banned from some places. finally it has never ever failed to start first turn of the key even if left for months outside in the winter. The Bedford’s are probably much harder to find and I suppose over 40 years old I doubt that there are any parts now. most of these trucks were exported to Africa back in the day. That stopped about 10 years ago that’s why there are so many DAFs and very few Bedford’s I put Range Rover seats in mine it’s easier on the bum. i would consider the legal side just as much as finding one Anyhow that’s my opinion, I wish you good luck in your search.

Thanks for that. I suppose letting some air out of the tyres is a the way to go. But I drive a lot on the road and I suppose flatter tyres will make the steering even worse than it is.

My DAF keeps getting stuck on soft ground always been able to get out eventually never needed a tow yet. it has the standard wheels and tyres I was wondering if larger/ wider tyres would help. Are floatation tyres better or worse when driving across damp fields?

Yes I know something of this because when I registered my DAF there was a debate about fitting a tachograph which didn't worry me too much but as I investigated it I became more alarmed. Because they were never fitted when new VOSA would consider them as new vehicles and they would need a digital tachograph PLUS a digital speed limiter. at that time the cost would have been around £2500 or about what the whole truck cost at the time. The Tacho guy I was talking to at the time reckoned that nobody would notice but I wonder. In the end I declared it tacho exempt and never bothered but as you say times have moved on and the rules have changed. i am still stuck as there is no manufacturers plate but I have a Certificate of conformity. The guys at DAF were used to answering these questions probably because they sold so many of them. The folk at Renault dont really know what to do.

Wow, thanks I now realise that I have been driving my DAF for 8 years believing it is exempt from tachograph rules when it probably wasn’t. Still it never had a tachograph anyhow. I have been thinking that Aggriculture is probably the way to go. Then reregister it later. In that view I will need to go down to a farm and take some pictures with lots of cuddly animals. Thanks again for the info.

Does anybody have, or know anybody who has a leyland DAF 4x4 troop carrier with all the seats or a gun bus. I would like some photographs so that I can try to see where the seats go and how they are fixed. David.