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A.E.C. Militant MK 1 Gallery


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I have not seen another of these cranes on the rally circuit or in photos anywhere - could mine be the only survivor? Allan.

 

If you get up to Crouch's yard pronto, you'll see a very tidy example- I watched it being shunted around on Wednesday.

 

On matters "if it can go wrong...", isn't this on the Foden 6x6 a classic example?

 

Front wheel drive held OUT by air pressure - if air fault develops front drive engages, good failsafe for the battefield, but not great at 50mph - a few transfer boxes have gone west this way!

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If you're thinking of bidding for this door, a friendly word of advice. Ask seller for precise dimensions as door, and other cab dimensions, varied over the course of the Militant production run considerably and this door may not fit your cab. If you're thinking of just rallying the door, warning, these doors are very heavy and carrying one around the rally field could leave you knackered.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120271522176&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

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:rotfl: Thank you for the information 6X6 if fuel becomes extinct rallying the door maybe my only hobby in the future !:cool2:

 

Sorry Andy, but under existing Euroweasel legislation any used vehicle component is deemed to be be trade waste and you would need a licenced premises at which to store your door and a separate licence, costing £12,000 per year, per vehicle, that would entitle you transport trade waste between licenced sites. What about doing HMV jig saw puzzles as a hobby ? That's still fairly legal.

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Sorry Andy, but under existing Euroweasel legislation any used vehicle component is deemed to be be trade waste and you would need a licenced premises at which to store your door and a separate licence, costing £12,000 per year, per vehicle, that would entitle you transport trade waste between licenced sites. What about doing HMV jig saw puzzles as a hobby ? That's still fairly legal.

 

 

lovely ! pmsl. I've seen that door on ebay, looks different to the ones on my Mk1, as they don't have the extra 2inch strips on the outer edges, the exterior handle seems different, and the hinge is not the same either (is it from a Mk1, or were they all different?)

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looks like the door on ebay is right for a Mk1, but not the same as mine, strange? Mine definately have different hinges and handles, and don't have all the extra trim at the bottom and at the handle end of the door. (which is why it gets wet inside no doubt!) Were there different cabs on the militants, or did they all get different treatment when in for repair etc? - resulting in different bits on the cab. I notice mine doesn't have the moulded brackets on the front of the wings, to take the indicator etc that some have, also it came with single mirror arms, and not the larger ones so many seem to have.

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looks like the door on ebay is right for a Mk1, but not the same as mine, strange? Mine definately have different hinges and handles, and don't have all the extra trim at the bottom and at the handle end of the door. (which is why it gets wet inside no doubt!) Were there different cabs on the militants, or did they all get different treatment when in for repair etc? - resulting in different bits on the cab. I notice mine doesn't have the moulded brackets on the front of the wings, to take the indicator etc that some have, also it came with single mirror arms, and not the larger ones so many seem to have.

 

The door on eBay appears to me to be from a later MK 1. From what you have said about your own Militant being different I would guess that yours is from an earlier, 1954 to 1959 product run. Is yours a 6 X 4 cargo or a gun tractor ? The earlier cabs were much more "coachbuilt", rounder and had quite a number of detailed differences from the later ones although the overall shape is the same.

 

Early cabs typically had brass windscreen frames with no reinforcing plate at the top to support the windscreen wiper motor shaft and a more elaborate catch inside the cab to keep the windscreens closed, or slightly ajar. Later cabs had aluminum windscreen frames with a reinforcing plate. Early cabs, "proper" dome headed rivets. Later cabs, pop rivets.

 

Later cabs usually have the sidelights mounted on the mudguards while the earlier ones have the "slug" type on the side of the cab near the air vents. There many other differences, including the guttering above the doors but an important distinction are the actual dimensions of the early/late cabs. You can not, for example, unbolt and split the top half of a late cab and then fit it to the bottom half of an early cab as they will be 2" or 3" out.

 

As a result of repairs, either while in service, or during restorations, a number of surviving cabs have acquired some components and characteristics of both types. At some point, early cabs with trafficators (just behind cab door) had them removed and replaced with lollipop type flashers mounted just above the side lights.

 

Anyway, never mind about all this, have we seen any 'photos of your Militant on this thread yet Simon ? I, and I'm sure many others, would very much like to if you haven't already. Thanks.

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mine must be early, 1953 6x4 Gun Tractor. Moved to my former workplace in Leeds in the summer of last year in a blaze of optimism! Got quite a bit done but came unstuck ( and still am with the unloader valve)

I used to work for a firm that rented space in the yard, then left, and after six months returned to work for the company that actually owns the yard (hope you're keeping up?), so thought I would get my finger out and do a bit.

I posted last year on the subject of the militant's failure to make and maintain air.

I received loads of useful advice, but came to a halt as it was apparent that the unloader valve is U/S, or rather the bellows inside are, as they are badly split, and I believe are leaking all the air into the atmosphere.

If I can get the air sorted, next job is to continue with the cab. I started it years ago, with a cab rebuild, then the job stopped and it stood a local farm, going green and slimey.

Rather than go for the nut & bolt job intended all those years ago, I'm instead just trying to put everything back together and just run the damn thing!

That way in time I can do a bit at time, keep interested, and surrender all the cupboard, garage, shed space currently occupied by bits of flaky green militant parts.

 

This was the militant shortly after I got it in 1994, just look at that black insulation (did it ,make any difference?)

 

36BM01summer19941.jpg

Edited by Simon Daymond
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since the last picture;

 

I've hung the nearside door properly, when I got it, the N/S door had cobbled hinges on it, and never shut properly.

Also both the N/S & O/S rain guttering were refitted too low, and fouled the top of both doors, these were removed and straightened (which took ages, as the aluminium had been squashed, battered, twisted and looked like a right mess, but careful twisting and clamping in the vice, they still look a bit of a mess, but are straighter than they were. They are now refitted propery, so now instead of bowing in the middle, they slope correctly so the rain water runs away, not overflows and into the cab as before. Also the cab roof had to have 1/2 inch welded to it, as I didn't realise the edge could be seen, it had been cut off roughly, as it was thought that the guttering was meant to hide it, how wrong I was. But if you saw the before pictures, I might be forgiven, there was little roof edge left, so it was hard to guess how it should be. (my excuse and I'm sticking to it)

The doors now both shut properly, and I have repaired the channel in the N/S door which held the glass, and now both go up and down with ease, instead of requiring a helping hand as before.

I removed the cowl from around the radiator, to get access to all the water hoses, these were all removed, the water system flushed, and new hoses fitted and new antifreeze added.

I 've put the windscreen wiper motors back on, recoupled the air piping. The screens when refitted had the wrong mechanism attached. The O/S screen had the N/S mechanism and vice versa, this meant you couldn't open the bonnet without fouling the screen mechanism as the correct one has a flat on it, but was fitted to the wrong screen.

Next job is to swap the front air scoops, the N/S is on the O/S and vice versa, so they open the wrong way.

(sounds like I put this thing together in the dark don't it, perhaps I should get some Jimmy Cricket wellies, the ones with L & R painted on them!)

Last bit (for now) does anyone have one of these, it's a bellows from a Clayton Dewandre unloader valve, this one is badly split and lets all the air escape, most likely I could do with the complete unloader valve, but in the meantime, this seems to be the culprit?

 

bellowsslightlycracked.jpg

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Hello Simon ! I know exactly where you are coming from regarding wanting to get your old girl mobile again my Explorer never seems to get the time she deserves :cry: ! Have you tried this chap who advertises on milweb for the brake parts ! http://www.milweb.net/dealers/trader/deanfield_commercials.htm Good luck mate and keep at her ! It'll all be worth it when you get her going ! Andy F.

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Hi Andy, cheers for that, the guy is called Charlie, also happens to have a militant gun tractor as well! - it's a small world. I rang him last year but he didn't have an unloader valve, but he was very helpful, and I'm determined to go over and see him soon. Also gave me a good lead for a local firm to make a canvas for the back, he had one made for his from the original he had, and it's spot on (both in build and price)

 

I reckon that valve was used on more than just the militant, I'm sure I've seen it on old buses etc, from my time when I used to work at the museum.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if something like a routemaster bus had something similar. I'm due a trip to the bus scrap yards at Barnsley shortly, I'll have a look then.

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Simon, original rear view mirror brackets AND winch guide rollers in front bumper AND trafficators still fitted !!!!!!! It's all been too much so I've just called an ambulance to take me to Taunton General Hospital where I shall be residing until the shock wears off.

 

One question, how secure is the yard where you keep this lorry ? I mean, what if someone travelled up from say, Somerset, armed with a set of spanners and entered said yard under cover of darkness and removed a few bits, well, what I was wondering, just out of interest, are there any GUARD DOGS ?

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Sometimes it takes a while to get to things as we all have had to much to do or need to get done and sometimes it takes a bit to the fires stoked to get going again . You have brought it a long ways so far , As the others have said keep at it it will be worth it !!!

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Thanks for the comments guys! Andy, I saw that militant on the AEC forum yesterday, so I was considering giving him a ring, problem is I'm cautious of anything ebay, can't hurt to ask, it's only money ! Failing that, I will give the reconditioning company a shout, I'm sure they'll be able to help.

6x6, yes there is a guard dog, but too soft to mention, and the chain reaches nowhere near the militant.

The semaphore indicators had been removed, but replacements came courtesy of Wally Dugan, who was at the Museum of Army Transport, Beverley, at the time. Originally I was going to rely on them only, but realised that in today's traffice I'm asking for trouble. The front rollers etc are present, in the garage ( I hope) are the removable guide pins, visible in the early picture, but not in the later.

I think I've worked out a way of bypassing the unloader valve for now, by closing off the feed for the bellows, but then adjusting the seperate safety valve so that the tanks don't explode.

I went to Catterick Barracks today, took a coach load of school kids, had a snoop around, couldn't find any militants in the undergrowth though, tidy lot these army types you know.

Did see what looked like an Antar in their compound though along with an old tank, sorry haven't a clue what, and I didn't have a camera.

 

On a seperate note, believe it or not, I'm getting the paint out shortly. Question is shiny or drab? Originally the scheme was going to be shiny green, but as the militant is going to be nowhere near original, at this point in time, I thought that I might represent the militant at a later date in her life.

So, my question is, is it likely that the miltant would have always been shiny green? When I got the militant, it was flat, but I don't know whether this was as a result of time, or whether laterly the miltant was painted drab? I can remember that she did end up laterly as a driver trainer, and she seemed to have an active life, I don't remember hearing that she had been in storage.

Any ideas? I know the subject of paint is mentioned eleswhere, but here seems appropriate as it is in direct discussion of a militant mentioned in this post.

Edited by Simon Daymond
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I've seen two or three that had been matt while in service. Matt, or gloss, is very much a personal choice. Both can look good. The main problem I have found with matt is that it marks very easily and even the very expensive stuff seems to fade to that light grey quite quickly if the vehicle is stored in the open. Semi-gloss, giving a sort of aged gloss is an option.

 

I use Dacrylate semi-gloss black anti-corrosive undercoat and Dacrylate Implamel Landrover Green gloss top coat. Both are white spirit based so can be sprayed, rolled and touched up by hand with a brush. Lorries I painted 10 years ago that have been stored under cover still don't look too bad. I expect other people will have different preferences when it comes to what paints suit them best.

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so, if the matt green might fade to grey, then if the militant is green albeit flat, does that mean that it was gloss that then faded?

Think I might go gloss if that's the case. Wasn't there a point after which nothing was painted gloss? - or am I simply mistaken? Reason I ask, is that I think the militant was in use until the early 1980's, at that time what was the painting requirement? gloss or matt?

To be clear, what is the gloss referred to as? Bronze green, or deep bronze green ( or have I just opened another can of worms?) Also, what is the matt referred to as?

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I would think the matt green is NATO Green ( Possibly Infra Red Repellent)! My experience of this is that my Pig needs repaint nearly every year as it fades very quickly ! I'm going for replica Nato Green this year as original paint is in short supply (all our countries military vehicles seem to require a sand finish now !)My Explorer is going to be Deep Bronze Green as its harder wearing and easier to keep clean ! I'm getting it from here ! http://www.rrservices.co.uk/index2.html

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