Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I have had word of an Austin K2 ambulance, found in a dry shed, its home since sometime in the 1950's apparantly. Sadly it could son be cut up, unless someone steps in to save it.............but there is a catch, well several. The premises where it is, has been built up and filled with stock over the years and the vehicle would have to be dismantled to remove it. No mean task. The other thing is that it is located in the Paris area. My French contact is willing to help, he is a MV collector with a great interest in British vehicles and anyone interested should PM me and I will pass his email address on to them. A few pictures to follow......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Hopefully some better photos here, although access was restricted as you will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 more pics......... Last photo shows the access :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I wonder if the stock (reclaimed building matls) could be moved to allow extraction and then replaced? Much better prospect than dismantling surely? Looks to have survived well in the relative dry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 I wonder if the stock (reclaimed building matls) could be moved to allow extraction and then replaced? Much better prospect than dismantling surely? Looks to have survived well in the relative dry! Tony, I am only going on what my friend said after speaking to the owner, there is another photo looking back towards the street and there must be tons of iron railings there :shake:. Not an ideal vehicle to dismantle either. Anyone interested, would have to do a site visit to see how feasable it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I suppose the burning - no pun intended - question has got to the ubiquitous "How much do they want for it or are prepared to pay for it's removal"?? (OK - the last bit is tongue in cheek!!) A K2 has to be a worth while project but I for one would have no idea how to dismantle one enough to get it out of the access way in the pictures.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 I suppose the burning - no pun intended - question has got to the ubiquitous "How much do they want for it or are prepared to pay for it's removal"?? Sadly, it would not be easy as I am aware there is little space around it. I would hate to have to pull a vehicle like this down quickly when it is in such a preserved condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Possibly a dumb question then - but how about a crane up through the roof?? Building looks to be made from bolt on cladding, remove some sections of that IF a crane boom can reach/get close enough. Be quicker to remove and replace that than dismantle a K2.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Possibly a dumb question then - but how about a crane up through the roof?? ... Very doubtful, it lays back of the street some way, another photo I have shows distance is too great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Hmm - any useful contacts in either the RAF or French air force - something like a Puma or Merlin should be able to lift it..... I know, I know - grasping at straws here - but I can see no way a vehicle that MUST be saved CAN be saved.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swill1952xs Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Sadly, it would not be easy as I am aware there is little space around it. I would hate to have to pull a vehicle like this down quickly when it is in such a preserved condition. I would have thought that dismantling a vehicle built in the way this one is; would be impossible as the body would be virtually useless once the panels were removed. If it could be moved outside the doors of the shed; I would have thought a crane could possibly lift it at quite a large radius, as it wouldn't be a very heavy load. You would need a spreader frame to lift it though to avoid damaging the body. In one of the pictures it does seem to have lifting rings on the hubs. From the time and cost point of view, hiring quite a large crane would be easier and cheaper than dismantling and reassembling what appears to be a fairly sound body. I would be much happier to hire a large crane than risk destroying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 I would have thought that dismantling a vehicle built in the way this one is; would be impossible as the body would be virtually useless once the panels were removed. The bodies are steel frame with sheet metal and canvas panels, with board on the inside. The body is riveted and welded together. I think the main problem is that the yard filled to the gunnels with ironwork, doors, panneling in fact and reclaimed parts of houses. The distance from the street would be too much, the hire of a suitable crane would be more than the K2 was worth, plus haulage back home. Perhaps Artists Rifles could organise another Eurotour, via the Eurostar to Paris, for a recovery assessment :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 That would be the easy part....... For the life of me. though, I cannot see how we could get the K2 out given the conditions of the yard/area as described without irretrievably ruining it in the process............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I can think of course of another method that would be once the body was removed and the wheels removed would entail placing the chassis on its side on a skid and using a winch to drag it to the street or with in reach of a crane ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 For the life of me. though, I cannot see how we could get the K2 out given the conditions of the yard/area as described without irretrievably ruining it in the process............. Precisely..........that is the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 I can think of course of another method that would be once the body was removed and the wheels removed would entail placing the chassis on its side on a skid and using a winch to drag it to the street or with in reach of a crane ???? It is the bulk of the body that will not fit down the passage way, the place has been built up over 40 years. The body is of a construction that you would not want to disect. They are coach built vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 On the other hand you cant lift it out and you cant drive it out and you cant drag it out ...... does any one fancy a bit of digging ? a few months work to dig under the property and lower the vehicle down and bring it out cant be all that impossible . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 How about starting a riot?? That should get all the iron work out of the way and distributed around the adjacent areas?? Then when we get out of prison we can remove the K2 intact Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 It got in there! So it would come out. All that's neded is the room to stack everything else while we get it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 How about starting a riot?? That should get all the iron work out of the way and distributed around the adjacent areas?? Then when we get out of prison we can remove the K2 intact :nono: :rofl::rofl: What a bummer, though. Certainly doesn't look to be an easy way to extract it;.......you say it could be caut up soon, Richard,.....so there IS a little room around it, I guess....... On katies is the rear body bolted on to chassis, like MW's, and if so, would there be enough room to remove it and carry it out,.............I'm guessing there must be some sort of fork lift type equipment in yard to help move metal railings......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Clearly if there was a simpler way of getting out I'm sure someone local would of done it a long time ago... hope someone does manage to rescue it.. we may have to send snapper on an overseas assignment to cover the recovery:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swill1952xs Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Sounds to me like the only way this vehicle is coming out will be to send an "Invasion Force" over there. I reckon, if some of you dudes turn up there with a Foden recovery truck, a couple of Scammells, an Antar c/w trailer to bring it back, and something like a Spartan full of aggressive looking middle aged dudes all dressed in combat gear.........things could change. Just imagine that on the news........"British invasion of France". "Today a number of military dressed civilians arrived at Dover in an assortment of Historic Military vehicles, on an invasion mission into the heart of France, where it is thought they are mounting a rescue mission to liberate an English prisoner known only to us as K2. It is thought that K2 has been held prisoner for as much as forty years in atrocious conditions. A spokesman for the group said they were going there in convoy as a band of twenty men to liberate K2 from the place of captivity, and if necessary they will turn the place upside down to get it." I can just see the TV cameras following this "Mini Army" clattering their way into the back streets of France, wondering if K2 will be brought out alive, or whether as rumours have it; they could turn up to find the body has been dismembered, cut up and removed as threatened. The TV crews will be wondering what horrific scenes and stories they are about to witness. That would be a real hoot................... go on.........dare ya. :-D:-D:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 What a shame....Its in such good condition too! I would love to help, if its manpower you need, this vehicle NEEDS to be saved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Just to update. There is a very interested person on to it right now and I have put him in touch with my friend. So we will no doubt hear more, once he has seen it. Thanks for all your interest :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Knowing the press it more likely they would get things wrong and report you were saying that the unit was going to Paris in the mistaken belief they were going to try and climb K2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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