Phil P

Hi Blue Red Blue. Sorry Not to get back to the postings but I have had a problem with my tinternet connection. Apparently the chain came off or the firebox needed raking out anyway I'm up and running with millions of insect bites or something now. Please bring along your display next year and anybody else who has a display. I have completed the entry forms for vehicles and re enactors so when our website is complete you can down load them from there or I will have them at the Malvern Militaria on 7 November if anybody wants one by the 'traditional method'. On the re enactors form is a section where you can put how big your display is. That way we allocate a suitable area. Anybody who is going to go to the Victory Show the following weekend can camp on site and then move on to Cosby. Folks will be on site at Dunchurch clearing the site after our show 'TANKS, TRUCKS & FIREPOWER 2011. If you fancy giving them a hand.......... Brilliant pics those who posted them. I've only just been able to down load. Would it be Ok if we used some for next years fliers and adverts? Phil. (He's not really, Grumpy, he's just a .............................!) My God this new Broadband connection is scarey fast! :shocked:

Hi stal108. Entry forms will be available on the website when complete. I have finished them but I need to have them agreed by the other committee members first. I am having my internet connection and computor upgraded to make sure I don't have it going off line etc when I need it. We will be accepting entries from re enactors and re enactment groups. Entry forms for them will also be on our website. No problem with German groups so long as they fall within the MVT rules. The website is being put together now. As I said we only had our first meeting for the 2011 show on Tuesday night (14 Sept) and the interest we have had already is fantastic. Don't forget there are over 200 acres at Dunchurch so we have plenty of space to grow and grow!! I think I'm going to have an early night now. It's 2-00am. Phil

Hi Clive. We had our first meeting on Tuesday 14 Sept, for next years show and decided the new name etc. I will e mail you with the details as soon as we firm them up. I have a long list of sites to contact. Please only add items I send you as there are only 2 of us from the MVT dealing with the show. We want to make sure the correct imformation is displayed and we are still putting it together. Our website will be up and running soon. Phil

Here it is folks. Next years show is: TANKS, TRUCKS & FIREPOWER 2011. It will be over the August Bank Holiday as this year (2010). Notice we have dropped the Aeroplanes (NOT literally) as we cannot control that part or the weather and logistics on the day was also a headache. We are currently setting up a website. The public can pre book tickets plus vehicle and stall holder entry forms can be down loaded. The website should be online by mid October. Entry forms will also be available via normal means. I am currently updating those now. As for events on the site, we will have two arenas, as this years show, the lower field for the tracked vehicle and firepower displays and the main field will have other displays. Winching demo's are good IF you can guarantee safety. Having seen first hand what happens when a wire hauser fails I pay them great respect! We have several ideas to occupy that area but are always open for suggestions. Road runs are a nightmare. The Police get involved and DON'T do it for free. I am involved in one organised by a City Council and trust me it is fast becoming a shadow of it's former self. Camping and storage WILL be available for those who want to do 'TANKS, TRUCKS & FIREPOWER 2011' and then move onto the Victory Show. We have an inexhaustable supply of 'Visivests' but a just a few volunteers to wear them! I am sure that there is a whole army of folks out there willing to slip one on and help. We might even swap your help for a free pint! Sorry Mr Treasurer! So there you are so far. Watch this space. I said it would be announced on the HMVF website first. Any chance of a bit of sponsorship Mr Beckett? Ah well....just a thought. TANKS, TRUCKS & FIREPOWER 2011 Dunchurch Rugby. Organised by: Birmingham & West Midlands Area MVT and Alvis Fighting Vehicles Society. Entry forms will be available at Malvern Militaria November 7th 2010. I will also send some out to MVT Area Secretaries in the next couple of weeks. With a huge thanks to the Alvis Fighting Vehicle Society. Phil Palmer Chairman Birmingham & West Midlands Area MVT TANKS, TRUCKS & FIREPOWER 2011

Much midnight oil was burnt to re paint scortch marks and repair impact damage caused apparently by an accidental down shift whilst in reverse. Oops! I think some of the crowd came back on Sunday to see if it was part of the show! I am having a quick meeting today to work out our costs and put together the Brum Areas thoughts for next year. I organised and part organised 4 shows in 2010 but that will cut to 2 next year. One being for the local city council in June and the other at Dunchurch which next year will be mega percent better organised by the B&WMA side. The Alvis Fighting Vehicles Society side was just brilliant. I and Scott can't thank them enough.So please come along in your hundreds if not thousands. Don't forget we are only 10 miles from Meriden. How central do you want to get? The public will soon be able to buy discounted tickets online for our show plus hopefuly vehicle entrants can book in on line. Watch this space. And finally....... what are vehicle owners thoughts on being asked to stay until say 5-00pm on the first two days (Sat & Sunday) I realise some folks have a long way to go on Monday. Having vehicles arrive on Saturday at 11-00am and go at 2-00pm isn't what the public have paid to see. To those who did stay a big Thank You. WATCH THIS SPACE. It will be on HMVF FIRST. Phil

If you look at the Cummins badge which is a letter 'C' with Cummins written across it you will see that the top of the 'S' is just off the edge of the large 'C'. That is because as it says in their motto it is 'Almost perfect'. Another advertising gimmic that is not very well known (Or perhaps it is?) is His Masters Voice. Nipper the dog on the HMV badge was added after the picture of the record player was taken. the original 'cut and paste' but if you look carefully the record player is not on a table but actually on the lid of a coffin. The dog can still hear 'his masters voice' perfectly reproduced. How clever is that? Sorry to go off subject but I am renowned for it! Phil. Bsc Trivia (Hons)

Yes I fitted a 1990 Cummins 6B non turbo with Turner Spicer gearbox into my 1944 Leyland Hippo in 2004. The engine and box cost me £700-00 delivered and had only done 60,000 miles. It came out of the council snowplow. I did the conversion on my own. The installation was designed on my CAD at home. The mountings were designed to fit and Cummins supplied me with a set of installation drawings for my engine. Everything was made off the drawings and it went in and fitted first time. From lifting it off the engine trolley to it bolted in took 20 minutes. All the plumbing and electrics hooked up without a problem. From the outside it looks original. Biggest headache was using the original exhauster for the brakes but that was overcome by mounting it on top of the Cummins back to front (it runs anti clockwise on the Leyland engine) and belt driving it using a jack shaft with a pulley ratio to ensure it didn't go over 800 RPM as original. It runs without a fan on the original rad and never gets a sweat on, not even climbing the hill out of Dover. First road test was 30 miles. No problems encountered so the next run was a round trip to Normandy. 1200 miles without a hitch at 16MPG instead of 11!!. It will top 50MPH. Somewhat better than the original 32 but I keep it a steady 40/45 on the motorway. There's some big propshafts whistling round underneath plus worm axles. It isn't frightened of hills anymore and remember it is a non-turbo 130BHP @2800RPM 6B. It will rev to 3100. The original engine was 101BHP at 1700RPM. It also has a pump built in to supply my power steering. That system came off a Dodge skip wagon. I've got an Allison 7 speed auto box that bolts up to the 6B but that would take the fun out of driving it......... Wouldn't it? Am I worried about upsetting purists? Not when I can cruise with the Jimmy's! If you are going to re engine anything go Cummins. There's plenty around. They're light, gobs of power and rev. You can get mods to the pump rack from the States to boost the power if you're not happy plus bigger turbos and intercoolers and big valve heads etc. Apparently a good swap for the Dodge WC series is the Cummins 4BT. Fitted with an O/Drive gearbox it's as fast as with the stock engine and the same weight. The 6B or 6BT will go into a Jimmy without too much hassle but I have done a bit of measuring and the Mercedes Turbo Sprinter with box would be a nice conversion. The latest version of the Cummins 5.9 litre with a few mods fitted in a dragster has recentley gone under 8 seconds for the 1/4 mile. I wonder what it would do with 11 tons to move? Hmmm... Phil.

I'm now up to 4000 miles with my electronic ignition on my '42 WC51. It's now on my recently fitted rebuilt engine. The other engine had badly leaking front and rear oil seals so iI was swapped for my spare one. The new engine at first didn't run as well the original so I stuck it on the Crypton and there was a high resistance reading from the coil to dizzy. I took the cap off and the centre electrode was burnt away. I changed the cap and fitted the spare rotor arm and re checked it. The reading was back down to where it should be. The plug readings were also high so I regapped them at 35 thou instead of 45 thou I had been running and they gave a better reading. The timing is still at 7 degrees BTDC. The engine runs beautifully again. A £1 coin will stand on the oil filler cap with it idling at 350 RPM. It pulls like a train. The electrode burning was obviously caused by to biggwer gap on the plugs. The emmissions are better than most modern cars. When my Willys J££££p is finished that will be fitted with a Jolley electronic ignition and running 12 volts system. A mate of mine has just fitted a 'Sparkrite 2000' that he bought from a car boot sale for £5-00 onto a Meadows 4EL petrol engine in his 1951 Guy Otter van. That runs like a watch but he had to spend a lot of time re engineering the distributor to make it run true and get an equal point gap on all 4 lobes. Breaker less ignition systems like the Jolley version don't have that problem. Phil P

A big thank you to all those who came along to this our first public show at Dunchurch and an even bigger thank you to Andrew Baker, Mick Browning, Sally, Anne, 'Pyro' Glenn and all the lads and lasses from the Alvis Fighting Vehicles Society for giving the Birmingham and West Midlands Area MVT the opportunity to join forces and put on a show in the middle of the country for MV enthusiasts pre war, war time ,post war oh what the hell any period of machine if it's GREEN. Or Us Navy grey? Thank you to those who dispayed in the arena in particullar Dave Perks with the Foden 'Drops' Several people were heard to say "I want one." We did advertis the show and sent out entry forms with every copy of Windscreen. How many did I get back from that source? 12. That's right TWELVE. 90 vehicles from the MVT entered and 55 turned up. To the gentleman who entered 2 vehicles and arrived by car and then complained he had to pay to get in. Hmmm... Until May this year I was organising the B&WMA MVT side on my own and then Scott Morris our new area treasurer came on board and with Craig Bagley we started to get going. A grant from the MVT was a big financial boost and partly unfurled a much furrowed brow. So another BIG thank you to Scott & Craig and of course the MVT. Nearly forgot Kelvin. Hows the back? and Chris Baxter South East Midlands Area for your words of encouragement. To the low life who tried to scupper the show by telling the MVT we weren't using the grant for the show, we have pretty good idea who you are. We did it, you failed, stay away!! Nuff sed. Next year we'll be back. Bigger, better organised (I hold my hands up to the poor MVT organisation this year) same Bank Holiday Weekend in August. We're planning it with the AFVS already. Watch this and several other spaces. And finally.......There WILL be speed limit in the arena gentlemen, at least while the public are on site. I know I had a little play as well. Quite took me back to Wimbledon Stadium. Our Safety Officer was not amused. He said I should lead by example. That's me told!! Again thank you. Phil Palmer Chairman, Birmingham & West Midlands Area MVT

I was at the CoM meeting when it was decided to make a large donation to the NVA. It has to be done direct to the NVA because of the MVT's constitution. This is set up in such a way as to stop anybody directing funds into a personal or private account. It has nothing to do with personnal feelings towards the HMVF or anybody associated with it. I know there are folks within the MVT who may have some negative thoughts for the HMVF but these in noway influenced the decision the direct payment decision. It has to be remembered that out of the 6900 MVT membership there may be some members who are not in favour of 'club funds' being handed out. There are some MV owners who think that club funds should be spent on members only. In the Brum Area at our December meeting we had a vote to see what the opinion of members was on the subject. The vote was 100% in favour of the MVT donation. I have e mailed Jack privatley on this subject. I have not spoken to the MVT Com for a couple of weeks so I don't know whether the NVA have been told the exact figure hence me not saying what it is, but it is CONSIDERABLY more than £2000-00. The MVT Com will be making an announcement as soon as it has been confirmed that the payment can be made under the terms of the constitution. There are certain legal processes that have to be gone through to ensure that that the payment can be made. The MVT is a registered charity and charities donating to charities have to be carefuly monitored. I Know somebody is going to say "No they don't!" but you're going to look pretty stoopid if you hand over the money and then have to ask for it back because the right procedures have not been followed. As the MVT has had a substancial amount of money payed back through Gift Aid the last thing the MVT want is to have to pay that money back because of a slight indiscretion making a donation to the NVA or similar. Hence the delay in making an announcement and also why it is been payed direct. Sorry for the long reply but I was trying to cover all areas. But trust me it is a lot more than £2000-00. If any MVT members who read this are not in favour of the payment would they contact either Preston Isaacs MVT Chairman or Alan Cogdel MVT Treasurer so that their thoughts on the subject can be registered. I should add that I have not been asked or directed by the MVT CoM to do this posting but as I was the CoM meeting when this was discussed and voted on then I felt perhaps I should record the facts as they were. There were 5 other area secretaries/chairmen at the CoM who if they read this Forum could confirm this. Phil Palmer Chairman Birmingham & West Midlands Area Military Vehicle Trust.

Oh the Binelli what a sound. There was one bike that for it's size was a real screamer and that was the 50cc Krydler or Kridler, a rarety but in the early (very) 60's was the fastest 50cc bike. Sorry Richard I don't have any bike recordings only the memories. Must check out the sounds on 'tinternet'. Phil.

abn duece. I looked at the Corgi advert and thought shall I stick my kneck out and buy it? Hmmmm I have just found a picture of a 'Skeleton tank' That looks easy (ier). Doesn't say who made it or anything about it. Just called a 'Skeleton Tank' Phil.

I think that the V16 BRM engine must be the loudest racing engine ever built. When you can sit in the main stands on Woodcote and be able to hear it going all round Silverstone that is LOUD. The most 'cringing' sound was the Matra V12 F1 engine. That thing hurt. I have to agree the Napier Deltic engines were and still are an amazing sound. When the Deltic prototype starting running on express trains we thought it was awful. Nothing like an LMS Duchess at full speed. Slowly the 'Ice cream cart' grew on us. Now to hear a Class 55 is fantastic. Yes Chrisg anything on Nitro especially if it is a big blown Chrysler Hemi. For a bike sound you can forget all the Japanese rubbish I remember George Brown's Supercharged Vincent drag bike 'Super Nero' and Neville Higgins Blown Vinny 'Jindervic'. Every body has forgotten a Vulcan on full power or my favourite the P1B Lightning doing the 'Lightning farewell' as it climbs vertically on full reheat. Gee it was like a moonshot! See what I said....kids nowadays have missed all this. Oh yes the Lister stationary engine. Now to own one of these you also need a 'Sprite' caravan and a wife who loves knitting. I would like to know what they are knitting because what ever it is it's the same size at the end of the rally season as it was at the start. Don't forget the row of dim bulbs and the gentle waft of steam from the water tank. The sound?.... pop, pop, pop,pop, chuff chuff chuff chuff pop pop chuff chuff chuff etc etc for ..............hours. Right then that's another group upset! By the way kids you've missed nothing there. Phil. (1964 LP 'The Big Sound of the Drags) playing at full volume in the background!!!)

Totally agree Tony. I have been fortunate to see him on several occasions the last time only 12 months before he died. He performed at the Civic Hall Wolverhampton. He was as sharp as he ever was none of the slow slurred speech that he seemed to have when on TV. Brilliantly funny and kept everybody enthralled for 21/2 hours. He stood all the way through. He recalled his days as driver to Seebagg-Montyfiori. (Probably spelt it wrong but he did exist) A friend of mine, sadly no longer with us, was also his driver in the early 1950's. I will make a point of listening. My daughter bought me the combined edition of his books plus all the 'Goon Show' scripts. Phil.

The MOST impressive looking and sounding engine just has to be 27 cylinder Wright Cyclone triple turbo charged engine in a Super Connie. To see and hear one of these start up with backfires that put a Howitzer to shame. Flames licking across the wing like napalm and neat fuel dripping out of the bottom rows of exhaust stubs as it slowly cranks over is AWSOME. Stick four of them together............ I have stood 20 feet from them. I couldn't hear properly for 2 days!! Apparently when Pan Am operated Super Connies the stewardesses told passengers on night flights to ignore the blue flames coming from the exhaust on take off boost. Next to that sound is the V16 BRM engine. 1.5 litre supercharged and 500 plus BHP. Oh yes and a Kieth Black Chrysler running Nitro. I feel sorry for kids nowadays. They have missed all this. A Vauxhall Astra with a big bore exhaust is heaven to them. Oh you poor poor children. Oh what you have missed. Phil.

If anybody wants to see a picture of a, or the, Bedford Giraffe then there is a good one and a bit of a write up in 'World War Two Military Vehicles Transports & Half tracks by G.N.Georgano. ISBN 1-85532-406-7 page 29. Also there was an article in Classic Military Vehicle Magazine issue 16 September 2002. The engine & gearbox were 7 feet of the ground and it was a chain drive to the transfer box. That made oil changes easier! Nothing on 'tinternet' other than the Corgi Bedford Giraffe transporter. And slightly off the topic there was a posting on what is the oldest MV still or possibly still in service. Apparently the Engineers Department at Swindon had a 'Rectank' wagon still in use around 1998/2000. It may still be around which makes it possibly 80/90 years old. I have been having a tidy up so I can do some wiring on my model railway and spotted a picture of it in a copy of 'Model Rail' magazine. Thanks for the Bananas, I am most of the time. Phil Fyffes

Well damm my best boots. 49years plus in engineering starting in a locomotive design office, then a research & design department of a heavy off road vehicle builder and also designing underground coal cutting equipment and all that time I got it wrong. Shucks. According to physics the Bumble Bee can't fly and isn't it the Albatross that can't take off from land. (I'm not going down that route.) Bloody good job I retire soon! I have only seen a picture of the Bedford Giraffe without a body on it. Perhaps it was never fitted with a cargo body. I remember seeing pictures of it in either in Classic Military or International Military Machines in WH Smiths reading room. There has been a plastic kit (May have been resin or white metal) of it. Can't think who did it. I do recall that the engine and gearbox were mounted up high under the cab with what looked like a chain drive (It was covered by a guard) or Z drive down to normal propshaft level. I believe that the specification for wading vehicles was 4 feet after that they were classed as amphibious. I'm sure somebody will know. I have read hundreds of books and articles on vehicles and odd snippets stay. Strange machine but it was an early attempt to get over a wading problem. Hippo's were designed to wade in 4 feet of water. All the various breathers were manifolded together and pipe into a breather/snorkel pipe that went up to roof level at the back of the cab, The aircleaner is mounted up there as well. The brake exhauster and engine breathers are connected through sealed joints into the air intake pipe. I've just thought of another couple of MV's to recreate. How about the Hydro foil DUKW or the fire brigade version with extending ladder oh and then there's .............. Phil

Never liked Captain Morgan. He was a rum character. I think you will find Antarmike that because the wheels are round that the reaction at the bottom is the same as at the top. The direction the rockets are facing in doesn't matter as they were all round the circumferance. On a steam loco the piston rod when it is at the bottom is pushing to the rear but the loco still goes forwards. Or have I just missed the joke and got serious. There's a first!! Richard, I notice among your vehicles is a QLD. Hmmmm. Perfect. Now I can get hold of rolled steel angle..... . Gee we're half way there.

The other night on the box was a piece of film showing an apparent replica of a 'Great Panjandrum' also on was a piece about Dad's Army, unfortunatley as I was in a semi comatosed state from some intense inerrogation of a guy called Jim Beam I probably mixed it up but there definatley was one in Dad's Army or a piece of film footage. I also recall there were two versions one having 2 wheels and one having 3 wheels in a row with 2 drums. It appears that it was deliberatley tested in front of the public as the news reels would be seen by the Germans and believe it to be a hoax. This was the idea as the Great Panjandrum was not a hoax but an actual beach assault weapon! There doesn't appear to be any referance to it being used but that doesn't mean it wasn't. Another vehicle that would be really easy to reproduce is the Bedford Giraffe. All you need is a Bedford QL and a load of steel angle and some brave pills. There are lots of pics of them and somebody did a kit of it. There may be one preserved? The Thornycroft Terrapin MK I would be an interesting project. It did see active service and they were used in a famous invasion but been as I cannot find my book with it in it is a 'tinternet' job! Phil P (currently scratch building a Warflat.......4mm scale)

Looking at all these photo's just shows the variations in markings and sizes of letters and positions etc. There are loads of books around that give all the sizes of stencilling and positions but when you look at pics like these you realise that the books are as factory fresh in the field it's a differant story. I restored my Hippo in 'Mickey Mouse' Camo and the markings of REME and 79th Armoured division. I have been told several times that the REME and Div signs are on the wrong sides on the front. ie Div sign on the drivers side and REME on the passenger side. Which is suprising as THAT was the position I found them in when I stripped it down to the bare metal plus a red stripe 3" wide that ran diagonally from the top of the radiator down to the passenger side at about 45 degrees. Nobody has ever seen that on a vehicle. Perhaps somebody may have a clue. Sorry to wander of the subject. Phil

Worst Museum has to be Birminghams Millenium point or what ever they call it. Some of the old exhibits from the science museum are in there like City of Birmingham and the tram but the rest is just a kids archade game. Total c**p! Why they had to seperate CoB and tender gaud only knows. Another case of experts who don't have a clue and paid ridiculous money getting involved. Been once and once too often!! Phil.

Sorry Chevpol, I didn't check this thread after posting. I don't think it actually states wether it is by medication or diet control. Mine is low level of medication. Basically one tablet in a morning and diet. It only said diabeties types 1 & 2. We have been hunting round for the booklet but can't find it. It may be on 'tinternet' under driving licences from the DVLA. Phil.

I'm not sure where mine came from. It just came into my head. I was going to call myself Hippo but I have also got a Dodge and a 1927 BSA and an anagram was to hard to work out so I used my name which at the moment I can still remember. Phil Palmer. Oh thats where I got it from. Hmmmm almost er er whatsit you know... oh yes forgot.

Hi Steve. I thought you were in warmer climes. Don't worry the Uni's still under the sheet in the unit and I haven't run into it with the Hippo. Believe it or not I am having a tidy up!! Honest. New beam racking to store my bits on and a bench with a light and............... Phil.