Antony

Hello Mike, I would suggest that you clean the rust from the pit holes and fill them with weld ( mig should do ), and smooth off the surface with a buffing pad on a small angle grinder. Tony.

No, don't sell it Mike, Adrian might need you again next year!!!!!!!

Hi Willy, We are looking for other parts too, particularly fuel tank brackets, I will also need a set for my Federal 94x43, I think they are the same, so please bear us in mind. Happy Christmas, Tony.

Excellent job John, quite inspiring for me, I have three 969's of which I have enough good parts to rebuild two vehicles, plus a 968 cargo......... then the Federal 94x43...........thats after I have finished the Dodge WC62..........hmmm.........I wish I were a bit younger.

It has been quite a while since I last reported on the project, but there has been quite a lot of progress on the cab, but still a way to go yet. I rolled a pair of front mudguards, at work,( thanks Adrian ) which have been fitted, allowing the side panels to be fitted to the radius of the mudguards, and the windscreen frame has been attached. An original radiator will be very difficult to find, but in the meantime a large modern truck one will suffice, a separate header tank will have to be made.

Thanks, hope you find it. Tony.

As N.O.S says, I have 94x43 from Bekes yard, but it is missing both doors, the rear mudguards, the right hand floor plate, the engine cover, and both side plates described in the TM as ' cab skirt opening door ', the fuel tank, the tool box, etc. I would be very keen to find another 94x43 to get measurements to make the missing parts, I have been and seen another one in Kent, which has been knocked about a bit, but is it possible to find the one Smithy photographed, anyone please?

Brilliant Book!

It was good to see Mikes engine in the Autocar is in good condition, and likely to be brought back to life. It was the same story with Roy Bakers Autocar which is now in running condition. I have the Federal 94x43 which was in Bekes yard in Paris next to Roys Autocar both of which were kindly brought back to the UK by Mike. I recently took the cylinder heads off the Federal, to reveal very rusty bores and valves, and number 2 piston corroded around the top. The rust in the bores was just on the surface and cleaned up rather well without leaving any pitting, and after filling the cylinders with diesel it has run through all six. It now remains to remove the valves and see if it will free off but I think it may be tight particularly in number 2 where the piston is almost at the top with both valves open, hence the corrosion. The bores have no visible signs of wear, the gearbox is similar. I have to hope that the bores are in reasonable condition below where the pistons are at present, but it might rebore being standard, but I know I will have to replace number 2 piston. I had a piston stuck in an RXC a few years ago, and freed it of in a brutal fashion with a mate on top hammering down with a brass rod, and me underneath in similar fashion, but it cracked the piston through the bottom ring groove. I was told that it is possible to help release stuck pistons by running hot water through the block with a steam cleaner, has anyone had any experience of this?

The mention of Cletrac prompted me to post this picture of Crew Chief Dexter Jordan, ( on the bike ), with some of his buddies. He was Crew Chief of The Seventh Squadron in The 34th Bomb Group, here at Mendlesham Airfield. The picture was taken about 400 yards from my house.

Errr........ What about me???????

Thanks Willy, Tony.

Rare indeed, fitted with a front winch. Does anyone know if this model was produced with a front mounted winch?

Thanks, Stormin, Steveo and Adrian, I agree it is likely to be an obstacle galusion, but perhaps I was not clear in my reasoning for the possibility of a change of thickness in the links. I knew the links were all the same thickness on the rubber rimmed road wheel models, and yes I have seen your link Adrian, but I wondered if they changed the links with the introduction of the steel rimmed wheels. There were 'only' sixteen on each side as opposed to twenty four of the rubber rimmed wheels on each side, unbelievable really when a Centurian has only twelve per side. Oh Bovver I got my Bovvies mixed up!

After attending A&E, Roy and I visited the Tank Museum at Bovingdon on the Monday morning, the highlight for me was to see the Tiger 1. I had seen and photographed the Tiger at Vimoutiers five years ago, which is a later type than the one at Bovingdon, the main difference being the different type of road wheels. I was recently looking at the photographs of the Vimoutiers Tiger, and the track links appear to be deeper on the section under the road wheels, but I can find no mention of this in any books or the internet, knowing the German thoroughness for detail I find it surprising. I know the photograph is not very good quality, so I am wondering if it is an optical illusion. I would welcome comments from anyone with better Tiger knowledge than me!

Here are the latest pictures from Alison.

I forgot to add that it is Roy's birthday today!!!!

An update on the Autocar, pictures from Alison. With the radiator in a temporary position, the vehicle has been driven outside with happily no nasty noises from the transmission. Although this was no test drive, it looks hopefull there are no problems. The cab base is ready to lift in position, and then the repaired nose section will follow with the doors being used to fix the correct spacing from the cab base. The doors will need extensive repairs but they can be used for getting the upright door posts in the correct place. One of the pictures shows a new section in the control panel.

Thanks Tony, I am getting better each day, and will soon be fit enough to drive over to take some more picture's. Meanwhile Roy's daughter took some pictures this morning and emailed to me, some of which I will put on the blog.

The Administrator. Thanks for a great weekend, and all your hard work Jack, it was greatly appreciated.

Not of the vehicle, but the 17pdr. sponson stowage is finished, ready for installation.

Roy phoned this evening with the news that he had started the engine today. After a few cough's it burst into life and ran rather well. He couldn't run it for long because the radiater was a fairly temperary affair without a header tank or room to fit the fan. Nevertheless it is quite an achievement considering that it has spent 30 or 40 years in the bushes in Beke's yard, and been fire damaged too.

Scum is a very descriptive word which has been used frequently here recently, to describe the people responsible for stealing this lovely bronze memorial from the edge of Mendlesham Airfield close to my home. It had been here since 1949 and we assume it was taken for its scrap value. The pictures were taken in '07 at a veterans visit.

I have been called 'Loco' by a Spaniard, 'Ting Tong' by a Thai so I don't mind being called Crazy by a Frenchman. It's probably a help in this line of business!

Try this one.