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scott9643

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Posts posted by scott9643

  1. I thought that the Mk 5 and 6 Saracens only ever had a fixed roof at the rear.

     

    Cheers,

    Terry

     

    Ours is a Mk 5 and it all looks as though the sunshine roof in the rear is an original fitment. Other Mk 5 ACVs I've seen though do have the fixed plate in the rear but a turret in the front. Must have made it awkward for the radio operator.

     

    3589896702_a479fed744_o.jpg

     

    This a well published photo inside an ACV and note there isn't a commanders seat for a turret and by the looks of the light coming in, the sun roof is open above the radios and clearly shown above the operators head and in the top left corner are the drain pipes for the sliding roof. I'd love some detailed photos of the inside of an ACV in service. Can anybody help?

  2. ........ You would not want anything larger as it does not have servo assistance on a K9.

    The brakes on the K9 in standard form were probably up to the standard for the 1950s, but compared to modern vehicles they are awful and the stopping distance is very worrying -- you don't really need to be following anything close. We've had a number of near misses with ours and a few 'adrenalin' moments, so you really need to be wide awake. Hitch a trailer on and even with over run brakes, stopping needs to be planned well in advance. Personally I wouldn't even entertain putting anything bigger than the 1 ton Sankey behind. It saps all the power for one thing, we're forever changing gear, but once it's all wound up to a sensible road speed, the truck doesn't handle all that well either. Perhaps someone on here could tell us what is was like in service with a ton and a half of radio kit in the back and two Onan generators in the trailer -- must have been fun, but then convoys only travelled at 25mph in the 50's

  3.  

    When the the K9 was been trialed its range of action was 310 miles on roads on a full tank of petrol 20 gallons at a average speed of 27 mph l would expect to get at least 12mpg
    We've been running ours with standard 4 litre petrol engine along side our RL and calculate fuel x distance at 2 miles per litre for each. The K9 is staggeringly frugal though and I reckon we're getting all of 15 mpg running light at 40 - 45 mph. We always keep the trucks full over the summer and ran 36 miles over the Blackdowns to a local show recently and had a job squeezing £20 in when we got back. Back in the Army days when we were running a mix of RLs and MKs in the late 70s we would calculate fuel at 9 miles per gallon, but there's a difference between 'squaddie' driving and paying for the fuel yourself and I reckon our RL is doing about 11/12 mpg on a good day
  4. I've looked all over the place and can't find any information about these unit and div signs. Can anybody throw any light on this please. The picture is the back of my Saracen which I believe was demobbed in the eighties and luckily hasn't had the paintwork touched since base overhaul and up-armour in 1975 so I've no reason to think that they aren't original.

     

    FV604.C3.jpg

    FV604.C2.jpg

  5. Hi ya all - I'm in a bit of a dilema ... my grandad bought a K9 in the 50s and converted it to a recovery truck and used it up until about 10 years ago - he passed away in Feb and left the truck to me - it needs a few parts like rubbers for around doors and windows, wipers etc all small parts - my question is where would i go to find them - this is all new to me but i would like to leave the truck in pristine condition - i think it is something he would want, can anyone help?

     

    Thanks

     

    Paddy

     

    Go to the Baines site http://www.coh-baines.co.uk/ --you can download their catalogue from the home page which contains just about every rubber section you can imagine

  6. Can anyone help please ? Trying to find out year of saracen 83ba71 if at all possible, also what would be a reasonable price to pay for a dead one ? As I am very very tempted after looking at it, but don't tell the better half.

    Thanks

     

    Mike H

     

    According to my list of Army VRNs --

     

    70BA00-88BA19 Army -- issued to A Vehs 1953/54

     

    So yours comes in the middle somewhere

    As has been mentioned, the tank museum should be able to give you a more precise date

  7. I don't have a clue about the colors, just that someone said the half shaft nuts was red to stop soldiers from thinking they was the 'wheel nuts'?

     

    Bill.

     

    The painting of wheel nuts goes back to the time when split rim combat rims were introduced at a time when drivers were expected to be able to change tyres without specialist equipment, so to avoid accidents, wheel nuts were painted white and rim nuts painted red

     

    After the war, National Service saw the introduction of "product, waste, cows, male for the use of" in large containers applied liberally with cotton waste and paraffin or "brushes, 1", paint for the use of". There were regular admin inspections by Captain Rupert and his team (who remembers that?) and hours were spent polishing trucks and kit and anything manky got painted. It was common to see spotless vehicles with coloured wheel nuts, air valves and electrical sockets etc.

     

    The volunteer army that followed inherited the tradition and shiny vehicles in DBG continued in service (mostly in the UK) well into the late 70's but with the increasing shortage of "product, waste, cows, male for the use of" and the realisation that you can't hide a shiny truck under a camo net, "brushes 3 inch paint for the use of" became available along with quantities of gallon tins of IRR NATO green and black and the once pride of the fleet squaddy transport got daubed all over -- several times in its life usually. If wheel nuts got painted white after that it would have been because some bored MT Cpl liked the idea and thought it looked nice I guess, but certainly in the units I was in in the 70's and 80's there were no brightly coloured bits on our trucks (including armour) because they stand out -- good target!

     

    There is no point in painting half shaft nuts if you think about it, the vehicle tool kit available to the driver doesn't include spanners or sockets to fit them and even in the fifties, with the split ring rims on your K9 Bill, changing tyres was a workshop or MT job, so yes the heads of the studs may well have been painted white and if you like a flash of red, colour in the tang of the split ring -- that would have been a more common practise.

  8. Scott,

    That would be 34 Central Workshop, which was at Donnington. ;)

     

    Ouch -- that's twice in one day I got it wrong. Now I know why kids always give us grown ups answers like they're asking a question, so I'll have to put a question mark on the end of everything I write now? :blush:

     

    Joking aside -- thanks Richard -- all info gratefully received

  9. I think we definitely need pics please.

     

    OK -- here it is!

    FV604.8.jpg

     

    You'll see from the data plate that it had a base overhaul 10/75 at 34 Command Workshop and as there is only a very thin single layer of paint on it, I guess it didn't do much work before disposal

    FV604.1.jpg

    FV604.4.jpg

    FV604.6.jpg

    FV604.7.jpg

  10. Hi Scott,

    You had better check the hydraulic filler tank cap again, it should be OM13, unless there is something odd about your Saracen.

     

    I don't think there's anything odd about the Saracen -- but now totally convinced there is something odd about me! Should have gone to Specsavers -- or can I blame it on all that excitement. The cap does indeed say OMD 13, so sorry about the bum steer Richard

     

    Thanks all for your replies -- very helpful! Seems I need a servicing manual and probably a whole lot more info.

     

    Pictures of the interior of a FV604 anybody?

  11. Now the proud owner of a Saracen ACV and have spent the last two days tinkering and finding my way round it. Has anybody got a list of types of lubricants used with what type goes where please, i.e what oil goes in the bevel boxes, gearbox, fluid flywheel, hydraulic tank (is marked OMD 30) is this ordinary hydraulic oil? Any help would be appreciated.

     

    Also -- have any of you ACV owners got any photos you could share of the inside and various fittings please. Mine is uparmoured and doesn't have a turret

  12. I've just spent the last hour reading this thread from one end to the other -- makes you laugh how emotive some people can get -- and then there's the funny bits.

    Kellys Heroes? It doesn't belong in this thread. If you like war orientated films this has to be one of the best -- no it's not factually correct -- no it's not realistic, but what it is is damn good entertainment and I haven't met anyone in our circle of friends (yes you lot) that doesn't know a line or two and a few of the characters so "Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change" -- "Crap"

     

    Talking about what wouldn't be correct these days -- nobody has mentioned "It ain't half hot mum" which the BBC announced in 2012 would never be screened again because the editors at the beeb agreed that the show was very much out of touch with todays society (so what -- so am I!) The censors felt that the undertone of racism and catty remarks about different races and religions has no place on BBC channels. That leads me to quote Rangi Ram -- "Don't be such damn clever dickie"

     

    Battle of the Bulge -- Wah, wah, wah. How about flying a spotter plane in fog, switching the engine off and hanging out the window to listen for squeaky tanks! I believed it because there was a war on you know and all tanks squeak. It must be true -- I saw it in the film! :cool2:

  13. Agree with Smithy -- good photos Mark and yes what a brilliant chill out show. Ours is the RL and K9 so thanks for including. We drank lots of tea -- met loads of people and generally sat round enjoying the weather and chatting. It appeared to be well organised thanks to a good effort from museum staff although the displays in the arena could have been closer together. Let's hope for a bigger and better event next year with perhaps a few more stalls

  14. ....... I think he looks a prat but ........

    This is the best quote so far! ....... but hey -- each to his own I guess just so long as he doesn't come up and tell me that because I've got military vehicles I should dress up in a military uniform and look a prat like him!

     

    Like others in this thread, HM Queen paid me well to wear a uniform, taught me self respect and gave me an enormous sense of pride whenever I wore it -- and I earned my rank and decorations. I now choose to wear what I like and have no problems with others doing the same -- just don't mind me if I don't want to join in!

  15. Here's a canvas top belonging to 4 Field RA LAD 1967-ish:

     

     

    Must have been walking around with me eyes shut in the 60's -- I don't ever remember seeing a canvas top one and going back to my previous post this one supporting RA, so what equipment did 4 Fld RA have? I'd be interested to know

  16. Have a look at the brass military plate located behind the cab on the chassis rail next to the tyre inflator "behind the oil can rack"?. This should give the original 6 digit military reg number. I've got a list of date in service K9s and might be able to date it for you

     

     

    Oops! -- talking about both sides there -- got that wrong! -- go in between fuel tank and cab

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