David B.

I don't think that I am going into the driveway business using pressure tools with this one (sorry David!) as I have seen a film of an exploding air tank and this one was last tested in 1971 according to the stampings on the tank.

I was actually hanging on for a quote Pat !!

don't sell the 19set if you have a dingo. Dingo with out one is no Dingo

When you want to pass the Dingo on it will be devalued by the cost of installing the correct kit at its replacement cost at that time. The way 19 set prices are going that is sure to be more than £300 in the future.

Try and hang on to the radio,without it the vehicle is incomplete.

Considering the role of the Dingo Peter's comment is quite correct, Recce vehicles carried radio sets,part of their function.

Neil,

You should perhaps contact the Heritage Motor Trust Archive,Gaydon,Warwickshire and enquire about their archive holdings.

I believe that the Mulliners records survive as part of the Standard Triumph records,held at the University of Warwick Library.

Be careful though,there were several similarly named coach builders,originating from the same family. The most likely maker of the WW2 Utility body,I would think was probably Mulliners(Birmingham) Ltd who had premises in Bordesley Green,Birmingham. They produced coach built car bodies in the 30s and during the war made aircraft parts and Utility Bus bodies,continuing bus bodies and body building after the war. (They would seem more likely than the London based H.J. Mulliner company).

The Birmingham Mulliners were acquired by Standard-Triumph in 1958 which was in turn absorbed by Leyland,the factory closing,I believe in the early sixties.

In recent years I did business over a period with a Bangladeshi bed and mattress makers based in part of the old Mulliners works in Bordesley Green Road. I enquired during a number of visits if anything remained of the old coach building business but sad to say was never once shown a dusty cupboard containing old drawings or blueprints.

As far as I know and I'm sure you are aware Stewart and Arden were car retailers but of course during the war their workshops went over to military vehicle maintenance and overhaul.

Good luck with the project,

David

John/Richard,

Does the classification "1/2 Ton" shed any light.

The wartime description of these trailers was 10cwt which changed to 1/2 Ton.

The Identification List for the GS and Mortar Trailers dated April 1949 is titled "10cwt" but the August 1960 Parts List has it as "1/2 Ton"

The change must have been between these dates.

David.

Hi All

 

I'm assisting the organisers in the search for some Post War Military Vehicles for the NEW 'Flywheel' event to be held at the former RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire over the weekend of 20/21st June. Lots of vehicles, pre and post war, racing cars, warbirds, Bristol Blenheim, airshow, WW1 dog fights etc.

 

Looking to source some interesting British post war vehicles, softskin and armour, covering the period 1945 to 1960 to be part of a Post War display.

 

Anybody in the Bucks,Beds,Oxon,Northants area interested in being involved ?

 

PM me with contact details and what you have and I'll make contact.

 

Thanks

Am I right in thinking there will be an entrance fee for exhibitors ?

Your reference to Bicester heritage led me to search for their pages on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bicester-Heritage/558643060833836

where you will find these & other good images

[ATTACH=CONFIG]104665[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]104666[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]104667[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]104668[/ATTACH]

Was this article originally published in Classic Military Vehicle ? It has that look.

David.

Morning Tony,

Please let me know when you finish this as I was hoping you could "drop in" and help with some driveway repairs.

Seriously though,what a lovely thing. There will soon not be enough airborne jeeps to tow all these trailers !

Best wishes,

David.

Ok- an update in case anyone wants to know. Seems to be starting well now; have started it every day without a problem. The only change I've made is to add to the gasket under the fuel pump ( now 3mm) total. So I'll have to say that must have sorted it- the mysteries of the Solex carb. Hope this may be of use to someone else,; and thanks to everyone for taking the time to post their comments.

Prior to this fix did it have a tendency to wet the plugs on tickover at all or were they running clean ?

The K2 looks as good as ever David, no carb icing I hope ?

 

regards

 

Pete

Thanks Pete, I haven't suffered from that for quite a long time due to the fact that we tend to run the motor and warm up for a while before moving off.

When I first had the K2 all those years ago carb icing caused all manner of awkward moments with spluttering and cutting out in the early spring.

By the time you pulled over,got out,walked round and lifted the bonnet the frost would have disappeared. Having looked at the points and jets,off you'd go being the none the wiser. It probably took three or four years for the penny to drop !

Some while ago I had a very nice rad muff made and never fitted,for what reason I can't remember.I should dig it out for days like that one. I'm pleased to report though that had I been carrying any patients they would have been fine as the heater in the rear is working well.

Cheers,

David.

We found the ice - both black and white ! slowed us up sufficiently to miss the rendezvous,so we went on to the aerodrome direct with the K2 and Jeep rather than try to find you all in the fog.

The freezing fog meant that the front of both vehicles were caked in ice which caused me to panic a bit when returning to the ambulance about quarter of an hour later after parking up to see a stream of ( thawed) water falling from the rad grille.

An enjoyable,if slightly masochistic day out,made more enjoyable in the knowledge that the previous nights rain had washed all of the County Council's salt away.

Looking forward to going there again in April on "Drive it Day"

David.

Were the Air Ministry using de-icer in WW2 ?

I think you're right Adrian.

 

I have heard Khaki Green No3.

 

This is the tank in question.

 

 

Heliops

Same colour as his Wagon Wheels perhaps ?

This one's a much more realistic price at the moment. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131351193977

I know it's been discussed before but those reflectors do look a bit orange. The plate itself doesn't look too weathered so would it be possible that the reflectors have lost their red colour or did they start off a bit on the orange side ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-DESMO-TRAILER-T-PLATE-BEDFORD-MORRIS-COMMERCIAL-FODEN-ERF-FORDSON-NOS-/371184398020

 

Amazing price !!!!!!!!!! anyone else want to pay that price for one as I've got 2 new one's in packets & 4 good secondhand one's.:shocked:

That's why prices have gone up Ian !

It's brass - but apparently left uncoated so it patinates naturally.

 

I seem to have collected photos from the net of dataplates for these trailers - OEC also used cast brass plates......

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98409[/ATTACH]

 

Preumably it's an early vs. late thing

 

There are more variations in these trailers than I expected. SSC built trailers have curved rear edges to the neck handle brackets whilst other manufactures seemed to use angular edges. They're also constructed differently with the carriage bolt going in from the inside of the body, a hex nut on the outside and the countersink then filled flat - which is fine until you need to replace a plank.................

 

Other manufacturers seemed to be more practical and put the carriage bolt in from the outside, nut inside, and left the countersink unfilled. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that SSC had been a coachbuilder

Simon,I'm beginning to think that for every rule there is an exception and a further puzzle emerges here.

According to the Census book of WD vehicles the X number and contract number on the cast brass plate relate not to Orme Evans but to a contract of 959 10 cwt GS trailers of BROCKHOUSE manufacture ,the numbering sequence seems to fit in quite late on in the war.

In the Identification List for the 10 cwt trailers the contract seems to have been issued relatively early on for GS No 1 trailers.

Brockhouse took over the Orme Evans Co in 1944 it is said. So what happened here,did Brockhouse pick up an earlier (un completed) OE contract under the OE name as well ?

It also blows out of the water any potential theory of identifying trailers without data plates as the OE no 2 trailer would have only two plate fixing holes drilled on the drawbar not four.

 

I would highly recommend Robert. He has made a special "one-off" plate for my MUREX trailer

Thanks John ,I'm going to ask him about a repair to the corners of another zinc plate.

I was very close to Mike and Carrie for a number of years,he had his ways and wasn't everyone's cup of tea,Carrie was lovely.

No matter what,he was one of a small group of enthusiasts who pulled together in a very interesting period of discovery and exploration,he and I were restoring a Dingo each at the same time thirty odd years ago and spent a lot of time together.

One of the most amusing memories I have of him was of making a spoof telephone call to him inviting him to drive his Dingo past the Cenotaph for the retirement ceremony of a Polish General - hook,line and sinker. Another good memory was of acting as referee between his pedantic requests and the irascible Chris Wilkinson. Anyone who knew these two characters can imagine that.

I lost touch with them following their move and was very sad to hear of Carrie's unfortunate death.

So long Mike.

I am about to drill the holes for the pins in the tubular support legs. Is it possible that someone could measure the distance of the holes for the "up" and "down" pins from the ground for me please. Otherwise I'll have to try scaling from photos.

 

For anyone with an SS Cars built trailer, Robert at Dataplates4U can supply reproduction plates from stock. Looking at surviving plates, on Jaguar-built GS trailers, it seems that the four digit chassis number is linked to the "last three" of the census number

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98403[/ATTACH]

Nice looking plate Simon,is it brass or zinc ? Some interesting differences to the Orme Evans plates which seem to be printed as contract specific.

As well as being made of steel the OE plates have only two fixing holes which I suppose could be another way in helping to determine the manufacturer from the remaining holes left in the drawbar.

 

Hi David,

 

My plate has rotted out in the same place but going by other plates (from different trailers) I have seen, the number 2 has been used rather than the Roman numerals ll. This is logical as it is simpler and easier to use one stamp instead of two. I would be interested in one of your plates so please keep me posted.

Tony

Thank you Tony - hope you are well.

That would be logical as it fits with the original trailer designation too. I am just waiting for the final proof having checked hole spacings etc. when it arrives I will post it together with the cost of additional plates. Sadly,they will be made outside of the UK but carriage should not be much.

Best wishes,

David.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]77713[/ATTACH]

 

Hello Tony,

 

I am just about to have made a steel plate,the final artwork version of which will show a few slight differences from this early draft of yours.

Can you help me out with one more piece of information from your old plate please before I get on with stamping up my new one when it's made.

 

What form of numbering is used to stamp the blank square after "No" and before "OEC". Is it the simple number 2 or the Roman numerals II. ?

 

If anyone else has an intact plate from this contract and can confirm as well,please feel free to comment. My plate is rusted out at this point.

 

As an afterthought, I could have some additional plates made for Orme Evans trailers from this contract should anyone else need one. They will be in steel as the original plates were and I am just waiting for the final artwork and costing before going ahead.

 

many thanks,

David.

Tim,

I'll lend you a book " Fire from the Forest " which covers the SAS Brigade activities in France 1944. There are some mentions of Belgian involvement.

I'll bring it a week Thursday unless you are passing.

David.

The smaller vehicles continued right through after the war with only holders for 2 gallon cans.

Some larger vehicles also had revised partitions in their 2 gallon racks later in the war in order to accommodate jerrycans.

Dave, I have not had to do it as always found the correct bevel box I needed but the gears are same in all and it is just a question of turning the bevel gear and carrier around so it drives on other side of the pinion.

Thanks Richard - we could be quite busy this winter !!!

I don't know but with Dingo's you can take a bevelbox apart and put it back together with the bevel gear on the other site and this will make it fit the other site.

 

One day I meet someone who had fitted all bevel boxes in the wrong position in the Dingo. With the lever forward it move backward and visa versa. By changing all four bevel gears it moved forward when forward selects etc.

 

So if you have a dingo you can do with one spare bevel box to replace all bevel boxes in the dingo if one brakes

Is this correct ?

Richard or anyone else actually done this successfully ?

 

Any chance of a picture or two of this . It seems an inspired project.