paulbrook

The one on Milweb is available for someone who wants to drive one round rather than have it parked up as a static "gate guardian", however another one is currently being done (by yours truly) for that static display purpose. Confused? Not really - there is a lengthy thread on the subject in the "transporters" section! If this works out it means that not one but two ANTARS are saved.

David Crouch is currently advertising 12 DM 61 on Milweb. This is the one that came from Leconfield (but not from the MOD - it was owned there by the unit welfare fund not MOD). If anyone wants more info about it then get in touch!

Here we go - one MW and for pennies. Doesnt look like one I know but I am pretty certain that is what it is under there.http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?27448-bedford-oyd-swb-single-wheel-for-sale-barn-stored-since-1959&p=287619#post287619

Theres an MW for sale on the site here for not a lot of money....I'll find the thread in a mo....I know a very good restorer by the way - oh hang on - its me!

I would be astonished if it were so complicated that it needed to be taken off as a big lump and then dismantled on the bench (or, more likely, rolling out of control on the floor causing alarm, despondencey and barked shins). Do not fear Mr Hub-Puller, as it will not press the stub axle into the joint, merely create an irresistible force between the shaft and the hub - and it will be the hub (or more precisely the bearings on the shaft/in the hub) that will let go first. It is amazing how accurately applied force does the trick where sledgehammering in the wrong place wont. But it will need a big one and I was just wondering how I would fettle a makeshift one. I think it would involve steel channel cut and welded into a bridge, with feet bolted onto 2 wheel lugs using the wheelnuts and a 3 ton bottle jack between the bridge and the end of the stub axle. If that didnt crack it I would modify it and use a 5 ton bottle jack........

Before you go mad and spend money(!) try checking the regulator first. To be fair, unlike the Lucas counterparts, they are a tad fiddly. But if you want to give it a go I am happy to scan the appropriate info and email you the pdf.

I would expect to find the chassis number further forward on the frame to where you were grinding on the photo - look at the area from directly above the front axle to just behind the front bumper.

Crikey that brings back some memories as I nearly bought one of them (I think there were two or three) a few years ago. As I recall they were ex Israeli and could even have been re-engined. In fact when wracking the few brain cells I have left I think they might have had 330 Bedford engines in. Or I could have been having one of those dreams again - the sort I have when I forget to take my medication. As far as I know they still exist and are out there somewhere! I might even look in my old tellingbone directory to see if I can come up with a number for my (then) contact..

A chap I know runs a B engine on LPG gas - and it runs 100% better for it. In fact he does not even bother to start it on petrol, although he runs it on wet fuel once in a while to keep the carb in decent shape. Kero in petrol is such a bad idea without the right vaporising manifold. Any cost savings will be quickly wiped out by the cost of sorting a wrecked engine.

I promise to have a look tomorrow - its a funny thing because I was cutting the front wings off last week and while I was in amongst it I thought hold up - I must make a note of the chassis number from the chassis plate on the nearside chassis leg. Then in a flurry of plasma induced tumbling metal I forgot. I think though its already been identified on an earlier post in this thread, but we'll see. Anyway I am now the proud owner of two piles of bent and rusty metal that once graced the flanks of this particular beastie - and a somewhat nekkid beastie (see the photo below). Next week the fabrication of the replacements begins (I wont be putting them on just yet though, not till we have payed homage to the God of Sandblasting). Mind you I had a grumpy moment or two when it came to the nearside mudguard which had appeared in better nick than the one on the starboard side. No flipping wonder - it was full of filler thanks presumably to some altercation or other in a former life. Which explains the sport with the plasma cutter. They hate bodyfiller you know..

In the words of a fine bloke called Andy Peacock "you're not a real welder till you've set fire to something...."

A welder for Christmas? Now thats what I call a loving Dad! Then I twigged the real motive - "practice on the trailer" ........... You cant fool us! That said I agree with everything here, a good welder need not cost the earth. I will stick up for the no-gas option though - they are grand if you are working outside and it is breezy (which it generally is in this fine land of ours). I did a jeep body with one and it was pretty good, and saved a lot in terms of gas. I cant even remember what mine is but its a machine mart one. The two must have accessories in my opinion are the auto darkening helmet and the trolley to mount it all on. So Santa - you know what to do!

Really sorry to hear about your break in - and I will keep my eyes peeled. For what its worth I would recommend watching ebay like a hawk - I actually recovered some property that way recently and its worth the effort (especially as a conviction or two is in the offing as well) The other thing I would strongly recommend for those folk who want to avoid a similar problem is a SMARTWATER kit. Our local crime prevention team were actually giving the kits away, but even if you have to buy the stuff it is worth it in my opinion. http://www.smartwater.com/Personal.aspx I am nothing to do with smartwater by the way, I just think its a very good deterrent especially with all the stickers and signs that go with it!

As they might say down there in Lancashire - we on wi'it! Its a slow process though. I have never had to order sheet steel by the acre before.... I did put a bit of an update in the "blogs" section under Tales from a Big Shed, plus I am just about to stick some stuff on the trusty rustytrucks website. Next week sees me locking horns (and industrial tinsnips) with the front mudguards. My Christmas list starts with "Antar Windscreens" (although I will probably have to make do with slippers and a bottle of malt as usual). As for the other one I will make an enquiry or two and let everyone know.

Almost certainly due to an otherwise empty BATUS maint ship coming back anyway

100% agree - Kingstown.

Obviously no good if you are in Kent but for those in the North or the Scottish Lowlands these guys are tops and do all my blasting: http://robinsonblastclean.co.uk/default.aspx They can come out and blast on site or do it at their premises. Their rates are reasonable and they use the full range of equipment and medium to get the best results without killing your components. They tend to use crushed recycled glass for most of the work which folks on here would be interested in which leaves a superb surface for priming. The soda blasting is quite impressive too (they can take paint off a beer can without marking the surface) but it is pricey (based on the cost of the material at about £70 a bag...) I have all the gear myself but quite frankly they can do it quicker and better than I can and for not much more money. As for prices, like everything else you get what you pay for. I keep costs down by making as big a batch as I can to be done. The last time I bought blast medium in any quantities I paid £170 a ton from Scangrit. I can recommend the glass in home blasting kit though (it is available on ebay) - the slag-based stuff tends to clog whereas the glass doesn't and it is not prone to the same sort of damp issues. In fact the superfine stuff is really weird, it flows so well you cant hold it in your hand, it just finds the gaps and out it comes, making it perfect for home pots and lower output compressors.

I seem to recall that they come out up through the floor - but I will find out for certain tomorrow and let you know. And whilst the rest of the vehicle is quite heavy the gearbox isn't. so it is not too much of a mare to manhandle. But Ill get back to you!

Meanwhile the Humber timberwork is slowly taking shape - mind you there is a surprising amount of steelwork to be done as many of the 3d brackets that hold everything together need to be re-made. My big stock of ash timber is taking a bit of a beating - the wheelarch section is laminated from 6 separate sections and the curve of each makes for quite a lot of waste. Luckily for me ash is one thing that does grow on trees. Anyway heres the pics:

Right then a little update The M38 wiring continues. What a joy it is to be working with a completely black wiring loom! But any minute now (well in the next day or so) it is all going to be hooked up and it will be good. I would put a picture on of a bit of wire but you dont really want that do you?? Much more interesting is the Antar, with the fuel tank covers, bonnet and engine sides all now patched up, blasted and in primer. The radiator cowl needs some fettling but that should be done in the next few days, the aim then is to cut away and fabricate a pair of front mudguards. Heres the bonnet top and sides:

As has already been said - Speedy Cables (Mike) http://www.speedycables.com/

........and you will all know of course that Challenger was originally FV4030 - or SHAH - and built for Iran.

Not sure about jeeps but I know where A tp buried the traffic lights from the big crossroads at Soest in west Germany after swiping them with a Chieftain bridgelayer on a tank transporter. The perpatrator was pulled over by the civ police, but he denied seeing or doing anything wrong and in the absence of any evidence he, and the rest of the convoy, were allowed to go. It was only when they unloaded at their destination did the (large) traffic light stanchion come crashing to the ground from the top of the bridgelayer where it had laid quite happily all the way back. The boys then did the right thing and buried the whole thing as quick as possible... But to go back to the subject my dad did national service in Singapore and would corroborate the tales of sea dumping - as well as vehicles he told of lots of platinum items and components from generators and sundry electrical and signals gear..

RIP all who went before. But spare a thought too this weekend for the young lions and lionesses who will be strapping on their gear and checking their equipment for the umpteenth time before stepping out into their destiny on our behalf. We can be proud of those who did it in the past, and we can be equally proud of those who do so in the present.

If there is a market there are knock-offs..... We had a knock-off generator when I worked in Iraq - with a CV12 engine in it! When we contacted Perkins (we were having trouble) we gave them the serial number and they said mmmmmm...............not one of ours guv.. If an engine runs well with dodgy plugs, grand. But whether its rotor arms, condensers, leads or plugs or anything else for that matter sometimes the quality just aint what it used to be, and if your engine is misbehaving then dont assume all is well just because you put new bits on it.