ajmac

When you think of it like that its funny: Rommel's Panda Army

Yesterdays work.

The RHS track adjuster was pressed back together a few weeks ago but the LHS unit was rather damaged and needed a lot of fettling before it was ready to paint and then fit. I've left as much of the range damage as possible where it doesn't hinder the alignment or operation of the adjuster.

RHS track adjuster just after going back together.

LHS track adjuster, the tie bolts goes through the centre to link it to the RHS adjuster

LHS track adjuster, note damage to the side.

The LHS adjuster can be seen (on the left), at this point both adjusters where jammed into the axle tube, as it came off the range target.

As an aside the farm building that this photo was taken in is now refurbished and used as a microbrewery!

As an aside I've been working on a Flathead V8 which needed the cam bearings replaced. I turned a tool to use with the slide hammer which worked a treat.

Its a bit quite of late, what with the nights drawing in and the workshop all that much cooler.

The replica Data plates came through well with the pattern 3D printed by a friend and the friendly Brass foundry posting he the casting back within the week of receiving the plastic pattern. I had the solidworks drawing scaled up bu 1.4% to account for contracting in the Brass. The castings were etch primed and then painted satin black with the high spots knocked off with emery cloth. Not bad. I made four, but three were snapped up within a couple of days leaving me with just the one.

The original from a Ford built Loyd in Norway and the plastic 3D printed pattern.

The stages of finishing the casting.

However he is old and will die eventually.

When it comes to some, its the only solution. The luck is getting in touch between the time when the old guy who will not sell anything dies and the time his relations call in the scrappy to take it all away.

I was chasing down an original Loyd gearbox and V8 engine, still bolted together as it had been when it was hauled out of the Loyd before it was taken for scrap (sad in itself) a few years ago. He wanted a huge sum a couple of years ago and I didn't need it, so I left it. I chased up this week on behalf of another Loyd restorer who wanted it, only to find that he had spent ages trying to sell it, had no takers, so split it up and sold it for parts to a classic car owner!

The trouble with the Covenantor from a collect-ability point of view is surely that it never 'did' anything, it was only ever a training machine, like Cavaliers.

 

Is this picture not France 1940?

Cheers Andrew.

 

Probably.....but its an A13. Now I would be interested in restoring one of those.

The trouble with the Covenantor from a collect-ability point of view is surely that it never 'did' anything, it was only ever a training machine, like Cavaliers. If it were a run of the mill Sherman that was buried it would be a mad rush to dig it up and make a quick turnaround. The wartime MV market has me completely flummoxed to be honest :-\

If they are indeed located it would make an interesting TV program on mainstream TV, they love that kind of thing, like TimeTeam.

At the moment the museum workshops are focusing on restoring British tanks you can see updates on the work on the museum YouTube channel and the detail there going into.

 

 

Al

Al,

I've been following the Matilda II restoration on Youtube.

It would make an excellent themed exhibit for sure. I still want to know when the lottery application is going in to make the Tiger II operational again. Not to mention a 75mm Sherman and a PzIV, however, I guess people wouldn't visit to see a Sherman of PzIV but would for Tiger related exhibits.

As far as I know they were painted with the disruptive SCC1A or SCC14 dark colours, I don't remember 100% but I think that SCC1A is a very very dark brown, almost black and SCC14 is black.

Ironically it seems like the availability of wartime German Armour parts is greater than the majority of wartime British machines. Put in your order an you can get a Stug final drive.....yet it took me years to locate two Loyd break drums!

Even though the farm is now a Vineyard, there is nothing to say that they are buried under the vines, you could be lucky. It would be interesting to know why the others were reburied. Were they shot up and considered too far gone for restoration? Did anyone see them back in the day?

Bogie rebuild in progress...

Many thanks guys.

Has anyone got a foot of 3/4" BSF threaded rod (all thread) or a couple of 3/4" BSF bolts with at least 4" of thread? Its to repair the track adjusters on the Loyd.

I'd love to restore a Light Dragon. Does anyone know if even a partial machine has survived?

Nearly completed the back end of the chassis now. Just the brakes to go.

Most Range Photography dates back to the 1980's at the earliest. The Humber's would have been battered to scrap on UK ranges long before this.

The key to range restorations is finding ones that were off the firing lines or used as markers, however I've never seen any evidence that scouts were put out on ranges. To be honest I wouldn't want to go down that route anyway, not again. Mainland Europe seems to be where to look.

Thanks for all the contributions to the thread. I read that a number of Humber Scouts were put on UK ranges, did anyone photograph any of them 'back in the day'? I know a chap who is working on three or four that were wrecks but I don't remember where the wrecks were sourced from.

All in all the HSC is a rare machine. I would love to restore one, but they just don't turn up! What happened to them in the post war period? Was there any particular country that received them as aid, or purchased a good number? I'm trying to think of places to look. Not that the Loyd is finished yet.... But the next project needs to have wheels and have been used by the British during wartime.

Nice work Alistair :thumbsup: interesting thread very much enjoying reading about the progress so keep posting the pictures.

As an aside, which firm is making your brake cables up ?

 

Pete

http://www.cable-tec.co.uk/

The glove compartment has seen better days :-)

Doing a little more work on the drivers floor and the front lower hull plate.

The controls are going in, I am waiting for some material to repair the throttle pedal shaft.

Made the replacement short floor stiffeners.

Front brake cables test fitted to ensure I hadn't got them mixed up with the rear ones! They are going off to have replacements made in Nottingham, then I can fit the front brake hardware and the drums.

Track arrives in a couple of weeks!

There is scope for all kinds of shows. Being a WW2 vehicle-centric type I like Militracks in The Netherlands, something like that both for Axis and Allied vehicles in the UK would be great. W&PR isn't that show, it used to be that way in the 90's, but not now. Perhaps the Military World show will be a new start, back to basics perhaps.

I hope everyone has a great time, sadly I shall not be able to make it down this year. I'll look out for photos and videos on the affair later :-)