robin craig

Pardon my ignorance, Is the "clean up" you mention just a sort of housekeeping when targets get beyond visible as they have taken too many hits and are reduced to scrap? Or is it some eco zealous "no metal on our range" clean up to be replaced by tofu targets? R

welcome to the site, glad to see you have your vehicle interests in the right era! Others will enjoy things more with pictures so dont be afraid to post them! Are the vehicles you refer to yours or your employers? R

Is it just me or does anyone else think that looks an awful lot like the old Berliet truck in european service? R

Gents, As some of you realise, while I am an MV guy at heart it is my job as well by virtue of the fact that I manage a collection of vehicles for my employer. This is only a small part of the very varied job I do, but the most visible as few are interested in the other parts I fear. I have to state right from the start, this is what works for us, I'm not a computer whizz, just someone with a need and a logical solution. The basic problem was getting a grip on the spare parts built up over the years by the owner while buying vehicles, placing them in a secure dry place and making an easy to use inventory system. Parts had historically been buried in cabinets and boxes and trunks spread over the buildings on the property. When vehicles were being worked on it was difficult to know if brake shoes or bulbs or other widgets were in stock and for a time it was easier to just order more new parts than rummage through inventory in the vain hope of finding the required spares. Money and time wasted. Step 1 was taken by emptying a vehicle storage building and bringing all the parts in from their hiding places and sorting them into groupings by vehicle or usage on tarpaulins placed on the floor. This meant a keen eye was required in identifying most of them by eye and then back tracking into manuals to find part numbers. Some items have many part numbers, an FV number, a Land Rover part number, a Supacat number to name just one line of parts we have. This is typical where a part for a Supacat has the FV number, a Land Rover number bcause thats the original source and Supacat's own part number. Being able to spot the parts and know what they will also fit is a huge part of not duplicating inventory and also reducing one's costs when you know where to buy from. Step 2 was bringing in a 20 ft ISO sea container and placing it on site and fitting it with secondhand steel shelving. We put one bank across the back wall and one down each side and a wider set down the middle. Step 3 was taking each part and recording it and placing it on the shelves. This was accompanied by taking photos of items that we felt was important, this was done for the Clansman cables with both ends of the cable shown in the picture. We did not have the proper nomenclature of Clansmen so this works for us. Step 4 was entering the parts to an Excel spreadsheet that shows from left to right the following info. Column A is our unique number, it is a four digit number in reality on the tags but on the spreadsheet shows as a sequential number without 0 prefixes Column B gives our description of the item based on key words Column C gives a group category of what it fits, you will see in that column that CVR(T) items are group 22 and CVR(W) are 23 and that parts that have a wide usage in the fleet have 20 refering Brit MVs as described above. Column D gives the shelf row, shelf column, shelf level A4D is the A shelf row, 4th column in and D shelf in that column. You will note that the picture taken was done in mid process as we had assigned our unique numbers and descriptions but had not actually put them on the shelf which determines what fits physically, and this is entered once we have come back from planting them on the shelves. This is what we were doing today when the picture was taken. Column E gives quantities of that part number and condition notes and also what other vehicles it fits. The various pictures show piles of tagged parts in the back of the Mule going out from the shop today, as we were doing the inventory addition from a parts purchase a while ago, we just had not gotten around to doing this job. The other pictures show inside the container and just how much can be piled in and still make sense. My final comments are that this "candy store" has to be kept locked at all times and control of who goes in and what comes out is paramount otherwise the effort is wasted. This causes obvious clashes. I hope you enjoy this and welcome comments and discussion Robin

Welcome to the forum, Robin

What era are you trying to portray the vehicle in service, that would help. R

Good to see they havent squirted the cash up the wall on fancy architecture for a change unlike others and had to close in the off season . . . . R

Seems to be tried all the links but couldnt get in. Emailed Hanno tonight. R

Seeing as this seems to be the nearest thing to a 101 thread im going to put a couple up. Here are two pics taken a few years apart but with a couple of subtle differences that really makes the vehicle pop if you ask me. Bear in mind I did not do the original paint job and dont get me started on it! We have recently fitted the front pintle hitch as it makes it easier to tie it down on our float trailer. The vinyl decal is the cheapest and easiest way of making the plates front and rear. Real plates from the UK would be the next upgrade. Lastly a picture of our ambulance that may be on the way to a new home next week. Rgds Robin

"I say old chap, do you have any Grey Poupon?" R

Andy, Thanks for your comments, the idea of a bridge to support the engine is just a precaution and an aide for the job, I remember those brackets you describe and I cant say that their strength fills me with confidence. Im just trying to give myself the best chance of success and eliminate possible glitches. Welding and fabricating is an in house skill and would not take us too long to make. To move the gearbox assembly forward would be done with a chain fall system and a leveler as shown in the pictures, seems the most sane way to do it without pulling the power pack, which we have done before and I guess at the time we should have looked at that seal as prudence, and we will be paying the price now. Funny how people ram rod a job and small details get ommited that come back to bite one in the derriere. R

Looking at your posts all sounds reasonable. We have, regretably to do this job as we found out today. So to recap, one has to support the engine before starting. So in my mind I am going to make up a bridge to fit over the engine bay with a chain and hook mechanism with a thread involved so that I can get the tension on the engine before undoing the gearbox assy from it. Any comments on that idea? R

Why you people over there have a love for those REOs or whistlers defeats me. Great big hunk of &^%$#@. You will have a better ride and easier support out of a Bedford or a Daf. My 2 cents worth R

Welcome friend, I have the third 101FC loaded on our trailer in a 24 hour period. For the ambulance or any 101 get elctronic ignition fitted and life becomes much easier. R

If the SP registration is pukka then cam scheme could be anything, the Dutch connection is interesting and likely some kind of sexxed up demo scheme, kind of like the MERDEC that the US used. R

Thanks gents, its the pump for absolute sure Robin

Your missing the point old chum, to get that lump over this side of the pond is costly and then to drag it as far west as we are is a pile of miles also. For us, here in Canada, yes in Canadian dollars, they are a deal. R

Gents Our 90 has a horrible leak or leak at the injection pump ad it is running on about 2 or 3 cylinders at best because of it and making a naughty puddle underneath. Anyone changed one? Any special tools needed? Anyone got a lead on a replacement unit or maybe even and NOS complete engine with ancilliaries for a fiver? Comments suggestion welcome, apart from the obvious "fiver" remarks! R

My new employee helped me move ours around on Friday, he is getting hands on, on the job training on MVs this week. He has been the inside man on 05CC 29 Ferret clean up and the Spartan, also gave him the job of being New Holland TS90 driver with Spartan on A bars as well. He was surprised how well it manouevered around the yard and into the shop and how much all round view you have from the tractor cab, makes life so much safer. R

Gents Sadly admin has told me we are not buying one or any of these three which are in Albeta, Canada. $15,000 each of $35,000 for the trio. Road ready, paint untidy. His details by pm from me or go to www.kijiji.ca and search DAF in Alberta. Gosh darn it we could have used one of these. (I have the full consent of the owner and his permission to use these pictures) R

As always, great pictures and text Chris, useful things those A bars for CVR(T)s arent they? R

Guys, your missing the point of what I am trying to say. Yes I know Withams have been selling Saxons, but mostly the earlier version, and most of them are known to be sold to Jordan. In the background of the picture I can't put up here are two later Saxons with wings etc. R

Have a look in the background of with Withams 2nd page of pictures of the Green Godess SYH 160 on their web page. Wonder how long before they appear on the web site or at a port destined for parts foreign. R

I was waiting for someone to comment about the seating issue. If you look in the 8th picture down there is a steel sub frame to receive the base of seat column. On the left of that and on top of the sponson there are two weld nuts we were going to take advantage off to secure the modified seat. As for the right hand seat we never go that far. Thanks for the compliments, it is a shame to see the thing languish for these years. I get work prioritised and I have to have a life myself so there she has sat. A real interested buyer is coming on the 13th to see her and he will be getting a smoking deal in my opinion as she is only a few hours away from running really. I just thought that as we had her in the shop I should record what little I can of the job that had been done so that it might be of use to others in the future. Who knows if the new owner will keep it in that set up. R

A long time ago, in a far off distant land (to most of you guys in the UK) a project was hatched to modify a Spartan. The purpose was two fold. First was to sort out a fuel tank that was less than happy being filled with a lot of water and debris. The second part was to make a more useable space inside the vehicle. A plan was hatched to bring some "friend" in to mount an after market fuel tank and re position a fuel pump. At that time I was the "friend" with the fabricating skills. Even at that time my credo was "no new holes and nothing welded on". My part of the job satisfied that. Shown below are a series of pictures of the tank mounted to a craddle that was made with tabs that allow it to be bolted to the existing weld nuts fitted on top of the left sponson. Straps were then hand made to secure the the tank to the craddle. Once my part was done the new fuel pump was mounted by another, I think it may have been a visiting Terry Brooks.. The vacated space left by the removed fuel tank levaes an uneven floor, to make it more useable, a series of bunks were crafted and a plywood floor fashioned and screwed to it as a version 1. The thought was that if it was workable then an upgraded in aluminium would be done at a later date. Unfortunately the vehicle suffered a thrown rod and was set aside in deep storage, awaiting the arrival of the Makita cordless daystretcher which never came. Time has passed on and the vehicle is up for sale as is with a spare take out engine to sort the vehicle out. This is what we were doing today, tidying it up before the potential buyer visits. Hope you like the pictures Robin