robin craig

Last night I said the AM Fox was in the mail, well it arrived today.

Here it is

FYI I never had Action Man as a kid.

R

I am thankful to all those who have replied and also to Clive Elliot for doing all the research and putting it into one document.

R

Well Kids, are you sitting comfortably? Let me tell you a story.

I owe a huge debt to a man I have never met (apart from Jack who founded this whole forum and to whome we should all send a Christmas card but probably wont get around to doing so) and that is Al Nickolson.

Dear Al, bless your cotton socks and your background in detecting things!

I spoke with the ex owner of the Eager Beaver that was potographed in 2005 and yes it did go through Ritchie brothers in running condition earlier this year for a criminally low price of $1700 Canadian. Sadly he took a bath on it.

We talked for nearly an hour tonight and have struck a deal on the remainder of his Eager Beavers, two of them, that should with Gods help make one and possibly a second if parts are forthcoming.

As for pictures the owner is on dial up and would be quicker for him to walk to my location with a print than wait for it too upload.

Also considering it is around minus 50 degrees celsius with the wind chill at his location he wont be going outside to load them up tommorow.

I think at 47 I am going through a severe mid life crisis in taking on an Eager beaver project as well as two Canadian Ferret restorations in the same time frame.

I have no clue on the military registrations but the guy was so super helpful it was amazing.

Antar Mike you are not alone, yes we are both nuts but at least we will have fun in what we do in life.

Anyone want to send me C/O Santa a pdf of anything related to Eager Beavers as I need to get reading?

With the biggest smirk from ear to ear, its Good Night from me!

Regards

Robin Craig

Canada

The following is the proceeds of this years bidding on ebay.

Action man 105mm light gun, Ferret, Lightweight Land Rover

Fox armoured vehicle still floating across the Atlantic and absent from parade

R

Just thought I would post this, it was at a large parade. Bike is owned by a friend and ridden by a friend of his.

Not sure who the scruffy git in the blue overalls is

Robin

So, here is another grenade for the forum, when in reality did the practice of painting split rim wheel nuts red and the lug nuts white end?

There is some evidence that shows in service vehicles carrying this on even after Deep Bronze Green was changed for temperate camouflage colours.

Robin

Mod Edit... I've merged this thread with a previous one on the same subject

One of our Ferrets has a right side escape hatch that has no welded threaded studs to take a side bin.

The vehicle is a bit of a frankenstein having being prepared by a nameles UK dealer to meet a buyers needs.

I am very suspicious of the story that "many didnt have side bins" as quoted by the dealer. I feel it is far more likely that the escape hatch was NOS and slapped onto the vehicle to get it finished and shipped out.

The centre side bins have for quite a while been a rocking horse dropping type item and hence the ruse to cover that up.

I do know some of the BRITFORLEB vehciles are photographed missing their centre bins but not enough detail to see the corresponding hatch.

Comments please?

Robin

What was the cause of the demise of the old Ferret Heaven website and does anyone have an email address for Jim Webster who ran it.

Robin

Thanks for all the pointers.

I am in contact with Colin Stevens already, he doesnt have a listing of hull numbers to registration or CFRs as we call them. I will have to wait until they get here and can rub them down and find the stamped numbers on the hulls.

It seems that the Canadian and Australian vehicles were into service ahead of the British ones.

Just had a bit of a set back on getting them home, because of paperwork delays it is likely they wont be home until the new year.

Robin

Well, well, well aint that interesting.

The thing is, the numbers I posted belong to the two Canadian Mk1 Ferrets that I have bought and am bringing back to Canada.

So all I can assume is that in those times there was some kind of foreign military sales system under which those vehicles were sold to Canada by.

hmm isnt that interesting.

Thanks mate

Robin

The small plate that is tack welded to the right side of the interior of the hull, bears the following for two different vehicles, what can anyone tell me about them please

Vehicle No1 337.8.4.4

Vehicle No2 447.8.8.4

Robin

Gents,

yes I am talking about North Eastern UK.

And we are straying way off topic with Ladas IMHO

R

Many thanks to you sir, we can at last have a plate made up for her correctly.

Robin

I was talking to an acquaintance a few years ago who worked in the North East in the oil rig fabrication yards.

He distinctly remembers ex army turretless tanks being used to move oil rigs around on site.

I would guess that they might have been either Centurions by the era that he allleged this to have taken place in.

Can anyone expand on this?

Robin

A day late but here we go:-

Vin No 95900541

Contract WV12074

code 1054 5750

ces31234

thanks

Robin

Oh my goodness, are you well mate? The M35 and derivatives have a decal on the dash saying "hearing proection required". We have two of them and I hate them because of that exhaust for starters, why would you want all that noise so close to the cab?

Robin

I too would like to know where one can get those jacking legs from, anyone have a set stashed in the garden shed?

Were they Armstrong or electric powered? Any drawings of what they were made from, I could likely cobble together something.

Thanks

robin

Absolutely brilliant, I will get the chassis number today at work and post tonight.

Robin

Yes Lee, we are in the process of getting manuals sorted, but it is to get all the other do dads before the vehicle gets exported. Thats the time crunch.

Thanks

R

We have in the the collection a Land Rover 101 FC Ambulance LHD with the tropicalised wood as denoted by the T plate on the side.

W have one almighty problem. We know the chassis number but absolutley no clue of the British Military registration number.

Before you all chime in saying its stamped on this and that data plate it isnt. Honest, ive looked.

Is there any way to reverse identify its identity?

Robin

Doug

yes got your pm, will see if I can call in next 48hrs.

Basically I want to know what track and other tools are needed to keep it maintained in usage.

Would also like to get basic CES ie pick, shovel, gerry cans maybe a tow cable and a few bits and bobs.

Robin

I seem to remember in 1997 or thereabouts there was an auction done at the show, so this is not new. There were a lot of items that did not sell at that time.

Robin

Could anyone post a picture or list or both from the manual as to what the CES comprises please? We are in the midst of a vehicle purchase and need to make sure we get the basic track kit and any proprietary kit with it at the same time.

Also lok for a set of smoke grenade dischargers for the same vehicle, would consider any offers.

Thanks

Robin

I may be having the bins made here as the cost of labour is much less than the UK. I will likely have them made in kit form and you can finish them, this also reduces the size for shipping thereby making it more affordable.

As far as the ice box (field improvised) of the said bin, in Canada they used the spare wheel stowage bin. The SOP was to take a sandbag with a small amount of wet sand in it and mould it to the bottom of the space and then load it up with the beverage of choice then snag a CO2 fire extingusher and let it off into the sand bag.

Robin

What prices were Withams saying these would go for?

What has happened to the masts?

Do you think they have all got their generators with them?

What are the weakest points on these diesel engines?

Robin