welbike

Hi Gordon, Know about the Dodge wheels, but they have a different offset I believe, mine were N.O.S. and came with the hubs and even a lable attached to it, so 100% right for the Pack Howitzer. Here a picture of some similar wheels I didn't buy some years back, should have done, but that's too late now! Thanks, Lex

Ron, yours is much nicer anyway, and I will only cut off the fishtail, the rest is availeble if someone needs it? Is the WD/L ready now??

Hi all, Here some pictures of my 2nd Pack restoration, some major parts were missing, but have located most of the items now, together with some new fabrication of Top Sleighs, I hope to finish this the coming year (unless someone else wants to finish it, it might be for sale for the right amount!) Have no pictures of the thing together, but here's some rusty stuff: Trail: Wheels and hubs: Carriage end, and dividing mechanism: Data plate: Elevating Mechanism: One of the 2 Equilibrator springs: Cradle locking mechanism: After missing the sight in Nomandy I found another, thanks Tim!!: Finally the newly cast top sleighs, just some machining to do!! Will have to buy a real camera, instead of using my phone all the time! (sorry for the bad quality pics!) So now everyone can sort of see how this Howitzer is built up from the various parts. And here the complete thing (my first one) Brit. modified: Cheers, Lex

Ron, this ship, the Hanseatic Star was supposed to have been sunk somewhere in the Atlantic, exept that it wasn't! The Velo's though is another story, a friend was going to dive in the Channel, to take pictures, but the currents and depths are too severe for any diving. But they were not MAFs but WD's MAC's Cheers, Lex

Ron, Was only joking about the rear guard! but that Indian 340, it cannot be real, they were all sunk enroute to France!! Another fine example of misinformation in the books and on the web, look on page 113 of the excellent book "An American in Paris" that explains it all. Adam, I will ask Robin Markey to reply here in person, if he has the time and inclination, I know he's very bizzy on the "Virtual Idiots List" Cheers, Lex

Hi Adam, I read your post carefully, but do have some serious misgivings with your statements, I have had a couple of 741's and have read up on them, and have all the original manuals and parts lists, and have upgraded to a 1942 Mod 640 recently. A 741 was designed as a 600cc - 37 cu in, (basicly a Scout, not a Sport Scout, that Military version was the 640) but the British and the other allies didn't want a 600, they wanted a 500cc for road tax reasons, That's when Indian took their new cylinders and drilled them for 2-1/2" pistons instead of the original 2-3/4". There is so incredably lots and lots of misinformation about these models, it's not funny anymore, all the books written in the 70's and 80's had it all wrong, and are being quoted all the time! So time to set it all straight, although it will take decades to do so! My source here is a chief judge on Indians in the US AMCA, who owns every type of military Indian (exept the model 144 and 148, if there is interest for this I can post some pictures) Re. the tyre pattern, there are perfect Firestone tyres now, that are an exact copy of the originals, and made in the US, a bit more expensive, but sooooo much better then the Chen Sings, email me for details. Ron, I still regret selling that nice rear mudguard that's on your hybrid now! Cheers, Lex Schmidt

OK, Dave, the blanking plug is a plus, but they are being repro'd..... Do you know what the seller was asking? have a similar engine here (MKII) that might be for sale, am reconditioning a couple right now! Cheers, Lex

Hi Ron and Dave, sorry just back from my holliday in Marrakech, but the quick answer is that the WB's never had matching numbers, but there are other ways of seeing if it's an original engine or not, some detail pictures are needed though. Ron's engine number seems high for the original (belonging to frame 555) one, but would have to check my lists. Cheers, Lex

Hi All, Just came across this picture in the Dutch archives (NIHM): Picture taken in erly 1945, "KP" on the front number plate stands for "Knokploeg" or raiding party, from the Dutch resistance, photo caption says Stoottroepen (sort af a Dutch Commando force, attached to the Canadian 1st Army), in Brabant. Think this must have been captured from the Germans, as it has German silencers, so could be ex B.E.F. survived the war well I would say! Cheers, Lex

Hello Robin, and a great job you're doing!!! Cheers, Lex Schmidt

Hi all, have some 25pdr Br. blocks i just discovered, bought them as 6pdrs!! So let me know if anyone needs one. Lex Schmidt

Ha Joris, ja maak maar eens een "Then and Now" hoekje!! (sorry for the Double Dutch!) But it had to do with someone stating, that nothing was done with pre-Dunkirk stuff, so is sort of relevant here! I'll do another photoshoot in France again spring 2013, so anyone with period artillery can come along! Cheers, Lex

I do my best!! see 2 of these comparison pictures, have many more, but this is the wrong board for them!! there really should be a "Then and Now" picture topic. Cheers, Lex

With my Matchboxes its very opposite, the G3L does it after 2-3 weeks, my G3 NEVER does it, not even after one year of not running. Some people say it matters at which piston position you assemble/enter the plunger, but has not made a difference for me, another theory is that if your oil lines are not airtight, the pump leaks quicker, I don't know, even after 35 years of riding the things, it's still a mystery to me, but I can live with it, and will never fit a tap in the lines, and also not a special valve, the risk of forgetting/malfunctioning is just too big! My 2 p's, Lex

Yes Rob, pictures taken in France, where I dont know, but the Germans took everything to collection points, some stuff got repaired, other went for scrap. Looks like the gunners did a good job spiking their guns! hope I never have to do that! Cheers, Lex

Found these 2 pictures, what guns are they exactly? Cheers, Lex Schmidt

Hi All, Have this 1948 picture in my archive, early 25 pdrs, and nothing much ceremonial about them?? They had to wait 3 days before any shooting was to be done! Cheers, Lex Schmidt

Hi there, just a quick note on the only Founders Day I know of: http://www.thetaverners.com/Founders_Day.htm Will ask my friend if he'll contact you, if you give me your email address. Will post some info on the Cooper later. Cheers, Lex

Hi ??? Send me an email, and I can email you the drawings/pictures. Cheers, Lex Schmidt

Hi all, Just back from foreign climes! First of all, I am not totally opposed to replica's, but when they are (eventually) sold as originals its not a good thing! this has happened already twice that I know off, once in GB and once in Holland! Not that I would not notice it, but any less informed person might, remember when it's too good to be true, it's not true!! Anyway back to the question, to my knowledge there are no plans/drawings etc. available anywhere, then there is the problem of the steel "I" profile used, this is not availeble anymore, not even in the US, so has to be made somehow? Another thing about the Husky engines, there were many types! so you have to have the right one, otherwise it will only run backwards, does not fit, not the right clutch etc. etc. you will understand that the right engine is very collectable and expensive. There was a commercial repro on Epay a while ago; http://www.ebay.com/itm/280896627332 looked horrible!! But then even "original" Cushmans are difficult to complete, and have usually many replica parts, mine is not too bad, has a replica engine shroud, and postwar carburrettor, for better starting, will change this when I've rebuilt the original carby. Have the original tyres, airfilter and dataplate, things that are 99% not there. Some disadvantages of Cushman Mod 53 scooters, they are not too good in the mud! otherwise quite good offroad, sometimes even better then on the road! (like on the beach) They are grossly overpriced for what they are, slow, heavy, cumbersome, noisy, lots of vibration! Advantages are, they are Airborne. collectible and COOL! little kids can and will ride them! But you cannot, (and I tried) do big distances with them, or go on the motorway, just too slow! Anyway, hope this helps, I'll be taking the Cushman to Founders Day VMCC Jumble in the beginning of Sept. there's a Military bike theme there, so you could take all the pictures you want. Have also a friend who is making a replica from a later model in the US, whom I can bring you in contact with. Cheers, Lex

Hi all, just remembered there's a nice Italian book out about WWI bikes, all black & white pictures, divided by make, so US, Brit, French, German and Italian bikes. also with English and German text. Can be ordered here: http://www.libreriazanetti.it/zanetti_editore/varia/varia_3.htm# Some really good pictures in it, here a scan as an appetizer. Indian crashes frontally on a Fiat Lorry. Cheers, Lex

Never mind their names, what about shoe sizes??? Hahaha, great info Roy! Thanks, Lex

Ah Yes Steve, but also after Dunkirk hundreds and hundreds of french garages were set to work to get the bikes, cars and trucks running again, have seen many pictures of that in the Koblenz nat. archives in Germany. And with most of the spare parts captured too, it was not too difficult to rebuild the seized engines. Cheers, Lex

Came across this picture, unusual to see a Squarial in the army, and even rarer in the German army!! The other 2 bikes are DKW NZ 350's Cheers, Lex

Hi all, found this IWM picture at Beltring, and thought I'd share it. Any idea's about what/where/when?? Cheers, Lex