sirhc

Are there regulations governing civilian use of convoy flags?!

Not much use at the side of the road though!

Neil, I have only ever found the people at the DVLA helpful. They want to help get the vehicles on the road, they want to help you make it MOT exempt and they want to make sure it is in a suitable taxation class. This is especially true when registering the Sabre the other week, they didn't know what taxation class is belonged in but quickly came back and said it would fit under 'Special Vehicle' which was actually cheaper. Our Fox is registered as a 'Motor Tractor' as this is what a contact at the Department of Transport decided would be a suitable class for it. I've not done any blagging, I've been upfront and honest with them! As for construction and use regulations, of course there will be allowance for older vehicles, they're never going to meet modern regulations. The way I understand it is that they have to meet the regulations for the year of manufacture. The 432s were built in the 60's, used on the roads in the 60's and therefore must have been deemed safe at the time. Of course we all know now that the steering and braking system is not ideal, but would you refuse a 1930s car registration because the rod brakes aren't very good, the lights are poor and there are no turn signals? Why were the DVLA trying to ban Alvis FV600 series vehicles? Do you have written proof of this or is it just more hearsay? This registration lark is all about choosing the correct catagory for registering your vehicle under. Back when Simon asked me this question originally I told him to put down 'Special Mobile Unit' on his form. Reading his reply below it seems he didn't, which is probably where the problem started! Chris

I see your point Richard, but I'd still go for the nice shiny new ones! Chris

Neil, I think for a safety item like a seat belt I'd rather pay the extra £10 and have nice new ones. Remember they can fail your MOT for worn or frayed seat belts! Chris

I registered our 432 as Body Type: Special Mobile Unit Wheelplan: tracks I filled out the form, they gave me a tax disc. The tax class is Historic and there shouldn't be a question about that. Nobody asked about the steering/braking system, everyone says it's supposedly illegal yet nobody has proof. As long as you've got the blue from 645 you should be ok. That form in essence says the vehicle was used on the road by the MoD, if they can use it on the road then so can you. Honestly the number of people who have trouble registering vehicles, or pass on rumours about not being able to register this or that is rediculous. The best way to do it is to assemble all the documents you need, fill in a V55 and then go to the local DVLA office. Give the person on the counter as little information as possible. I'm sure pitching up with a photo of a tank and saying 'register this' causes far more problems than handing over a completed form and letting them get on with it. If anyone wants to pay me I will gladly start a vehicle registration service! Chris

Simon, The NLBA managed to register a Chieftain for the road, so a 432 should be no problem. It is no wider than a bus or lorry. I don't understand how there seems to be so much variation between the different DVLA offices, I registered one in Nottingham with no questions asked. Try taking your paperwork there! Chris

Mick, Cables...!! I replaced all the cables on mine, it's a big job. You'll have to strip down most of the insides as they run under the floor and gearbox. Unless the cables are rusty and sticking I would just strip and clean the wheel cylinder and stick a new seal in it. Chris

Mick, I don't know exactly what you mean by tappet units? :dunno: Chris

All our vehicles are older than me by between 1 and 23 years. Combined fleet age is 353 years. Chris

Mick, From the photo it seems you're reffering to the wheel station as a transfer box, which may cause some confusion! The transfer box is the bit on the end of the gearbox which allows you to swap from forward to reverse. The 4 boxes on either corner on the inside of the hull are bevel boxes, these contain bevel gears and change the direction of the drive by 90º from the prop shaft to the wheel station. The wheel station is that bit on the outside, with the hub reduction gears, brake units, tracta joints etc. If you manage to find a new wheel cylinder it probably won't come with the fingers which operate the brake shoes. I had to reuse mine and replaced all the pivot pins with stailness steel ones. You might be able to rescue your old one though, the seals are a standard size and you should get them easy enough. Chris

£97 seems a bit excessive!

Mick, If you think you have brake fluid coming out of the drum you need to stop driving it, remove the wheel and the brake drum and see what's gone wrong. You'll probably need to thoroughly clean the inside of the drum and replace the shoes. The brake cylinder does fit outside the drum, on the rear of the backing plate. There are 3 fingers which operate the brake shoes, these are also connected to the handbrake cable. Chris

No email for me yet either, something is a-miss! Chris

I never got the email either, found the link on the old site, before it vanished! Chris

Jack, Can you sort the blue and white fade background out so it doesn't tile down the page? Chris

Whitworth?

I bet that will increase fuel consumption, maybe he should remove it for these long road runs? A low loader is going to cost an awful lot more than £300! Chris

25MPH? You need something a bit more modern, and economical! 8-)

Jack, It is 200+ miles from here to Beltring. I've driven the Ferret there several times and other people from this area (and further north) drive GMCs and other vehicles there and back. Get some Roadsure brakedown cover (I'm sure you can get a deal) fill it up with petrol and drive it there. I bet it would work out cheaper than a low loader. Chris

The Rolls-Royce designed oil system has worked for years with no problems. You can get new filters, and the old ones can be washed out and reused. I wouldn't want to mess with a tried and tested system unless I had to. Chris

Ok. Anyone wanting convoy flags is in luck, sort of. I have: 1 x set of yellow, green & blue. £15 inc P&P. 3 x set of green & blue. £10 inc P&P. I have a bag of brand new poles but sending this will be difficult as they'll need to go in tubes etc. Anyone who wants a set email me chris@sirhc.co.uk for more details. I can take paypal. Chris

Neil, You will only need one! It's a L section the length of the number plate. You can just about make it out in this photo! Chris

Neil, The part number you need is 90577143. Chris

Ok, I've just checked and I have 1 yellow and 1 blue left. Leave it with me I'll try and dig out a green one over the weekend. The 2 I have found are slightly different sizes. Yellow is marked 'Zephyr Racing Pennants Ltd, 8345-99-125-0539 18" x 18" 1983' Chris