Meteor mark 4B

Hmm, interesting this. When I painted the Land Rover a couple of days later it rained. There were large globules of water on the bonnet, and when these went, there were lighter patches on the paintwork. So how long does paint take to dry properly?

This question has been discussed on another forum. I think the point about being up front if you have a replica is the best way to go. My lightweight is cosmetically turned out as a military motorsport vehicle, but there is certainly no pretence on my part that it actually did race or rally. I just like it as it is. As far judging, I haven't encountered any in the far West, and I can't be doing with it anyway.

Phew! I can't argue with any of that! Mind you, the sound of a Conq travelling across country, with a good driver, was something special indeed.(Even if the enemy could hear it approaching 15 miles away.....)

I can never understand why it seems everyone gets excited about the Tiger. The Tank Museum at Bovington are prime examples. They have spent thousands of pounds on a restoration, when there is good British armour rusting away. From what I have read the Tiger was over-engineered, cumbersome, and unreliable. We had a tank like that, and it was surely one of the most impressive tanks ever, more so than the Tiger, and this was the Conqueror. I admit the Tiger may well have been special in WW2, but it was a bit of an uneven contest, wasn't it? Oh dear, I hope I haven't started anything!

I used to wear mine with pride, when I was part of 7th Armoured. Never did go anywhere near a desert though......

Re Cent. Some years back, about 2000 I guess, I did a register of all Cents, and variants, still left in the UK. It totalled a few over 100 at the time I stopped. Quite surprising really. This register included 5 operational Beach ARVs which have now been decommissioned, and 6 normal ARVs on Lulworth ranges, which are I imagine by now shot to bits.

......sounds like the ruination of a perfectly good Cent AVRE to me.......

No, it wasn't one of those I drove, it was the bonneted version. In my next job after FVRDE we had 8, I think of the type you are considering, only most of us didn't get to drive them, they were for the select few.

After my army service, I worked at FVRDE on Chieftain. If "your" chieftain was under repair, you could be called upon to drive a tipper in the plant section. The tippers were....a Commer 3 tonner, and a Bedford RL tipper. That Commer sure was a b*****d to drive!!

.....how odd, the PC won't print the word that describes "someone who is illegitimate"

....file, hand BARMAN?? where did that come from? It should be file, hand, B*****D of course.

CENTURION TOOLS,EQUIPMENT AND STOWAGE..............................A LIGHTHEARTED LOOK The actual vehicle tool kit consisted of over sixty items, sixty eight in fact, but on the occasion of a tool check, there always seemed to be the odd spanner missing. I have no intention of listing every item, suffice to say that there were thirty six spanners alone in the driver’s tool bag. These were in the main Whitworth and AF sizes, ranging from the 1/8 x 3/16 up to 1-1/8 x 1-1/4. In between were all sorts of sizes, including box spanners, ring spanners and adjustable spanners. Some of the titles given in the handbook are interesting, to say the least. For instance, Spanner, American thread, comb. Bi-hex, ring type ¾ AF, this being a common or garden ring spanner, and Spanner, American thread, box, tubular, DE, ½ X 9/16, for a simple box spanner. There was even a tyre pressure gauge. Very useful, on a vehicle with solid tyres. There was definitely a use for the gauge, and while it escapes me, I’m sure someone will remember. Something to do with the gun equipment I recall. Assorted files, punches, drifts, chisels, pliers, screwdrivers and the hammer completed the kit. For some reason, the file was called a file, hand, bastard, and this caused a degree of humour. The drift and the punch varied in that the drift was flat at both ends, while the punch had a point on one end. Confusing stuff. Why was the screwdriver titled Screwdriver, London pattern anyway ? With many grease nipples on the Centurion, obviously a grease-gun was required. If you were equipped with the Unigun, 5000, HP, you were denied the opportunity of being issued with three separate guns, with odd looking names. How about Gun, lubricating, grease, pom-pom, type A, or Gun, grease, compressor, junior, No.2? Then there was the pump, Oddy, modified type, complete with nozzle. Any job associated with the Centurion’s tracks generally meant using the big tools. Hammer, sledge, straight pane, 7lbs, and Bar, crow, with chisel and claw, 5ft. 6in. immediately come to mind. The track adjusting spanner even had an FV number of its own. It was FV 210469, if you are interested. An hydraulic jack, with two handles, plus assorted shovels and pick-axes just about completed the list of tools as far as the driver was concerned. There were also the gunner’s tools, which in the main consisted of various odd looking items which bore little resemblance to normal tools, although there was the screwdriver, cabinet, 4 in and the screwdriver, electrician and signals, 2-1/2 in., and the Box, spare springs, keep pins, washers and insulators, which was basically a small tin box. There was also the wrench, combination, M6, which was used on the Browning MGs, and looked like a bicycle spanner. The gunner’s tools also included the very well made barrel cleaning brush and staves, made of wood, with their brass ends which slotted together, and were held in position by the tightening of a butterfly nut, and the C spanner, with which the barrel was turned a quarter of a turn, prior to removal. The radio operator was not left out in the most grand name for a basic item stakes either. Consider the Case, spare valves, containing valves CV6, 124, 509, 1054, 1091, 1893, 1944, and 194 (3), lamps operator. Phew. All the handsets and headsets, (mikes and earphones), came under the operators jurisdiction, as well as bulbs, fuses and aerials. The commander? He didn’t really have any tools of his own In barracks he would probably be in the troop store checking AB 413s, the tank record book, or some other essential task, while in the field he would attending “O” groups, where tactics were discussed. Various lamps, lights, brushes, machetes, ropes, bivouacs, poles and sheets completed the complement of tools and equipment, but last, and most definitely not least, was the cooking kit. There was the stove, portable, No.2 Mk.2, and the pot, cooker, portable, No.2 Mk.2 The former was a primus type cooker, in that after filling it with fuel, you pumped it up, and hopefully away it would go. (with the aid of a lighted match) However, the jet through which the pressurised fuel came through was prone to blockage, and it was then that the pricker would come into its own. Not a part of the toolkit, it was to be found in the ration packs that were issued, and it was the most important tool on the tank, and the cook clung on to it as if his life depended on it. Basically the pricker was a thin piece of wire attached to a handle, and the wire bit was inserted into the jet on the cooker to clear it when blocked. Another important item was the vessel, boiling, electric, 3 pint, 750W, No.2 Mk.1, and this grandly titled piece of equipment was basically an electric kettle. The tank was also equipped with twelve padlocks. Well, you wouldn’t want the enemy stealing your pricker, would you ?

Just a thought. I have much info and pictures with regard to the good old Cent and its variants, and also as much knowledge gained as a B1 driver in the 60s as my memory allows. If you are struggling with something, give me a call. I also have a REME mate, who uses other tools besides 'ammers, (see tools section), who has been a help to me. I did have plans to publish a book, but the only publisher interested wanted about double the words I had (25000) and less pictures, so it didn't happen.

My REME mate was being silly when he talked of 'ammers, I feel. Talking of spanners, my dear old dad had many "imperial" tools as opposed to metric, and when he died they found a home somewhere in my shed. When I bought the Land rover in 2002 I was glad I kept them!

Hmm, an ex REME mate reckons they had only 'ammers, small, large and larger!

Another message off into cyberspace! Try again. Re Cornwall MVT meetings. No I don't attend many, as my work system includes a Wednesday evening, which is when the meetings are. If I can I shall get up to Bodmin Railway this year,everyone says how good the show it is. Boconnoc steam railway is a good day out too.

Thanks for that. I had a very interesting chat to Allan Allard the turbo man on Friday of last week. Hopefully details of this and other rally Land Rover items,will be in Windscreen. I note your slogan re plant and machinery.After doing regular army service on Centurion and Chieftain tanks, and working for the MOD testing Chieftains, I spent 30 odd years driving heavy plant for English China Clays, now Imerys. I took early retirement and now work on a chain ferry!

Truro calling Bodmin.....I fear I am not a great meeting person, but also I work most wednesday evenings, which is when the meetings are.

Hello Ian, can't help with div markings etc, but as you were in my locality I thought I would reply! Windscreen mag has covered this topic, I'll have a look.

If Graham Holding could e mail a photo I would be pleased, plus the odd detail. Failing that his phone number. Thanks

Thanks for those two replies.The facts given certainly tie in with the info I have. More please!

Some of you might be aware that the 1/2 lightweight Land Rover was used in Military , national and international rallying. I would like to get further info on this, so if anyone has the odd snippet, it will be gratefully received. Next... does anyone know of, or has ever seen the following VRNs: 67FK22 23FM26 25FM66 and03GF79. These were all used in rallying. Certainly there were those with turbochargers and overdrives, not to mention balanced this and that. Would they have been released like that? I think probably not. Finally I am seeking the odd original photo. Any ideas? Some of you may have seen an article in the EMLRA newsletter about LRs and motorsport. I am now attempting to get more information.