ArtistsRifles

What ever you buy first try and get something that is already on the road, or not far off. If you start with a wreck which is going to take you a long time to finish you may get bored, fed up and lose interest. We started with an on the road Champ, progressed to a wrecked Ferret and have restored several vehicles since. Get something you can use and enjoy to start with, even if it isn't perfect, then if you're keen move on to more serious projects.

 

Chris

Excellent advice!!!!!

Whilst looking for a Stalwart we viewed a few at the lower end of the price scale that were in need of much work on the bais of beign a project. We were given the same advice by another Stalwart owner though and, looking back at the ones we had seen compared to the one we are buying, the good sense of this advice becomes glaringly obvious.

Still waiting for my copy to be delivered - signed up back in March via MilWeb and no sign of anything yet :cry: :cry:

So I got on the phone yesterdy and make "polite" enquires seeing as how they'd debited my account two months ago Very nice lady was awfully apologetic when she called me back - seems the e-mail links between MilWeb and the publishers had gone awry so my first copy should arrive soon - hope it's the one with Jacks article in!!!

Now, I have just insured the GMC again and this time I have added their new recovery policy :shock:

 

Full recovery from any where in the UK up to 7.5 Ton :shock: :shock: that is going to help me sleep and they are going to be very popular with this policy.

 

Jack.

Oh B*GG*R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm 2 tons over the limit and the time to bring the Stalwart home is drawing closer..... :cry: :cry:

Back to the drawing board for getting her home....... Was planning on taking up the RoadSure package and driving the 70 odd miles.

Now, though................ :?

First off - whats the definition of orginal?? As it left the factory, as it was in service prior to the surrender being signed or????

Once that's decided then how much of the vehicle has to date from that time to be original?? For example - you buy a rusting hulk of a 1940 's vehicle from a field. Research on the chassis number show it t ahave been in service from a time period prior to the surrender so it's a genuine WW2 vehicle. However 95% of it is rusted beyond use so you spend much time and trouble recreating the rusted or missing sections and end up with a stunning looking vehicle. 95% of the body is less than a couple of years old though. Replacement tyres have been sourced that might be, say, 20 years old, most of the wiring will be modern as will the bake shoes and ignition components. Any canvas and trim willl have been remade also. Effectively all that might be left of the vehicle is about 5% of the body and the chassis plate. Does this count as original or remanufactured??

A similar argument went through the courts a few years ago over the Bentley "Old Number One" and it was stated as a legal precedent that vehicles do wear out and when buying a classic.vintage/veteran vehicle it is unreasonable to expect that all of it will date from it's time of manufacture.

Then you have the other case - that I suspect is referred to here of taking a newer vehicle and making it look like an older one. Provided the changes are dcumented and this documentation made available to the person who buys it from the one making the changes I see nothing wrong in it. The person making the changes has then fiulfilled his "liabilities" in making the new owner aware and tit is then down to the new owners concience to tell who ever he sells the vehicle to thatit's notan actual WW2 one but a modern look-alike

They didn't sell - but there was a "Buy it now" price of £125 so you could try contacting the seller via eBays message service(*) and offer to pay this price (or try a spot of negotiating!!)

* - do it this way and you don't contravene eBays trading rules about dealing outside of eBay!!

I can explain if you wish, however it's very annoying for me personally as I organised the first Curragh Show with two other people, only to be told I did nothing and was not wanted in the club I was also instrumental in restarting.

Probably well worth telling and discussing in an open forum.

 

<snipped>

 

You can read the complete story at

 

http://protacpx.proboards36.com/index.cgi?board=mvgi&action=display&thread=1126898199

Last bit makes for sad reading :cry: :cry:

Can never understand what makes people act like that.....

Latest update!!!!!

Just heard from Northern Rock - the loan application has been approved. Provided no ones got their wires crossed and sent me the wrong mail item the paper work should be here this week, we'll get it sent back within a day and then its a weeks from them receiving the paperwork to having the cash transferred into our bank account.

We should be complete the transaction by end of May and that will then leave the issues of:

* How to get her home - transport or drive the 70 odd miles??

* Where to store her when she does come home!!

Sounds very good!!!!!

 

Who knows - maybe this time next year that could be what I'll be up to!!!

Is there a need for volunteers on week days as well - or just weekends??

Some volunteers do 7 days per week!

Think you just shone a 10000W light on my retired future!!!!

Sounds very good!!!!!

Who knows - maybe this time next year that could be what I'll be up to!!!

Is there a need for volunteers on week days as well - or just weekends??

I live in Staffordshire and there are others who come from further North! Give it a go: take a couple of mates to spread the cost and get up early and you are fine!

We were working on Matilda II, Crusader III and M13/40 last weekend. I mean, where else can you do that?

Sounds interesting for after Fords retire me!!

Do you stay overnight locally John or do you do the run every day???

With a bit of luck I'll be able to see it tonight - the updated video card for the busted PC is sitting in the local Parcel Force office!!!!

Thanks for the pictures - I'll print them off at work tomorrow and take them over for my Dad to see- he was in the 6th Airborne during Op. Market Garden.

Wouldn't have said no

Auctions ended with 0 bids though so no one else seemed to share my view!!!

Thanks again Richard - this is now printed off and stored in the "Lessons Learnt " folder!!!

Just learnt that a friend of ours from the caravanning scene worked on them for 6 years so there's another source of useful info to tap

Could be Richard.

I'd assumed - erroneously as usual - that there might have been something that bolted to the centre hubs with a seperate wheel bearing such that the part on the wheel station was fixed and the outer section was free to turn and had the wheels remounted to that, the rear wheels then being removed for the tow... Thinking about it, though, that would have put the rear of the hull dangerously close to the ground....

You're right about the suspension droop -especially as on most in private hands the suspension is cranked down so that the shafts are almost horizontal reducing the ground clearance - there is still much to be learnt about these beasties. Hopefully not the wrong way though

Damn!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for this Richard - I was getting my hopes up for a minute there...

I've got to admit the thought of a recovery being required is the biggest nightmare I have because of the no-towing situation so when that was suggested I thought "YES!!!"

Oh well - back to the worrying

i can go to this one no problem!!!!!!!!!

Go on - rub it in!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cry:

Looking like we're OK on the funding front so the loan app gets submited next week. Then it depends on how fast the finance company works!!!

Hoping to be the owner by end of May!!

Anyone here into Militant Recovery vehicles from the 60's/70's or know some one that is???

Reason for asking is I'm told part of the kit on the Militant was a set of special adapters for the middle wheel stations on a Stalwart that allowed them to be towed rather than needing a flatbed of some sort. As you can imagine one of the nightmare scenarios for the prospective Stalwart owner is that of having to be recovered as they cannot normally be towed for anything other than "short distances" without serious work in dismantling the rear wheel stations (see below).

So - if the Militant recoverys did have this kit then either getting a set of drawings or possibly borrowing it and getting it copied plus the usage instructions could be a life-saver!!!!

These are the comments from Richard, the guru on Stalwarts here in the uk:

Refer to User Handbook Army No. 22156 page 99.

 

"Vehicle may be towed over short distances without being suspended provided the transfer box is in neutral and there is no final drive or transfer box failure."

 

Note when towing there is no transfer box lubrication as it takes its oil pump drive from the gearbox input shaft and this will be stationary.

 

If you flat tow you can be assured the steering will not follow the towing vehicle owing to the resistance of the steering and spherical housings, plus the effectively locked hydraulics in the steering rack.

 

On a suspended tow the raised front and centre wheels WILL continue to rotate and again there will be no transfer box oil feed. This is only done after rear reduction hub strip-out to remove the sun gears and thus the drive to the rest of the transmission. The hub casings will have to be removed to do this with the loss of the hub gear oil and whatever remains in the central lube system too.

 

Putting the sun gears back after hub case removal with the essential synchronisation of the planet gears by their spark eroded "timing" marks, is a fairly intense job.

4th June, Essex Armour are hosting a MV Day at Coalhouse Fort...

OK - make that 5 out of 5 :cry: - we'll be returning from France on the 4th

never mind neil theres a lot of the season left :wink:

Not having much luck so far - 4 strikes out of 4 so far - 1 due to Ferret failure and (inc this one) 3 due to other commitments :cry: :cry:

Lets hope it's a case of better luck next time!!!!!! Please - -don't tell me there's something happening over the 26/27 May or 3/4 June - cos we're in France that week......

Oh B*gg*r it!!!!!!

Yet again the wife has had other plans laid for this W/E - we're off to Norfolk for the weekend :cry: :cry: :cry: This is getting kind of monotonous :cry: :cry:

I did get it wrong (see above!)

The driver in the Mk 1 had: clutch and brake pedals, hand throttle, carb mixture and magneto controls, gearchange levers, steering wheel and tailwheel lift controls. Commander had the steering brake levers and the differential lock controls. Now I think that the Mk IV has the controls in the same layout except for the tailwheel controls but I can't find a specific reference to confirm that.

The complexity beggars belief, particularly as a simpler system had already been made for the Hornsby tractor which was running 5 years before WW1 started.

Makes you wonder how they got them to move under combat conditions, let alone fight in them!!

Also engenders a whole new level of respect for those early crews!!!!!

Thanks John - that was interesting reading. I wish, many times, my old Grandad was still with us to ask about such things but he passed away some years ago having managed to survive WW1 from first shot to last in - relatively - one piece.

I suppose - reverting to the tank - the best thing would be to build an early model from scratch using modern materials and use it as a trainer - but I guess the cost would be prohibitive :cry:

Must put my hands up and freely admit to the sole extent of my knowledge of the WW1 tanks being my Grandads description of them - and as he was in the R.H.A. the description wasn't very complimentary!!

What are the respective crew members duties??? - and how did the army train the crews under these conditions??