ArtistsRifles

Read this one years ago - definitely agree with the recommendation.

IIRC the author was a French volunteer too .....

No probs - be a boring world was we all the same!!!

Swinging back to reality - just over 9 more months and then - with luck and the anbitions of the Fourth Reich - I'll have my own MV

Hmmm - given the Stalwarts tendencies to go anywhere at any time - despite the intentions of the driver I'd have plumped for "Die Valkerie" too!!

Mind you - given the afinity the beasties have for filling stations and tracta joints/bevel boxes maybe the Flying Lizards "I want Money" would be more appropriate???

Far from it It's in the odd-ball world of Science Fantasy and relates to events on the mythical Disk World

See here for details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_Postal

Provides good escapism from the real world wherein wheel statiosn get damaged , tracta joints get creamed and the vehicle drinks fuel almost faster than the refieneries can produce it!!!

Some one been reading "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett then????

Good luck with the job hunt Paul. Must have been a right bummer coming without warning like that...

At least we've known the Fourth Reich take-over was coming for some time so when they announced all Ford manufacturing operations would be in The Fatherland by Q4, 2010 it wasn't a shock.

Good news for me actually as it will give the chance I've wanted for ages to get a Stalwart!!!

Mick,

Not sure about the gear box - but a B81 engine in running order went on eBay recently for £280. C&C Military Services have a 40' container of Stalwart parts up for sale as they are moving to new premises - inside the container are:

engines, gearboxes, transfer boxes, dowty drives, air packs, swim gear, bevel boxes, drive shafts, wheels, radiators, clutch cylinders, brake cylinders, master switch boxes plus assorted CES equipment etc etc to be disposed of. Mostly Mk 2 parts but some Mk 1 parts in there.

I was told about between £50 to £200 to fix a wheel station depending on whats wrong with it (i.e. tracta joint, bevel box or?? )

Working on that basis the bare bones for this one would be £300 for an engine, assume £300 again for the box (rounded up values) and £600 for tyes as I've seen these advertised for £100 each making £900 plus a worst case cost of £200 for a wheel station gives £1100.

Go with your £700 for miscellaneous other parts as the eelctrics will need a complete overhaul as will the hydraulics inc. the master cylinders and brakes gives £1800 and add tothis £1500 for the vehicle and we're up to £3300 if my maths is right. Still a lot of money but it's at the point where the vehicle is still saveable - just. Much longer left there and she'll only be fit for whatever spares have survived..... Groaning gearbox might just be due to lack of oil and a drain and refill operation mgiht be all thats needed. Left in the damp though it's odds on, unless the pedal was secured in the down position using the clamp in the cabin, that the multi-plate clutch will have got well & truly stuck together and be a mammoth task to release.

The other big question is what state is the sheet metal work in inside the cab and on the drop-gates and air intakes. IIRC the hull decking is aluminium as are the bracing struts in the hull itself so they should be OK.

Can you not suggest to the owner that either he or yourself undo the hull drain plugs and let that water out?? Else his "investment" is going to be worthless very soon.....

No problems

Whereabouts - couldn't see them under the vehicles for sale section??

Must be a popular item though - I'm now getting an error message to the effect:

Error: Unable to connect to MySQL server: : '' :Too many connections

Yes - this is the problem with storing a Stalwart outddors and without any cover over the whole vehicle. The air intake is immediately behind the cab, full width by 6 to 8 inches wide and feeds straight into the hull and onto the fuel and oil tanks. Air outlet between the two rear tailgates feeds straight down onto what would normally be the front of the engine and the radiators. A few years of rainwater collection at these points starts equalling heft bills - UNLESS - the hull bilge plugs are out and allowing it to drain away.....

Can you get a crafy look at the Mk 1 to see of the bilge plugs are undone?? If they are then you're in with a fighting chance; if not then look elsewhere.... Wheel stations aren't that hard to fix (so I'm told by those who know), it's just the sheer size of the parts involved and the complexity of the seals and Tracta shafts/joins.

Getting back onto the Ferret s of the ooriginal topic - there's a Mk 2 on Milweb today, "Unrestored, stuck engine, very good rebuild project, most parts present. Pre 1960" - no price given if anyones interested!

There's one here: http://www.frappr.com/stalwartowners for owners of Stlawarts - only got 3 entries right now though....

This one should make you cry http://www.frappr.com/stalwartowners/photo/843529 :cry:

Indeed - there's me dying to get hold of one and then theres all these just sitting there :cry: :cry: :cry: It just ain't fair!!!

Note though that they've all had the swim-boards removed by cutting the hinges off ('cos the bottom half of the hinges is still welded to the hull!!)

There's one here: http://www.frappr.com/stalwartowners for owners of Stlawarts - only got 3 entries right now though....

Other thing worth thinking on is if you have, or some one in the same storage are has something like an RL or Miltiant or even, dare I say it, a Stalwart these all have airline points normally for use in pumping up tyres and this can also be used to spray the vehicles with. Somewhere around here I've got a picture of an MK up on ramps at the Duke of Yorks with a REME fitter painting it using the MK's own compressor.....

Can't speak for the WW2 era vehicles 'cos I'm not that wealthy

But from research done thus far on Stalwarts the concessions to modern traffic are much the same as for Richards Militant - viz. beacons and rear view camera (one chap told me he has fitted 3 - on at the rear and one on either side on the drop side because the rearview is so bad. Personally I think a fourth under the nose would be a benefit as the hull shape means you can't see what directly in front of you if it's Fiesta/Mini-size but then it would cause problems when swimming). Also I've heard of removable boards being fitted to the tailgate (outer one) carrying hi-viz markings and warnings as to vehicle performance. Not much more you can do to enhance road safety on these on that respect....

Any one recommend a good firm in South Essex??

Wouldn't mind driving a Stollie to Coalhouse or even to Beltinge but any further would be probitively expensive on fuel at about 3mpg....

Thats it!!!!

Now- somewhere in the house or garage are a full set of those for both Landrover and HGV (RL-W & Militant Mk 1).............

Wonder if they will still be useable after nigh on 30 years....

Gawd - I'm feeling old again... :cry: :cry:

Dunno if this helps but there was an article in one of the classic car mags about a year or so ago comparing the electric HVLP guns against conventional air pressure guns. IIRC for small vehicles (i.e) around mini-sized) the HVLP came out best - esp as there is minimal over-spray For larger vehicles, though, the air pressure guns scored better.

On this basis I guess if you are spraying something the size of a jeep then the electric HVLP is suitable....

Hope this is useful to you!!!

(HVLP = High Volume, Low Pressure)

I used to love watching Jack's "Out of Town" on a Sunday morning when I was a Kid - now I love watching Fred programs the box of an evening. Where does that put me

Nice one

Look forwards to seeing that one!!!!

Dredging back the memory I seem to rcall that the vehicles in 215 Sqdn had a black square on the left with a tower in the middle whilst the right was either a blue over yellow or yellow over blue triangle surmounted by a white bar. Vehicles in 21 Regt - for obvious reasons - carried no markings at all other than the reg plate and maintenance stencils

Many years ago ferrying Saracens from Stirling Castle to some where else 2 of us got lumbered with one that had a problem in the transmission - but the first we found out was, having crested one hill to the accompaniment of funny sounds and smells, when we got 2/3 the way up the next before we found ourselves going nowhere....

Spent an hour rolling backwards and forwards trying to get over the last hill before a REME unit turned up and put us on tow.....................

Yep - their web site says the have space in their barn at Woodham Ferrers for £7 per week. I'll be checking in with them when I manage to get my hands on a beastie to see if they still have space there - unless I can find something a bit nearer home !!!

Any one on the forum have their vehicle in covered storage in Essex? Preferably near the South East corner (Rainham/Grays/Thurrock etc.)

I'm looking to find what sort of costs I'm going to be expected to pay when I finally manage to get my Stalwart! If I get it on the yard where our caravan is stored then it will be £260/ps for open air storage - and I think a vehicle should be under cover really - esp. when it working on it time!!!!

Take a look here:

http://http:\www.touringandtenting.com

This is more or less what you are aiming for I think - and is run by a couple of very nice people on their own!!

if it is - you can drop an e-mail through to the site owners and I'm sure they'll be able to give you advice on what to do and where to go for tutorials etc.

This is interesting for me.... Round about this time next year - if not earlier - I aim to be the owner of a Stalwart and, money permitting, will use it as often as poss. Reading these threads raises some questions - not least of which is how do/will commercial Heavy breakdown forms cope with the armys 24v electrical system?

Punctures in theory shouldn't be a problem (he says with a straight face!!) as the Alvis 6x6 is supposed to be designed to run with up to 2 wheels on on side missing (ever seen a spare wheel on a Stalwart/Saracen//Saladin???)