BRDM Driver

Just amazing how you've kept up the motivation to keep at this project! All these details! Just epic. I hope that one day you get to show it at Bovi so I can see it in the flesh!

Old topic, I know, but just found it while looking at something else! The Scorpion in question now lives in Dorset, in my garage! Bought from cladder (Shaun) in 2012. I guess Shaun sold up his whole collection. I'd be interested in knowing anything else about it, since it left the MoD. 04FD03.

I am sure there are members on here who would be happy to let you have a drive of a 432/433 so get a feel for the controls! I certainly would but I'm a long way from you.

What a total PITA! Car electrics are a nightmare these days... Sounds like you have brought it to life though! Truely an amazing feat of determination and perseverance.

Bet you wish your mill was CNC!

Hi Jon, Interesting stuff! Does the cooling system bare any relationship to the original vehicle or are you designing it from scratch?

Those conrods look really beefy! Clever how the valves are driven direct off the crank, I guess all radials work like that? Would like to see the arrangment of how the conrods attach to the crank. Great photos. Keep em coming!

Not sure where these are from originally?

A lot of external pics here https://www.net-maquettes.com/pictures/panzer-ii-ausf-c-walk/?afg321_page_id=1

Some more pics here: https://www.landmarkscout.com/panzerkampfwagen-ii-ausf-a-sd-kfz-121/ The 'dashboard' looks familiar....

Ha! Torpedo engine, not interesting? Are you kindding! They are fascinating machines. Love to see this one restored. Shame there's not more stuff to see around Portland/Wyke about them...

No worries!

Right click on this http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzer_II.pdf and then select 'save link as' should download it permenantly to your computer.

Is this of any use? (probably read this many times!) http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzer_II.pdf

That is some more brilliant fabrication! I think t34 used an offset arm with teeth to lock and a worm drive to adjust. Panzer III is different to Panzer II too.

Yep, thats the one! FV462431 is the part code for the upper section. My lower half is servicable, the upper half is gone! Just a big block of glass which is not impossible to get out.... Wher about's are you and how much for it?

The one with 434 sprayed on looks very similar... I will check the dims on mine...

This is what it looks like (in bits!) Let me know if you have one! FV462404

I have a drivers periscope but the aluminium has shattered!

Yes, I just looked at the pics and can see what you mean, but having seen what Jon can do.....

I assumed tank track is steel and not cast iron? It would be interesting to see if CVRT track could be modified or dressed up to look like Panzer track. There is an endless supply of CVRT track with worn out pads...

A quick google found Blackwood Engineering, who use chinese foundrys. They are in Aberbeeg, Gwent . They can cast steel as well as iron and aluminum. No idea what cost you'd be looking at, but the trick would be to get some other restorers interested and get a decent order size. A thousand links for example....

My experience was with Aluminium die casting for a non-tank related product. Tooling is usually eye watering! China will do it for a LOT less. There also places in the UK that may do a modest run of sand cast parts. It would be worth having a google to see if there is a foundary near you. We have a small foundry down here in Dorset that does Steam engine parts etc, mainly cast iron and aluminium though. The Weald foundation got thier Renault FT track links made - they would be able to point you to someone too. If you can find some other restorers that would be interested in repro track, you might be able to get a decent size order together. (maybe try Bruce Crompton). Dealing with China is not easy. You really need to go there. But they can make anything as long as you want a container full! The other option is to find a UK based foundry that's already farming work out to a trusted chinese plant.

Brilliant work! You can see the internal segments on the original wheel, so yours looks 100% What are your plans for track? I wonder what the costs would be to get repro track made in China. From my experience, with aluminium castings, about a 1/10th the cost of UK, likewise with tooling costs. If you did your own finishing and machining even cheaper...

I hope no one sold you that, saying it was a CVRT gearbox! What's your plans for a gearbox? Going for a full 432 setup?