Sam

hi howard, i've got a water pump here if it's not too late! sam

Thank you for all the pointers. Fire service will be the first port of call. Fingers crossed there are no dangerous readings! I'll keep you posted, sam

Hello all, in an eastern blok lorry i recently acquired i have found radioactive material. it's labelled as such, but i suspect it to be a geiger counter. Obviously it's essential I am sure before we go anywhere in it, so all pointers gratefully recieved. many thanks, sam

hello richard, that's as i had understood it, with the proviso that it was unladen, ie had no freight / not for work. someone i know, who should know correctly, is convinced that an MOT is now required. "once it has had an MOT (as needed for number plate removal) it will always need an MOT". from past experience of using form V112g (i operate as a showman - lots written on that about here, much seems incomplete) i've found that just because something had to be MOT'd once, did not mean that it remaimed so. but this friend is convinced, and it just puzzled me as i'll be buying something with non-original plates. thanks for your time, sam

Hello all Can anyone shed some light.... ... re the situation with a pre 1960 commercial, with regards to having had the numberplate changed for an age related one (ie original one sold off). On form V112g the MOT exemption looks to still apply. I have been told this is not the case, and the same by implication would seem to be the case for driving license exemptions. (form INF52) Any pointers? many thanks.

WHOOPS! lucky mine doesn't have that either then! sorry for the mis info, sam

hello on the 330 engine NON turbo, as fitted to TK and MK, it sounds like an altogether different system - on the offchance that it is your system i've replied. if your system has a manual pump for ether anywhere in line (or a plastic jar under one of the engine access flaps mounted on a bulkhead for the ether) then this one isn't yours. knob between seats for cold start presses in a bit? it's a switch. power lead to one side of cold start on air intake manifold? cold start unit (small heater coil screwed into casing on air intake manifold) is fed diesel through a pretty thin copper fuel line? if this is what you have, and it's all still on the vehicle; 1; press and hold cold start button for up to 20 seconds. 10 should do it. 2; if the coil is in good condition you'll hear a "woomph" after about 10 seconds - now your air intake manifold is full of hot air. (if the coil is not so great it'll still be doing some good - check for warmth and power draw while button pressed - if none; it's bust.) 3; start your engines! 4; adjust tickover knob so idle is comfortable, re-adjust in ten minutes or so. my current TK has most of the above missing. foot to the floor and crank, it starts. the last one had it in place, though the whole setup was tired. minus 10 degrees C, mountains, france. enough juice for one attempt at starting. it always (sometimes only just) started. all the best sam

hi the trailer i have in mind has vac brakes (it's from the 50's), this being one of the reasons for an RL. I had thought all RL's would be vac - how wrong i was!

I wasn't thinking to shorten the chassis, merely run the whole off a heavy nato hitch. By "less heritage value" I meant simply that i'd be looking to use a machine that was unlikely to continue as a Green Goddess, ie one where the body had rotted "beyond a point" or already been part removed. Give it a new lease of life rather than have it cut up! The Green Goddess has the wider cab and crew cab, otherwise a GS would be ideal and much less work. 4x4 will be needed from time to time.

I'm looking to get myself an old Green Goddess with a view to creating a small tractor unit, ideally starting with a machine with little heritage value - ie bodywork already chopped about or damaged in some way. So I have a few Q's that might find answers here; As I understand it the RL's were fitted with a 6pot petrol and will accept the 330d engine. I've heard whispers of "white diesel" engines, ie multifuel. Are there many about, and are they to be avoided? I knew of an RL that had a D series engine fitted, a very awkward job. Apart from the 330, are there any other likely candidates? For instance, a P6? Or a cummins from a modern Daf-45. The job I'd have in mind for the Goddess would be the towing (short distances, flat land) of a 6 ton trailer. I wouldn't be in any hurry but i wouldn't want to break anything either! I'm assuming towing on petrol would return about 3 to the gallon, and I prefer diesel engines. If anyone out there can shed a bit of light I'd be grateful, sam

i would be interested in all vehicles that are out out there, but it needs to be pre 1960 - license issues (i have class 2 but not class 1), and also because i'd like something worth keeping for 30 years, fingers crossed!

hi there this is helping - thank you all! the living van - air brakes - no. as i have not yet bought it! there's a few possibles, this is "the next project" - don't let this make you think "it'll not happen"! it'll be likely to be a pre 60's wagon also, so likely to have vac brakes not air. no doubt will need a fair bit of work itself, so if it came to retro fitting air it would not be the end of the world. are the bigger vehicles, pre 1960, vac brakes, or did they make use of air? as to fuel, the reo in question was an early one, had a petrol fitted, not multi fuel. i'm definately a diesel fan, as i understand it and trust it. thanks guys, sam

hello again, thanks for the pointers. so something in the region of this scammell http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SCAMMELL-PIONE...d=p3286.c0.m14 would be more the weight to be considering? i won't be in a hurry, but equally don't want to be shunted off the road or cook the engine / axles with work. have looked at bedford RL and commer Q4 - i know people who have towed showman's with both. apparently it will do it, but just not the right machine. there's a Reo on ebay that i considered, though by the time i'd made it diesel the cost would be getting high for a tatty vehicle, plus the rating on those is pretty low really. just wait n see what comes along.... a friend had a 6x6 1942 or 4 mack, did the job beautifully. bearings, seals etc i'm guessing are sourcable using the measurments. what about when it comes to new axle or gearbox time? are there some types that are more easily soucable than others? thanks again for the pointers, really helps, sam

hi all again, like the forum, great to "meet" such a crowd; to the point, positive, friendly. hope you all get chances to tinker on engines n axles together. dave, i've been toying with the RL or Q4 direction; a few who know tell me they are simply not heavy enough, then others who've tried all sorts of combinations say it's all possible! i put a question up in a different section, and hope to soon at least work out what tool fits the job. hope to see some of you "out in the real world" someday, sam

towing not too often - from event to event and field to field, short runs. and yes, the appeal of it is not just about being practical! i'd be happy to have something that could maintain 25 / 30mph on the flat, but also need it for a little off road towing.

hello all, i'm looking to find a pre '60 english truck suitable for towing a 36ft 9 ton showman's wagon. previously i've owned and fixed up all sorts of trucks, but nothing this old, so any thoughts as to what type to aim for - ie is a commer Q4 / bedford RL man enough for the job, or should i be thinking scammell? i'm interested in mack and reo, but the parts availability is something i'd be concerned about. and budget? looking for something that runs n rolls but likely to be pretty in need of attention, with a view to full restoration over a number of years. your views would be welcome, sam

hello all, so for my first post; i'm based in norfolk, uk. the only MV i have at present is a series 88 landy, running mostly on old chipfat. i also run a TK pantechnican, converted to live in, a dodge 56s mark 2; a good general van and a 1972 leyland FG diesel - nice lorry, needs complete restoration. i'm here to find out more about the older vehicles, 4x4, 6x4 and 6x6, with a view to towing a showman's (hoping to aquire one of them later!). myself and friends set up the RCC - www.rollingclassicsclub.co.uk - and have since found great forums like these, so it's likely there's no longer a great need for the RCC. hopefully soon be out and about in something tonky, maybe a mack, RL or reo. open to suggestions, as like i said, i'm new to this class of lorry. thanks, see you somewhere sam