C.P.

Good luck, Rick! I received a prompt answer from HM Customs & Excise and they pointed me to ask from Department for Business Innovation and Skills: http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/trade-policy-unit/importing-into-uk/import-licensing-branch Therefore, I have posted my question to them at mailto:enquiries.ilb@bis.gsi.gov.uk I'm all the time learning more, didn't know such department even existed! Regarding the German side there seems to be no problem exporting the items. I'm not sure about France but I can ask - although I'm unable to speak, read, write or understand French it might be difficult to get an aswer. Anyway, I can always listen and say "Oui". I'll keep you guys up-to-date, many thanks for comments!

Many thanks, that was good info and straight-forward opinion - I appreciate it! Took some time to find the right form from the HM Customs & Excise website, but I managed to fill a form (didn't even break the 2000 character limit :-D) and send it to them. There is an option to get an answer in writing, which I did. I will write the result here in the forum as soon as I receive a reply from them, I'm sure many other people are importing similar toys to UK and this might be interesting. Thanks again!

Hi Guys, I want to import two used night vision systems from Leopard I and Marder -panzer (80's stuff), four SEM-military radio-packages (+lots of gear, also from the 80's) and one deactivated MP5. Is there a reason to be worried of importing them to UK - I've owned them for many years and would like to keep them. I suppose the MP5 is no problem - it was actually deactivated in England (have a certificate to prove), but I will have to put it somewhere in my car (maybe good idea to mention that at the passport control). Is this sort of military gear considered still "active" or collector stuff? Are there any import restrictions? I wouldn't want to do anything illegal... Everything is currently stored in Germany. Thanks!

Likely somewhere in Bury St. Edmunds area, although I will miss the mountains :cry: I know the area quite well and the rental contracts for business units are in reasonable level.

Alles in ordnung!

Thank You, that is a good idea. Could you - or anyone else, recommend a good company? I have already realized the prices vary a lot! The purpose of this topic was to try finding a good connection/person from "these circles". I rather would deal with real persons than faceless big companies. Last time I did such a move I drove together with the owner of the truck, changing driver every 3 hours. That was a longer trip, but a lot of fun. This time I rather don't drive as I want the stuff arrives safely

Not needed anymore, thanks!

This is not exactly a military vehicle but I thought to post this link as its quite rare to see anything from this era driven on today. I personally enjoy watching Jay Lenos video clips of his cars and trucks, and this is the newest video released just moments ago. Hope you enjoy: http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/trucks/1916-autocar-coal-truck/ What a clever piece of engineering and such a robust design. Let me know if this link doesn't belong here, thanks! Cheers, CP

Love the BV206 - its actually on my "dream list"... You have very impressive machine, there. I drove one BV206 on last summer through some bad terrain, forest, swamps etc. What a great experience! Certainly you have to be merciless with the gas pedal and you have to learn how it bends in tight turns (especially between trees you have to be careful - be prepared early enough to turn). This thing goes anywhere. For me the greatest point of owning one is the ability to drive short distances on public roads (between areas where you can really drive). Until I get one (ie. finish some other projects first), I have to be happy with my snowcat which only has 2 tracks :-D But it won't float like the BV.. Coen

Hi Joe, I'm new also - but welcome anyway Within a (long) walking distance from my home is a "mini-railway system" where they drive 5" or 7" trains (sorry can't remember exactly), incl. steam powered ones. I took a lot of photos last summer when they had an open day - maybe I can once post them somewhere. Its located next to a River Rhein, so its right at the border of Switzerland and Germany. Steam is absolutely fashinating way of powering anything, it always is a surprise how quiet they are when they are standing still. But when they move, I just love the "real train sound". Steam is good for all senses. I was checking the steam trains they had in this railway and it was fascinating to see how many details were lovingly machined. They are not toys anymore... A friend of mine got into trucks because he also has few similar trains (althought electric ones - but he's also building a railway system on land which he purchased about 10 years ago). He needed a transporter for his train so he found out the cheapest thing to get, is propably Land Rover from Fire Department. So he bought one, then realized how great cars they are and since then he bought more and more and more, now he has maybe 50 Land Rovers (actually I have bought one Land Rover and Range Rover from him earlier - including my FBW truck!) - many are Forward Controls, but he also has maybe 30 trucks, few military and rest are mostly firetrucks. It only proves that all smaller scale train enthusiast are absolutely crazy bunch of people - which is a positive remark Coen

Guys, as you know working with steel is never-ending learning process. I've been in the business since 1993 (although my first job in a truck paintshop was in 1987) and still learning (and sometimes banging my head on the wall or hitting a hammer on my finger). With the trucks and military stuff the problem is the thickness of the material (at least your hand gets fast tired hammering the stuff in shape) - even then you have to be careful as the heat from welding tends to pull the panels or profiles in different directions - you still want a good penetration for the welds so heat is unavoidable. Therefore I often choose to fabricate a new part or sections, this can be done in a controlled way - if you are just repairing the old one you'll notice how big tolerances they often had - then you find yourself trying to fix them, which usually takes a lot of time. Most things seems to have 5-10mm tolerance from factory, or even more (I've seen over 50mm tolerances quite often). If you can build new parts or cabin, bed etc. on a body jig or good welding table - you propably create better work than the factory did. Luckily, Olive Drab is a very forgiving colour :-D With the FBW I have had quite a lot of work, mainly due the reason that it sat so many years outside (when I found it the door was unlocked and open) and as part of the front of the cabin is made from glassfibre - the moist had found its way in between the panels. Talk about crispy. As I'm now fabricating new sides for the cabin, I can't do any other progress - I will propably also have to replace the whole front of the truck with new metal and lower section of the rear wall - but at the moment its impossible because that would weaken the structure too much. I'm just hoping that after all the new metal the old door structures still fit well after all that work (the outer panels I anyway routinely replace because its quite fast and you uncover the possible probs behind the panel (there's always something, or if you are lucky - a penny!). Right now there's just a lot of air where the doors should be. I just finished four doors for an off-road truck which had to be completely fabricated from straight steel. I should still fabricate two more doors for similar truck, so I'm not that enthusiastic at the moment to create doors :-D Good rule - Where there's an opening, there will be lot of work... I have seen many nice projects on this website, really interesting to read about them. Nice work!

Hi Guys & Thanks, Haven't seen snow so far, I live above the Alpine region (ie. North of Switzerland) - snow would be a good reason to dig up my trusty old snowcat :cool2: (last year I didn't get a chance to drive at all). I guess its raining cats and dogs in the UK... I will post some photos when one of my trucks gets a new paint, I'm still in the process of fabricating new sides for the cabin (50x30x3 & 30x20x3 profile) and new floors from 2.5mm steel. This will be a transporter for the other stuff and will occasionally serve as the company work horse. The truck is a Swiss-made FBW (Franz Brozincevic Wetzikon) and 15 were made - otherwise it is in excellent condition but I had to fabricate most of the cabin from new steel... I'm not sure if anyone is interested of that project but I can update something when its done I guess I have about 2000 photos of the rebuild of that damn truck

Hi, You have a nice forum so I decided to register. I work with all sorts of vehicles for living, from custom motorbikes, classic cars to big trucks. I have lots of different private projects going on - although not sure when I'm going to finish them as my work takes most of my time :sweat:Most satisfying is of course working with own vehicles. I run a small one man Coachbuilding company, so time is always a problem. Maybe later I can post some project photos - athough I believe not talking too much before I'm done - first finish the project and then show :-D (so it will take eternity). Thanks! Coen

It is interesting - probably someone found it before, because its missing a gauge? Found this info: Found 1989 east of St. Petersburg, now in US being restored. On July 1943 mission the engine quit, pilot Sgt. Paul Ratz bellied in, spent time as POW. He passed on around time his plane was found. During restoration dirt was found in a oil line causing reduced flow & overheating. Or how about this, might explain the missing gauge!: July 19, 1943. Two Fw -190s were attacking a Russian supply train bound for Leningrad when the engine of one quit. The pilot, Sergeant Paul Rätz, glided to a safe landing. He left his flying cap on the seat but took the aeroplane's panel clock with him. Trying to make his way back to German lines, he was captured a few miles away and remained imprisoned in Russia for 16 years before finally returning to Germany. In 1988, a collector found the Focke-Wulf where Rätz had left it, his helmet still resting on the seat. Rätz died in 1989, never having learned that his aeroplane had been recovered. But his family did—and, it turns out, they still have the clock. A Vintage Wings technician dismantling the 190's BMW 801 engine found a clod of dirt in an oil line downstream from the oil filter. This had evidently been the reason for the forced landing: Lack of lubrication had caused an internal shaft to overheat and fail, disabling the fuel and oil pumps. But how had the dirt—not engine dirt, but soil, earth—gotten there? Says Jeff Thomas, "BMW's policy on major engine maintenance was to insist that the whole 'power egg'—the engine and all of its plumbing and equipment and mounting hardware—just be taken off and sent back to the factory rather than repaired in the field." As a result, all engine assembly was done in Germany, some of it by slave labourers. The theory is that one of those labourers had packed dirt or a rag into the oil line to sabotage the engine, the engine had then been shipped to Russia and installed on the aeroplane at the front, and within a few minutes after take off the defiant act of the distant and anonymous captive had done its work. With the help of Google, some restoration pics are also available. Good to know its saved.