w896andy

Tony No he's not able to rebuild them unfortunately. David No not the right ones, those are hydraulic ones and mine is the older pull rod brakes with a manual rod stuck out of the back, thanks for sending the link though.

Tony Thanks, I rang Nigel at Past Parts, very, very helpful, he didn’t have any but took the time to ring around and came back to me. He did find a ‘Military Parts supply contact’ who has a pair but wants £320 + VAT which is a real mickey take, most likely it’s one of usual parts suppliers who bought them in a job lot from the MOD for about a £1 each and is now trying to cash in, so the hunt continues. However if I ever get stuck again in the future I will try Past Parts as I don’t think it was him who was making the money as he was more shocked about the price than me.

Great Jim, thanks, I'll give you a ring

Could I ask a favour of anybody coming back to the Somerset area from W&P. I have bought a Diamond T tailgate from a guy coming over from Holland. I'll be there to collect it from him on Thursday but as I'm in a car I could do with somebody with a bit of spare space to bring it back to my area. I can collect it from anywhere nearer to me (Weston Super Mare) with my trailer later so it just needs a ride home. Its about 7 feet 6 inchs by about 2 feet and flat so just doesn't take up a lot of space. Thanks in advance.:-D

Don NGK spark plugs in your Jeep, I didn't know America sourced spark plugs from Japan during the war as OE equipment !!!!

Could anybody let me know where I can get 2 brake expanders (cylinders) and a set of brakes shoes for my narrow track Sankey Trailer with rod operated drum brakes ? I've tried the like of Marcus Glenn and a couple of other places I found on the web but nobody seems to have any ideas, any leads would be welcome.

No Bob you are not missing anything, our critic here has some views some of which I agree with and some I don’t but he is raising a much, much bigger subject which I’ll come too. Firstly in my humble opinion (fully qualified Mechanic with 30 years of vehicle restoration under my belt) I’d like to reply to some specifics Don mentioned. As Bob is saying my Jeep also has everything right including a recon engine so “find the problem and sort it” is frankly mis-informed, I had covered that in an earlier post, 6 volt doesn’t always hack it today as I mentioned we don’t use our vehicles enough, they sit around for weeks without being started and nobody (unless you pay a lot of money) makes a 6 volt battery anywhere near as good as when they were main stream. Jeeps in wartime conditions were used all the time and had a very short life (90 day average was quoted to me once) so the engines would always start on 6v. I could give you a long and boring technical case for why that’s the case but just take my word for it. Don is clearly very lucky in that his always starts on 6v, I know the majority don’t. Indeed both the American and British armies had 12 volt conversion kits for Jeeps. The motor industry in general switched from 6 to 12 volts in the late 40’s-50’s for the very same reason, tractors, cars (VW Beetle a prime example) and Motor cycles all changed across all manufacturers, they can’t all be wrong. Regarding the appearance of my modern battery with stickers on it, again please read my posts a few before, I covered that as well. I will make it look original but I don’t have deep pockets a decent ‘classic’ 12v battery is around £160 and this one cost me £32. I understand the opinion of keeping things as they were but ultimately I want a Jeep that starts, every time all the time, when I’ll use it more. If however you wish to stick to 6V, great, please carry on. And that brings us to Don’s main point and one we should all debate and consider as a hobby as its going to get a bigger and bigger issue for us all as time goes on.. What is original and should we stick to it ? Any vehicle including Jeeps get modified from the day they start factory production until they are scrapped. Manufacturers during production, then army’s, then the second army owner (European armies post war with Jeeps, Dodges and GMC’s), the civilian owners post army (recovery companies fitting Diesels) and then finally us. Jeep engines were modified by Willys late/post war with a reinforced head, it’s not original as it never came out of the factory that way until 1945 so should it be allowed on my 1943 jeep ? Then Hotchkiss firstly recon’d and then made new engines, should they be allowed ? etc. etc. As we all know Jeep engines crack, they were made from poor casting and were only supposed to last a few years at most so 70 years on many are cracked, repairs can extend life but ultimately they will all be scrap as cast gets brittle with age. Do we fit Hotchkiss engines or do we just leave them in the garage cold and silent ? What happens when the Hotchkiss engines all crack as well. At some stage somebody will start to cast new blocks and heads and I’m surprised it’s not started yet, but do we fit brand new engines or not. Take it even further my Diamond T 969 has a Ford 6 cylinder diesel fitted (by a previous owner), it does 12-13 mpg, I’d love to fit the Petrol but at 3 mpg is it practical and could I afford to drive it ? I also have a very rare Autocar U8144 tractor unit, it needs restoring and has a running 9 litre petrol engine in, do I keep it Petrol and not run it due to cost or convert it to diesel and be able to show it ? You can even get into Indicators and number plates on Jeeps, they were not original but most of us have them (I’m sure Don will confirm he is one of those who has not fitted them). In my opinion it’s a balance of practicality versus originality if we stick to total originality they will in the end be sat still never to be driven, we have to be sensible and allow people to see them being driven and ensure they survive for future generations. The vintage aeroplane movement have the same issue, flying to modern standards or sat in a museum suspended on wires. I would welcome any bodies view, I guess there are no wrong opinions just different shades of grey. Andy

Pete No problem, glad it was useful. MatchFuze Thanks, I'll look into that further. Andy

Dear all I was asked during this thread to come back and let everybody know if this 12v conversion worked over time. I'm happy to report all is good, I've completed a good few miles now and not had a problem with the original 6v dynamo and starter working on 12v. It starts instantly hot or cold and has been a breath of fresh air after having to use the starting handle much of the time. I now just need to hide the 12v regulator in the old style regulator case and cover the battery with something or put it in an old case so it looks right. Andy

My policy with Footman James is due very shortly so this was interesting to read. I spoke to Footman James today and said I had heard they were no longer insuring American vehicles and they confirmed after checking that due to a change of underwriters they will not take on any new American vehicles but will continue with any existing ones. The lady who I spoke to didn't know my Diamond T which is on my policy was American (no reason why she should I guess) but the renewal didn't have either the model or country on just 'Diamond T' so I asked for a confirmation of continuing cover but they would not confirm this in writing and asked me just to rely on the fact they had put Diamond T on my renewal. I wasn't that convinced. Also the premium from them for the Diamond T 969 and 2 other vehicles had gone up to £285. Cherished Insurance have quoted me £185 for the same policy including same excesses, conditions, etc. In my humble opinion it seems Footman James are maybe pricing the renewals to push the business away as the underwriters don't want American vehicles on their books. Cherished Insurance were very helpful, knew what they were talking about and seem to be keen to get more into the market. Needless to say after 10 years with Footman James I'm out.

Jack. I don't think the 11232 number is the chassis number its the wrong place and doesn't fit any chassis number range I can find. The 860 number you have pictured the numbers look a lot smaller than mine but seems to be in the right place. back to my comments above, maybe it had a new chassis fitted at some time as the original number should be where I described above or maybe it was renumbered in a later military force. It can't be a Sept 45 as they stopped making them in August 45 and the closed cab was changed to open cabs in 43 so if the cab is original it has to be between 41 and 43 . the paperwork would just be somebody at some point in the last 65 years filling a date in on a form. Hows the resto coming ?, I just had a stroke of luck and have found a rear body for mine and a spare holmes wrecking gear set. The body had a july 41 plate on it on the left hand side about 3/4 of the way back on the body frame rail. Its the body build info plate but if yours has one fitted you may get a better date. Ive been looking for a body as mine has a made up Bedford one fitted so now I can finish it off correctly. Andy

Re new tyres: I've also got one of these to restore, its a Borckhouse flat bed Mk 2 not a tanker and my tyres are also shot. Tyres will be a problem, try Totec Tyres they import I think 9.00 x 13's from India other than that you will be stuck as I've not found anybody who makes big 13 inch tyres these days. The other option is to get a set of modern 16 inch or 17.5 inch lorry wheels from a Ford Cargo 7.5 ton or similar and have the centres of the wheels cut out and remade to the stud pattern by an engineering firm. This will mean modern tyres which you can get in the future again and no problems with modern road speeds and loads. These lorry wheels are normally offset centres so they can be run in pairs on the rear, they need to be middle set centres for the trailer but it can fairly easily be done. I found a set which I was going to have done and then stumbled upon a set which somebody had made up for a Brockhouse Mk 1, the stud pattern is slightly smaller than a Mk 2 but the centres have plenty of space to have a Mk 2 pattern drilled into them as well, I really was in the right place at the right time and very lucky to find them from a scrapped trailer. Andy

Well done I hope it gives you many hours of enjoyment.

Ed Thanks for correcting me, that's interesting to know. Andy

Paul I would agree totally with Ed's comments I would definitely make the effort to go to a local centre (they will be closing for good soon), use form V112g which just needs completing for plating (MOT) exemption. I think I'm right in saying you need to have passed your driving test for the older style driving licence (pre-95 I believe) which entitles you to drive upto 7.5 ton and tow a 3.5 ton trailer to allow you to drive anything Historic as long as its not loaded or used for commercial purposes (other treads on here regarding many opinions as to what that means). My Diamond T is set up this way so once its done you can just re-tax every year online, no cost and no plating just insurance. Andy

Guys Thanks for your advice so far, I'm feeding back to my friend as we go. Andy

A friend of mine has just bought a Jeep, without boring you all with the details, this supposedly professionally rebuilt Jeep, isn't !! The net result is apart from various other things which we can help him sort the gearbox jumps out of second on over-run badly, I know its not unusual but this one is extreme and it leaks a lot of oil, again I know they are not perfect but this leaves an oil patch the size of a top hat over night, its also nowhere near as smooth changing as mine. Getting the box out is not a problem but can anybody please suggest somewhere to either get this box re-built or a replacement box supplied. My friend is new to MV's so it would be good if I could try and help him out with a sensible solution. We are based in Somerset. Thanks Andy

Jack Closed cabs with military instruments were built between October 41 and June 43 according to the Tankograd book. Civilian instruments before and open cabs after. I won't say its a number from another type of DT as I expect them to follow the 969 numbering ie. 969A1234, 968A1234. Does your number appear in the same place as I mentioned above ? or is it in a different place. My guess would be if it went through another (Belgium) military force it could have had a new number stamped into it or maybe the chassis was replaced and didn't have the original number at all. Try looking a bit closer at the area behind the r/h front spring, maybe shine a torch at an angle across it or wet it or rub it back a little if thick paint. The numbers on mine are large but not deep so it could be there but hidden. I think whichever number you end up with registration shouldn't be an issues as its all about identification after its registered not went before. Andy

Agree with above. Its most likely standard Cellulose thinners about £11 a gallon for most standard type NATO paint you buy by the 5 litre tin. Mix very, very well normally about 20% thinners to 80% paint, stir with a clean wooden stick/rod. To check for the right mix pull the mixing stick out of the paint and the paint on the stick should flow off the stick in an even steady stream, that means it will flow through the gun nicely, no lumps or sticking to the stick and dropping in drops. Hold your hand out stretchered , thats the distance the gun should be from the vehicle and keep the gun at 90 degrees to the work at all times. Paint in a even coat keeping a wet edge that you paint away from, don't go back over it and don't mess about or be tempted to redo any unless its dried and you are doing a second coat. If you get runs either the paint is too thin or you have put too much on at once, if the gun 'squeaks' the paint is too thick. As you apply watch the texture of the paint after it hits the vehicle, after a while you will be able to see what enough looks like. Practice first, its just a knack, its easy once you get a feel for it.

Just to try and look at it a different way, The VCR does not mention buying or owning replica's ? Also what is 're-enactment'. If I go with my vehicle and set out a few items on display or have a replica on the vehicle for people to see, can that be defined as a 're-enactment' ? Section 36 - Manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms A person is guilty of an offence if (a) he manufactures a realistic imitation firearm; (b) he modifies an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm; © he sells a realistic imitation firearm; or (d) he brings a realistic imitation firearm into Great Britain or causes one to be brought into Great Britain. Insurance is the only issue, but by insuring your military vehicle the policies usually include a third party clause covering shows etc. including usually the things you take (although I have actually taken out a third party liability insurance as I often take my kit into schools for kids to see). Most of us are in the MVT which is a recognised body so again strengthens the re-enactment theme. I have bought replica's legally in the UK in the last 6 months. They of course did want copies of the above mentioned emailed to them to confirm who I was, as a company selling replicas and having to conform to the VCR they were happy to sell them to me once I had proved it so I don't think we should be put off (if you of course want to go the replica route) buying or using a replica, there are now many more on the market and the quality is getting better. I'll still buy de-acs if I can afford them but replicas are still an option. People's comments would be welcome. Andy

Mike Nice to see a white cab JCB working for a living, I have one exactly the same, it does far more lifting than digging and the most useful thing I've ever brought. Did the Cummins engine fit on the original engine mountings on the truck ? Andy

Ivor That appears to be absolutely correct according to the book I mention above. I've managed to scan a page from it (sorry its not very good) It shows The White & Blue square as Royal signals vehicles and as they are attached to the particular unit of the armoured unit they insert the number to correspond to that unit. Therefore 50 is as you say the HQ Armoured Brigade of an Armoured division and 60 the HQ Infantry Brigade of the Armoured Division (the pure Infantry Division/Brigade numbers are in the next batch below on the picture). If you wanted to mark your Jeep as attached to another unit just pick the appropriate number. Elsewhere in the book it does show that that number for Royal Signals are indeed Red not White as per normal units as I guess half the background is white. The sign in the middle of the photo doesn't seem to be either a unit marking or divisional sign as the 'standard' marking is explained in the book as just the two outer ones. However there would I guess have been a number of variations on a theme.

Jacco Try to get a copy of the book: From D-Day to VE-Day, The British Solider by Jean Bouchery. It comes in 2 volumes, volume 2 is 'Organisation, Armament , Tanks & Vehicles' and has a full description of all British vehicle markings, and all the descriptions of colours, numbers, signs and how they are worked out as well as sizes, locations and fonts. It also has the structures of all regiments/divisions and how many vehicles, types etc. were used. Its a great source and well worth the price (not cheap). Volume 1 is about uniforms, insignia for troops and personal equipment so that's very useful as well. I think it was originally written in French but has an English version in Hard back. I just tapped it into Amazon.co.uk and they have them (plus a soft cover smaller version) not at all cheap but full of information. If you can't stretch to that tell me actually what you want and I will work it our from the book and try and scan you the relevant pages. Andy

I would agree with NOS's first reply regarding choice. I have a DT 969 with a Ford D Series/Cargo 6 cylinder turbo fitted. Its great and the previous owner who fitted it made a good job. I also have a project Autocar 8144 with the Hercules Petrol the same as in the DT originally. Now the Hercules engine in the Autocar runs and when I get time to check it over properly if its ok I will keep it in there, if its not as per NOS's comments I will go for a diesel of some sort as a longer term usable solution. I don't think there is a right answer. As mentioned if you are going to sell it it maybe better to sell without an engine as the time & cost of putting one in to sell could easily out weight the extra value. I know I'm going to regret saying it but how much are you looking for as it is ?

I think its all a cunning plan, the wife tells you, you have to sell your pride and joy. So you price it at a level it won't sell and you can assure your better half its advertised in the best place to sell it and job sorted it stays in your shed !!! Andy