TooTallMike

Well looky what found me following my advert on Milweb for a donor engine. A NOS Federal-spec Hercules RXC! From the look of it, it hasn't even been run! We'll have the heads off over the weekend for a look inside but fingers crossed this can go straight in after a tosh of paint and fitting a few bits and bobs.

- MG

Replacing parts like-for-like is perfectly acceptable otherwise you wouldn't be able to insure any car after its first service! Their question is misleading and with all due respect I think your answer was not helpful either. Don't forget in this kind of situation where you believe there is no reason for you to have insurance refused you are allowed to ask to speak to a manager, who might better understand what you are trying to explain.

- MG

I've just purchased 3/8" and 1/2" pipe and olives from Ebay for the brakes on my Autocar project. If you want to buy from a shop, try looking for air conditioning suppliers as they can supply pressure-tested pipe.

- MG

Gordon and Deadline

 

Thanks for that info, great stuff. Next time I'm talking to Rex Ward I'll ask him if he has the right bits in stock

 

Kind regards

 

Ian

Hi Ian,

Can I politely ask why you are looking into this? Is there a problem with the truck?

Regards - Mike

Do you still have your AEC Mr B?

He still has several!

- MG

Back to the Martian, though... Although the law has always said that you don't need a wiper if you can get the adequate view, since washers were made mandatory in the 60s (and this was an restrospective requirement so affects vehicles of all ages) the law has stated that if a wiper is required then washers must also be fitted. So if the Martian did need wipers (which I don't myself think it actually did) then it did need washers too.

Just for completeness to this thread, I do not believe washers are required for vehicles with non-fixed windscreens.

- MG

I have a pair of Hummer wheels and tyres for sale. Tyre walls have lots of minor UV cracking but hold air fine. Wheels are in good nick. £50 the pair. Collection from Gatwick area.

- MG

Out of interest, what would you do with the FWD snowblower? - buy it complete, or just buy bits of it to complete your own FWD (Use it as a 'donor' as such) if you had one?

There is very little demand for a snowblower truck on the collector scene so I wouldn't feel too guilty seeing it broken up. It depends how much space you have for transport and storage but I would get the scrap man to cut the blower off the front and the body off the back so that you just have a chassis + cab. If that is too big for you to take care of then have him cut out the axles and drivetrain and anything worth having from the cab.

Whatever you do, don't umm and err for too long or it'll disappear! Also no doubt your scrappy will have convinced himself it's worth a fortune. You'll need to tread carefully but you could point him in the direction of posting Milweb and HMVF small ads. Make sure he has your number so that when no one is interested he contacts you before cutting it up.

- MG

Lovely job on the restoration and I hate to see something so unusual and complete scrapped but the only way to rescue the snowblower is to go there with folding money, buy it and take it away. Although there are indeed several others around of which you are apparently unaware, it is still a very rare truck and consequently only of interest to a small number of people such as yourselves. You don't need to buy it as a project - in fact you don't even need to buy it complete. I'm sure for cash the scrappy will quite happily chop off the snowblower and the rear body leaving you with something much more manageable.

- MG

Missing catalytic converters is an interesting one: many 300tdi Discovery's and Land Rovers are running about with after-market front exhaust pipes that do away with the catalytic converter. Apparently the cat was only required for homologation when new. I've read that removing it actually makes no difference to the emissions on an older vehicle but the free-flowing exhaust improves performance and therefore probably economy too. Will this be a fail...?

On the subject of electronic seat adjustment: my tester mentined this to me when my Disco was in a few weeks ago as he noticed the drivers' seat electric seat switch unit was missing. He said as far as he was concerned if there was no switch it wasn't an adjustable seat and therefore not testable .

- MG

The only London Military show that is going to be affected is the Dymans hall airfield, site of Essex MVT Military & flying machines August event is which just inside the Low emission zone, depends if there are LEZ cameras covering the road, if so that will now exclude owners of post 1972 diesel vehicles, Landrovers, Bedfords, plus civvy campervans, vans, pick ups, minibus and transporters that don't have a euro 3 compliant engines

Biggin Hill airfield is also in the zone, so that will affect the airshow, also Bromley pageant of motoring and the Enfield classic car show

...also the HCVS London-Brighton run, in terms of both transporters and the exhibits themselves. Other Major London shows affected will include the New Year's Day parade, Lord Mayor's Show etc.

- MG

Thank you for an interesting set of photos.

I'm no expert in artillery but isn't that a Long Tom behind one of the MAN's?

- MG

Do you know if you need any engine parts? Drop me a PM as I may be able to put you onto someone who can help.

- MG

And could the last one (which we know is not a Scania ) be one of those rebuilt (in early 50's?) using White 666 front end cab / components? I saw one in UK before Christmas being restored, but can't recall the front wing arrangement.

I thought the Danish C666 cab conversions were open cab? Does look similar though...

- MG

On sticky ground here but the first of the last set of photo's is saying Mack to me.....

 

Either way keep on posting them up Rosco!

First photo looks like Mack NM with the crane assy. from an aircraft wrecker rather than from an M1A1. However it could be a butchered WLF crane.

- MG

I took the M10 out on New Year's Eve for it's first major road run (10 miles) along with my friends and their vehicles. It went superbly well, I hope you all enjoy the video!http://youtu.be/lAe7lcJ9lqQ

 

Great video. Thanks for letting us join in!

Rgds - MG

Manual is in a bag and will be headed your way when I can get it in an envelope and Postman Pat goes back to work.

 

I can see the logic behing keeping the winch, but was it a plain van body or a towed one? Don't think I've seen an image of either?

 

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

I'll look forward to receiving the manual, thanks.

The truck should look like this:

Two similar trucks operated together; one containing the radar equipment, the other housing a generator. Mine was the generator wagon. There is a matching trailer that would have gone behind it. Apparently mine still had its trailer until the 70's, but they were split up and the trailer must have gone to the great car park in the sky. :cry:

- MG

Today the rear chassis extension was completed and the joins fully welded.

Both chassis lower flanges are badly rusted just forward of the front of the cab where the rain has been running down and standing for 25+ years. The first of these areas has been cut out and replaced with leftovers from the rear extension pieces.

- MG

Hi,

There's a manual on Hercules engines - TM9-1832A - which covers a range of engines including the RXC. It has a fair amount of info on 'fits and tolerances'. I have a copy here. Feel free to post or PM if there's anything specific you want to know.

Just for info, this TM covers Hercules models JX, HX, RX and WXL.

Out of interest, who have you used for engine parts?

Regards - MG

After a long period of apparent inactivity during which we have built a house and popped a sprog, I have now returned to the Autocar...

Engine, gearbox, transfer box and winch are out along with all of the front crossmembers and rear crossmembers:

The shortened rear chassis has been cut:

Tonight I tacked on one of the replacement rail sections obtained from a scrap pontoon tractor chassis in Beke's yard:

The chassis is worse that I had thought and there will be a number of sections to replace.

I have decided to re-fit the front winch even though it is not truly original to this model of truck. The van trucks were not built with winches but my truck has a genuine pontoon tractor winch fitted, with all the correct linkages, PTO and shafts. My reason for re-installing it is that it is likely that only the army would have had access to the parts to carry out the conversion, which has been completed to a high standard. I therefore think it is likely that this winch has been on the truck for a very long time and so it should stay there. It would be a very simple job if any future owner wanted to remove it.

- MG

To be realistic I have no idea how we can prevent owners using thier own vehicles to do things like this; and I actually think that it is foolish to think we can?

If we become aware of owners who are using, or allowing others to use, their vehicles for this sort of purpose, we should explain to them why it is against the interests of the hobby for this to happen. Similarly if we are selling a vehicle and the prospective owner's motives for purchase are questionable we should resist the lure of the cash and wait for someone more suitable to come along.

- MG

ASPHM = "Association de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Historique Militaire" which translates to soimething along the lines of Association for the preservation of historic military heritage. There doesn't seem to be a great deal more info on the site. Nice collection though.

- MG

Hi there,

I'm based in Copthorne so can't be far from you. Can't help with the tub but can offer Land Rover advice and experience if required.

Regards - Mike

Hi Gordon,

That manual covers my U8144. I have a repro but I would love an original copy.

I'll drop you a PM.

- MG

Wasn't the ex-Hong Kong Police Saracen used in one of the May Day anti-capitalist 'protests' a few years ago. I seem to remember it was true to type and conked out somewhere inconvenient up in town...

Agreed it brings the hobby into disrepute. Use of ex-mil vehicles in this way should be frowned upon by all serious collectors and enthusiasts. Same goes for those who wreck green lanes.

- MG