TooTallMike

And he's re-named the Diamond T as a heavy wrecker truck or whatever. At least he did something. Never replied to my message though!

- Mike

Here's what you all need...

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280255253785&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=018

Thanks a bunch. I was high bidder on that... :argh:

Cheers Stuart,

- Mike

Thanks guys. I'd prefer not to lift the tub if I can avoid it as it's a hard top and that's a whole load of work. It does look as though I'll be able to get all round the chassis for welding and that's the most important thing.

One dumb question: once I've removed the rear chassis section will the body drop down at all or will it stay where it is? i.e. can I slip the 'extensions' over the cut-off stubs of the chassis rails and then bolt the new cross member onto the rear lower edge of the body to hold it all in place for welding or will I need to support the rear of the body as well?

Cheers - Mike

Hi all,

Does anyone have contact details for James Friary the surplus dealer?

Cheers - Mike

Hi all,

I'd like to pick your collective brains on the subject of replacing the rear cross member of my Land Rover 110. The old one is shot and I've bought a replacement with chassis 'extensions' that go forwards to just behind the rear spring mounts.

I can see I need to do the following:

- remove anti-roll bar

- remove fuel tank, pipes & wiring

- undo 8 bolts holding rear lower edge of body to rear cross member brackets

- ease wiring out

- remove rear exhaust mount (& exhaust section?)

- cut chassis in correct location & weld enthusiastically

Is there anything else I should be aware of? ...any handy hints, tips etc. that will make this easier? Any experiences welcome!

Cheers - Mike

SIREN = SOUR GRAPES PERHAPS ? / ARE YOU SAYING :shocked::cry:IF YOU WHERE OFFERED THE SAME DEAL YOU WOULD TURN IT DOWN?

Nope, just having a bit of fun:cool2:: mine is non-original too and was a similar price to what Mark paid. I've taken a lot of stick for mine from my friends who are in the know but I'm blowed if I'm going to pay the insane prices the dealers are asking for restored genuine ones.

I'd urge Stormin' to do a deal with Tony B for his one.

- Mike

Dual braking system sounds like another very good modification to me. Hows it done? Do you need a different pedal mechanism?

Mine uses the original pedal and operating rod going to a standard 2-circuit Bosch brake valve located in the original position. The front half feeds the front brakes, the rear half feeds the rear brakes and trailer connections. It necessitates re-plumbing the air system to have at least 2 separate air tanks to keep the circuits separate. It therefore also requires either a MCPV or non-return valves in the feed lines. I also installed an air drier.

I've got 3 air tanks - the 3rd is aux and feeds crane and clutch air stuff as well has having a quick-release connection for inflating airbeds and tyres.

- Mike

I love your non-original diesel engined, dual braking system Ward La France

:yay:

Did you find any red glass in the shed?

- Mike

Hmm, it the WLF would look nice all chromed up, wouldnt it?

You're a sick, sick man :nono:.

Etch primer! couldn't think of the nme. :-D

Hammerite special metals (etch) primer is good for galv. I'll have a look and see if it mentions chrome.

- Mike

Well - :whistle: if someone hadn't mentioned the possible non-originality, I'm not sure many folk would have noticed - me included!!

 

I reckon you probably got a bargain, and given the scarceity of the things you could fairly say 'if it's a sirenlight, it will do just fine'. Enjoy it!!

 

But, having done so, you've now got me wondering if mine is right....I picked it up as a fully recon ex. US fire engine of wartime vintage. And that's a 50p piece holding the front up!

 

Sincerely,

Worried of Elmira Heights :confused:

If certain people didn't keep harping on about mine being non-original I wouldn't have felt the need to mention it :whistle:. Plus it might harm Mark's chances of winning First Prize in the Addington & Shirley village fete concourse event if the scrtutineers spot it...

Yours looks very clean Tony. I need to look in my books but aren't the vents just behind the lens louvred on the WLF ones rather than having holes...? I may well be wrong as I don't have the books here to check.

This opens up another question I was going to post elsewhere on the forum - how do you prep chrome to get paint to stick to it? Is it just a question of degreasing and then keying the surface with wet & dry?

- Mike

Not Nesacarily! If they are making £500 ! Plate has no manufacturer and is marked 12 DC WL 2A23G2 Glass is marked Cycleray Headlamp guide. Could do with some cash for new projects.

'Guide' were a manufacturer of blackout marker lights and blackout headlights. Have a look at the front of your blackout headlight and you'll likely see 'Guide' embossed there. They were certainly still making them into the 70s / 80s as the MUTT has exactly the same design!

To answer Mark's question, Federal are still making sirens and lights. See here: http://www.edarley.com/finditem/8280 for an example of the Federal 'Q' which is mounted on all of the Amercian fire engines we used to play about with.

- Mike

Don't suppose you know the whereabouts of another one then?:whistle:

Genuine ones are about £500 apiece. There was a beautifully restored one at Beaulieu this year but I can't justify that level of expenditure when it costs more than that just to fill the fuel tanks!

- Mike

Mark,

Will you be upset when I point out that's still not the correct siren light? - the correct one has much more of a flare at the front end, like the bottom of a bell. The lens should therefore be of considerably bigger diameter than the rest of the body. Also the vents for the noise to escape are deeper on the original. Oh, and the lens should be red glass, not red painted...

Just something else to point out on the non-original award winning WLF...

Nice tool roll though .

- Mike

(ps. in case anyone thinks I'm bitching - I've put up with lots of abuse for my also-non-original sirenlight so I'm getting my own back :-D)

Good point Rick. I sent the seller the following. Awaiting the reply with interest.

"Hi,

That's my truck. I object to non-professional photographers selling photos of my hard work but I appreciate you're not breaking any laws & I can't stop you. However, I do object to the registration plate being clearly visible in the advert photo.

Also, the second photo you are advertising isn't even a Ward laFrance.

Regards - Mike"

The seller can choose whether a buyers question is made public.

 

Steve

Bugger!

Any other suggestions anyone?

I just want to make the point.

Ebay won't be interested as it's a moral not a legal issue.

- Mike

A warning on twin wheels: I did the Beltring off-road course with twin wheels on the front of my GMC and corkscrewed the steering box output shaft. When I came off the course I could turn so far left that the wheels rubbed the drag link while I only had about 1/2 the normal right lock. The scary thing is I have no idea at what point on the course it happened!

WLF with twin wheels. I meant to do this again this year but never got round to it.

Hmm...

I, like most people here, have no objection to people taking photos of my possessions for their own pleasure or reference but I'm sure none of us wants others to make personal gain from our considerable efforts. That said, what about people like Snapper, who presumably is paid for his photos of our kit that appear in CMV and the like? We sanction and encourage that, so what's different? Well, from my point of view that's his job and his income at stake. What we're looking at here is a mediocre photo taken by a non-professional supposed vehicle enthusiast who hasn't even made the effort to describe the vehicle correctly. Not only that but take a look at this one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300248325500&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123 It's not even a WLF so he clearly isn't that much of an enthusiast! However, the crux of it is that he does indeed own the copyright to the photo and I do not own the copyright to the truck, in the same way as celebrities do not own the copyright to their own images, how ever much they may want to. If it was a better photo I'd request a free copy of it but I've got plenty of better photos already.

Incidentally he's also trying to sell photos of MilitantGraham's Milly as well as pics of several other heavy trucks that were at the show.

Now, a question: if I 'send seller a question' will it automatically appear on the listing or does he have to accept it before it appears? I was thinking of a question along the lines of "Hi, that's my truck & I object to people trying to make money out of my hard work. I'd be happy to forward a much better photo than this for free to anyone who contacts me via my Ebay username "tootallmike"."

Thoughts?

- Mike

Waiting to hear back from Phil. Wayne is too far away to do it in one day so it gets expensive. My original quote was from a chap who was just off the M4 in Wales and could do it in legal time.

- Mike

Hi guys, we need to get our tilt trailer from Croydon to Pembroke docks asap.

The haulier who said he could do it has let us down and the usual suspects can't help for a couple of weeks. Anyone up for it? Alternatively does anyone know any hauliers based along the M4 corridor who might be able to do it? It should be legally do-able in a days drive for a modern truck based in that area.

It weighs 3.75 tonnes and is approx. 8' x 25'. It has a Nato lunette, air brakes and can have 12v or 24v lights.

Please PM or for the sake of speed call me on 07747 772838

Thanks in advance for any serious help or suggestions!

- Mike

Excellent to know there's be some other wreckers there!

I'll be there with the WLF, towing a Halftrack and with another HT for company. There's about 10 of us going as a group.

Are you camping or hotelling? We'll be staying at the 'new' IMPS campsite.

- Mike

Goodness knows. All my paperwork is at home and I've no idea what I booked in. I'm just going to turn up and see what happens. Try calling Andy Neal as above and see what he says. I think I booked in the WLF, the Spartan and the MUTT but I can't really remember.

- Mike

You need to appreciate that the Surrey IMPS are having their annual BBQ at this show. Military vehicle entries need to talk to the IMPS organiser, not the show organisers. This is one of those shows where (for better or worse) you have to be pre-booked. As I understand it, IMPS are allowed to let entries in for their bit of the show and the BBQ but that is not necessarily the same as the general military vehicle section.

- Mike

I recieved the happy news at lunchtime today that it's fixed again so the WLF grin should be in evidence at the weekend after all .

- Mike