TooTallMike

Here are the regs. It's all there in Part III. I'd say you were breaking the law on your test by 10mph! http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Primary&PageNumber=6&BrowseLetter=R&NavFrom=1&parentActiveTextDocId=2223862&ActiveTextDocId=2224141&filesize=16599

Our guys just spent a week driving around Normandy in 2 halftracks and a Jeep and didn't get a whiff of this. I wonder what legal binding it has or whether it's just something they'd like people to adhere to?

Wasn't I about to buy it from you? I seem to remember we'd agreed a cash price of £3k hadn't we? :-D Probably best not actually, I think that's fraud...:rolleyes: And yes, they are now a crap company. They've messed up mine and Nick's insurance this year and still haven't managed to straighten it out. FJ here we come! - Mike

Interesting story! Just for information and to leap to the defence of the DVLA (I must be going soft) they will return original documents if requested (assuming they've not lost them in the interim) hence I still have all the original French log books for the truck. - Mike

Mark, Looks like you're doing well! That stud was like that all the time I had the engine. Over that time it had 2 different carbs fitted and they both went on fine. If you will fit non-standard components... So that leads to a daft question: why didn't you just swap the stud for one of yours rather than than changing the whole manifold? - Mike

:n00b:

The Red Ball Express guys had one go a year or so ago and IIRC they said it banged up under the sponson and then sort of laid itself along the road as the HT drove off it. I'll try and find the thread on their forum. This is why we keep a close eye on the tracks of the two HTs in our group. Both have had NOS tracks installed in the last two years but they still have to be checked.

At the risk of incurring the wraths of most of the rest of the HMVF membership, I don't actually want to have to go to the Post Office. It is inconvenient, time-consuming and unnecessary. IMHO the only thing they are needed for is to post parcels. In this day and age there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to do everything else online, be that taxing a truck, buying a TV license or applying for a passport. I don't see why I should have to go to a PO to tax a vehicle because the organisation's website is too incompetently written to be able to handle unusual but perfectly legal applications. Discuss. :readpaper:

Still can't tax online. Sent them another stinky bit of feedback. Idiots.

I finally got a letter back from TfL after enquiring about the CC exemption for Historic Vehicles and it says there is NO exemption for Historic Vehicles. An exemption was considered during the consultation process but it was deemed that this would "...set precedents that could potentially undermine the decongestion benefits of Congestion Charging." In other words, (a) Historic Vehicles still cause congestion so why should they be exempt? (b) exempting Historic Vehicles would encourage more people to purchase them to evade the CC, thus undermining the intention. I think we'd all agree these are valid and reasonable points in the context of the CC. So there we go. It was an unfounded rumour. If someone would care to copy this over the the original forum I'm happy for that to be done. - Mike

It's ok Degsy, I wasn't taking it as criticism . I agree entirely with your comment about the torque/power curve for the Cummins but that was actually one of the things which finally convinced me to carry out the conversion as it closely matched that of the petrol. I was very concerned about the possibility of too much torque breaking things, bearing in mind I now have 100hp more, so I wanted it to reach the drivetrain 'softly'. I would think a Leyland, Gardner, AEC or similar conversion would have to be driven very gently. Interesting to see Gritineye's comment about the L10 in his Explorer as it very much reflects my own experience with the C series. I cruise at 1800rpm / 40mph and it sits very comfortably there and maintains speed uphill without having to change gear regardless of the load on the back. This was the primary intention of the install hence I regard it to have been a success . It's interesting to see different people's opinions of how to approach these engineering challenges and all observations are welcome. This discussion shows how people's thoughts may differ depending on what use is envisaged for the vehicle. The WLF was primarily intended to be an on-road truck with the capability to go off-road for recovery and tactical purposes. Considering the lack of power from the petrol engine, any diesel has to be an improvement... (Hello Mark... :flowers:)

I'd say the beauty of retrofitting an engine which has less low-end torque is that it drives like the petrol and I think it's much kinder to the drivetrain. If my foot were to slip off the clutch, the engine would stall, whereas with an engine with a grunty low end it might break something. Depends what you want to use the vehicle for as well: off road my engine might be less suitable, for example due to lack of engine braking, but on road it is absolutely perfect. (Already over 3000 miles in 2 years) For on-road use the small engine capacity (8.3l) combined with the turbo also makes it quite economical. - Mike

I don't want to hijack this thread for too much longer but I'd hate for anyone to read it and be mis-informed. Relating to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED): The law appears to have been clarified by the 1994 Vehicle Excise & Registration Act: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1994/Ukpga_19940022_en_1 Schedule 2 lists exempt vehicles and gives definitions of each type of vehicle: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1994/ukpga_19940022_en_8#sch2 The section dealing with ambulances & health service vehicles is as follows (format adjusted for clarity, highlighting is mine). Please note sections 2(a) and 7(a) & (b). 6(1) An ambulance is an exempt vehicle. (2) In sub-paragraph (1)“ambulance” means a vehicle which— (a) is constructed or adapted for, and used for no purpose other than, the carriage of sick, injured or disabled people to or from welfare centres or places where medical or dental treatment is given, and (b) is readily identifiable as a vehicle used for the carriage of such people by being marked “Ambulance” on both sides. 7 A vehicle is an exempt vehicle when it is being used or kept on a road by— (a) a health service body (as defined in section 60(7) of the [1990 c. 19.] National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990) or a health and social services body (as defined in Article 7(6) of the [s.I. 1991/194 (N.I.1).] Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991), or (b) a National Health Service trust established under Part I of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 or the [1978 c. 29.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 or a Health and Social Services Trust established under the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991. 8 A vehicle which is made available by the Secretary of State— (a) to a person, body or local authority under section 23 or 26 of the [1977 c. 49.] National Health Service Act 1977, or (b) to a local authority, education authority or voluntary organisation in Scotland under section 15 or 16 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, and which is used in accordance with the terms on which it is so made available is an exempt vehicle.

What's that old saying? - 'Pride comes before a fall'. ...or should that be several falls...? :-D

Yes. & No, it's none of the Post Office's business. For your information the relevant category is #30 but you don't have to state this on the form. It's a self-declaration form which you simply sign to say your vehicle fits into one of the exempted categories. - Mike

Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 & C&U regs say no vehicle except an "Emergency" vehicle can be fitted with a blue light or anything resembling a blue light whether working or not. Among the many definitions of "emergency" vehicles we can find the following: #3. Vehicles used for Ambulance purposes and fitted or adapted for the carriage of sick persons. Interesting discussion here: http://www.ambulancepages.com/listings.php?country=1&cat=20

Ditto. Like with fire engines the important point is what it is USED as, not what it was built as. - Mike

But all HIGHLY ILLEGAL and not to be recommended unless of course you're operating as an ambulance in which case it's fine. Otherwise it's a plain old truck, regardless of the markings on the side and the kit on the inside. If it's not used professionally as an ambulance you're commiting fraud by registering it as such. The Dartford people will let you go 'cos they don't know any better but VOSA and the DVLA would have a field day. Build date pre-Jan. 1960? over 3.5 tonnes GVW? = exempt (unless it's a bus, which it's not) - Mike

Do bog standard basic timber Mat's ever come up for sale? If so what sort of money does a tidy one fetch? - Mike

They are military vehicle clubs, not re-enactors clubs.

I took the bellhousing off my spare gearbox - IIRC it's held on by 6 large nuts onto studs. This may be a standard layout which allows the three sizes of housing to be fitted. If that is the case, it's probably still standard to their gearboxes so they shouldn't be hard to get hold of. - Mike

Yes, many thanks for a superb thread. You've inspired me to want a timber Mat now. As NOS says, they look best as a bare chassis and simple crane don't they! - Mike

Clarification required here... :tup::

Any chance of a quick run-down on identifying features for 600, 680 & power plus for those of us not familiar with them? - Mike

I happened to catch it just at the point he slipped on the piece of sheeting...:embarrassed: Sadly didn't have time to watch the whole thing.