TooTallMike

Also if you do intend to fit them, have a quick look at the previous thread "yellow lacquer for indicators?".

To reply to Jack's point 3 - a Commander is not a legal requirement but may be commonsense depending on the type of vehicle. Safariswing: I'm interested that an insurance company enquired about a commander and voice comms. Since 'commander' is not recognised in UK civilian traffic law and is not a legal requirement what right do they have to enquire about this? Also was there any indication of these 'requirements' in your insurance policy? How would they have proceeded if you hadn't had one or other? They can't invalidate your insurance if you are not breaking the law. As a side point to open up a new area of debate: anyone who is 'commanding' should have an appreciation for the vehicle and its capabilities, for example, there's no value in plonking your 10-year old up there as a hatch ornament and expecting them to guide you in traffic. In civilian law the driver is responsible for the vehicle and if they have an accident it is their fault even if someone else incorrectly gave them an "all clear" for a maneouvre. In military law the commander is responsible and the driver follows his instructions.

Good point about the worn bores in older vehicles causing diesel leakage into the sump. (Of course in a good engine it just goes out of the exhaust.) I didn't know about it increasing compression ratio and that would indeed be a concern for older head gaskets etc. As for pellets, are you talking about lead pellets which are left to dissolve in the fuel? I've read some bad stuff about these. It mainly relates to their being no control over the lead/fuel ratio. (Apologies if this is not the type of pellet you are referring to.) The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) carried out extensive tests on additives and recommends a number of them. (a list can be found at http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/fuel/additives.htm) They are equally recommended and should be chosen based on local availability.

Our petrol engine guru told me that there was no lead in petrol in the 40s. On the strength of this I've always run my (US) wartime vehicles on unleaded without any apparent problems. Many people use additives. Far more of a problem is the octane rating. The Austin 10 drivers' club recommend the use of 10% diesel added to unleaded for 30s & 40s cars. This is enough to drop the rating but not enough to cause smoke.

Yeah, that does worry me when I'm driving. Even with a small tank like a CVRT you could do serious damage. Each track link has a 3-inch pointed horn sticking out the side. At 30mph, the front ones coming up over the drive sprockets are accelerating from 0 - 60mph. If they hit say, a car wing, they'd open it like a tin can. Equally the front of a CVRT is smooth and curves upwards and you could easy drive up the back of a saloon or sports car if it stopped in front too quickly. Another worry is pulling up curbstones when pulling away from the side of the road. Having said that the brakes and steering are very good and the visibility is no problem. The saving grace is that everyone gives you a LOT of space.

Anyone else going on the IMPS Frostbite Run in Surrey/Kent on the 7th Jan?

I passed my H licence 8 weeks ago in our CVRT Spartan. Cost £40 plus a jerrycan of fuel. A lady examiner came to the farm and we went on a 40 minute bimble around a local posh housing estate, answered a few dumb highway code questions and that was it. Had to do a 3 point turn and pull away from the curb without destroying anything. Other than that it was just driving about proving you can control the vehicle safely. 3 of us passed 1st time. The only practice we'd had was tootling around at Beltring and a couple of bits of ilicit road practice on very quiet roads. Lots of people will tell you that you need a 'commander' to drive tracked vehicles on the road. While this may be the case for the military, CIVILIANS DO NOT NEED THIS. I have this independently from 2 traffic cops and the DVLA themselves (not that they know their a**e from their elbow of course...) I have been unable to find any official written reference anywhere to suggest that it might be the case. I have no compunction about driving on my own - I can see just as much in the mirrors of a tank as I can when driving a truck. As regards having the licence, I personally would not dream of driving a vehicle on the road for which I do not have a licence. Insurance is voided and you could end up in a whole heap of trouble. Driving tanks on the road is superb - you get some serious respect, even from school-trip 4x4s.

John, Good to see your everyday ride. I also have a crewcab F350 with an S250 shelter in the rear which I use as a mobile workshop/ camper/support wagon/towtruck. Has yours still got the V8? I put a Cummins 5.9 and Allison auto 'box in mine and it does 25mpg, however max. speed is 60mph. It's a superb vehicle and turns heads wherever I go! I'll post some pictures when I'm back in the UK next week. Regards - Mike

DVLA are incompetent in almost every important respect (record-keeping, enforcement, privacy, co-operation with other agencies...) and are publically unaccountable. So what do you expect? It's a disgrace that they don't understand their own rules, won't give a straight answer to any enquiry and expect you to supply info. that you know you have already supplied previously. At the same time, if you mess up, they have given themselves the power to seize vehicles and impose exorbitant fines. It's high time they were taken to account. I don't know what the answer is but I'm sure there must be enough disgruntled people out there to make it worth petitioning no. 10. Rant over until next time...

Ferry prices weren't too bad in 2004. (You can contact Britannia Ferries (?) to get the current prices & extrapolate a bit for 3 years hence) In 2004 we booked our own crossing from Portsmouth-Ouistreham as we didn't fancy the 80-mile road run to and from LeHavre. The crossing was also cheaper. This time, everyone will be booked on this route!

Agreed that would solve the problems once and for all! The Conservatives did say they'd introduce a rolling 25-year zero-rate road tax for 'historic' vehicles, but I doubt that's going to be at the forefront of any election campaign! BFHVC is on the case of the LEZ and there are many many people giving their views already. I find the whole situation regarding 'historic' vehicles to be particularly irritating because DVLA, VOSA, TFL and others all use different criteria in their classifications. This leads to much confusion when the vehicle in question is unusual and of course it plays into our hands because half the time they can't answer our 'innocent' questions (such as "what constitutes a 'laden' vehicle?")... :evil:

London's best kept secret: New Year's Day parade through the centre of town with giant inflatables, cheerleaders, marching bands, traction engines trucks, MV and all sorts. Kicks off at midday by parliament. W&P usually have a contingent and I'm taking the WLF as part of our group's entry this year. http://www.londonparade.co.uk

Tony, I assume you mean the IMPS trip? I've booked the WLF in so it's good to know I won't be the only heavy truck there. - Mike

Artistsrifles, While it doesn't apply to pre-1972 MVs due to their taxation class (Historic), anything newer (eg. MKs, AWDs, DROPS' etc.) will be taxed as Private HGV and will therefore have to comply. Also sadly, our group have 2 modern low loader transporters which we use privately as tank/Halftrack transporters, and several old buses and fire engines which will have to comply with the legislation. An interesting thing to note is that any exempted vehicle entering London is required to have pre-registered with TFL, who admit in their paperwork that they cannot get Swansea to tie their vehicle database in with the planned ANPR camera network. There is also serious talk of this scheme being extended to smaller vehicles at a later date so Jimmies, Weapons Carriers etc. would need to be registered too. Following on from your comment about in-service MVs being exempt, we can also find no reference to serving Fire Brigade vehicles. I submitted this to the forum because I believe people should be aware of impending legislation which may affect them in ways they cannot forsee. In the context of our hobby I believe that the detail of a vehicle's 'not being used for hire & reward' covers any potential problems that may affect us and similarly affected groups, eg. horse box owners. - Mike

Portrayal Press on http://www.portrayal.com have all the manuals in the universe (well, almost...). It's money well spent 'cos with all due respect to Jack's electronic copy, there's no substitute for a well-thumbed paper copy kept in the glove box.

Wimbledon accepted my application for registering the Ward laFrance based on an IMPS verification letter and the Carte Grise (French log book). They never even asked to see a photo, much less a physical inspection. Also, make sure you ask for the original documents to be returned - they are legally obliged to give them back if you ask. I dealt with George Bishop at Wimbledon VRO and found him very helpful. Don't settle for a Q plate. There is no need for one as they will accept the IMPS or MVT verification letter as proof of age.

To get away from the financial debate, how's about an HMVF meet-up one evening after hours in the arena? Anyone interested? Might be a good photo-op!

Please also read the following on the LEZ and go onto the TFL website to register your opinion. Just because you may not live in London does not mean this won't apply to you as the London scheme will be used as a model for similar things in other cities across the UK. I wrote this to alert the local 'donkey' owners to something they thought wouldn't have anything to do with them: >> Do you own a private vehicle weighing over 3.5 tonnes? (e.g. Horse Box) Are you based near or within the M25? If so, THIS WILL AFFECT YOU : Proposed London Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) Quoted from TfL (Transport for London) website http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/low-emission-zone'>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/low-emission-zone'>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/low-emission-zone : “The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) would aim to encourage operators to reduce their emissions by either replacing or modifying their older diesel-engined vehicles that do not meet the proposed emission standards. The operators not complying with the proposed standards would have to pay a substantial daily charge to drive within the zone. In order to maximise improvements in air quality and health benefits, it is proposed that the LEZ would cover all of Greater London and operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Which vehicles would be affected by the LEZ? The LEZ would define emission standards with which vehicles would need to comply - The LEZ would define emission standards that certain categories of vehicle would have to comply with in order to travel in London without charge. The standards would be based on Euro standards. These are emission standards that vehicles must be manufactured to by a certain date…“ The proposal as it stands is generic and allows no distinction between vehicles being used commercially for ‘Hire and Reward’, and those being used privately ( eg. horse boxes). The proposal is that the LEZ will cover ALL roads within the GLA administrative boundary. Any non-compliant vehicle used on the road will be subject to a daily charge of between £100 and £200. This will be enforced by fixed and mobile road cameras linked to the DVLA records. The LEZ as proposed applies to all diesel-engined vehicles weighing more than 3500kg, which are subject to ‘Plating and Testing’ regulations (ie. annual MoT-type test), regardless of their use. Vehicles can be exempted if they are brought up to current emissions standards by the installation of emissions-reducing equipment such as catalytic converters, particle filters etc. The principle of reducing pollution through restricting the use of heavily polluting vehicles is (in my opinion) a good idea. However, the proposals only cover what the legislators are focusing on, ie. delivery lorries and commercial buses and coaches, without considering the small private minority who will also be affected. Privately-used large vehicles are unlikely to represent a major contribution to London pollution due to the infrequency of their use. My personal suggestion is that the LEZ should apply to vehicles based on their taxation classes. These are existing and widely understood classes dividing vehicles into categories based on their use. I would suggest that any vehicle not taxed for Hire and Reward use should be exempted. These are generally vehicles taxed as “Private HGV” and “Historic”. What we need to do NOW is to make TfL aware of the strength of our numbers. This can be done in a couple of ways: 1. write to the public consultation at the address below politely giving your point of view. 2. fill in the on-line questionnaire at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/low-emission-zone again politely giving your point of view. Please visit the website and become fully informed before you make contact. Please be polite and please make it clear that you are talking about NON-COMMERCIAL VEHICLES being used PRIVATELY, and most importantly that their use is INFREQUENT (please give details of annual mileage). This public consultation is a legal obligation on the part of TfL so that we the public can voice our opinions. Please let the legislators know about our argument and hopefully they can be persuaded to accommodate us. Questionnaires and comments must be received no later than 24 April 2006 If you PERSONALLY do not act now, you forfeit your right to complain later. TfL address: London Low Emission Zone Transport for London 12th Floor 42-50 Victoria St. London SW1H 0TL Email: LEZ@tfl.gov.uk (Subject line must be “Strategy Revisions”) Website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/low-emission-zone Author: Mike Gillman Email: tootallmike@hotmail.com Tel.: 07747 772838

Sometime they are hard work, other times very quick. Keep calling and they will deal with you. It's nothing personal, they are just a very busy business. Having said that, we go over there as they are much better to deal with in person. It can be done from London in a (long) day in a 110 LR on a 24-hr Eurotunnel ticket with 2 people driving. Going there also lets you see their amazing yard: rows of 100s of all types of M series trucks, from MUTTs through M35s right up to the stunning M123 tank transporter and everything in between including some very rare variants like pipeline trucks and workshop units. You are free to walk around the vehicle yard and some of the parts stock. Around the back there is a 'scrap' area (which I was told indignantly is actually for 'other' vehicles!) with scrap Jimmies, Diamond Ts, a Scout car, a Halftrack, URALs, ZILs, airfield trucks and WW11 trailers. There are M35 cargo bodies lying around full of different types of stripped off components like distributors or starter motors. Last time I was there I even saw a pile of 5 or so NOS Jeep chassis. It is both amazing and depressing at the same time and if you can possibly go there you should.

Sorry Richard, that was strictly a suggestion! You could put the coins in and sling the tanks loose in the back of a 4x4 and go off-roading to save your arms the pain of shaking! I'll be trying the coins method with the MUTT tank in a couple of weeks' time. I'll post here how it goes. I'd be interested in paint/sealant suggestions for once it's done.

If the tank is off: Not tried this yet but I've heard that you should get a handful of pennies and 2p's and put them in the tank. Shake it until your arms hurt and then some more. Copper won't spark any fuel that might remain, the sharp edges of the coins are great for breaking off rust and cr*p, and you can re-use them in the pub afterwards. Then treat with POR15 or the tank sealing substance of your choice. - Mike

I have a Q plated 1983 USAF pickup truck. It is useful to know that Q plate vehicles are MoT'd for visible emissions only. In all other respects they are tested as though they are 1972, regardless of their actual build date. This has implications for all sorts of things like seatbelts, lights, brakes etc. Worth knowing! Before this ruling was brought in I tried to get an age-related plate but DVLA were not interested. I've never had any trouble with the law regarding the Q plate and I only use specialist insurance companies for my historic vehicles so that's no problem either. DVLA are not issuing Q plates any more so I suggest you think carefully before changing it. Regards - Mike

I use Tyre Black, bought from the local motoring shop. Another of our guys is experimenting with builders 'bulk' bags draped over his tyres. (the type you might have sand or gravel delivered in by Travis Perkins) These are made from interwoven plastic strips so they can breathe. As I understand it, UV breaks down the rubber so whatever you do needs to block sunlight.

I've toyed with building a replica of one of the prototype Mack NO4 or NO5 recovery trucks. It would have a 14 litre Cummins coupled to an original gearbox, twin circuit spring brakes and faster axles. (I have a minimum requirement of 40mph for safety on motorways.) All I need is a couple of scrap Mack NOs, a scrap Ward Lafrance for the crane and a big dry workshop... I still may do it one day.

Rather than laboriously converting whole books to .pdf, what about just a listing of what TMs, manuals, books etc. everyone has? That way people can get in contact to ask for scans of particular sections or subjects. Maybe then these excerpts could be saved somewhere online for future reference. - Mike