Sean N

It's increasingly common to charge in the UK, and there's an increasing division between the old, traditional shows - many of which have evolved or been based on little local rallies and fetes - and the big commercial shows. To a certain extent I agree, exhibitors are using land and facilities and these do cost money; and clearly exhibitors get something from the show or they would not attend. On the other hand, it costs exhibitors an often considerable amount of money to get their exhibits there, display them and parade them; this makes a substantial free contribution to the success of the show and is worth a significant amount to the organisers in revenue on the gate. To my mind there should be a quid pro quo here; exhibitors make a contribution in getting their vehicles there and putting on a show, and in return they get free entry and camping; organisers provide for exhibitors f.o.c., and in return get a good show and high revenue at the gate. It's interesting that many of the big commercial shows that seem to be least complained about and most enjoyable from the exhibitors' point of view are those that allow exhibitors free or heavily discounted entry and camping.

Howard, that rather confirms my memory of things. If I remember right the air cleaner is held by two clamp bands which are fixed to the support Richard's talking about. From memory the support bracket is bolted to the face of the chassis rail and is T shaped or L shaped in cross section and tapers towards the top. Someone will of course post a photo that shows my memory's completely wrong!

Hi Howard, Had a look through the Bedford books but unfortunately no good picture. My memory of it is the same as Richard's, but not good enough to describe it accurately or reliably, I think. I'll keep looking.

Do a search on the Axis History forum, I know there's quite a few photos on there in various places, also on Maple Leaf Up.

There are companies around who will rebuild / remake steering wheels, including doing the rims correctly etc. - worth a look round the internet?

Howard, If no-one comes up with the goods I'll dig the gospel according to Bedford out at the weekend.

I think there are very few photos of VK3002 in existence. If you do a search for VK3002 on the Axis History forum it'll throw up a couple more though, plus a couple of interesting threads about it.

K9 fuel tank as well, isn't it?

It's great. Looks like a 1950s tinplate robot.

Degsy has it right, the Austin is the later version, which used the Series 3 cab and the 5.1 BMC multifuel engine. Very few were built but there are at least three or four survivors. I've heard these referred to as the K11 but have never seen documentary evidence for it.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/B-24%2042-50291.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northwest/series11/week3_freckleton.shtml http://www2.blackpooltoday.co.uk/slideshows/freckleton/

Thinking about it, I seem to remember that the Quad, limber and 25 pdr that used to go to GDSF used to turn up on a Leyland DAF flatbed tuck with the Quad on, towing a flat trailer with the gun and limber on. Don't know whether this was for legality or just convenience. Anyone confirm that?

A few years ago I was involved in a discussion about military surplus vehicle prices compared with those post WW2. Out of interest, I compared prices for Bedford 3 tonners from a 1948 Ruddington sale with those being achieved by Bedford TK GS trucks at the then current Aston Down sales (mid 1990s). In terms of average weekly earnings, the prices were almost exactly the same...

With what vehicle? You might find this link helpful: http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_067672.pdf

Royal Maries? You trying to suggest something?!! :shocked:

If it's 7.5 tonnes gross it'll be a Ministry test at the GVTS. Class 7 is goods vehicles 3 to 3.5 tonnes gross. Get it insured and book a test at your nearest GVTS. You can do both of these on the chassis number. Once it's tested fill in your V55/5 and submit it with MoT and insurance cert to DVLA or your local VRO with the money for the tax and get a registration & tax disc. Make sure you know and have evidence for the date of manufacture or date into service so you get an age related plate. Let the insurance people know the registration, job done.

Tony, could you not just get some more matting agent for the original paint?

Ted, maybe the reasons aren't so obvious - why not? You've pretty much found this already, but most paint / colour suppliers have chips and downloads available with BS 381 C, RAL and other colours, but often restricted to the colours they supply. I've had colour charts from both Cromadex and Trimite FOC before now, but then I was using the paint.

Hi Jules, I know nothing about M3s, but by extension from other vehicles I'd say just backing off the adjustment is unlikely to sort the problem out unless you suspect it was over-adjusted in the first place. I'd say normally when otherwise correctly set up brakes begin to bind, there's a hydraulic fault - sticking or corroded wheel cylinders, brake hose collapsing internally as Enigma says, or similar. Backing the adjustment off works as a get you home, but if there's another fault the brakes work their way on again and you're back at square one. Think you've got to strip and check it, I'm afraid!

I can't recall the K / M / O type, C / D type or J type manuals asking you to remove it, but it's a long time since I've looked so I may be misremembering. IME although many manuals refer to removing the vacuum pipe, with most vehicles when timing at idle speed there isn't enough vacuum to advance the timing anyway, so it makes no practical difference. I don't think I've ever removed the pipe on 28 hp or 214 / 300 engines, and I've never had any problems. Obviously if you're checking centrifugal or vacuum advance with increasing or raised RPM, say over 800 - 1000, it'll make a difference.

You sure? Why not? Has the tax now become fuel duty rather than road fuel duty?

Take lots of photos, notes etc. as it comes apart. However simple it looks, you will not remember when it's time to put it back together. Name and file the photos (assuming digital) so you can find them again As others have said, pack and label everything you've taken off carefully, with fasteners, brackets etc. Use labels that will not have faded / fallen off / absorbed oil or otherwise become unreadable by the time you put it back together. Early on, list the bits you know you'll have to replace and start looking. With luck, they'll come along at sensible money before you're stuck without them. If you have to destroy something to get things apart, make sure it's the cheapest and most easily available bit. As you go along, look, think and plan ahead. The major units will go back in quickly and you'll feel like you're flying along. The minor parts will be fiddly and feel like they're taking for ever; you will work all day, then look at the vehicle and feel as though you have done nothing. Don't get disheartened. Get a manual for the vehicle if you can. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Take your time and if something's not going right, walk away and come back to it later. Steel sections are readily available from steel stockholders or, if small amounts, fabricators, engineering shops or scrappies, but probably only metric; replacing imperial can be problematic for certain sections. Fabricators and engineers will also be useful for making little bits and brackets. Oil seals, gasket material and bearings are often available for older vehicles off the shelf from bearing and power transmission suppliers but you'll have to ask for them by size - they won't know or care that it's a wheel bearing for a GMC or whatever. Paint is readily available from motor factors or industrial paint suppliers if you know what colour you want (BS or RAL colours, paint code or take a bit that hasn't had the sun or oil on it for a match). Put lots of photos in the show it off / vehicle restoration forum!! Good luck!

God that makes me feel old. I was there as an adult, and at many more of them as well. The photo of my RL in my introductions thread was taken there.

As well as MVs I've got a couple of a particular classic car. The standard mod on these is to fit an electric pump instead of the original AC mechanical pump, the hole for the mechanical pump being blanked off or used to fit an extra breather. Pick the right pump and it gets round all your priming problems as well as any issues with fuel vapourisation in use. I don't see any difference between these and an MV using a mechanical pump, and I'd recommend it as a mod if you have fuel issues, provided you use a reliable pump and set it up properly. We typically use a Facet or similar type pump rather than SU. If the pump exceeds the pressure the carb will cope with - say 1.5 - 2.5 PSI - use a pressure regulator, but I think they're beneficial even if the pump pressure is 'correct'.

Enigma, was that you sat on the back of one of the tanks (Sherman?) at Martinstown?