Jolly Jeeper

I'm glad you approve of the six Windscreen per year seeing that it was me that got it changed from four plus the Green Sheets. As times changed, the Green Sheets were attracting fewer and fewer classifieds so were essentially redundant and the cost of printing and mailing them as well as Windscreen meant that it was more cost effective to move to six Windscreens.

As above about generalisations... Surely Mr Fletcher isn't surly? I found him quite pleasant

I think you have to be careful about such blanket generalisations like this - names that spring to mind include Karl Ludwigsen, Tim Gosling, John Teasdale, Duncan Glen, Jim Kinnear and others who also write well researched stuff (I know that these names aren't in the issue you are discussing) but I don't think you should do them a disservice. I was a fan of the Folkestone site but as I said further up this thread - W&P's glory days aren't coming back... JC

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Having commented on this thread previously, I am not getting involved in discussion about CMV magazine other than to say that it has been nothing to do with me since the March 2019 issue.

I am glad to see that the AEC Matador is held in such high regard. This is one of my favourite pictures of one in WWII - blokes who probably didn't want to be soldiers sweating and swearing on some North African road, moving the gun in the dirt and the dust because they had to, uniform almost a memory, no doubt looking forward to a cup of tea or a letter from home more than shelling Jerry... One of my uncles was a bloke like these (but with a Morris Quad and 25pdr in Tunisia and Italy).

So right!

You could do a French set up like this with a Mahindra (judging from the windscreen this is either a 3A or a 3B). I know nothing about the pic but found it on the net one night. I agree with you that Mahindra Jeeps and Lightweight Land Rovers offer a similar fun driving experience

Over the years, I've had a '43 MB, a '53 Scammell Explorer, a couple of '42 Harley WLCs, four Lightweight Land Rovers and this M201 but the CJ-3B/CJ340 is my favourite because I have had so much fun in it. I'll see what happens when the M38A1/M606A2, MB bitsa, CJ-2A and '32 Ford projects in my shed are finished but I doubt they'll change my mind about which is my favourite... There's no accounting for taste eh? I guess I'm just fascinated by the complex story of the CJ-3B and its M606, Mahindra, Viasa, Hotchkiss, Ebro, Viasa, and Mitsubishi versions. Or I could just say that's my business...

Thanks - here it is at Asnelles this year

I have been watching this thread on and off as it lengthens (even though I didn't go to W&P this year). Here are a few of my thoughts about some things that have been talked about for years and some just this year; 1. I am of the opinion that shows - especially big ones like this - have three distinct periods in their time line, a period of growth from their beginnings when it's new and exciting and so more people go along year on year. The second period is of some stability when a show has found a level and is still good so is on something of a plateau and the final period is one of decline as it slides off the plateau. This decline can vary and is affected by all sorts of things and factors; weather, moves of venue, change of organisation, changing fashions, rival events etc etc. (I saw exactly the same thing happen to something nearby years ago - the Kent Custom Bike Show. It started at a cafe on the A20 boomed, moved venues and boomed but eventually declined and ended). Then, in this final period, grumpy old blokes sit around saying, 'it's not as good as it was...' Basically, W&P's glory days are over and they ain't coming back. 2. Some people on this thread want a big show full of rarities and expect everyone to be as reverential as them. It isn't going to happen - the only way big shows can break even is if big numbers pay to come through the gate. People don't all want the same thing from a show - one group might want it all to be WWII American vehicles, others need to sell stuff, some want to dress up and strut about... 3. Add in the cost of many vehicles, a factor that limits the hobby for many, so - to get big numbers - it's inevitable that there will be impostors and 'odd' replicas. Those people pay their fees that help put the event on so being snobbish about them serves no purpose apart from giving grumpy blokes something to whinge about... 4. Too many Land Rovers? Maybe but they are pretty much - in Britain anyway these days - the only affordable/entry level/call it what you like military vehicle. If anything surprises me about Land Rovers, it's the fact that there aren't more Malaya/Aden/Kenya/Ulster dioramas 5. No fairgrounds? It's about getting numbers and families through the gate - mind you Carter's Fair with its AEC Matadors always appealed to me and I'll watch a Wall of Death wherever there is one. If you want a show full of a specific type of armour or vehicles then organise a small, specialist event that isn't reliant on day visitors - Overloon works for example - the more specialist something gets, the fewer it appeals to. 6. Lack of traders? The traders aren't charities so won't come if they don't make a profit. It costs them a lot to make that profit too - staff, transport, subsistence, security, (ferries in some cases) plus plus... By this line of thinking - there will be lots of Jeep traders because there's lots of Jeeps and owners. eBay has also changed the face of selling for traders too. Anyway that's a few of my thoughts but the reason I didn't to to W&P in 2019 (and am unlikely to go ever again) is that I can't be bothered to drive to Kent from Yorkshire to use horrible bogs and stand in a beer tent surrounded by Nazis... especially after I got a sh**** email from one of the organisers after mentioning the poor toilets in a magazine article. Finally, here's a picture of one of my quasi-military Jeeps on its big alloy wheels - it's been to Normandy, W&P, Elvington, Bovington and more over the years (but don't make the mistake of thinking that I have got it because I can't afford a 'real' one as I have owned it for 30 years). Toodle pip, JC

Sad to say there's tons like this on eBay etc...

I have a heritage certificate here for a Series III - information includes the chassis number and exact model and the fact that it was built on 6 Sept 1983 and despatched on 12 Sept 1983 to a dealer in Newcastle on Tyne... JC

My understanding of things is that 'Wolf' wheels are on the variant of the Defender known as a Wolf TUM/TUL - they have Mini Cooper-esque circular holes around the wheel. They have a greater offset than some of the earlier types of Land Rover wheels so - for example - fill out the wheel arches on a Series III more than standard SWB rims or even some types of LWB rim. This means they - and pattern copies - have become popular as an aftermarket fitment for Land Rovers. Another reason for their popularity is that they are tubeless (certainly the ones I have seen and those I have on my Series III) which means that they offer convenience when it comes to tyre choice/fitting and punctures. Many tyres will fit them - 235/85R16 in particular.

Has anyone got a running Jeep F-head four-cylinder engine that they would like to sell please? I don't mind if it is a military one or one out of a civvy vehicle. Ta

This is quite a handy little manual - it turns up on eBay quite often; The Land Rover Guide To Winching In Safety Manual This The Land Rover Guide To Winching In Safety Manual, provides a guide to the proper use, safety, techniques, and winching information for your Land Rover. Contains 99 pages ISBN# 9781855202986

Here's a photo of a military Land Rover with a winch

I am not sure if you are aware that there is a Matador group on Facebook and plenty of knowledge there. They may be ablee to offer advice as they will be pleased to hear of another being saved; https://www.facebook.com/groups/284225112074783/ Good luck with project, JC

There's lots of Jeeps running around with non-standard engines and there's no saying that your Chevy engine is making the thing into a hot rod - it could just be a low compression old pick-up truck engine for example especially if it's a 'farm repair'. In the UK there's lots of insurance companies that deal with modified stuff, it is nowhere as hard as it used to be to sort that sort of paperwork. If you do feel the need to change the springs or steering there's a US aftermarket that supplies everything you need - I can't see why you would need to change the steering, maybe front springs to carry any extra weight and you can always use bigger brakes off a later CJ... What I'd want to know before I bought it is how the engine swap has been done - is it an engine swap or an engine and tranny? This part of the job can be done nicely or really poorly and I wonder how the extra length on an in-line six is accommodated under the bonnet. (Just to illustrate that I have had a little experience of these issues; I had a Ford V6-powered Hotchkiss M201 that was one of the the 'stunt' Jeeps in Saving Pvt Ryan for a scene that was cut from the final movie. The engine/bellhousing/gearbox part of the conversion were really badly done as it was only intended to be crashed but I persevered with it for a a couple of years as it was great fun - stock brakes and steering too. Picture here shows it ahead of two others).

In response to your question, I'd ask this; 'what do you want the Jeep for?' If you're after authenticity and counting rivets, maybe not. If you want something you can drive and have fun with, maybe. If you want something to restore to standard, maybe (all the bits are available and a welder and a grinder work wonders). If you are worried about MoT'ing something that should be roadworthy, maybe not. I have had stock ones and modified ones and am building a bitsa - it's the less stock ones that I have had more fun with as I haven't been worried about any green lane - or similar - damage.

I finally got around to watching the whole programme on catch-up or iplayer or whatever last night. I think it was phenomenal - regardless of some of the comments on here - because a fairly ordinary bloke uses his celebrity, and the power of TV, to recreate something huge from 100 years ago and get it running with a lot of, widely acknowledged, help. His enthusiasm is infectious and, as he didn't know much about the scale and detail of WWI or H licences, as he learned on screen, he will have enthused others about the subject, engineering, welding, tanks in museums and more. The late Fred Dibnah didn't have the monopoly on being 'a bloke with a regional accent who liked British engineering history' and, as he's dead, the next generation needs a new folk hero. Then, finally, driving the tank at Cambrai, in my opinion, was far more poignant than threading it up a high street. The world is changing and we need to embrace that, in order to see the history that interests us is remembered. I can't wait to see the tank itself somewhere next year. JC

I am not getting involved or taking sides, I saw that this had been released by Lincolnshire Police and merely posted it here for information in view some of the comments in this thread.

Statement regarding the Guy Martin WWI tank programme Following the airing of the programme on Channel 4 on Sunday 19th November, many members of the public have formed the impression that Lincolnshire Police refused to allow the tank to be part of the Lincoln parade. In response to a number of comments we have received, we feel it would be helpful to clarify the actual circumstances. Members of Lincoln’s Safety Advisory Group met with programme producers as soon as the group were informed of Guy’s intention to drive the tank along the High Street. Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs) were formed nationally as a result of some serious incidents at several events (such as Hillsborough 1989). They are independently chaired and include representatives from a number of agencies including City of Lincoln Council, Lincolnshire Police, Ambulance Service and Fire Service, Emergency Planning and Lincolnshire Highways. The role of the group is to provide advice and guidance to organisers to ensure their events operate safely. Chief Supt Mark Housley explained: “All the partners in the SAG were thrilled to hear of the plans to bring the replica Tank to Lincoln but whilst the SAG were open minded, several issues were raised and a number of requirements identified to ensure that any risk to the community was mitigated. As the public will appreciate, the Remembrance Day parade attracts a few thousand people in Lincoln, with a demographic that includes both young and senior citizens The addition of Guy Martin and his tank would expand that number considerably and, therefore, action needed to be taken by the production company to ensure the safety of all participants. We were also minded that the event is a sombre event and that we should respect the occasion. “Accordingly, plans needed to be in place to ensure that everyone could participate in the event in a safe way, and that the entertainment of the tank did not distract from the importance of remembrance. The event was not refused but further work was suggested to ensure safety. Following discussions, the production company made the decision that France, where the tank was first used, was also a positive option. Relocating there would allow them to meet all the programme’s criteria, which was to recognise the brave people involved with the tank invention, construction and use and also to produce an entertainment programme”. 20 Nov 17 12:22 PM

Quite right. Getting involved in others' disputes can be a minefield for magazines and there's often two sides to a story. I do feel for Peter Dixon with his tale of woe especially when lots of classic US pick-ups are coming over at the moment - presumably in the hands of reputable companies. I have Peter's email but don't feel that I should post it here but am happy to pass on anything you want to PM me or email at CMV. JC