timbo

There is very little to actually buy there, but that doesn't mean there aren't deals to be done!

Now that is my kind of man b**ger the expense I will eat and drink but please don't eat and drink to much

or you will not have any money left for goodies lol

Commander

Listen mate the way I have been collecting 'essential' spares of late that is pushing the boat out

Justin

Your first job should be to whip the front decks off and give it a reet good old jetwash... Then post a load of pics on a restoration thread so we can see what you've got... And the good bit is none of that will cost you a penny!

Cheers

Timbo

Im going for a burger, a pint and a catch up with familiar faces!

See you there...

Timbo

I thought engines were in them but could be wrong. As Chris says the gearboxes will turn up in time so if you could sit on one for a while you may get a bargain.

A mate was there when they were unloaded - the bloke went down the line lifting the decks and cursing each time along the lines of 'how the f do they expect me to sell these with no gearboxes!!'

Answer - describe them as 'ultra rare' you cant go wrong LOL...

Timbo

Yep will be interesting to see how long this thread runs!!

There are lots of interesting points in this case though like the fact that some of the perpetrators were from Alsace. Perhaps if there had not been such haste to 'move on' after the war there would have been a more rigorous prosecution process and the issue would not still be running.. On the other hand it is understandable why nations would want to put this sort of thing behind them given the horrors they had lived through.

At the end of the day this is a German not French prosecution and shows a determination to come to terms with the past so it can't be simply a case of 'victors justice'.

I'm not sure there is any value in drawing an equivalence between the Resistance and terrorist organisations, although I can see it can be done. There are lots of myths and untruths spoken about the French Resistance but ultimately they didn't ask for the Germans to invade so I know where I stand on that one!

Like I say not sure how long this thread will survive!

Cheers

Yep post away Chris....I only have ready access to my Sabre but more than happy to try to help.

Cheers

Timbo

Don't know if it's true but I've been told these have no gearboxes so make sure you lift the louvres before you bid!

I see they are described as very very rare which I suppose is true for once! I think they may struggle to sell to enthusiasts though, even being diesels as there are a lot more to come through. If you wanted a cheap(ish) way into CVRT ownership, and a diesel one to boot I think they would be worth a punt...

Timbo

Well I sorted my fuel gauge - it had been reading full for at least the last 6 years. A quick inspection showed the earth connector had broken off. Crimped a new one on and bolted it up and Bob's your uncle. It now reads, erm, empty..! It does move a couple of mm when power is switched on, but then I guess 40 litres only just covers the bottom of the fuel bag. In a fit of enthusiasm I also managed to sort out the illumination for the gear indicator, and get the heater working.

Back to the ignition junction box. My trusty handbook tells me the purpose of the 2 ballast resistors in the box is to drop the voltage to the coil to 12v, which is what it is rated at. When you push the starter button the resistors are bypassed so that the coil gets 24v to give it a kick up the backside for starting purposes. Release the button and the resistors come back into play so the coil gets 12v in normal running.

Cheers

Timbo

Brings a tear to my eye to see this lol, spent a great deal of time working and sleeping on and in one plus lots of scuffed knuckles repairing. :cheesy:

Well Jack the good news is that slow but steady progress is being made on the restoration. The exterior is nearly finished and work has started on prepping the engine bay for the pack to go in. It is hoped that it will be up and running for summer 2014 (although it might be late summer!)...

Cheers

Timbo

Just thought I would post up a thread about an intermittent problem I've had with my Sabre recently. Ran well throughout the summer but just recently had started popping and banging and eventually refused to run completely. I was getting some sparks, but matters were confused by running it low on fuel which I thought might have sucked up some crud from the bottom of the tank.

Having checked the fuel filter which had some rubbish in the bowl but was generally pretty clean, I checked the supply to the carb which was clean and clear, so decided it was definitely electrical. I have to say it was a big help that I attended the British Military Tournament last weekend, and one of the Scorpions (the spare one thankfully) had an electrical fault. During the course of the weekend I watched almost the entire ignition system being stripped and overhauled, and although we never found the fault it gave me some good tips.

Having got the lid off I decided to start with the rev counter. One thing I learnt is that the CVRT ignition system goes through the rev counter, and I noticed that the rev counter was working intermittently even with the engine turning. There is a wire on the back and apparently it can drop off on occasions leading to loss of ignition. Removed the dash and all wires were solid so no problem there.

I then noticed that the plug leading into the ignition junction box was loose ie the socket was spinning in its housing. Not being electrically minded i have no idea what purpose is served by this box, but I do know it contains a couple of ballast resistors. Having removed the lid the problem became obvious - one of the wires (a very short one) had come loose from its connection. I suspect it was never properly seated in the first place, but because it was very short it was able to pass a current most of the time but eventually lost contact. Replaced all the wires and tightened up the plug socket. Lid back on and hey presto away we go!

While I had the decks off I tweaked the idle mixture screws which ended up 1 1/4 turns out (compared to the 1 1/2 that you start with), and she's now running crisp and sweet.

Next job is to sort the fuel gauge - I'm suspecting a dodgy earth - and then it will be time to put it back together....

Cheers

Timbo

Oh and I trust you know you get free road tax from next April!

Andy

My Sabre (04 FD 34) was also at BLMF but the year after yours left...apparently the place was a bit of a dump! Managed to pick up a NATO map of Bosnia as a bit of dressing for the turret.

The 95 repair will almost certainly have been when it was converted to Sabre.

Cheers

Tim

I am almost certain i have seen pictures of them being used, but only as prototypes. From recollection they are more like propellers driven off the end of the drive shafts through a bevel box type arrangement. They looked frankly ridiculously flimsy!

Some great stuff there including a mislabelled Champ..

I was driving that, sorry about the speed but it was going flat out.

It's a bit top heavy going in to the corners but great fun to drive. As for the neutral turn that was the first time I've attempted one. Spent most of my time in Saladin's and 432's

You have the bigger vehicle mate so you can basically go whatever speed you want!!!

One thing I was told to watch for is a tendency to throw tracks when neutral turning on soft ground (ie softer than in this vid) - if you go at it too aggressively the tracks can pop off so always better to interrupt the turn at some point. I dont think this is an issue on harder ground/ concrete... Never seen it happen myself but have heard of it happening to one or two people..

Is it really a DD Scorpion with a drive train to a propeller, giving two different drives (ie Duplex Drive) or is it just a Scorpion with a float screen that predates them being removed about 1980 when BAOR realised there were no rivers in the Corps Area that were suitable for floating Scorpions? Like the ones our squadron floated at Ludgershall in 1977?

Well I got the impression it was just driven by it's tracks so not DD but was presented in the context of a modern day version of the DD Shermans, and to demonstrate that a wading screen arrangement will always be frankly dangerous. Of course I have seen pictures of true DD Scorpions with the props attached at right angles to the end of the drive shafts (having first removed the top hats). I dont think these were ever anything other than experimental though...

Timbo

Yep...

An ever youthful Bob Grundy on telly right now demonstrating his DD Scorpion.

Shouldve fitted the belly plates Bob..!

Paul

Given the large number (dozens at least !) of cvrt's already registered I can't see why you should have a problem. In centralising the process they've probably just recruited a whole load of new people who've never come across this before so are taking some time to work it out. Thats efficiency for you!

Let us know how you get on. I have a few to register at some point.

Cheers

Tim

Carry on up the Qattara!!!

Or as Rommel might have said 'infamy, infamy, they've all got it in f'me'....!

An old one I know but still makes me chuckle...

I saw that on the Grand Union canal earlier on this year!

Aaah he'd obviously gone on to look for another 'happy hunting ground' then.

Ice Cold in Alex. When you have John Mills, Harry Andrews, Anthony Quayle, Joan Sims, an Austin K2 and a Humber Heavy Utility, it is possible to forgive the dodgy German vehicles in the desert and the S1 Land Rover at the end. :-D

Ooer matron! Its Sylvia Syms - Joan Sims was in the carry on films. Agree about the film though. Mills performance as a man on the edge is outstanding. As an aside she (Sylvia) has appeared in many more recent films including Absolute Beginners !!

I think the thing about those early war films, vehicles aside is that the war was still very contemporary so they couldn't ham it up in the way they do today..

A good museum actually. Not much in the way of vehicles but the armoured elephant is quite a spectacle!

Of course it's not in London so how long it stays free (or even open) is a moot point.

Last time I went there was a fella moored in the dock outside who had converted his narrowboat into a replica u boat and filled it with u boat memorabilia - very interesting! At the time the council or British Waterways or someone were trying to depth charge him so probably long gone