timbo

Someone I know (not a mate) was recently redoing their patio - filled their Nissan Navarra (used as family car) and little Halfords trailer with slabs and got pulled - was so far overweight he will have to go to court.. Bizarrely was allowed to continue but trailer axle snapped (!) shortly thereafter. Trailer was parked and slabs recovered in ferry operation. When he went back for the empty broken trailer it had been nicked - saved him a job I suppose...

Just checked my literature and don't have Scorpion only Spartan radio fit and Scorp user manual but it doesn't show anything of interest..

Chris' suggestion is a good one - Mark's prices are quite reasonable and the repros are good quality...

Cheers

Timbo

I agree Paul about giving the Afgans kit,but how long before it ends up in Taliban hands?.

I see the point but what would the Taliban want with Mastiffs - not their style at all, now if we were leaving behind Toyota pick-ups that would be different...

Cant help with pics but sounds like a very worthy project so good luck with that mate..!

Cheers

Timbo

John

The following threads may be of some limited use as they have interior pics albeit one features a Sabre.

http://afvsociety.co.uk/Forum3/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=620

http://afvsociety.co.uk/Forum3/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=352

I have some bits and bobs of user manuals at home but not sure I have Scorpion fit so will have a look when I get home later.

If all else fails I'm sure Sirhc will be along shortly with the real answer..!

Cheers and pics please.

Timbo

Hi Timbo,

 

Your right, they are the bits left over from Scimitar 2 conversions, there were more CVRT Scimitar Rolling Hulls in Withams yard today, they are not restricted items, they are for sale for scrap metal sort of money, had a good look at a Scimitar they had just sold, No Turret, No engine, Not much else, only a hull and road wheels.

I think it would be very hard job to put one back on the road, might be possible if you could swap the bits from a Sabre into one?

I think it would be quite a big job unless you had a big shed full of CVRT bits, even if you had a Sabre it would be petrol not diesel - lots of different bits...and what would be the point of stripping a complete vehicle. There were a few sand blasted hulls came through, last year I think, described as ready for restoration - now there's optimism for you !!!

with that much weight up top it really needs another road wheel station to calm it down a bit, pitches pretty badly.

 

R

Robin

From that brief bit of footage it does seem to pitch around a fair bit - maybe Stormer hulls would have been a better option and achieved the same end.

As for cracking, as I understood it these were all new build hulls so shouldn't happen for a while yet.

Cheers

At the AFV Society show in Dunchurch this last bank holiday, somebody (with too much time on hands) had camoed up a lawnmower and parked it in a line of vehicles.

'Is that a real army lawnmower?'

'Yes mate used by the SAS to cut the grass down and make it easier for snipers to move round'

Cue lots of oohs and aahs.

Came from Withams - apparently it is absolutely definitely the last one that will ever be released.....

I know this is off topic and must stress that I certainly do not mean any offence nor disrespect to Withams..but.........

can anyone explain to me how the whole Withams system works?????

by this I am asking ....

.....are Withams an actual government funded/ran agency specifically set up to dispose of MoD kit?????

or!.........

are they a private company that somehow wound up getting the contract to sell stuff for the government?????

or!.......

if it is a 'contract'.....how often is it offered out to other companies to 'tender' for the business?????

and!.......

do Withams sell the item for whatever they can get and give a percentage back to the government for the vehicle?

or!.......

does Withams just get 'given' the vehicles and are then at liberty to sell them for as much as possible?..then keeping a percentage for themselves for their work in selling it and the rest going to the government?????

 

I'm very confused over this business because how does this current system get a better price than an open public auction like in the old days of Ruddington and Aston Down????

it baffles me as to how they 'aquire' a Challenger tank and set the price required so high??...

....did the government say something like

" here have this one that's got no engine but don't let it go cheap mind!...we want at least a 100 grand for it and if you can get some sucker to pay that much, you can keep 20 grand for yourself!"

 

as I said ............off topic so apologies in advance !

 

Bob

What I do know is it's a contract, it was recently renewed. What I am speculating about is - they'll never get £100K for it but it is there to discourage the legions of tyre kickers they would otherwise get want ing to look at a Chally. I would imagine if you offered significantly less but actually had the cash then you would have a good chance...

Do not know exactly how the contract works but there may be a number of options ie a straight % of whatever they sell, or maybe a fixed retainer, with a % on top of that for achieving certain sales figures.

I have never bought a vehicle from them but have bought a few spares, and have always found them OK to deal with, however by the time you add vat on and then the cost of collecting or getting someone else to that late night bid is often not the bargain you first thought it was...!

Timbo

When I last googled it LBG was resting in some compund somewhere in Libya - now that the political situation has changed I wonder if there is a chance of this poignant relic being recovered and conserved somewhere more fitting...?

Can't make it mate, off to Inverness for a wedding! (Not in the ferret obviously :-))

Matt

You do get about a bit !! No probs I will take some piccies if I go. If you are going by train and dont yet have tickets then pm me as I may be able to get you some cheapies...

Cheers

TImbo

I've got photos of Bedfords and Morris vehicles used by the Germans. Apparentley the Quad was a sort after vehicle by the Wermacht as well. There should be a thread on captured vehicles in the HMVF dusty ceallers.

I guess trucks were easier to keep going than tanks and therefore more likely to be used by the enemy if captured. Also less likely to be knocked out by friendly fire !

This was on again last weekend - odd that such an unknown film should be on twice in such a relatively short space of time. In addition to the cromwell and other vehicles previously mentioned I also spotted what looked like a Sexton, posed asif it had been knocked out and half buried...

Was very interesting to see the vehicles but I'm still not sure I could bring myself to invest in the Donald Sinden box set..! (though admittedly he did some good roles when younger...)

Just off end of M18. Not that well signposted so google first is best bet. Good little museum though, and has the added advantage of having Agripper's Centurion BARV to go 'ooh' and 'aah' at....!

Anyone going to this on Sunday ? I may take the Lightweight over if the weather looks reasonable...

Berna, Toolman ?

Hmmm, intriguing...

I often feel like I'm 'sort of scratchbuilding' something CVRT related myself !!

Ok here goes - measured twice so should be reasonably accurate notwithstanding was using a household tape measure.

Diameter including tyre 585-590mm depending on wear.

Width of contact patch 45-50mm (new ones narrower).

Diameter of hub 133mm

Measured a few and they all seemed to be in this sort of range...

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Sorry didnt get home til very late last night so didnt get chance - will deffo sort it out tonight - I have a number of loose ones in the garage..

Mmmm intriguing...

Im not home til later tonight so will post something then, unless sirhc beats me to it of course...!

Hulls being scrapped - parts possibly recycled for use in the new Scimitans/ Sparmitars...?

Not trying to teach people to suck eggs but driving in the desert is really easy, I also teach track vehicle driving and if you apply the following method then tracks should never be thrown, (I know it happens.... a lot more than you would think)

 

Always ensure your track tension is at the correct setting

When steering (particularly low speed manouvering) use what we call the "50 pence method" ie, imagine you are steering around an imaginary 50 pence piece, so you are applying the steering on off on off, what this does is allow's the dirt/earth/sand to clear from the track horns/sprockets etc thus ensuring the track doesn't climb off the sprocket or idler.

Perfect as ever recymech66. I am a newbie but this is one of the very first things I was told by those older and wiser - good technique to be applied in any soft ground...

Robin - at least now you have your answer as to 'how the army does it'...!

Eden Camp has a Spartan on display which was donated by RAF.. I also remember seeing one on static display at the Waddington airshow 2 or 3 years ago. i dont think there is anything special about them - they just offer more protection than your average landy...

A few pics from Sunday

Looks like a good event with some very well put together displays - was really torn between this and Saddleworth. Especially nice to see post war stuff getting some recognition.

Chris

Great stuff - look forward to seeing it finished. When you see it without the bins it does make you realise how odd that Fox turret looks...

Cheers

Tim