mtskull

Pretty sure that is a cylinder from an early Gnome monosoupape rotary engine. Look up "Gnome Monosoupape" on Wikipedia; it tells you everything that you want to know.

That sums up why I absolutely love this forum. Whatever the question, however obscure the topic, if it is MV related then somebody on this forum will know the answer. Maximum respect, chaps.

Casting an eye over the document, all that it amounts to is a statement that an FBI agent met a person who claimed to have helped Hitler to hide in Argentina; the claim could not be verified because the source disappeared. Sorry, but that falls a long way short of proof that Hitler survived the war and that the US government knew that he was alive and well. My personal opinion is that, if Hitler survived and gone in to hiding, Mossad would have found him.

Nah. Comet = Cromwell with different gun & turret

The crew appear to be the same men as in the first photo, no sign of anything resembling an artificial leg in this pic.

Parts for this engine are relatively easy and cheap to obtain but depending on what you want to use it for, I would recommend that you find out which version it is in terms of cubic capacity before you expend money and effort upon it. The 948cc version is gutless, the 803cc even more so. The 1147cc is OK, the 1296cc is a sweet little engine and in my opinion the by far best of the lot. The 1500cc is utterly awful; stretched beyond the limits of reliability, it is rougher than the 1296 whilst developing no more power and with a penchant for eating its crankshaft bearings. Enjoy!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Don't you just love Google Translate! -"Objet de poilu" refers to the trailer having been in use by the French army. "Poilu" literally translates as "hairy one" but was used by the French as a generic nickname for their soldiers; in effect their equivalent of our "Tommy".

Great stuff! What a magnificent effort to bring a historic truck back from the dead; It must be a great feeling to reach the stage where everything can start going back together. I am really looking forward to following this thread over the coming months.

Love it! I am writing the script in my head already: Kenneth Williams as Capt. Anson: "You can't possibly come with us" Bernard Bresslaw as Van der Poele: "I've got 3 bottles of gin" Kenneth Williams as Capt. Anson: "Oooh, I don't mind if I do!"

Sylvia Syms; how did I get that wrong after a whole afternoon of sifting through Ice Cold in Alex trivia? :red::red::red: Mind you, that set me thinking: How might the film have turned out if it had starred Joan Sims, with Kenneth Williams as Captain Anson, Sid James in place of Harry Andrews and Bernard Bresslaw as Van der Poele? I'll get my coat.....

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

I never cease to be amazed at the quality of workmanship, depth of knowledge and sheer ingenuity that goes into this project; I am looking forward to watching it all go back together. Re. the steering wheel, isn't the wheel fitted to the Taunton scrapyard example different to the others which you have used for reference? -It appears to be have been made out of steel, with a separate rim, rather than cast in one piece in aluminium. Perhaps the need to protect steel spokes from rust might explain why they are coated as well as the rim in this case? It is difficult to be 100% certain but the spokes of the wheel in the old photo of the tipper look as if they are bare aluminium. Also, if the aluminium spokes were once coated, then in the case of the bus in the museum, somebody has gone to a lot of trouble to remove every trace of the coating from the spokes, before wrapping the rim.

Wow, that is one brave project! Best of luck; I look forward to following progress on this thread.

I am really enjoying following this thread. Dan, that is amazing, the way you never let a few missing vital parts get in the way of progress. Future archaeologists are going to be convinced that "D.J. Nemeth" was the name of a foundry which supplied castings to Halley & Co. In the early 20th century! looking forward to the next instalment.....

Clive, you might want to change the title of the original pic on photobucket, as it's a bit of a giveaway.....

Ooops:red:

Too small for 20mm; more likely 50 cal.

A truly magnificent achievement. Not sure how you could bear to part with it but I do understand how sometimes the satisfaction derives from the restoration itself, rather than possessing the finished article. I can't wait to see the Churchill up and running!

Does anybody else find it slightly intriguing that, apart from the two later vehicles, everything is standing on the sea bed the right way up? Any ideas as to why?

NCO's? Other Ranks? Men?

Agreed. This is inspirational stuff and a fantastic achievement to resurrect a unique truck from a scant pile of parts. I think this story will just keep on getting better and better

Thinking outside the box, is the decision to go for new cast iron pistons for practical reasons or simply for authenticity? Do the pistons have to be cast iron at all? Wouldn't it be easier to do them in aluminium alloy, or even machine an existing piston to fit? -just asking out of curiousity; this is in no way intended as criticism of the fantastic work being done here.

Wow! That is some dedicated research. Now, where might we find records showing where they worked when in War Department service?

Regardless of whether the vehicles are period-accurate or not, "Escape to Victory" has got to be the worst war film ever. So excruciatingly bad it is also one of the funniest :laugh:

That has been over a landmine.