MWMike

My trailer is coming along at a pace, the frame is at the shot blasters after having new raves fitted and I have stripped the axles partly. The new ash for the body arrived today too, and I have ordered some castings from a foundry for the cleats (and some for Sean!) I suspect I need new bearings, so can anyone give me the bearing numbers and that for the external lip seal? I don't want to start knocking them about in case I damage something that I cannot replace! I've looked through the timken catalogues and can find a number of bearings that are similar! I'm sure i've seen a post about bearings but I cant find it now!! Some people have said they have polished up the seal bearing surface on the shaft and fitted internal lip seals, but these would have a smaller inside diameter than the inner bearings, so how do you get the hubs on and off without damaging them? Have people had the brakes relined? or are they the same as a Morris or Austin of the period? Mine have a stamp on them saying "new hudson"! New raves and an adjusting device! Trial fit of new mudguards. (FOS is Front off-Side!) For those of you interested i had the New raves and replacement mudguards made by Mike Jackson, Springbank Industrial Estate, Monument Farm Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP10 0AQ, in Kesgrave Ipswich, and my timber by Kevin in Kesgrave again on 07834337587. They are both next to each other on a farm type industrial estate, and very reasonable prices. mike

So, Purists, turn away, If I should think of fitting an "invisible" electronic ignition system to my beloved MW, should it be a system from Jolley Engineering or from someone else such as Aldon automotive? or others? The price difference is impressive! -as was the slightly snooty response from Jolley when I called them! (Perhaps she should have a Bentley engine to be considered worthy!), Any operational experience gladly taken into account!

I agree with the comments re checking and renewing electrics, I had the same problems with my MW (which ironically I bought from Ashford 3 years ago!) with a couple of very fluffy cylinders. In addition to changing plugs and points, I found that she "foamed from the nose" ( a fine foamy water spray from the rad cap) which seemed to be causing some cylinder head overheating on cylinders 5 and 6 which were misfiring- this I cured by flushing out the block and head, including the difficult drain tap at the back of the block accessed from the little panel in the passenger footwell. I had to pressure wash the engine through this valve ( I took the valve off and it fell to bits in my hand as the carbon steel spring had rotted!) to get all of the rusty gunge out - it was solid, and then clean out the system using some radcleaner stuff. This fixed the "foaming at the nose" issue and also seemed to help the lumpiness of the engine and she stopped misfiring on 5 and 6, so maybe it was contributing to a hotter spark plug or some plug oiling phenomena?? ....or of course it could have just been the electrics! mike

try Chris Morter or John Morter at Wymondham in Norfolk, they carry lots of spares and old bits and pieces. They are on the web Chris Morter - Tel: 01953 602581

Lovely job! Hope mine turns out like this! Lovely to see! Can't wait to hitch mine behind the MW! These trailers are getting hard to find now...70 plus years in farmyards or fields are really culling the population! Mike

Cleats...... Managed to find a foundry who are quoting a lot less than the one Tony has used, to either cast in iron or brass/bronze, so I need to borrow or buy a cleat from someone to have a batch made. (I've tried the same foundry that Tony used but in vain and as Tony said, they are very pricey ....) So far at least one person expressed a desire for a set as well as myself (Jeepjes on this thread for trailers) I'm hoping to get the iron ones for around £5 each and brass/bronze for £7 (depends which set we want and how many we order, and I'm not sure that these come de-burred and drilled at that price), As there are 16 per trailer, you can see the costs mount up, but at least the trailers would look original......by the time you've spent the money on the timber and everything else, why skimp? Contact me by 15th December if you need any and I will start the final negotiations with the foundry, who want to see an example before they give me the final price. Mike

Cleats...... Managed to find a foundry who are quoting a lot less than the one Tony has used, to either cast in iron or brass/bronze, so I need to borrow or buy a cleat from someone to have a batch made. (I've tried the same foundry that Tony used but in vain and as Tony said, they are very pricey ....) So far at least one person expressed a desire for a set as well as myself (Jeepjes on the other thread for trailers) I'm hoping to get the iron ones for around £5 each and brass/bronze for £7 (depends which set we want and how many we order, and I'm not sure that these come de-burred and drilled at that price), As there are 16 per trailer, you can see the costs mount up, but at least the trailers would look original......by the time you've spent the money on the timber and everything else, why skimp? Contact me by 15th December if you need any and I will start the final negotiations with the foundry, who want to see an example before they give me the final price. Mike

Try Autosparks, I had one for my MW and one for my 38 Hillman! http://www.autosparks.co.uk/ mike

Bought one in an auction here in the uk- needs full restoration! Do you have the rope cleats for any of yours? If not we should try to get a decent batch cast- they are expensive in small numbers! mike

...........My other hobby is model engineering so I possess a lathe, milling machine, MIG, TIG and MMA welding sets, and a grinder or two, so its not the turning or other machining, (I had to make a lot of stuff for my 1937 Hillman staff car), but casting is out of my league! Plus the neighbours may complain if I build a blast furnace in the back garden! I suspect if i went to my local school they would want to make it from composite or plastic! My sons school has a 3D printer so i should have had him make me a plastic one as a plug for casting!!!! I may have to machine up some studs etc for the trailer but the cleats don't lend themselves to that! I need to find one to make a pattern or to see whether I can fabricate them with a bit of devious welding! mike 1943 Bedford MWD 1937 Hillman Minx Staff car 194? 10 CWT trailer

...............Certainly not! though she was witness to the original purchase.......still waiting a quote for the replacement woodwork........so I shall be sat down when that arrives!

Spoke to Marshall Brass, you are correct, they are definitely not cheap! I think they must be diamond encrusted gold, rather than brass! Can't afford them just yet. May do some autojumbling or swapping- I have a spare wheel to part with for a 10 CWT trailer with a 6 stud hub, but i guess these cleats are hens teeth, if you had to get some cast then i will eventually have to bite the bullet! mike

Tony, you said you had managed to find a foundry to cast your cleats, would it be cheaper per unit to order more? I need a whole trailers worth or has the deed been done? mike

Next questions for my restoration........... what dimension is the top reinforcement strake running around the top of the trailer sides- just from a general view of the photos of complete trailers it looks to be 2' x1' but thats only a guess! Also, the vertical channel sections on my trailer are 23 inches long (including the weld at the bottom) and do not have a flat part at the top like Tony's trailer seem to have, they maintain the channel section to the very top, with only a small chamfer, is this correct? I dont quite trust the state of my trailer as there have been many bodges to it over the years- the mudguards are welded on for example! There seems to have been a bolt shortage since the 1940s! mike

Hope the storm doesn't blow you away! have taken a couple more photos, but won't start stripping her down until next weekend, I've taken hitch off as it as stiff as a board and needs some of the pins remaking as they have been damaged. Its a MK1 type hitch with the handling arms on the hitch itself. Tyres are shot and the spare underneath is scabby too. Same tyres as my 38 hillman. I thought these had a rear dropping tailgate! good to see that it hasn't, it will be easier to remake without it! I'll find a hardwood timber supplier here in suffolk and have some ash machined up, not cheap I guess! Rear quarter Spare wheel front strut. These things are unbelievably heavy! but not bad to move unless you forget to take the handbrake off! mike

I picked up the trailer at the Castle Coombe auction last week- it is a 10cwt mortar trailer, no makers label, and its been used as a tender to a road roller- evidence of coal, tar and extra brackets for the rakes and spades of the workmen. I think the back end has been bodged around and certainly the woodwork is not original, so my next project is to return her to as near original as I can. I'd appreciate any help on the woodwork sizes and layouts, what wiring these things had, photos of the rear end and if anyone has any cleats or tailgate ironwork.............My target is to have her running behind my MW for the XXX corps run next year, and as this will mean a huge change in the comfort levels for the eight of us travelling in the MW, my life wont be worth living if I don't fix her up! mike, 1943 Bedford MW D 1938 Hillman Minx staff car ? 10 cwt Mortar trailer

I saw the one on ebay but was stuck on a train and didn't get back home in time to bid! My MW will be at Arnhem with the XXX corps run next year too! See you there! mike

How is the restoration of the trailers going? I'm looking for one to put behind my MW, so if you know where there are any more turning up in Holland, I would be pleased to know !!!!!!!!! mike

John Morter or his son Chris, at Wymondham Norfolk. Just got one for my MW from him, plus the inlet/exhaust manifold to to head gaskets! They were blowing so badly it sounded like I had a Merlin under the bonnet. Set the tappets while you have the cover off! Its a pain but sods law states that one of them will be sending morse code if you don't and you will have to replace the gasket again!

Try Woolies trim, they have a website and deal with vintage/pre war and post war cars. http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/ They have helped me with my 38 Hillman Minx staff car. mike

My MW has a rectangular badge, mine is 43 but the radiator was the same on the early ones. I think it is probably from the civilian commercial vehicle. mike

Try Chris Morter - he has taken over from his dad John, he has sorted my Water pump and i'm sure will have fan belts! Chris Morter - Tel: 01953 602581

I have used the "green spark plug company" on the internet in the past. Otherwise its just a 12v coil, you can probably get one from Halfords! mike

Not sure, but I have used the "Distributor Doctor" to have my Hillman sorted and my MW is ok at the moment, but the guy at distributor doctor was really good. mike MWD and Hillman Minx staff car

if its as good as you say its around £8.5k