Nick Johns

After much deliberating whether to put the '42 Willys back into its SAS trim I've now sold it on :-( to the owner of the SAS/LRDG collection as featured in latest CMV mag, its gone to a good home to join the most amazing collection of SAS/LRDG vehicles anywhere,....

....And already replaced it with an equally rare green machine. :-D... a 1960 M422a1 Mighty Mite...no not the thing you find in yer carpets..an ex USMC lightweight alluminium 4X4, only 3500 ever made, apparently only 3? in UK more details and pics soon, start looking for Vietnam gear now..

For all that missed it, the programme is repeated bbc1 late on thursday 30th at 12.45am

Returning from wings and wheels show on sunday in my Jeep I got stopped in Epson by a Surrey Police car, they wanted to know what the apparent weapons I had on board, the end of an empty wood garand stock was sticking out of its leather scabbard and was visible, another empty wood stock was in the carbine mount on the windscreen. I showed them both bits of wood, after lots of questioning they were on the phone back to Police hq firearms team to confirm the situation and eventually I was given a verbal warning not to have them visible whilst travelling...... :whistle:

Yes great show, but oh.. the organisation, chaotic, arrived as requested before 9am then queuing for nearly an hour to get to the display area..... :?

I run a Dodge and Jeep, both fun to drive, the Dodge obviously carries more and you can sleep in the back, bit on the thirsty side, it will just fit into a standard size garage if the top is removed, last winter I totally rebuilt the Jeep, parts are Not expensive, and everything is redaly available.

Things to look out for apart from the obvious are, gearbox selection probs, very common, oil leaks from rear main, head gasket problems, may indicate cracked or warped block, body condition, but you can of course by a new repro body, nothing is really complicated or require any special tools, a Hotchkiss is worth considering because they have not had 50 years of civvy usage

Yeah I''l be leaving Brixton in the Jeep about 7.30 going A3 to Guildford then A281

Pity it's such a long way to paddle it home :-D

I'll be along too, so your ok for a tow home :-D

..also........

If your talking about proper military trucks, how's about...:---

mmmm.. most impressive but I think not the same car as in my pic, that engineering was more of a sat afternoon job with gas axe and angle grinder !!

My '42 Willys which has been confirmed by the experts as an SAS model is featured in "Post room" in latest CMV

Yes I saw the car at several shows before its demise, John Dodds was responsible for the body and fake Rolls grille, but an engineer Paul Jameson actually built the car, it was of course a Meteor tank engine but it was always promoted as having a Spitfire engine....er.. seemed to be missing the blower....

Definitely no hotchkiss or repro bits on it !! ..ex British army.

Of course if you happen to have a spare merlin/meteor you could always throw it into an old Rover, stick on some dubious SU carbs!, move driving position as far away as poss. ie, in back seat and light blue touch paper !!! :roll:

Hey ho, just hope my Brother will someday get around to restoring his MB Jeep that he's owned for 40 years, .. pic of it making a brief appearance before going back to sleep in the shed... note the rare ally hardtop

NO it aint for sale, I've tried :-(

He's thinking how much diesel to get home,.. but its still got to be cheaper than the ward.... :-D

was a good show too

Mark,new addition is "mighty" small, but I "mite" tell all soon.... :-D

Yes, I had a good day too, good site, weather fine and good turn out of MV's, Thanks to everyone involved,

got a few bits from the numerous stalls, ..plus bought a very rare and interesting vehicle ! all revealed on here soon when deal completed :-D :-D

And getting quite rare

That pipe is the crankcase breather pipe, ... Just a thought have you checked the oil level, is it overfilled?... had this with a Jeep recently that blew out clouds of smoke, the level was several inches too high with oilly petrol owing to a faulty fuel pump diaphragm leaking petrol into the sump, it was then being sucked through the crankcase breather into the inlet manifold !!

Morris commercial MRA1 chassis cab mostly restored on Ebay, item no. 160145525160 auction ends 18th Aug.

As I wrote earlier bringing to attention Landy owners of this forthcoming problem, passenger cars are exempt, diesel ones too, so look into the possibility of fitting rear seats to your Landy, must be less than 8 in total though, and get the category on the V5 changed with DVLA to a car

For an 88/ 90 Land rover or any similar diesel vehicle seats would have to be fitted so it becomes a car, how is yours registered? if it states on the V5 its a pickup then its a commercial and will have to comply, presumably you have to change the category with DVLA to 7 seater

The system is monitored by number plate recognision cameras linked to DVLA, so if its registered as a passenger car its exempt

:-D....then of course up to you whether you keep the seats in......

A swb 88/90 diesel Landrover with rear seats can be classed as a car which is exempt, but a hardtop or pickup diesel 109/110 will be a problem, vehicles with more than 8 seats are classed as a minibus.

Petrol vehicles are exempt