Richard Farrant

Tim, With the high cost of Aluminium, machining a gearbox casing out of a billet would be ultra expensive with most of the metal reduced to swarf. A good pattern maker is what you really want, then get one sand cast, as original, probably a lot cheaper option and authentic.

Right hand thread is as normal Clockwise to tighten , anti clock to release. Left hand thread is opposite to above, Clockwise to release.............. :whistle:

and don't forget that Lefthand side of vehicle (kerbside), has Left Hand threaded wheel nuts...........with Right Hand threads on Offside of vehicle

Castlemartin tank range near to Pembroke, I expect. Used to see the German army around there in the late 60's with their Leopards and other vehicles, brought over from Germany to Pembroke Dock.

Probably Fazakerley workshop at Liverpool, they did the rebuild programme of Antars for MoD also for Stalwarts as well. Richard

Hi Hanno, I am 6'1" and long in the leg, it is not too bad driving an MW. Seat can be moved back on slides, just getting out is the awkward bit, but you will soon learn an easy way. Nice truck though and still good for parts in the mechanical and electrical department. Have you finally come around to dropping CMP's and getting into British vehicles ? :-D

Rick, These look like PU8 and not CS8 Richard

Jack, If you mean on the Mainland, yes........at Lepe. There used to be the PLUTO mv show held there and you can see the pipes where they come out of the ground and go down the beach. Also just around the coast line, a short walk, is an area where Mulberry harbour sections were built and the remains of the workings are still there, with information boards.

Hi Duncan, What is happening is that you are not getting enough road speed to go into top gear, because as you double declutch going uphill, the speed drops off rapidly. Glad to hear it has put you mind at rest

With respect.....if you are trying to change up to top gear on a hill in a Bedford..........that is the problem. I have driven many Bedfords with these engines and to go up a hill you try to go as far as possible in high gear, then change down to get to the top of the hill, rarely possible to change up. Hence why the problem is over once you have crested the hill. I may have not quite understood your post though, are you saying it will not enter mesh, ie gratting noise..............or is it that the lever will not move out of 3rd in to Top at all ? Richard

Jack, This is the only remaining Toad in captivity. There are no others left. I remember this actual vehicle standing on display in the Junior Leaders Royal Engineers barracks in Dover about 25 years ago and it was rough then. Since then it has passed around a couple of army museums, but the work needed was immense. The history is that they were conversions of old Churchills done in the mid-1950's, and never saw any active service, just training use. As for the state it was in, there was several hundred gallons of water in the hull, with both engines submerged and they were in a bad state. I had a small part in the job and can say that practically every piece of sheet metal on the outside, has had to be refabricated. As the Editor of a certain mv mag was seen there, I guess an article will appear in a future issue. 007.....who is he? Think you will find that person was 071

You are right there, Neil. Everyone involved is justly proud of their work in it

This Toad had nothing to do with Catweazle :-D.........it was in fact the unveiling of the latest restoration by RR Services, of a Churchill mine flail, called a Toad. For those that did not see the tv news item of it today, take a look at this link; www.bbc.co.uk/southeasttoday/latest_stories/index.shtml go to the picture at top left, "South East Today"......."see latest programme in full"........and click WATCH NOW it is a 30 minute programme but fast forward to just before 22 minutes. Watch out for the guy in green jacket in opening shot.....

Neil, I renewed my insurance with same company yesterday, premium about the same as last time......and they still do the recovery scheme, it was on the renewal letter, and when I renewed over the phone, I was offered the option.

We have a FV432 on a roundabout in Ashford.........trees and bushes have grown around it now so not easy to spot.

Is that how you spell it in Dorset then Ashley? :-D Actually it looked painfull when they recovered it, had to be yanked off by a wrecker :shake:

It is a Sexton SP gun, Canadian built with 25 pounder mounted in it.

Sorry about that John :embarrassed: all the local kids expanded their vocabulary last night :evil: :-D:-D:-D

If that was when the PLUTO show at Lepe was on, I saw it. It got stuck on the groin when coming up the beach too :cool2:

You are correct........a 5.5

:-D:-D:-D truth is, John, my knees are playing up lately and makes it a bit uncomfortable doing them, in Foxes, athough Ferret is not so bad, nor Saracen. Post war snobbery...........no such thing here, 1930's to present day is my motto :tup::......been on a C8 today :shake:.........:-D

1964 S2a FFR ex-Australian Army.

Those Lister gennys were a lovely piece of kit, so easy to start with the half compression cocks, think they worked at about 900 rpm. It was amazing how long a service life they had. The Meadows 27.5 kva was another good one although I much prefered the Listers.

:laugh: :laugh::rofl::-D:-D

Who is that bloke..........the Battersea Coastguard ? :-D