Richard Farrant

Thanks very much for your advice,it is much appreciated.Basically the vehicle I have in mind is in Jersey in a very delapidated state but free to a good home or it's heading for the dump!!

Daren,

It is a Armoured Command Post as you say and is FV610. Some were designated GPO, thats not General Post Office, but Gun Positioning Officer. Another role was FACE, Field Artillery Computer Equipment, both Royal Artillery usage.

How did it get in that condition? As you say it is road registered, I assume it was in good order once. I have had experience of these in the past and some were used, after they were declared obsolete, by research establishments, with all sorts of odd modifications and fittings, maybe this is how come it has a few variations from the norm on it. Will certainly want a deal of work and parts on it.

Best of luck,

Richard

Just up the road from me....They were all packed tightly together, so made it hard to get any decent shots......enjoy

 

 

That looks like some of Pounds stock. The Mowag and Ward La France wrecker appear to be ex-Swiss. The GMC with US markings looks familiar as I recognise it from rallies a few years ago.

Richard

 

This isn't is just about mv's it can be any related tools, trailers or even a pile of scrap, sorry I mean spares!

 

Sorry no photos, but is anyone seriously interested in British "C" vehicles? For the uninitiated C Vehicles are Engineers Plant.

The items are all 1950-60 era laying in a yard and are as follows;

Marshall Gainsborough tractor wheeled loading shovel -very rough, for restoration.

Aveling Barford 4 wheeled grader - condition as above

Ruston Bucyrus 19RB tracked excavator - condition as above

Track Marshall TM70 crawler tractor - condition as above

Bedford RL map printing room body - cab and bodywork rough

None of these are for the faint hearted, but if genuinely interested, send me a PM.

Richard

I wonder if any of you gents have any experience and advice on buying/owning/restoring/maintaining Saracens? Is there any particular problems one should be aware of? Any very expensive bits I should check for? Are there unobtainable bits I need to look at? Are spares generally available? Absolutely any advice would be welcome although the "don't touch it with a barge pole" type of thing will probably fall on deaf ears!!!!!!

Daren

Daren,

Obviously you will not heed my warning, DON'T ...... so I will give you some advice on them. Firstly, they are very thirsty. Go for one that is not uparmoured, because they are about a ton heavier and it is noticable, they can be spotted by the extra armour welded over the outside, look at the rear door area and you should spot it. They also have 12.00-20 tyres where the normal Saracen has 11.00-20. Another thing to watch is if you find one with the beehive engine covers (reverse flow cooling), check that it has the sheet metal / rubber shroud over the front grille. If it does not have the shroud, check which way the fans are blowing when you start up. For reverse flow it will blow forward. I have known some people fit the standard fans that blow rearward, but with the beehives and no ducting around the front of the hull, they can suffer fuel evaporation and other problems. So are you with me so far? The accumulaters serving the brakes and steering need to be charged regularly, else you will not get sufficient pressure in the system. Charged with nitrogen or dry compressed air to 500psi. Parts are not too bad if you go to the right places, but some things that are prone to wearing, breaking, deteriorating are getting short and thus, expensive, like silencers, exhaust manifolds, Y-branch, etc.

Maintaining........there are an awful lot of levels and oiling points to cover, access to engine is not as good as it might appear.

How is that? Part 2 follows (only joking)

Richard

Whats a GTB? :?

Richard,

Tony is not on line to explain, but briefly it is a WW2 era US Ford 1.5 ton 4x4 Bomb service truck with a gantry crane and bomb trailer. From the front it looks like a jeep on steroids.

Richard

1943 Bedford QLD

We use the GTBs for shows now .As their faster and better to drive(another story to tell ) But youcan get wet TONY

Hi Tony,

We saw your GTBs at Beltring this year, very nice restorations and good to see something a little different.

Richard

1943 Bedford QLD

theres a farmer in the next village on from me

with prototype british ww2 trucks etc in his feild

Now you have me intrieged .....can you identify these vehicles?

Richard

1943 Bedford QLD

I also can't see how a squaddie would of got out of the escape hatch as for the front hatch i've got no chance so won't even attempt it

Front hatch ? .........no problem getting in or out and I am 6'2". Maybe you have had too much pasties and chips :wink:

Richard

How many conversions do you think were done?

Clive,

Only one done at our place. I think it was the first one and trialled at a local establishment where training was undertaken for that Theatre

:wink:

Richard

Kewelde

There are strange things around I grant you. For instance I have in service pictures of ..... Pigs with Shorland turrets

Hello Clive,

I witnessed that conversion, probably the initial one. A steel box had to be constructed on the roof first with the turret on top, so the commander could stand on the floor with turret at correct height. It was prone to rolling badly on corners as you can imagine with this extra weight high up.

Richard

"Kewelde"

Hello, Does anyone know where i can get some Bedford QL spares or any owners who are willing to offer advice?? Particularly interested in scrap yard Qls that are in need of rescuing and box bodies/QLR

Russell,

I am a QL owner.

May be able to offer advise as I have had mine for 18 years. Do not know of any large cache of spares, you have to hunt around. Engine, gearbox, brakes, electrics are well catered for as similar to other models, but cab and body parts have to be salvaged from donor vehicles or made. Two sad cases, one a cargo the other a house body, have recently found a new owner in the South of England. Keep a look at the ads on Milweb, Greensheet and magazines as QL "projects" do come up from time to time.

Kewelde

Hello everyone,

Does anybody know were I can get transfers of the Royal Artllery Crest as in the photo

Try the RA Association or Firepower museum shop. I know other Corps museums often sell the crest transfers.

Richard

Which tank was that, the Vickers?

Tim,

Thats right, a Light Tank MkVIa.

Richard

I have always been a bit suprised by the complete apathy that some MV collectors have for WW1 stuff.

 

Any thoughts anybody?

Hi Tim,

As a collector and restorer, I have admiration for you, taking on vehicles of that age and rarity, knowing that parts may take a lot of time and effort to trace and then may only be useful as a pattern. Documents for these trucks is no doubt difficult to find and from experience, I know that illustrations were lacking in them. Well done on what you are doing. I have seen yours at MVT shows in the past, Popham was one I think.

I have just been involved in an element of a restoration on a mid-1930's tank and with nothing to go on, the books were only of some help in trying to get it as authentic as possible. Very enjoyable challenge and also frustrating, but I have to say that now we are in the age of the internet, it has reduced the delay in obtaining photos and information from sources worldwide.

Richard

The only people who do a kit AFAIK are in Malvern. It seems to be £175 for what ever vehicle you have. They seem familiar with B60s. But doing a search they seem to be the only ones & they were at "Malvern" last time but it was all bits of paper & talk.

Clive,

I forgot about the system used to modify the Jaguar J60 engine, that was made by Lumenition.

Kewelde

Has anyone fitted electronic ignition to a B60? I can see the advantage, no points to wear, not having to align two sets of points, better spark giving better economy & more power. reliability etc

 

But the only firm who seems to do a conversion kit charges £175.

 

The other thought has anyone done a LPG conversion with a B60?

Hi Clive,

I have used Boyer Bransden inductive discharge units on a couple of m.v's and have given good results. I was thinking of trying one on a jeep and also a Rolls B at some point. They still use the points but with a minor current through them they do not burn. The info with them states that if the vehicle is an auto, then you will find the idle speed may need setting down after fitting. This tells you a lot....that combustion is better due to an improved spark. The only problem on a RR B is connecting it into the harness and also you would have to dispense with the 24v feed whilst the stater is in operation, as the units are 6/12v dual voltage. The price...was about £25. It is so cheap it is worth trying. The vehicles I fitted them to were a Bedford MW and an Austin Tilly, both improved and starting was good.

Regarding using LPG in a B60, were you aware that Rolls produced gas versions of these engines?

Kewelde

the oldest one I found was at Beltring dated 1884.

 

 

the MVT forum seems not to have any postings for 2 years, once they changed the format I could never get in, perhaps others had the same problem? Seems an opportunity missed there.

Hi Clive,

Guess that publication must have been one of the early EMERs covering Boedecias Chariot?

Yes, The MVT forum, it did work ok on the original format, although not many using it, but the latest one defies anyone to get into it.

regards,

Kewelde

your RR "B" series helpline (you know who I am now?)

Hi Clive,

Welcome to a friendly face. How is the condenser testing business?

regards,

Kewelde

and the still dont quite line up...its like the angle of the tub isnt quite the same as the fender angle.

 

 

Lloyd,

You will not want to here this and I find it hard to bring myself to suggest it, BUT......is the chassis bent??

Kewelde

any tips buddy before i lose what little hair ive got left...:-)

Lloyd,

Check it has the correct thickness of packing between the body and chassis. It may improve the lining up if you can lift the body slightly at either front or rear. I came across a similar problem once when someone had a body repaired underneath with a larger "top hat" section, that threw the front out of line.

Kewelde

So operation rub down is looking good, gone down to bear metal in most places....

 

Do I have to put primer on first?

 

Jack,

As a full time restorer of military vehicles, I prime bare metal with red oxide, a couple of coats if neccessary and use a gloss green as a barrier coat, usually Deep Bronze Green (Land Rover green, available at tractor dealers for good price). You will find if you use red oxide and then finish with matt olive drab that moisture will get through the paint and rust spots can appear.

When gloss is dry, flat off with scotchbrite pad or similar and apply your chosen colour. My choice for practical reasons of keeping the vehicle looking tidy is semi matt. It has a slight sheen that goes off after time, but paint is more durable and if oil or grease gets on it, it can be cleaned off without marking the paint. Something that is not possible with dead flat matt.

My thoughts on the subject .......

Kewelde

Hi Jack,

I have been a member of MVT since 1978 (it was MVCG in those days), and an original member of IMPS since 1980. That makes me feel old....

Oh, nearly forgot, been a member of MVPA since '95 as well.

Kewelde

Hi Kewelde

 

There was about an inch of play in the pulley but the only way that the pulley was attach was by rivits, that went from the pulley to the facing plate.

 

Is the bit that is left have the keyway in it? As I can not see one?

Jack,

It is a few years since I had a pulley of a Jimmy engine, but the pulleys serve as harmonic balancers, that is why there is rubber in them. You are left with the hub on the crankshaft and you will need a good puller, dont forget the centre of the puller has to go in through the starting handle dog to bear against the crank. I am now doubtful whether the key is the problem, my guess now is that you felt movement in the rubber bonding of the pulley, unless you actually saw the starting dog part, move as well.

Kewelde

Jack,

You mentioned that there was originally slack in the pulley on the key. Did you actaully feel that? If so, then I reckon what has happened is that the key has worn in to one side of the key way in the pulley and you are pulling aginst the key. Your next move would be to drive it back and hope that it comes loose again and see if it will line up, key to keyway. Maybe not easy to understand, but I have seen this many times. what sort of puller were you using? A hydraulic one should be best as more load can be applied.

I think the knock would more likely be a timing gear loose on a keyway, so once the pulley is removed, check to see any evidence in the pulley and crank and if not sure, remove timing cover for further inspection.

Kewelde

Even though the nuts may undo with a lot of heat they are in such a poor state that I don't think I could reuse them.

That is why I am looking for a new alternatve.

 

Richard,

As you mentioned M16, nuts must be 5/8" diam.

Not sure how long the rim bolts are, but those on a Ferret wheel are listed as 1 3/16" long x 5/8"UNF. Taper seat nuts go with them. Another alternative is to use either these Ferret rim nuts or Ferret wheel nuts, also 5/8" UNF and weld in a suitable length 5/8" UNF bolt. Bolt rims together and tighten, in order to pull into line, before welding heads.

A source for these Ferret nuts is Richard Banister 01797 253211

Part no's;

Wheel nut RH thread 5310-99-910-7654

Rim clamping nut 5310-99-910-7656

Rim bolt 2530-99-809-2685

if no stock, try Marcus Glenn

regards,

Ayefve