N.O.S.

If the cost of local gym membership is frightening you Wozza, why not install a power steering kit? :idea: Best bet would be to find a scrap civilian model truck (e.g. one of the many gritter trucks), you'll need the following bits: - engine-mounted pump (comes with relief valve built in) - oil reservoir (on L/H chassis rail behnd engine) and feed/return hoses - Power steering ram/valve assy and hoses to pump - drag link (probably different, I'm not 100% certain) - mounting bracket for steering ram (fits top of chassis rail behind axle) - no idea if army chassis is drilled for this fitment I'm pretty certain you do not have to change the steering box arm. Rams are readily available new / N.O.S. no problem, no idea on the other bits. For a set of used parts, try Crouch Recovery near Leicester. They often break these models. Or SBS Spares near Ipswich. There is / was a yard with a large stock of gritter trucks for breaking up Leeds/Sheffield way, but the name escapes me. Good luck!

What a story! :tup::

No apologies needed - in fact tell us more! Start a new thread if necessary, someone - anyone - please!!

Thanks to a Forum member who saw the photo, this is looking to be a real possibility

You might find the required info on positioning / dimensions in the 'HGV Examiner's/Tester's Manual'. These are (or were) available through HMSO. I have a 15 year old specimen somewhere at work, but have no idea if such info would still be valid.

Location - USAAF Repair Depot, Italy or North Africa. Wouldn't it look just great on a Dorset hillside?

I got contact details for my local distributors from Morris, they were most helpful. I guess some smaller pack sizes might only be available on-line.....

For starters, there is Morris 'Golden Film AG 140', a non-ep gear oil. Available in 5l or 25l on-line, but so much cheaper through a friendly local distributor

Absolutely top banana, Radek! :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: And well done to that Kewelde fellow for bothering to post the K2's plight in the first place, without which this rescue may not have happened :thumbsup:

Building the ray gun is the easy bit - I'd like to see how he gets on making the rest of the Dalek :coffee:

Oh go on then! :banana:

Just imagine what a nightmare job it would have been to unsieze that lot if the sticky gunge hadn't been there!!! :beatenup::banghead:

Here is a better quality view of the cab!

Here is an old Mack, slumbering away in East Anglia. The front winch has a hefty hydraulic drive taken from a concrete mixer truck barrel. The rear body looks like it was the original fitment, not a replacement job :confused: The cab looks familiar but I just can't place it - military origin perhaps? The doors and quarterlight should give it away. The windscreen has been replaced at some stage, original was probably rectangular. Any ideas? I'm led to believe this truck may be broken for scrap soon, anybody need any driveline parts?

Attention! En parle Francais? Quoi? Results are posted - :coffee: www.interencheres.com/ventes_aux_encheres/resultats_telecharger.php?clef_etude=27003&clef_vente=200904050004 Here is a small extract: 356 CAMION TRACTEUR AMERICAIN Type : AUTOCAR. Modèle : 8144. épave, chassis-cabine avec moteur, boîtes de vitesses et de transfert, caisson génie complet 2 200 357CAMION TRACTEUR AMERICAIN PACIFIC. Modèle : M26 A1. épave, complet avec treuil 7 400 358CAMION TRACTEUR AMERICAIN PACIFIC. Modèle : M26 A1. épave, motorisation complète 3 600 359CAMION TRACTEUR AMERICAIN PACIFIC. Modèle : M26 A1. épave, châssis-cabine, sans motorisation 1 000 Prices mean little unless you've inspected the vehicles - guess you had to be there

Welcome Mike. I've always thought a WW2 GMC 6x6 would be a great subject for a custom project, with 3 differnt sizes of wheel for the front, center and rear axles, a radically tapered body and chopped hard cab :idea: (not too good on the old custom lingo!)Not too much chrome though, please. One slight problem, only two diff ratios available, so one rear axle might have to be a non-driver... There are those who might not approve of the customisation of any classic mv, so I'd recommend you pay Jack a little extra rent for one of the locked 'private' bays in the Clubhouse rear workshop complex, in which to house your latest project. I don't think the security keys have been compromised (yet....).

What gets me every time is lack of patience. I know a particular method is tried and tested, but each time I think of a lazier / quicker way involving a large piece of earthmoving equipment, which rarely works. On the WLF job above I managed to stick a forklift time through the sidewall of a perfectly good tyre when it slipped off the bead, trying to save a bit of time/energy by pushing it off. :nono:

That should be 3/8" angle. I have to admit that in recent years the most valuable tyre de-mounting tool has been the telephone (to call the tyre co. with), but costs can run away, especially with the odd stubborn tyre. The last job was change over 6 12x20/11x20s on the Autocar and strip down 10 ancient 11x20s from a WLF(for the good rims to use the tanker). I got the gear out, straightend and oiled up the old bead breaker, thought for a moment and reached for the phone. I did help them, honest:sweat: Sometimes the greater the force applied the more stubborn the tyre becomes. Then someone comes along and gently tap,tap, taps in the right place and it simply falls away. So frustrating. Although the portapower hydraulic wedge makes more appearances these days. Not had a problem with larger bolted rims not separating once a bead has shifted though (not done one for donkey's years either come to think of it, it's all split rim stuff now).

Plan B) The safe (and sometimes not so slow) way - Sledgehammer and wedge (several 3" lengths of heavy - say 3" x 3" x 1/2"angle iron, they won't last long). Place wedge between sidewall and rim and start swinging the hammer. Not too hard - no need to go mad. Move wedge a few inches around rim and repeat. And Repeat. And repeat. Tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap tap tap tap move tap tap - then eventually, Flipping heck - the beads come orf!!!

I remember seeing the name in connection with Staghound armoured cars. An interweb search reveals they were in fact a product of the Canadian Chevrolet plants, but.... the U.S.-built engines for these and some other CMPs came from the Pontiac plant. They were a 270 cu.in. engine but with slight differences to the normal GMC 270 2 1/2t truck engines. (This info was gleaned from a highly detailed discussion on the Mapleleafup forum).

Great review, Manuel. Good pics, showing just enough to give an idea - but not too much to spoil the surprise of a visit. Amazing how much they've managed to pack into those dioramas!

GM announced today it will drop the Pontiac brand (which first appeared in 1926) by next year. Would now be an appropriate time to review the products of the WW2 U.S. automotive industry which carried this great name? Over to you all :coffee: (I know I've seen the brand in connection with mvs but cannot name any I'm afraid!)

Yup v8, sure is. I doubt there would be enough room for it to be a Deutz V8 though! (Didn't look, nettles were evil!)

Johnsons civilian Constructor - :thumbsup:

1) Yes, Deutz 2) :rofl: