N.O.S.

Having engaged brain instead of "coasting in neutral", and read your comments Richard, I realise 9% is wildy optimistic. If you look at each MVT area camp, the entries represent a very small fraction of members' vehicles, also given the number of foreign vehicles there, probably 2% is more realistic. A bit academic but it helps to put the discussion into perspetive. After all, any change is only a change in the folk who ever go / went to W&P. No doubt as some drop out, others might venture in to keep the Brit numbers up?

Chris - I think Jonathan has confused this with his last month's uni bar bill :whistle:

I called in to the REME museum at Arborfield on 14th August and unless I am mistaken there was a very nice Austin sand coloured gantry truck on display :dunno: or was it green... :dunno: oh I don't know :oops: It would be very interesting to know what proportion of restored vehicles in the UK go to W@P - I bet we would all be amazed how small the number is. My "off the cuff" guess is 9% - does anyone out there know?

This tipper you are selling on HMVFTV - it would have been helpful if you could have run the engine and shown the state of the cab inside, rather than concentrating on the tyres. Oh, and no mention of asking price.... :whistle: I've just checked a set of Uniroyals, the first 6 were all either AR77 or AR84, only then did I find AR80, AR73, NVR85. So it is quite possible you are correct :dunno: BTW, thought some of those tipper tyres were iffy, but shocked to find just now a couple of mine are not so good either, and they were 100% crack free when I put them on 3 years back. They were ex unused reserve Ben Hur trailers.....that's the trouble with N.O.S. tyres - now if we could only find a source of cheap new bartreads..... :banana:

This is turning out to be a great example of how that is not a problem on this forum!! A healthy interest is all that's needed. Have fun Baz.

Simon - Are you suggesting there might be a better way to go than gloss paint matted with agent to a completely matt finish? I don't think it seems as durable as gloss, but have only recently applied it so cannot offer any long-term experience.

And here............ :computerterror2:

Well it looks like England, but I thought it was not possible to "have a ride" unless you were part of the crew or the Sally B organisation :dunno: In which case would it be USA? or France?

Simon - Could it have been simply clear lacquer finish with your normal matting agent :dunno: I've never thought to ask about that. Just re-reading this it sounds like they were using standard matting agent (see below?) Since auto paint suppliers will mix in a matting agent to whatever degree of flatness you like, I go for not quite full matt which is a lot tougher than full matt, and makes it look as if you've just spent hours lavishing care on it with a WD40 soaked rag.... :whistle: Another way told to me by a pro restorer is to base-coat paint with gloss or semi gloss for durability and finish coat with full matt for effect - if it fails or scrathes or a tank backs into you (or you back into a tank :shake:), you still have full green protection underneath.

Great pics. Always a sobering experience looking at snaps from wartime, we can but sit there and imagine...........

You are of course quite correct - I have zero Ferret experience. Does the engine installation have any resilient / flexible mounts? Is it mounted remote or direct to transmission?

Point taken! :died:

Welcome Davie and all you folk from the north! Scotland seems to have some remarkable mechanical survivors, especially so the farther north you go. It appears the scrapman never made it that far judging by some of the farmyard relics I've come across. Your motor looks in great shape, presumably a recovery truck at some stage?

Welcome Dave, enjoy the mayhem. (rest self-censored 20.49)

See your problem......... :shake: Only on British PW kit ...:banghead: Quite a job to re-engineer with flexi, but as Simon suggests, go for the stainless stuff EVERY TIME. If ever there was a case for product upgrade to something like a Cummins 4B..... :naughty:

Welcome Rik. Know what you mean about firing up old engines - got hold of an old Gardner 5LW with Brsitol bus radiator on skid unit, managed to get it running and found that whenever I walked past it in the workshop, I just had to press the button and hear it idle away. Worked out I was wasting about 15 mins per day, so had to put it out of reach for my own good!

Oh ess aitch one tea, I thought they were weeds. Hi Kevin, would you mind rolling the thick layer of mulch which I've just applied to where the pansies are no longer? It'll help keep the moisture in. If Jack asks what you are up to, it's not road planings, it's black bark from the asphalt tree... :whistle:

With service like that, who needs HMVFTV? :-D A great production, thanks very much for sharing your adventure. I will be pleased to do the local RBL proud in return for such good entertainment! Your'e all completely barking :banana: :banana: :banana: Think I'd best steer clear of the M42 from now on, just to be safe.... :shake: :shake:

I've just googled 'metal stitching ' and casting crack repair'. It seems there are now several systems out there, and a good few companies offering the service. Also some DIY kits available. So good news if ever needed!

My father did them a long time ago - he bought GMCs with zero miles on the clock, but with frosted blocks, for £150 a go after the war (but that was a lot of money then!). He used copper studs, never any trouble. I've seen the lacing / stitching method Kewelde mentioned - brilliant solution for all manner of casting repairs, but the local company in Norwich which did it has packed up, like most other engineering concerns......... :dunno:

Hi Mark Jeeparts now do an excellent 12v repro gauge. You can use this with the original sender unit (this is just a variable resistor). If you want to use a 6v gauge, the voltage reducers are under a quid from Maplins or similar.

I was just about to start a thread something along these lines , but it might be appropriate to expand this one now? I wondered what everyones view was on Names / Vehicle Art? Does it spoil a MV? I'd be particularly interested in the views of folks outside the UK, as I get the feeling we major on it over here. Is it widespread in other parts of Europe for example? My jimmy is Lindy Lou with a pin-up, that's how she came home and that's how she stays! I am currently looking for appropriate artwork/names for the others. Art or No Art is a personal thing I know, but do give us your view. I happen to think that art can look great so long as it's not overdone. OK there is no evidence that it was widespread practice but it does give MV and owner that extra bond. But not on all vehicles - having a problem with the M6 bomb truck, anything just seems to be too much for some reason...... Interesting that there is less post war mv art - is this because a lot of owners had a connection with the forces, so keep things a bit more "as they were"? I enjoy coming across names / art with a hint of humour! Here's a sample of WW2 art - unusual, but well executed and my favourite from Beltring this year

Has anyone noticed a tell-tale sign that Jack's condition has moved on a stage ? Namely a desire to acquire a Ben Hur trailer :nut: It always starts with just one vehicle doesn't it, then perhaps a trailer to go with it, the next thing a fleet is born..... ;-) There is no cure, we know. It is possible for the condition to be held at bay or even temporarily eased by lack of space, poverty, a disapproving partner, or a combination of these, however the side effects are not pleasant :shake: In order to prepare Jack for the worst, would it be helpful to suggest how the condition might possibly develop, for example what will be the most obvious next acquisition, given the initial symptoms of GMC followed by stage 2 Ben Hur? :whistle:

Looks like I might need to convert my closed cab to an open cab. Can anyone advise exactly where to cut the door posts and rear panel? (I don't want to go to the expense of buying a complete open cab assy) :whistle:

Hang on - 20 miles in 10 minutes is.......... 120 mph! :schocked: That is one piece of film worth watching!!!