Stormin

Thought you were a mechanic and knew what was happening under a bonnet CW? In all fairness modern vehicles don't need anything like the attention of the old stuff. Remember my first car and always having to be under the bonnet adjusting points, carb, cleaning plugs etc. Trouble is they get to an age were a sensor or electronic component lets go and that's it, throw it away. Can't see much modern stuff being persevered with in 60 years time. Few people will be interested in re-making the parts for them. Look at the old stuff, simple and rugged, nothing complicated it could be made/re-made to go on forever.

You could try one of these rubber moulding kits. http://www.frost.co.uk/productList.asp?catID=22&frostCat=Miscellaneous&subcatID=21&frostSubCat=Miscellaneous Not cheap, but should give a more original look.

I thought it was the Northern Ireland ones that were painted yellow to avoid looking like British army vehicles.

Wouldn't they effectively be operating under STGO Cat 3 (15tonnes per axle limit)?

Looks a tidy one! Most I see have the hoses rotted away in the sunlight. Looks like you've found a use for the ladders already!

Any photo's anyone?

Thought he'd have left his beloved open cab on the GMC, try to make it look more like an Autocar!

Heard a rumour from a friend the other day that the Mersey Tunnel still have two Ward La France wreckers in use. Can anyone confirm or scotch this rumour. I feel it's unlikley they are still worked but may be retained for historic purposes. Either that or as usual someone has confused them with the more common Diamond T. Had a look around on Google earth and live maps around the tunnel entrances, saw a few modern looking recovery vehicles but non of the older variety.

One piece screen would mean disguised as a Defender surely? For me the pioneer is probably the best looking truck ever created, (far sleeker than the explorer with it's higher profile), what on earth made people think they could improve on it?

Couldn't you have just but some chocks under the wheels? I've got say that Stalwart engine bay looks quite clean, what we can see from the top anyway. Might be a different story lower down in the dark recesses though, just like under those cab floor panels.

This place is quite good at matching unusual filters. Managed to get something suitable for my Ward La France engine. Free delivery on orders over £50 too. http://www.commercialfilters.co.uk/homemain.html

:rofl: :rofl:

You could always conduct the taste test. Brake fluid is quite distintive. If it turns out to be brake fluid you'll have to replace all the seals that have come into contact won't you?

Lee, Looks like paint is stripped off above the union as well as though the next union above may be leaking as well! I'm sorry to say but the shoddy state of this repair means the orginal re-builders should be prosecuted and prevented from leaving someone else with a death trap. I think trading standards would be interested to hear about the company involved.

I would suggest Neil's money is best spent with Lee, getting his braking system in order, rather than lining the pockets of lawyers.

But does private land with public access, i.e. a show ground, become fully covered by traffic law? It certainly does in respect of driver and vehicle licensing law.

Don't ST. John's ambulances and those used by rally marshalls run around with blue lights on? Not `official' emergency services I would say.

I think the beginnings of a good reference are here in all the restoration blogs already, lots of great photographs. All right it may not be easy to find the exact bit you want like a paper manual but it would be hard work to make it such. Photographs are very space hungry one possibility would be for people to host them on their own web-site and linked from HMVF. I sense a problem for the mods on here if there is a huge photo archive to have to police.

I thought Vince had already won the `whos got the biggest spanner' competition with his railway relic. Is this a new entry in the veteran spanner category?

How the hell is that master cylinder going to work with the reservoir upside down? Not sure that cardboard heatshield will stand up too well next to the V8 headers

All makes sense what Mark Heliops says. Otherwise how else could a max legal length artic be recovered?

Wouldn't take a lot to artificially disable a vehicle to effect emergency recovery status :whistle: if you were so inclined to be bending the rules.

Surely the AA, RAC etc cannot be operating illegally? There must be some loophole but also maybe an upper weight limit as to the load which may be recovered. Dependant on the towing vehicle of course.

Lee, I don't doubt you're doing a very thorough job, but the brake issues didn't occur overnight. It was only the locking up which led Neil to wasting his money with previous `mechanics'. If that fault hadn't occured another more serious one may have done with even worse consequences. Some of the brake issues particularly pipe corrosion could have been picked up a long time ago with an MOT inspection, even if a roller test was out of the question. I'm very aware and I'm sure many others are that Neil's vehicle was in a much publicised accident not too long back. I'm not fully aware of the circumstances, but having seen the state of the brake pipes he's lucky he wasn't prosecuted for running an unroad worthy vehicle whether the accident was his fault or not. It may not be in Neils' best interests to publish any more details of faults with his vehicle.

I'm surprised the bores of the calipers are in such good condition given the state of the fluid. Looks like they were caught just in time. Looks like you'll have to go through all the oother brake components to properly clean and inspect them. As for the state of the brake pipes, well just because you CAN claim MOT exemption doesn't necessarliy mean it's a good idea not to get one done!