ruxy

With a build date of 1984  ,  then why should it have a civvy Pre-fix of  B  ?    IMHO  -  hardly possible. The MOD would only sell off a almost new Rover if it was accident damaged and classed as BER  (beyond economic repair).

The first-registration rules were changed early 1980's  IIRC  the change coinceded from old rules was 1982  end of Suffix  Y and Start of Prefix A  (01/8/1983)   - the old rules were that at first registration of any vehicle (inc. Ex-MOD) you received a Suffix letter that was same as a brand new car first registration.

1 hour ago, Citroman said:

Gergovia in France (michelin) had those spark plug compressors in the 1930s.

 

Not quite - this was abt. 12" long x 3" dia.  alloy casting with cooling fins + gauge.

I once had a filter thing that you screwed in spark-plug hole - reliably informed it was WW2  _  J$$p   ?

Circa.  1994  -  I would think the vast majority of vans were fitted with Stomil Tyres (made in Poland)  Stomil is now Michelin Tyres.   Apart from £ cheap  Stomil were I suppose strong and extra-stong in sidewall with high PR.  I don't think they were noted for 'caravanitise'   (side wall cracking / bead area cracking) capable of abuse.  IIRC  these Stomil were X ply ,  I moved over to radials  -  but I was always aware of possibility of taking out a side-wall going into sites along a farm-track.   Yes - you should be looking at C rated (Commercial)  correct for axle loading(s)  -  ISTR that is what the caravan manufacturers did - it was a way of getting the correct axle loading without increase in tyre size.

On this subject , probably the best reading material is the  book by  Adam LeBor  (1997)  :-

Hitler's Secret Bankers  :  The Myth of Swiss Neutrality During the Holocaust.

-------------

There is little that can be r-discovered by the Swiss.    A area quite near to the border with Austria  - the mountain air was found by the Germans to be a real cure for TB  IIRC this was pre-WW1  ,  two townships were created and twelve German owned and controlled TB sanatorium built .  During WW2 they were used by the Germans  (who in this period were purchasing much land in the area) for treatment and convalescent of German soldiers with battle injuries as well as TB patients. IIRC there were German cemetery nere for non-survivors.  The Swiss main concern was the possibility of a mini-war with US military persons also recovering at similar institutions ,  IIRC there may also have been a few similar injured British .  These two townships are normally called by a single place name  -  DAVOS.

BREXIT  -  will make no difference.  We will always  just follow the mainland on this subject  IMHO.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65105129

I knew of two of these in 1980's  ,  IIRC both Ex-RN  & still in livery. 

I used to go to Coles Sunderland (Steels)  & Darlington factories and scrounged some info.  It was the B&A stuff I was interested in ,  I used to load / stability test cranes and hated these jobs - when they had a DIY folding jib extension or a DIY manual extension .  A neighbour was chief designer for Coles at Sunderland - I always suspected he used to back-heel queries & jobs on self ,  some fall out - with a group travelling back from USA , he told be he was down the back of the plane and the rest were up the front !   , I had caught him siphoning petrol from his Co. car & putting it in his wife's car.  Within a month he was with Allen  down Oxford  ,  then a while later I learned that Allen were Grove , and then of course Coles were taken over by Grove - Jack must have then had real fun.

The  ASLI  (automatic safe load indicator)  were by B&A  (prior to Wylie)  from what I recall they may have had twin ASLI on the hoist .  One had a petrol genny engine on the deck and almost certain it was a Meadows.   I used to wonder why people did not take a interest in preservation of these bridging cranes for show display as to me they were more interesting than a bare lorry.

It's certainly a genuine rear X member , chassis almost certainly Ex-Solihull.  The welded platework is hardly reinforcement - it is a cover patch where rust gets a rot hold  at th socket to the longitudinals , grind off and the true extent will be revealed  (it will lack structural integrity for towing - even with a civvy style drop-plate (approved) with diagonal braces that bolt to the chassis in area rear wheel).

ECM  -  I think that is what is sometimes termed  Joker Jammer  ?  

I have  Lightweight Ex-VPK    85KB04  ,  12  volt  - when I purched it  @  MVS there was no centre base squab , a thick sheet  1/8" alloy plate was bolted there  - 4 holes abt 10mm dia. at sort of central position - I don't think for any communications radio  ?    Don't think it would be for  ECM  as I understand that only fitted to VPK Lightweights that had the internal ROPS anti-roll for extra culvert mine protection .  Dont think it was for the Claribel direction indicator console as a  KB  (1984 manuf.)  would be too late for Claribel and don't recall seing a photograph of Lightweight as late  as a KB having the front or two side indication boxes that are quite prominent  -  so a bit of a mystery.  I would at least like to see the internal positional indicator - possibly Royal Signals or IWM have one  ?

109"   VPK  & HVVPK  Piglets  -  I suspect there were only ever  2 or 3 in private ownership  ,  I think 1 or 2 back in NI 

Search on  D Coy  M.V. Club  where this is one  - at least one.   The only set of applique armour released  for a Lightweight  88" , was built up by Mark Cook  (who wrote  the 1/2 Ton Military Land Rover book)  , it's back in NI with a member of D Coy.  I am uncertain if any 109" with all / a few panels  were released to auction houses for disposal .  I do know that some Lightweight & 109 "   left Wilsons Auctions and repatriated back to mainland (a L.R. dealer in the N.E.)  , they were already plucked for spare parts , that process continued until what was left was weighed in.   It may just have been possible to collect up from around the yard sufficent GRP panels to clad a Lightweight if you were very lucky  &  more possibility of a 109"..

Two pages of small print from 99 years ago ,  it was anticipated that car fuel would be kerosene , however I only knew that with petrol start/kero run tractors.

Oils for Motor-Cars - NATURE

Nature Journal

https://www.nature.com › articles

5 hours ago, ScarboroughSeadog said:

Ruxy-  The TB1114-001W senders as now produced are a multi-fit part, which (correctly) span a variety of vehicle set ups from mine (older, less common, military specific) to a range of other classic civvy landrovers (which do have the red mark on the gauge). It would make sense if they are calibrated to by far the most common application (ie the latter). Fortunately I had a repairable 40 year old TB1114-001W which works perfectly- problem solved. Thanks for your help and advice.

A multifit part - that sounds like Britpart or Unipart. The only way is to take the part to a franchise dealer , he should be able to check the computer and if a supercession to another Part No. then he should be able to advise if it is  due to a design change or change of sub-contractor( warranty traceability).  Many / most  Series parts have gone  NLA ,  some taken up for manufacture by such as Britpart , County Parts etc. Imported by Autopost Ltd  (often from Italy)  much of it made in PRC.

Jaeger were part of Smiths Industries ,  I think you will find that Caerbont Intruments took over the Smiths ranges & Jaeger , there always had been a bit of a cartel with Joseph Lucas  but Lucas did take over instrument manufacture from Smiths.  IIRC  the instrument manufacturing factory at Caebont, Wales was then a management 'carve-out' .  They are still there and understand still manufacture for S2 to S3 & you will find boxed by a few firms but genuine if sourced from Caebont.  Obviously at wide  £ asking, nothing £ cheap but some bulk purchase for retail is top $.    In the last two years or so by popular request & demand they started up production of specific Series ONE panel parts ISTR inc. the speedo head.

On 3/20/2023 at 3:27 PM, john1950 said:

Perhaps the newer ones read to reserve on the gauge in red.

On LR military vehicles  - the fuel gauge indicated readings show   E  1/2  & F   with a strike mark at 1/4  & 3/4  full.  - there is not a red mark to show low/reserve.   The only difference on the early or late gauges is the position they are mounted within the instrument cluster.  This position is a good indicator on 24 volt FFR vehicles - exactly what tank level indicator you need to be matched .  The starting point is to establish that you have the correct parts for the age of the vehicle and to confirm you are using the correct wiring diagram.

I have probably had 3 dozen ERN LAKE  1 ton jacks through my hands , the standard kit for Land Rovers ,  I don't think I have ever seen one where I have been unable to find the allocated vehicle VRM branded on the jack body with  3/8" die stamps.

3 hours ago, andy brown said:

It would appear that I have touched a nerve here ,thing is whose nerve is it ,? Just to clarify a couple of points ,one the Canadian Churchill's I through in earlier if you read

it through you would have seen that I did so just to prove that it didn't matter what I said it would be pounced on like a bone to a hungry pack of dogs , my thinking in doing so was that it would demonstrate a certain level of intelligence in not grabbing the bone , but no grab they did which goes to prove to how much thought goes into it before they pounce ....

Citing 300 + tanks as some one has as being a stretch of imagination of a child ,well what do they know as I've mentioned many times before I came looking to find answers and there are none hereabouts maybe your all to young to have first hand experience of how things actually worked back in the day , here you have linikear .speaking his mind back in the day he would have got five years , not so long back you had Simon Dee who was never heard of again , no you cannot possibly compare the last twenty years to what came before ,Ruth Ellis, my point is that you have never had it so good when it comes to information so much so that when you venture outside the box that they give you to answer yes or no in you've moved into dangerous territory as I found with the national archives , it is for the greater part designed as fodder for the many, so don't be surprised if I don't swallow what comes at me from those who were not there ,,just ask your self as I did when I came across the 1400 / 1500 chiselled of brass tank plates back in 98  Why When Who....?

Carry on  , don't let go  -  your dealings with gov. dept's & QUANGO  such as their rubbishing of FOIR  - that I do believe possible..   The main thing with historical reearch is gathering evidence then logical interpretation .  Hearsay is nfu.

9 hours ago, radiomike7 said:

Still showing on the DVSA site:

XPE 858S

✗ Untaxed

Tax due:
1 March 1990

Incorrect tax status?

MOT

No results returned

Incorrect MOT status?

!WarningIf you've just bought this vehicle the tax or SORN doesn't come with it. You'll need to tax it before driving it.

Vehicle Details

Vehicle make

FORD

Date of first registration

January 1984

Year of manufacture

1978

Cylinder capacity

1300 cc

CO₂ emissions

Not available

Fuel type

PETROL

Euro status

Not available

Real Driving Emissions (RDE)

Not available

Export marker

No

Vehicle status

Untaxed

Vehicle colour

BLACK

Vehicle type approval

Not available

Wheelplan

2 AXLE RIGID BODY

Revenue weight

Not available

Date of last V5C (logbook) issued

4 April 1989

 

 

It seems to be  VOR  long before introduction of SORN  ,  so probably scrapped and there is no legal need to notify DVLA  Swansea of status  -  gone.

Mk.1  &  Mk. 2  Escort  headlamp shape can get quite complex  - date of manufature / spec. etc.  Square does not always mean newer manufacture.

Surprisingly  - not as many Escort photographs taken.   A good close-up of the nearside - no mirror at all. No good pic. of drivers side, I only have one front end photograph and it's from quite a distance - definately a chrome / polished aluminium wing mirror on offside but can't tell if it had a door mirror.

btw  -  I have some photographs of  BUP 325L & should be from all directions   ,  but not the later Escort (I only kept it a few months)  -  give me time hunt them out & check for external mirrors.

Those mirror to me do look very aftermarket bolt-ons.  A  VRM  of  GX  -  that's correct for manuf.  1977/78   ,  first civvy Reg.  1978  =  Suffix  S  =  correct under the new first registration rules.  I had a new Escort about abt.  1973  , I remember the Reg.  =  BUP 325L    , I had another new Escort that would be 1977 , can't recall that registration , both were basic 1.3 estate models.  I don't recall either having external mirrors , but even now primary -I use internal.  The colour seems Dark Green (common for Army purchase)  larger cars (often Vauxhall)  could be and most often were  Dark Green or equally Black.   If Green or Black - or even any  Escort  - I doubt if it were a NI surveilance vehicle.  , any other standard Ford colour from civvy range possibly was and it could be that the operator needed extra mirrors and possibly they would choose such as a chrome Desmo to civilianize the appearance.    I recall many cars being sold through such as BCA & CMA auction sites , it could be a Toyota or anything , no MOD or civvy plates , could be quite old and still unregistered   -  word would circulate they were ex-NI .

7 hours ago, John F said:

Thanks ruxy, I'll add those to my reading list.

31770, sorry for derailing your thread!

 

btw  The Pool book  ,  my copy must be very early because the author(s) are both James Pool and his sister Suzanne,  it's probably a first Edn.  First printing..  There have been a few Editions by different publishers / printers. Some with a slightly different title& they all seem to be by just James Pool.   However I checked and there is in fact a much later paperback edition - states completely revised and updated.    I have been had a few times like this , often this means two extra pages at the rear and a new Preface & Introduction , but I think I will obtain a copy - you never know , need more research as there is probably the same some USA printed and others UK printed or anywhere.  You have to watch this compare No. of pages , size of pages  , some could be book club hardback editions (smaller & smaller font size) etc. 

1 minute ago, John F said:

Thanks ruxy, I'll add those to my reading list.

31770, sorry for derailing your thread!

 

I have to keep a good  reference library - mainly about WW2 , that's because I have been known to write chapters for others under a nom-de-plume  ,  another life I prefer to keep private.  Mainly  originating from a little 'field' research - so it's original source material - that helps bulk-out the work of others.

1 hour ago, John F said:

Sounds interesting, please let me know the title if you find the book!

That took a bit of finding , actually a stroke of luck , only got through abt. 1/4 of stacks of books .  I have quite an extensive library and have a stack of specially prepared timber done for me at a furniture factory , after many years I have still to find the time to assemble it into large book-cases for the 'play' room.

The book is   Who Financed Hitler  :  The Secret Funding of  Hitler's Rise to Power    1919 - 1933.  It's by  James and Suzanne Pool.

-------------------

I came across another book  -  IIRC a bit of heavy reading but not a weighty tome.

US  Wartime Aid to Britain    1940-1946   by Alan  P.  Dobson

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And  another   -   I think I purchased this about early last year ,  I found it a good book - I think this is the book where it tells a few truths regarding petrol & aviation 100 octane - the supply situation during WW2.

Britains War Machine  :  Weapons, Resources and Experts in the Second World War   -  it's bt  David Edgerton.

2 hours ago, John F said:

All of this and much more is covered in Charles Higham's book "Trading With The Enemy", first published in 1983.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/682306

 

I have it  ,  also a similar one which I think better - author(s) are a brother & sister , need to find the book as can't think of title just now.

https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/preis/1942/04/so-nazis2.htm