Ben..

It's not a light Dragon. As the thread suggests, it's a Vickers (Carden Loyd) utility tractor.

looking forward to seeing your progress.

Well done. You'll enjoy being a carrier owner............ And driver.

The chaps at the vintage car radiator company are very, very knowledgable on all types of radiators. They make all their stuff in house so standby the workmanship. Although vintage car specialists they have made radiators for Hawker Hurricanes which will give you some idea as to the quality of their work.

Nice buy Alec. I bought a CS8 in very similar condition earlier in the year. Ex BEF, German then French use.

Ron, Jan

Regarding the Australian history. It may be worth contacting Mike Cecil, he was quite high up in the AWM and has been a huge help to me with the Scout and Matilda history. If he couldn't help directly I'm sure he could point you in the right direction.

I know now he's on MLU. I can help with an email address if you don't have it already.

Nice project.

Ben

Rick, if your bringing the Dingo over you could squeeze the HSC in for me too. Cheers buddy.

Very nice looking carrier, good find.

Ben

If you could look, take any photos and find out what the museum want for it, it'd be much appreciated.

thanks

Interested in what's left. Did you take anymore pictures other than those already posted?

Thanks

The parts are in your post #50 looks like photos you've taken of the parts in a storage shed. Chassis and rusty old box.

How much it might be? It's availability, who to speak to regarding its sale.............. A contact email to arrange details.

Thanks

Ben

Yes the ones in your photos.

Could you PM me with your details please? I've sent a PM to you but the system doesn't always work.

thanks

Ben

Terry/Starfire

Did the museum have a spare limber? Could you pm me please?

thanks

Ben

It's very similar to the type used on british built carriers, however they don't use the trumpet. What's it currently fitted to?

Having just looked, there's quite a choice. From fair priced lower hull project to perhaps over priced examples at the top end. There are a couple of good running examples at very fair prices too.

There aren't too many around. They're road legal, can fit in a standard garage, pretty straight forward to work on, engine parts are readily available and most important they're good fun to drive.

It has to be the cheapest way of getting a piece of WW2 armour?

I took mine for a 15 mile drive this morning and I'm still grinning.

Some of the lower hulls can look too good to be true. You could quite quickly start spending money and end up at the cost of the £30k examples. There's a lot to be said for buying a runner, someone else has done all the hard work!!

Ben

Bovington has a huge list of Matilda manuals.

British built, Universal MK1.

Unless you had a makers mark or brass ID plate the manufacturer can't be confirmed.

Post some photos!

As as far as I'm aware no Scouts were sent to NZ, they did get some Brens and Universals. A Scout doesn't have fixed armour, it has the folding type. Sounds like another MK1.

Britain didn't stop making carriers they just started making them in Canada too.

looking forward to the photos..........

Ben

It's the part number for that particular armour panel, each panel will have its own number, sometimes with a (D) for drilled. Richard has the initials correct I believe. The parts book will reveal all.

If you don't have a brass makers plate or any painted ID then you're out of luck trying to identify the hull of a British made carrier, they didn't stamp them!!

A Bren or Scout will have a diffent upper and lower armour layout to a Universal, the floor is also different. Post a photo and I'll show you what you have. Any pre universal carrier was long out of production by 1942.

Is this from one of your three hulls Mark?

Ben

Post on the maple leaf up site. Lots of Aussie carrier owners on there.

Jim Clark at allied canvas stocks the correct material to replicate "rexine" it's a very good modern equivalent and is a +99% match to colour and texture.

Rexine does have a bit of a leather look about it so it could be mistaken for leather in the photos.

Hi Rick

The spark will leave it all until the second fix! You know what these tradesmen are like:D

Ben

Carriers are great fun, welcome aboard!! What's the gearbox from, is that a PTO?

Hi SD

From what's left on the mount I'd suggest that they might be the Canadian biscuit tin type. The British lights have cast mounting where as the Canadian lights have a pressed or folded type. I only have British carriers so I can't help with a picture I'm afraid. I think they may be a standard CMP style headlight.

Ben

The second photo is the correct MK1 type. By the way, the brackets go the other way round. 45* notches at the rear.

Bruce's Bren carrier is very nice but be careful, there are LOTS of very subtle differences between a pre universal carrier and a MK1

Andrew pretty much nailed it.

Top ones are commercial lights. Very similar to the pre universal carrier type but with a different wiring arrangement. These type (but with the correct wiring layout) with the thicker front bezel would be found on pre universal carriers. Bren, Scout, AOP MK1, Cavalry.

The second photos shows the correct style for British made MK1 universal carriers (and some Loyd's), these would be the correct type for your carriers Mark. This style was also found on very early Canadian carriers, this was because Britain sent lights, switches, gauges etc to fulfil the early Canadian contract. Rick has one of these early Canadian carriers.

Hope that helps

Ben