Jimmy F

Picked up a Humber heavy utility the other day and had it delivered yesterday. Work starts in earnest on Thursday, but weather is going to slow the strip down as we're putting it into the garage as we strip it. There are a few areas of worry. I'm one of them as this is my first proper restoration. The cosmetics aren't a worry and the chassis is good. Then engine, gearbox, trans box and clutch are all perfectly serviceable although we're missing a carb and a master cylinder (although could be in the mountain of parts that came with it). The woodwork is going to be the horror. It's a 1945 with spring and shock suspension and a sliding metal roof. All the seats, instruments and blackout curtains are in it.

My mate built one of these and states it was built to a particular brief: They were designed to do/be everything, a troop carrier, a gun tractor, air portable, so on and so forth. They had a winch purely so they could be as useful as possible. That is a very brief version of his explanation.

I'm going to make new gaskets for the side valve covers on the Morris, but have a few questions. 1) is rubberised Cork a good replacement material? 2) what thickness should be used? I can't find the info in the manual.

I've been invited to an event in Central London (Well, Great Suffolk street, SE1) on 8th June but need to get my Morris C8 GS there. anyone available on 8th June to get her there for about 1800hrs? If so let me know how much it would cost. I'm just outside Colchester in Essex.

Cheers Pete, that is something I will need to address. I would like to get both fuel tanks working and refit proper metal lines, but that will be a job to take on over the winter. This season I plan to just keep her on the road and enjoy her.

I got into MV's through reenacting so the uniform is the bit I feel confident about! Haha

The rubber all seemed in good order so I wasn't too worried about that, plus the pump is a recent addition so I didn't believe it to be that. i did make a school boy error and didn't check the valve on the actual tank (where the switch for the reserve fuel tank is). Turns out that was the source of the problem. I suspect the seal in that has gone. I have covered that and sealed it which has temporarily solved the problem. Now onto a permanent fix!

I shall look forward to it. I may just start making it all up. 'Aren't those land rover wiper motors?' 'yeah, this is a prototype model for the 1945 land rover GS truck...'

So, the Morris isn't starting. I've traced it to the fuel system. She was only running on one tank sof the previous owner has fitted an electric facet pump with rubber tubes to the fuel filter and then from the fuel filter to the carb. There is also a rubber tube that goes from the fuel pump to the original fuel line, which has been cut about 10 inches from where it would meet the fuel tank switch, with the newer rubber tube fitting over the cut end of the original line and jubilee clips holding everything in tight. I've spent the day underneath taking off and cleaning all the rubber lines, replacing the jubilee clips and trying to figure it out. After much head scratching and finding nothing the pump just isn't pulling fuel through. The tank is about half full, but the truck is on a slight (very slight) gradient. Still, it is pulling through a small amount of fuel, just not enough to start it apparently. The pump is working so I assume the lines aren't airtight, but can't find it! The rubber tubes are 8mm and the jubilee clips seem to be working. Any suggestions?

So, I have all this to look forward to, being on my first MV and only having taken her to one show so far!

Cheers Singe, I've started my collection of tools and have starting playing around with her, learning the bits and bobs. Also, turns out that she has an early FAT tractor engine, so it looks like they had two or three useless trucks that have been used to create a single GS truck. Whether it was refitted by REME or someone post war I'm not sure about. I can't imagine that in the years following the war anyone would be inclined to do such a job as it wouldn't have been worth the outlay and after that surely people would want to be restoring back to original. Either way, it makes no odds to me, I still have a C8 GS

I bring nothing of use to this thread, but I am loving reading it. Cannot wait to see the finished product. I think I may have genuinely drooled at several occasions!

I've got an electric facet fuel pump on mine that would be working beautifully if it wasn't sucking air in somewhere in the line leading to a weak mix.

By the way, thanks to everyone who helped! Especially Michael (if he's on here) who did the work on the follower and sorted the spacings for me! I should have bought this before I moved out of my folks as my tools were actually dads tools! Haha

The follower was replaced today and she's running. I've replaced the battery and terminals and cleaned the spark plugs so she is currently not just running, but running smoothly. I've also got a new CAV dynamo, so will replace that and change the engine and gearbox oil and the rad water later this week. Fan belt will need replacing soon, but I've got the belt. She'll be at Aldham Rally on the 9th.

I most certainly will. You shoudn't be difficult to find with your vehicle!

I'll be there with Betty

Just spoke to the organiser. It'll be £35 for a vehicle with two people including camping from Friday to Monday. There is also a discount for a group with block bookings. Therefore clubs that book in a group of say, 10 vehicles then it'll be £10 per vehicle with two people as the organiser has to pay a third party for the camping ground. Maximum of two people per vehicle.

The website says vehicle with one passenger is free. Not sure if driver means passenger though. Haha

I've driven a 1944 Ford jeep in hobnails and have no issue so I wouldn't worry too much about that, although I can't imagine they would have been worn apart from parade in the 80's? Army surplus still have DMS sometimes. Chatham fair is a good place to get them too.

And parked up next to my passat.

Here she is with the canvas on and halfway through having a cam net placed over her

I'm near Colchester in Essex and it's both parts of the passenger seat. Because they're completely missing I've got no measurements, shapes or anything.

I need to get the canvas cushions made for the Morris. The problem being the figment onto the cab. Does anyone have both parts of the cushion knocking around that they don't need, or know of anyone who can make them? I'd rather not take it to a generic canvas maker due to the pattern of the cushions.