Runflat

All this talk about problem windscreen frames reminds me of an article a few years ago about a chap who restored a Fordson 7V and had his remade in brass by Brasscraft, based near Guildford (Classic & Vintage Commercials, Jan 2004):

 

"You'd never find precision engineers like them. I gave them the remains of an original to use as a pattern. The results were unbelievable."

 

I assume they're these people: http://www.isurrey.co.uk/profile/464086/Farnham/Brasscraft-Windscreen-Frame-Manufacturers/

 

Perhaps you Austin owners should club together and get a batch made?

I see the owner of the Austin K2 in this month's Classic Military Vehicle mag (March 2010) used this company for his frames...

These may be of interest:

http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7457

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=2861941

Some brief glimpses of a Cent BARV here: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=81761

BARV film, courtesy of the REME Museum: http://www.youtube.com/user/therememuseum#p/a/u/1/Z7Jh_Fs9KmI

Simple 5:1 Recovery. Painfully detailled recovery of a Churchill in a gully by dragging it out sideways on a 5:1 pull. Then putting its track back on.

This bit is on line, coutesy of the REME Museum: http://www.youtube.com/user/therememuseum

Sorry, don't know of any other FBAX survivors. Some obvious places to try for info include:

• Guy Motors Society: http://www.guymotors.co.uk/
• REME Museum: http://www.rememuseum.org.uk/
  
• Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon
  

I've been reading the write up on your Dodge: http://www.old-dodge-trucks.co.uk/dodge_wk60.htm

A real challenge there as well. Don't forget to write a restoration blog on it...

Best wishes

Fantstic news that the Guy is still around - a real rarity. Good luck with it.

A couple more pictures of PSV552 (did it change its number? - see first post!):

Another picture of the tructor from way back when:

That was a long time ago, I think it was on a cut down Green Goddess and may even have been bolted on the the Bedford !

I've finally unearthed a picture!:

Good work. Nice article in Recalling by the way.

Welcome aboard. You may have spotted there have been some recent enquiries as to the whereabouts of a Guy FBAX. Is it yours or do you have another one?

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?17187-Guy-FBAX-3-5-ton

Some stills, of what looks like a Morris Commercial C4, from here: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=26480

Some more pictures of these trailers taken over the years, ending with an M14 director trailer.

In another thread, someone mentioned the HEM Museum. This is from their site:

http://www.hem-usa.org/cgi-bin/radar-kiosk-more-info.cgi?ki_id=148

Worth checking if it is still there - I expect there are many who would like to have one of these trailers.

I see you already own one of these:

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?7831

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?7793

Do you know which variant this was? M7 generator trailer? Some pics of the searchlight variant here:

http://www.life.com/image/50457087

http://www.life.com/image/50457076

http://www.life.com/image/50457102

Here's a picture of a CDSW, taken on the HCVS London to Brighton run May 1989. It compares well with the one in the films - see, for example, 3rd film @ 3:40. If someone could post a still to compare that would be good.

Oh, there's a picture of Monty with a jeep on the cover of "The Wartime Jeep in British Service 1941-1945" - undoubtably pat of his HQ set up.

Monty is best known for his two Humber Snipe tourers - the "Victory Car" and "Old Faithful" - and his caravans.

That's not to say there wouldn't have been jeeps available to his HQ. He undoubtably would have sat in one from time to time. Whether a couple of ball joints could have come from one of these is another matter. Sounds a tall story to me.

Actually, just noticed various differences between the Furrer one and the one I've just linked to. Where are either of them? (There's also one at Saumur. http://henk.fox3000.com/saumur2.htm )

A GMC ambulance just like the one shown (albeit restored) was on display at the "Wings and Wheels Museum" in Santee, SC. I think the museum is now closed and, so, the ambulance is probably this example said to be in the California Auto Museum: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2794919650077698672spFsFe

Gorgeous or what? But it's not mentioned in the museum's listing, so where is it? http://www.toweautomuseum.org/index.html

No answers yet?

First - 1920 pattern Rolls Royce

Second - Crossley IGL3 airfield fire/crash tender

Third - Leyland RAF type on pnuematics and enclosed cab?

Fourth ??

No problem - it kept me out of mischief for a bit.

Back on tracked jeeps, there is a brief article on these in Classic Military Vehicle magazine (Feb 2003, p.48). I also recall Fred Smith (rare jeep collector of note) asking for details about these vehicles for one he is restoring. I can't remember where I read this now and may be getting my wires slightly muddled.

Someone will no doubt correct me, but I believe originally you needed a brakeman when towing these guns (at least the earlier ones). The CMP LAA tractors had a special rearward facing seat for him - he got to hold a rope to the gun's brakes and pull on it at strategic moments. I don't know what the arrangement was with Bedford QLBs. Morris CDSW tractors don't appear to have provision.

Whether you are allowed to tow these manually braked guns on the road these days I don't know.

What a marvellous film, and the soundtrack fits so well. And a superb collection. Here's what I spotted:

Austin utility G/YG

Austin Champ

Austin K2 ATV (x 13 !!!!)

Austin K2/Y ambulance (54YP11)

Austin K6 gantry

Bedford QL

Carriers (x at least 2)

CMPs (assorted including HUP)

Daimler Dingo scout car

Dodge WC56 command car

Dodge WC57 command car

Dodge 6x6

Dodge M43 ambulance

Dodge D60 (?) with civvy crane

DUKW (GGP182J)

Fordson WOT1 (11AT81)

Fordson WOT2 (88RD54)

Fordson WOT3 (the Hughes family had one like this at one stage, the same one?)

GMC x2 civvy conversion to grain carriers?

Humber Snipe staff car

Humber scout car

Humber FWD

Humber FV1600

International halftrack x 2

Kubelwagen

Morris Commercial PU 8/4

Morris Commercial C8 FAT (crane on back)

Morris Commercial CDSW bofors tractor converted to civvy wrecker (I think this one appeared on the L-B run a few years back, Reg JSU812, one of Brian Rushton's)

Morris Commercial LRC

Standard utility

Schwimmwagen

Tracked jeep

Weasel

plus various motor cars including Allard and Morris 10/6 Special (both very rare).

It's difficult for us young 'uns to imagine what collecting was like in 1970 - it was only 25 years after the war, wartime kit was starting to pass through the first (and second+) set of civilian hands and so could be acquired relatvely cheapy... Some 40 years further on and things are very different for anyone wanting to enter the WW2 vehicle scene...