Lauren Child

I think Nordian have gone - the website is down and last time I tried the phone just kept ringing.

I think they are the same as the 24 stud ones (assuming you've not got one of the early american 21 stud engines). The normal type has an engine mount built onto the pump which secures the front of the engine to the chassis. If it's this kind, Peter Hommes had some in good nick last time I saw him (I picked a couple up) for CMP 24 stud engines. You can also pick up brand new ones from the hotrod shops online, but they come with single belt pulleys. If anyone's got any recommendations on who rebuilds the pumps I'd love to hear. The last place that was recommended closed Ive been looking at refacing kits online but its difficult to see which ones are complete.

Congratulations!

Bargain!

Thanks Wally, I wasn't sure what it was called.

I have to say that I don't know very much about the guns at all. Are there any good books on the subject of tank guns?

Is the photo with the rectangular armoured glass actually free-french or did the belgians use the same recognition symbol? (the cross with two bars)

From what I understand the Churchill had a lower profile, greater crew survivability and greater terrain crossing capability, but then they were made for different jobs. I don't say that to be negative of the Sherman design, just that of the two those are factors that I'd appreciate. Both did the job well with the constraints that the designers were under and the needs of the time.

Have you got any enclosures or amendments?

Nice one, welcome along What's the plan with tank restorations - Are you still running the big workshops there or have you refocused your efforts? I never got to the old museum so I'm looking forward to seeing the new one

Have you tried lwdparts?

Nice one

British wartime tanks don't deserve the stick that they get. Personally I'd say the Churchill was better than the Sherman, but it's not really a comparison you can make (Infantry tank versus Medium Tank, designed for different reasons)

They come up on ebay and abebooks every so often. It's well worth picking up a copy.

You get used to it pretty quickly. The good thing is you have the space and comfy seat (with the 13 cab), so it makes getting used to it easier. When you're driving with a centre accelerator, it's counter intuitive to press the same pedal for brake, so you naturally go for the other one once you are used to where they are.

So what sort of jeep do you fancy then Tommy, how can we help you spend those pennies Oh, and don't listen to these Dodge types, we all know British and Commonwealth vehicles are the way to go. How about a nice CMP?

Working for me now too!

It looks like the video has stopped working (youtube reports its been removed by the user)

If you look at the front of the shade part, it's notched upwards. I've only seen that on the soviet kit (BRDM etc.). Edit: you can see similar here - http://data3.primeportal.net/apc/egor_kalmykov/brdm-2/images/brdm-2_34_of_35.jpg

That looks similar to the soviet post war ones.

I think that's the first time I've heard a BRDM2 described as "practical". Good luck!

I'd take a look at the Surveyors ways of valuing - they deal with unique buildings, infrastructure and art all the time. If that's not an option, you could maybe take a look at other ww2 kit to be sold at auction etc. and look at the percentage uplift for originality. Then you can increase the value of this in the same ratio.

I'd probably be interested in a some of the 9-16 myself.

On a similar note, Richard posted some similar info here - http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=2724

Not what I was looking for, but there is a mention in "Maintenance guide, B vehicles, 1945" of valve trouble caused by leaded fuel that has recently been introduced into the UK. It caused a buildup on the valve stem, causing it to stick, and required a compression test at the end of each days running. It notes that there is both MT72 and MT80. MT72 has less lead in it.