Starfire

Discussed at length here: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?42225-it-came-out-of-a-Saracen&highlight=hull+shocker Cheers, Terry

What's the current record? Cheers, Terry

Graham helped me out with all of my Clansman kit: http://www.ptsnorfolk.co.uk/100820/info.php?p=4 Cheers, Terry

There may well be an engine out there somewhere, but you've got to remember that the Australian outback is about the same size as Europe... Cheers, Terry

The B80 is pretty powerful anyway and has lots of torque. The Saracen can get up and move with a little persuasion. I would suggest a pretty standard rebuild and then fit a jolley electronic ignition kit and maybe fiddle up the rev limiter. Also, you might want to consider just buying an NOS engine, Tim Vibert at Empire Trading has them and it'll probably work out cheaper than having yours rebuilt. Cheers, Terry

Excellent toy you have there, and a very close registration number to mine. I find your vehicle very interesting, especially as there are a number of unusual features, including the fact that it is a Mk 2 that has been converted to RFC, rather than a Mk 3. Have the vents under the side windows been blocked off and are there vent plates in the riser in the middle of the interior floor? Is she a runner and can you post some more current pics, such as the interior and some more of the exterior? Cheers, Terry

Very cool. I also note that it was fitted with a hull shocker. I still want one for mine! Cheers, Terry

Would you like me to measure the radiator core or tanks? Cheers, Terry

What about green things that smell of petrol? Tan things? Welcome in!

I had no trouble getting replacement dust boots from Empire Trading for $5 each. Which reminds me, I need to install 2 of them this weekend... Cheers, Terry

That's really not on. If you're going to operate these vehicles on the road, they must be adequately maintained and safe.

It doesn't look like there is a broken key to me. The left of the keyway is empty and the right is showing the pins. My Saracen is not fitted with a keyway, but I guess that, failing anything else, you can disassemble the panel and remove the barrel from the lock. Regards, Terry

That's probably the worst one I've ever seen on anything. Cheers, Terry

Aren't there some minor differences in the fitment as well (filler plugs and breather pipes, etc? Cheers, Terry

Not interested in the limber as well? There is a meeting tonight, I'll make some enquiries - just remember it's in Adelaide, South Australia so shipping will not be cheap. Cheers, Terry

I've confirmed that the long limber is for a 60 pounder and also that the "projectile" is in fact a barrel gauge. Apparently, you drop it down the barrel to check the bore. I mentioned to our curator the other day that I need to take some measurements and he pointed out that there is another, unrestored, limber and 2 spare chassis that are surplus to our requirements that could be sold off. I couldn't get decent pictures of most of it, as it is in a large caged trailer in a storage shed, but if anyone is genuinely interested, I'll drag it out and/or climb in to get better pics. The rear door arrangement is different to our Ammunition Limber, so I don't know exactly what variant it is.

Sometimes this forum really needs a "Like" button. Now is one of those times

There are a few more photos that I haven't uploaded and I can get detail shots if anyone would like them. On the whole, it looks to be very restorable, with no obvious damage or significant rust. Even the radiator cores look good. Other than the gearbox numbers, I couldn't find any identifying marks on the chassis, but I didn't crawl around too much, as it was a bit of a struggle dodging all of the pigeon poo There was a placard attached to the back of the radiator shroud, but it was rusted beyond recognition. Cheers, Terry

With work and forgetting to take my phone to the museum, there has been a bit of a delay in getting photos, however, on Saturday I took these:

Awesome work. I really love the look of the RL - They're as rare as hen's teeth here in Australia though, as they were never in service here. The museum has a RAF RL with a tray back and a crane on it, but it's not green enough for me Cheers, Terry

The L plates on a tank made me smile. Cheers, Terry

I don't know anything about converting a Landie, but I would suggest that if you want a soft top, get a soft top. If the hard tops are more within your price range, just get one of those and learn to love it. On the up side, it is less likely to leak water on you Cheers, Terry

That's ok, I still have trouble telling the difference between Whitworth and AF spanners too. I get that adopting the Metric system was too difficult and, more importantly, too French, but why oh why couldn't they have used decimal measurements rather than fractions of an inch!? That said, I also struggle with analogue clocks, so I guess that I'm a product of my generation (I can work out fractions and analogue clocks, but to do so, I have to do some calculations; I can't just look at them and "see" their values. I'm getting better at AF, but I've only owned AF tools for the last year or so, with everything prior to that being metric) Cheers, Terry