Starfire

When a manual includes a technical drawing of a tool like that, it is intended that the workshop manufactures it for themselves. Any local contract engineering firm can make those for you; just give them a copy of the drawings a few hours and some money, or you can do it yourself if you have a welder and some basic metalworking supplies. Cheers, Terry

That doesn't look very safe If anyone has a pair of those boxes lying around I'd be interested in getting some though, they would be handy for some extra storage. Cheers, Terry

Thanks Clive, I thought only the ACV and ACP had additional batteries? Mine is supposed to be a Mk 5 APC. Do you have any pictures of them in use? Cheers, Terry

Hi All, There is a rather large bracket in the back of my Saracen that appears to hold some large ammo tins or something. Can anyone identify what kind of boxes it holds, and where I can get some? Cheers, Terry

Here are pics of the vac line that goes from the manifold to the vacuum tank. As you can see, mine has been blocked off by the ISO standard of using a bolt and a hose clamp Cheers, Terry

Tuning the B series engines is pretty basic, in that the carburettor does not have many adjustment points. The most likely cause of a flat spot is that the accelerator pump diaphrams have gone and need to be replaced. That is also the case on my Saracen, but I've not yet found a source for them. A lot of the time, ignition problems will look like a tuning issue, especially given the fact that you're dealing with two sets of points. I would strongly recommend fitting an electronic ignition module; Clive has written a very good article about it: http://hmvf.co.uk/pdf/IGNITIONMATTERS.pdf With an engine that has been sitting for a long time, it may be worth doing a compression test. I understand that the B series can be rather prone to sticking exhaust valves. I have a B series engine manual and tuning informaiton for them. If you send me your email address, I can pass them on. Cheers, Terry

The vac tank is the same as the one fitted to the Austin Champ and probably half a dozen other MVs from that period. I've removed mine as the pressed on barb has broken off and was causing a major vacuum leak and related poor running. Once I fix it, I'll put it back in, but as I don't use the windscreen nor the wipers, it is a lower priority for me at the moment. Cheers, Terry

There is a barb on the carburettor, towards the front of the engine, or on the manifold just in front of it. I don't have a good picture, but I'll be able to get you one on Saturday morning if you haven't worked it out. Cheers, Terry

Can anyone make out the registration number clearly? Cheers, Terry

Priceless?

Is that the one that went through the guard rails a couple of times in Gold Beach last year? The photos aren't very good, but it doesn't appear to have a driver's periscope fitted to that one. Cheers, Terry

Does anybody have some suggestions? Surely all the Saracen/Saladin/Stalwart owners have to do something about new tyres? I'm open to the idea of importing some from anywhere that they're available. Cheers, Terry

She doesn't look a day over 69. It's kind of scary that my Saracen is 60...

Hi All, This may be opening a can of worms, but when does a project go from being a restoration to a replica? By that, I mean is there a percentage of original parts required for something to be considered a restoration? One of the guys at my car club was saying that he had an indicator panel from a Staghound, I joked that as it was an original part, we could manufacture the rest of it and consider it a restoration. Is there an official stance on this? Cheers, Terry

Nice one

I think we need you to post up some photos

If you're still having trouble with your wheel station, you could probably borrow my mechanic. He's not very good at his job, but I pay him in Lego and ice-cream

Hi All, It looks like I'm in a bit of a bind with my Saracen and need some replacement tyres. It currently has the Dunlop TrakGrip 1200 x 20 HS2 RF on it, but the sidewalls are starting to crack up and now that one needs a new tube, the tyre places are refusing to fix it due to the cracking. Does anyone know where I can get some replacements? Ideally, I'd like to stick with the correct HS2 RFs but given that I can't seem to find anything even in the right size, let alone make/model in the country, I guess that I'll have to take what I can get. Cheers, Terry

I have electronic ignition on my Saracen (I think it's the Jolley, but it was on there when I got it and I've not pulled apart the dizzy to have a look) and I have found it to be very reliable and certainly a hell of a lot better than trying to piss around with two sets of Lucas contact breakers. All the B80 needs now is fuel injection and it would be just like a real, reliable engine My installation is a little untidy; the previous owner installed it by leaving the covers off of the junction box and the coil housing, running a big jumper wire between the two. This means my engine is not as waterproof as it should be and there is some corrosion in the junction box where water has pooled in the past. I really need to re-route the wire and fit the covers again. Clive has an excellent article about MV ignition that covers the electronic ignition options and it removed any doubts I had about converting the Saracen back to stock. http://hmvf.co.uk/pdf/IGNITIONMATTERS.pdf Cheers, Terry

I feel that I have to point out that while most home routers do make use of NAT, they have absolutely no firewall capabilities and should not be relied on for security. Unless you have a dedicated firewall or enhanced security device, you should treat any connection from them as a direct internet connection. Even those DSL routers that claim to have a built in firewall generally only have a very basic UPnP setup, which is better than nothing, but only just. As for Windows 8, the first thing you should do is install the 8.1 update; this makes it much more liveable on a computer without a touch screen. Rather than trying to get it to look like Windows 7, I would suggest that you put up with it for a couple of weeks - you'll soon wonder what all the fuss was about. Cheers, Terry

An overly rich mixture can cause fuel to wash down your bores, past the pistons and into the sump. This is less likely than the fuel pump being the problem, but it is something to be aware of. Another potential cause of oil levels rising is water in the oil, usually through condensation. If the oil doesn't smell like it has petrol in it, that can be the culprit, especially if the vehicle isn't driven often. Cheers, Terry

David, Are you able to give some indications of cost and approximate turnaround times for commissioned pieces and prints? I'd be interested in getting one done of my Saracen, once I pretty her up a bit. Cheers, Terry

That's ok mate, we've got enough Dutch people here as it is, including my best friend. Every single dutch person I know has at least one pair of clogs, usually in a kids size from their childhood, which they keep somewhere like the mantle in their bedroom. It's kind of creepy Cheers, Terry

That's starting to look really good. Keep it up

I really like your work, David. I agree with Clive on the accessories and markings too - it's almost funny when you see in service pictures and think that they look a little strange, until you realise that it's because there isn't 500 kg of stuff hanging off the vehicle. I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but the worst offenders seem to be Ferret owners For me, the military Land Rover will always be the Series 3 with a canvas top and a bull bar, or maybe the Australian 6wd Perentie. You'd probably find that a sketch of the Ferret or Saladin would be quite popular too. Cheers, Terry