Dougy FV432

Hello Berni, Was toying with bringing my fv432 this year, if your interested, are tracked vehicles allowed on site, don't recall seeeing anything tracked last year when I came along with my boy as a members of the paying public. (always never got round to booking in). Whats the access like for a lowloader, I know they can get there, but I seem to remember all ways in are up narrow steep roads unless you know better way. Dougy

Hi Chris, Now you mention it I do recall reading somewhere that it has to be in gear before the indicators work. Will have to have a play see what mine does. Have you got a copy of the user hand book, for the interior lights to work the switches have to be operated in the right combination so they work with the rear door open or closed, I have flattened the batteries when the lights were off when door open then i closed it not realising lights had come on and it was the only time i hadn't turned the masterswitches off. DOH! There also a set procedure for the NBC to work,(they can't make anything straight forward), have got some wiring diagrams for this curcuit if required. Dougy

Hello All, There was quite a nice 432 ambulance went through the last Withams sale, did get a couple of pics of it will have to dig them out. My 432 has got SFOR written on both sides and a segmented cicle which I assume is a tatical/call sign symbol. There does seem to be some writing on the drivers side front that has been overpainted but can't make it out. I also have a problem with the indicators not working, never have done since I had it, a lot of the wiring was hanging down by the pedals from behind the switch panel and some got pulled out of the junction blocks, had to tidy it up to prevent anymore problems. Had a quick look at indicators then, guess you have found the flasher unit behind the indicator switch chris, I didn't have a test light when I was messing with it so didn't get to involved. I also have a charging problem with mine just hope the fault is in with this wiring as everything else seems expensive. Dougy

Dougy, Most that we were doing were worse than those! Richard Hello Richard, Where did you get to put these back together. Pics were taken at Ashchurch in Tewkesbury. I was there doing warranty repairs on Seddon Atkinson Stratos bet they wish they hadn't shown me how to do pictures on this forum now Dougy

Hello All Foden pic taken in mid 90s, and yes there where a lot of damaged leyland drops aswell. When I got the pics a lot of damaged vehicles were outside and the base got told of " because it was not good for the British public to see the army in this state". They moved inside and there were hangers full of damaged kit including drops and landrovers etc. Dougy

Hi Richard, Try your local area for heavy recovery firms or try a truck dealer if they have a wrecker and set up an account if they will let you. Depends if you are going to want to be towed home or if far from home just to a safe place, but if you have called someone out you might aswell get them to take you home. There are some companies that deal with breakdowns and get a local dealer to go out. when I had to go out we did it for about 4 different firms and they used us for different things. the one that the firm I work for now responds for is called Delta Rescue. The firm I would use is called Taylors of Woodford sited between Gloucester and Bristol. Just hope they don't turn up with this...... I have always said if I haven't got enough money to cover the cost of a recovery I won't go out. Dougy

Hello Mark, Finally found some pics of my lightweight when I got it in 1997. At the time I wanted a 24V RHD FFR Camo Lightweight hard top with artic heater, as you can see I was nowhere near. There didn't seem to be many around when I wanted one, then half way through restoration the army cast all the series threes. Hopefully you can see where some of the mods are that I mentioned in earlier post. The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment Moto I found when stripping layers of paint on side of bonnet. Must have been mad, first outting after 2year rebuild Dougy

Hello Richard, Last year I depended on a local recovery firm to get me home if any problem arose with my lorry. It is a heavy vehicle recovery firm and it was something I couldn't fix on the side of the road to get me home I always had their number to get them to come and straight bar me home. I also made sure I was able to get hold of a tyre company, even though i carried a spare wheel for the lorry and the lowloader trailer, that way i knew that the right size tyre was available and all they would need to do would be to come and fit it. I always carry some tools and some bits and bobs just incase. Dougy

Hi Neil Try Accurate Armour from Scotland, they are normally quite good for decals of post war British vehicles and they have a range of figures and vehicles. Try also Cromwell Models also from Scotland. I would think if you put their names into search it will come up with their web sites. Good luck with the model, think I mentioned it in a previous post that resin kits can be quite fiddly. Dougy

Spoke to my friend John today who takes his fv432 to Overlord and also has some input into the organising as it is his local show. He says that they are moving the lamp-post at the entrance to the field as it makes it harder to get in. So if you were previously put of it should be easier to get on site this year. It should be easier we did have a bit of trouble getting out last year, had a bit of a fight with the posts Dougy

Think I got there in the end, hopefully there should be a pic of my toys ready to go home from Beltring 2005. with any luck you can all see what i been on about Dougy Thanks for the inspiration Rich

Hello everybody, Bought my FV432 direct from Withams nearly 2 years ago now. It was a birthday treat to my self. Didnt turn out to be as much fun as I had hoped, nearly walked out, but thats another story. Have been to a couple of tenders and come away with stuff. They dont give you long once you have been contacted to pay for and collect. Have found the lads in the yard to be very helpful and they will try to get things going for you and tell you snippets of info. In reply to Richard when he went out with his militant and fh70. I once went to a friends local show in Herefordshire with my fv432 on my lowloader. He told me to go straight into the town up to top to the cricket pitch. Got to the town midday on the Saturday, they dont believe double yellow lines are for not parking on, it was busy and came face to face with a tight 90' left turn. Bought the whole lot to a stand still for what seemed like an age. Had to reverse up because of cars taking the space I needed to get round the old overhanging buildings and a overhanging fv432. Thanks for info on FH70 there where 4 in last sale think they went for about £1500 and think one didnt sell, nearly bid one but we bid on 2 fv432s but didnt bid enough they seemed to go for quite high price. Now thats a long post, well seemed like it got sore finger now Dougy

Hi again Rich, militant and fh70 look good, are you sure you dont need a HGV C1+E for that little lot. Is it exempt because of the age of the vehicles. C1 normally covers the rigid and E refers to a trailer over a certain wait. I am lucky that I have a C+E which covers all categories. When I went to buy my FV432 from Withams I nearly came away with a FH70 instead and when I was at their last tender sale I was so tempted to put a bid on one, but lack of storage put me off. Did you get yours from them & was it complete. Have you seen their latest ones if so is there anything obviously missing Dougy

Hi again Richard, Have had a look at topic and went straight over my head, think i will have to spend a bit of time to work it out, bit late now got to be at work for 7 in morning, back to reality Dougy

Just to let you know that I own a lightweight that was based at Fallingbostal and was with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. When I got it, it had traces of being a rally vehicle and this was suggested by a serving workshop controller at a army base close to where i took it to its first show. The canvas had side windows, it had marks and a tear where it had a roll cage fitted plus holes in floor plates. It had a spare wheel mount in the back. Holes in the headlight boxes that were poss where a bracket was mounted for spot lights. Extra horn button on passenger side and isolater switches to cut off battery. There was no evidence of any engine mods but it has what i believe to be the original 5 bearing engine. When I restored it, when removing the layers of paint from the bonnet sides i found the moto of the 2nd Royal Tank Reg boldly painted (Fear Naught) Hope this of interest Dougy

Hi Richard Computor only just let me on the internet. Well done for sorting it. Did give a bit of consideration as to why there are 3 wires to switch, poss that the foden prime mover has a warning light on its dash, would be a good idea to warn the driver that the brakes have been locked on on the gun, don't you think? Nice that you have been allowed to play with your toys today. I haven't seen my FV432 for over a month Dougy

Sorry to everybody who got a bit lost there, that what you get from hanging around lorries for the last 20 odd years. mot unit.........same as a car a lorry has to have annual test. Unit, short for tractor unit, the cab bit in front with engine etc when used with articulated trailer lowloader....... type of trailer used for carrying vehicles and machines/diggers etc or tank as in my case. Usually got small wheels(to keep load platform low) and ramps at the back or drop out neck to allow loading. 432......... FV432(Trojan) British army armoured personnel carrier fully tracked. Into service from mid sixties and still used today, was superceeded by the warrior. Hope this clears any confusion caused. If I knew how to get pics uploaded I would post them then you could see what I mean Dougy

Hi Richard, When you disconnected the plug from the switch did the light go out then. If the light did go out then as you suspect the problem propably lies with the switch, you will more than likely have to take the switch out. I wouldn't be surprised if it not to dissimilar to the switch on a 3 series brake system, the one for dash light when a front or back curcuit fails or something similar. If it didn't go out then you may have a short curcuit in the wiring, how many wires went to the switch, 1 or 2. Hope this is of some help Dougy

just as Chris has commemted, it does help if you know somebody sort of thing. Keep most of my costs down by being self sufficent as much as i can, but have a couple of friends who i have met through the hobby who have been a great help. Do mean to actually work out if i can afford it over the year but it is probably best i don't. Again it as expensive as you want to make here is some of costs since i bought my 432 cost of buying 432 bought filters(which i still haven't fitted) radios tractor unit (spend a year borrowing a lowloader) couple radio boxes aerial mounts and aerials gun mount some tools and track splitting kit(that I hope i never need to use) bren to go on mount (cant afford gpmg) couple of air tanks for lorry as rotted through beacon & mounts search lamps various other bits and pieces that i get when i can finally got own lowloader(propably biggest cost to date) Tax, insurance and mot and general repairs & servicing for unit and trailer(due mot now still saving up) clarke masts to go on side of 432 chieftain box to go on front couple tyres for lowloader(Oh that hurt not cheap) discovery van (as cavalier couldnt take having toolbox, truck batteries and bits of tank in the boot) at malvern got a cb2 clansman crew box and couple manuals storage(soon adds up to big bill) Need to mot unit and trailer. unit needs another air tank, headlight glass horn not working, trailer going to need brake reline soon. maybe i should be rich or i would be rich if i didn't bother, but there is something about the hobby that makes it worth it dougy

Hi Bowie try footman and james for insurance, their number is in the military mags and found them to be very competative. you may find you will be asked to join the MVT which is £30 for the first year, but I feel that it is worth it as you have so much more to gain by joining anyway Dougy

Funny I was going to ask a similar question in as far as how did we all get involved with military vehicles. Mine started when I was young and my older brother had a plastic model kit for xmas. I went on then to start collecting and trying to do models. Then one day in 1997 I found out you can actually own a real one and started with a lightweight i got from a scrap yard. after that it just seems to snowball. The other thing I was wondering was if people get involved by family members, be it a father is interested and a son or daughter followed on, the reason I ask is that my son is 5 now and unfortunatly for him he sees it as the norm for his dad to have a tank, but fortunatly for me he likes it, I would hate it if he were to get interested in football or computor games. The one thing I do try not to do is force him into the hobby and only involve him when he wants and asks too. Dougy

Hi Matt. Sorry I cant be more of a help even though I have a lowloader parked up in Malvern not doing a lot. Unfortunantly from a legal side mine can only be used for personnal use and not for hire and reward,as a operators lience is required, so it looks like you are going to have to use an established haulage firm. A few things to consider when you are phoning around are that you are going need it to go on a lowloader, so probably a general haulage firm may not have one. It may be worthwhile as that you are more than likely in contact with the docks ask them if they have a regular haulier that goes there with machinery/ tractors or such like for export and they could collect yours as a return load, might reduced the costs a bit. Try to confine you calls to your area or the docks area as once a lorry has to start tramping around the country empty, costs start to go up as, as we all know the fuel prices are one of the biggest killers. Know of a friend who was paying approx £1.50 a mile to get his 432 to his local show. When I went from Malvern to Beltring and back this year with my 432 it cost me a tank full of fuel and when you think my lorry holds about 400 litres you can start to see where your first quote of £750 comes from. And thats before any other costs as tyre wear, drivers wages and wear and tear on a very expensive vehicle, goods in transit insurance etc etc etc. sorry to have gone on a bit, but poor old Britains transport industry seems to be the one that takes all the punishment and once you realise the costs and expertise involved, even though £750 is alot of money it isn't really, but i do think you could get it cheaper if can get it as a back load hope I haven't dismade you too much,but enlightened you a bit dougy

Sorry to disappoint everybody, but no i am not a millionare even though there was a programme on channel 5 tonite stating i must be. Owning a 432 isn't a cheap hobby but i doubt nor is owning any other military vehicle. I find that the storage is the worst bit, the rest i suppose is how involved you want to get. I am fortunate to own a truck and lowloader just for taking 432 to shows (i am trying to save up pennies as due MOT), well there no point having MV if you cant show it off & it keeps costs down a bit (who am i trying to fool) So basically i just a normal (well as normal as you lot out there) person, with crappy job, a girlfriend who puts up with it,an ex-wife who didn't, a 5yr old son who doesn't like noisey tanks and an empty bank balance every month. And no i don't want to get rid of it, not yet anyway. Dougy

Sorry Karoshi, the dig at conditions at Beltring weren't directed at you or anyone inparticular, but just wanderered if anyone else has same problems or views. think it would be a great idea for everybody to meet and it is the place to be within the hobby. Still think you should consider being events officer Dougy

Unfortunatly next year I am not planning on going. I've taken my 432 for the last 2 years. But next year I don't fancy travelling for 5 hours getting there on the Monday with a lowloader to be told there is nowhere to park as all the pitches have been marked out by recce squads. Then to unload and have to negotiate the way out to support parking area, also avoid children on bikes and quads and vehicle drivers with cans of beer in one hand. Then after all that go to the shower block to find that if it isn't shut there is a big que. once you do get to bed you and your family get woken by someone setting of a firework off at silly o'clock. Or am I just being miserable. Dougy