daz76

Since neither of us had much experience with panels we got help from our friend Tony. All the panels were made up and new doors manufactured. I had moved house from Cambridgeshire to Cornwall at this point, so I jumped at the chance to get Thor transported back to Cornwall. since this all happened very quickly only the rear cab panels behind the driver and passenger were bolted on before loading on the lorry later that day.

We found a windscreen frame which was salvageable and rebuilt it, although I'm still not happy with the fit so I make another from scratch. |The second photo shows the final check before starting him up for the first time in a VERY long time. A great point to get to in any rebuild. :banana: To my ear an AEC 760 with a 2 ft exhaust pipe sounds as good as anything else! A friend in the joinery trade recommended Keruing as the wood for the cab floor. This is now in place and has shown little problem with 18 months standing out in all weathers as no panels have yet been fitted to the cab.

With the body off the running gear was steam cleaned. I still can't believe how solid old grease can become. The refurbished cab frame was put on and the bonnet and side panels refurbished. The engine and front chassis were painted silver after needle gunning and priming. This is an idea from our days of running coaches, as the silver paint shows up any oils leaks very easily. At a later date the chassis will be returned to DBG. The idea was to replace the cab as soon as possible to enable the Explorer to move under it's own power. Everything else will then be stripped and restored bit by bit as a rolling restoration. Some of the rustier bits of the chassis and frame can be seen in the photos.

What a sorry state of affairs, although I'm not surprised given the state of society and the general lack of respect for those who fought for us in the past. I have worked with many wonderful French people and been in touch with more via this forum and I agree that they will be embarrassed about this political stunt. This should be a time of reflection, celebration and thanks to those who remain and those who perished in preserving freedom for our nations, regardless of nationality. Not a happy chappy. :argh::argh::argh::argh::argh:

Thanks safariswing. Shows how observant I am .......:morning:

I just went to click on the HMVF TV tab on my screen and it's gone! Can anyone tell me where please? Been staring at the screen like a dummy for ages and still can't find it. Help! Daz.:confused:

Cor! What great trucks John. Welcome to the forum. I've (mis)spent many an hour watching clips of these things in action on Youtube. They're awesome. Something a bit different in the UK too. would love to see some more photos when you have time. Daz

Many congratulations on your marriage Croc. I've not seen a finer set of wedding photos! Needle scalers are addictive aren't they? Hope to bump in to you at GDSF. That sounds like a looooooooooong trip to me. all the best mate. Daz

I'm sure loads of you will already know of it, but I just discovered the 'Yesterday' channel on digital TV. Seems to have some great programmes on the world wars, Churchill, Hitler etc. and there were MV's of all kinds shown in archive footage. Worth looking out for!:wow:

A replacement cab frame in good order, along with several other useful bits were taken from this Explorer being dismantled by Alan Rogerson. (Thanks Alan!). Once home this was stripped wire brushed and painted ready to refit at a later date.

Clearly you've adopted the Jimh philosophy of getting stuck in. does this mean it'll be finished and on the road by next weekend...?:cool2:

Lovely photos 6x6. Thanks for posting. It's even better when the people in them are on the forum like Nptimber! :-D

Wow! That's a terrific job Jim. Can't wait to see more pics as the build continues. Daz

Great to see another one saved. Well done! Look forward to hearing more about it. Just booked my tickets for my first visit to GDSF so I'm happy and looking forward to meeting some of you in the flesh. I'll be without the Explorer this year, but who knows about next year....:-D

Looks good now Thor. Very smart and ready for the show season. :-D

Terrific photos Andy! You're really cracking on with Daisy now. You'll be back on the road in no time. A real inspiration to get back to my restoration this summer. Not going to be pretty after winter under a tarp but I just wish there were either more hours in a day or more days a year! good luck continuing the great job.

Well done Rob! Must be great to have a drive again. Gotta say I like the ground anchor- it's nothing if not purposeful looking! :-D

Thanks Phil for the comparison chart. Interesting reading. Great to know Big Jenny's on the move again Rob. Can I suggest the modification made to my Explorer regarding the gearbox oil pressure- Quite simply remove the pressure guage and bend the end of the pipe over to stop oil drips (not my own modification!) I'm working on the assumption that what I don't know won't worry me...:coffee:

Thanks Degsy. I still think I can do a lot better than the prices I've got so far so that's a useful tip. Trying to put the spare pennies towards panelling the cab and doing the brakes over the Summer. Daz

Thank Gritineye, I'll give them a try. Daz

Richard, you'll be pleased to know that Forest Lubricants are in full agreement about OMD330 being an engine oil sometimes used in gearboxes etc. For anybody still interested, Forest's 25 litre cans of each of the original spec oils are cheaper than Morris's (just over the £50 mark), but with delivery etc, there's not going to be much in it. I contacted CP lubricants in Southampton (address above) and for 2x 25 litre drums of SAE 140 and 1 of SAE 90 to be sent to me in Cornwall is £185 inc VAT and delivery. Not bad when by comparison, my local supplier three quarters of a mile away wants £ 68.71 each - £7 a drum cheaper to come from Southampton! You pays your money............ Still hope to do better than this locally though. Morris oils Shrewsbury www.morrislubricants.co.uk Forest Lubricants www.forestlubricants.co.uk Ps doesn't that Explorer/Contractor look tasty! :cool2:

Well spotted Gritineye. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see how prices have changed.......

Would you adam and eve it! I've just been looking at the same site! £34 -£36 ish for 25 litres plus Vat and delivery. sounds good to me. Thanks for your help Richard. :-D

Thanks Richard, this is a real help having hard facts and figures to work with for a layman like me! So SAE 140 gear oil IS safe to use in place of OC600 and by the look of it you are saying that Morris's AG90 or any SAE90 is safe to use in place of OMD330 in the front axle and gearboxes of the Explorer. Sorry if I seem a bit thick, but I obviously want to get the right stuff! :tup:: Daz.

Cheers for that info Thor. I'll have a look to see what I can get locally. I assume you're getting the SAE 90 and 140 from them and not the old fashioned stuff? Ta. Daz