greyhound32122

thanks for the replies so far every one, i am used to long lasting expensive projects as me and my dad restore traction engines so used to dealing with big machinery and high expenditure. we went to the sale in melksham a few months ago as we are only 4 miles up the road and dad got all excited over the artillery and i thought it would be a nice change to restore a tank instead of a steam engine. i like the M10 on milweb and dad agree's as it is big and has twin Detroit's in the back which is my kind of machine. could some one say what region an M10 project would cost to purchase? regards sam

hello every one i have been reading the thread about the churchill's and seeing some members were saying british armour is not worth as much as american or german. being a military vehicle novice and one day would like to get into WW2 armour what sort of prices does the WW2 armour command? obviously i am not asking owners what they have paid for their armour but what sort of regions would i be expecting to look at say for example an A34 Comet or an M10 tank destroyer restored or derelict? i have been looking on milweb but sellers don't seem to show prices so have no idea were i would be starting price wise. any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated. regards sam

looks like a very enjoyable event and not far for me either. diamond t would fit in nicely if there is room.

a very inspiring restoration which i keep coming back to view as i am in the process of hopefully acquiring a 981 which will be my first military based vehicle restoration and thanks to threads like this i really can't wait. the 980/981's are one of my top 5 military trucks of all time and i look forward to more updates on this truck. best regards sam

there was a local vintage vehicle gathering 6 mile down the road from me so i popped over in the 969 for a few hours and there were a couple of nice Morris Commercial's and a impressive Berliet wrecker which was a little different. regards sam

had a surprise visitor turn up today and with wonderful weather i couldn't let the opportunity go to get my t out for some pics.

not sure i know both DT 981's and the rogers sold the explorer is remaining very local the pink panther sold and i think that is staying in melksham. the matador and the 2 mini matador's sold and all 3 are going to the same person. i don't know about any of the other vehicles as i was only interested in the vehicles mentioned already.

Neil told me it has gone to a museum here in the UK but i can't remember which one regards sam

what is the load rating of the trailer in question? 30-35 ton capacity? cheers sam

as i am heavily involved with steam traction engines i have heard a lot of good things about Banbury but i have nether attended so it would be a very enjoyable first time visit if the DT gathering were to be held there. have just clocked the mileage on google maps to Banbury and it looks like a very pleasant 140 mile round trip for me. still looking forward to attending this event. cheers sam

Andy Blackford is keen to come with his 980 plus the Rogers trailer with the 969 or some kind of load on the back. cheers sam

i would like to bring my 969 along if that is ok Adrian and i am seeing Andy Blackford over the weekend so i will mention it to him as he may bring his 980. if the event is with in 100 miles of Devizes that would be perfect as i can drive my 969 up. cheers sam

after noon every one i would like to know if there is some one in the UK who is able to over haul the Hercules RXC engines for the Diamond T 969's. the work will involve a short block over haul at the very least as the engine in question has been sat around and not ran since 1947. the bulk of the work i will under take myself but after many people suggesting that the crank set up is crucial and requires shimming i would prefer to allow a much more experienced person to under take this task. any recommendations for companies or individual's who have re built the engine type in question will be greatly appreciated. many thanks sam

i am 23 and i bought my first military vehicle in October 2014 now a sensible person would start of with a small Dodge or a GMC but being the type of guy who's smallest vehicle is a modified defender 90 this wasn't the case. so i jumped in with both feet and purchased a 1943 diamond t 969A which i am just enjoying more and more and look forward to each weekend. all i can say is i am glad petrol is getting cheaper so happy days . regards sam

Hi Adrian bought my t a few weeks ago and really enjoying working on it. Model 969A Chassis No 969A3244 Engine Hercules RXC Civilian reg NFF 654 21/04/1994 Cab type soft Body type Holmes 45 wrecker Previous owner Andrew Cameron Current owner Sam Goddard Location Devizes Wiltshire Military history unknown Condition restored who do i talk to about finding out my T's history? hope info is useful cheers sam

Hi Mal i don't know if the grease i used is the correct stuff but it made no difference as every time i started the T it would get worse and worse. i removed the pump today and the bearings seem fine but when you spin it it sounds very dry and the shaft appears quite rusty so it may be it just wants stripping and given a good clean. Andy Blackford who is my local T expert said the seals can fail if the truck is not ran for long periods of time with the coolant drained as the seals dry out then crack. i don't think the truck got used much in Cameron's owner ship so this could be a possibility so i shall pull it apart tomorrow after work and see what i really have. regards sam

Hi all hopefully i have the exhaust manifold for my 969 sorted, the other issue with my T is the water pump which was dripping slightly when i bought it and i was told that you can pump grease in to help seal the drive shaft. a lass it has got so bad it has emptied all the coolant over 2 days so it is not going to fix itself. i looked at it earlier and it looks like a straight forward procedure to remove it. as i have already removed the air box so you can see it clearly, so what i would like to know is there anything i must be aware of when removing it and disconnecting the pipes. as i noticed there is a solid copper pipe going to the air compressor which i am assuming is to cool the air compressor. any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. cheers sam

Hi Mal were can i get a copy of TM Tankograd Technical Manual Series Diamond T 4 Ton? it would be useful to have the manual and would be nice to see the photo. cheers sam

Hi Mal have messaged steve so hopefully it will all come good, clambered under the T today and gave every thing a grease up which was a wise move as the hardy spicer joints had some water in them. checked the oil level's and the main gear box is milky so will change that other wise all good. have a play tomorrow so i can get used to the winches. Hello Sam we spoke briefly on the G503 forum about your Diamond T in the last few months as i was looking at buying a T i am fowler 8669 on G503. Mal has pointed me in the direction of an exhaust manifold so waiting for a reply at the moment. the bracket you were referring to on the end of the banana bar i think is on my T so i will sort some pics out tomorrow of the bracket and what i end up lifting up. regards sam

Hi John time, date and place is in the diary looking forward to meeting you all. regards sam

Hi Mal thank you for the warm welcome, i understand these old trucks require a lot of time to keep them running but fortunately my 969 has had a lot of the jobs done on it like the wiring and body work. engine runs very well and the brakes are just scary (work to well) so i am really happy with it. i am lucky as i live in the next town over from Andy Blackford who has a 969 and a 980 so he is very knowledgeable as he completely rebuilt both his trucks. regarding parts for the 969 i have been looking on the web and i have found a few parts on ebay such as original hub seals, throttle linkages and possibly a diff centre. but as is the case these parts don't generally give problems. the exhaust manifold has already been repaired with a plate which has been welded over the crack then fire clay smeared around it. it is fine at the moment but how long it will remain compliant i don't know and knowing how hot it gets under the bonnet i don't want a blowing exhaust. so i am planning ahead before it goes wrong. thanks for the contact details i shall give Per a shout and i'll tell him you said high Mal cheers sam

hi all has any one got or no off an original exhaust manifold for the hercules RXC engine as mine has cracked, any info would be much appreciated. also who are the best people to talk to about parts for the 969 just in case. cheers sam

hi john that sounds good what sort of time do you meet there?

hi kyle the weasel made £8500 not including the 5%premium and there was no vat on it, the La France made 14k with no vat or premium and the 2 other T's in the sale made £5400. i own a Fowler road loco works number 8669 built for the Boer war, which i am half way through a major restoration. the rest of the collection is on are webpage roadsteam.co.uk cheers sam

just joined been looking at the photo album and looks very friendly and enjoyable.