My Former WC51 "Flying Control Dodge" - A New Chapter

[Jessie The Jeep]

Colin was having some starting problems with his Austin. He was one of the singers, performing at East Tanfield station, so Andy took him down in his Jeep while the rest of us tinkered with the engine. After much fiddling and giving the battery a full charge, we got it running again by the time he finished singing.

It was another wet drive on the way home, but had stopped by the time we got back, so were able to pack away without getting wet.

It was another very tiring, but enjoyable green weekend. It was my tenth and penultimate event for the 2023 season, 'though the vehicles have made an equal number of non-show outings.

More pictures here - https://www.sacarr.co.uk/mymvs/events/2023/tanfield.htm

[Jessie The Jeep]

National Museum of the Royal Navy ( Hartlepool ) - Sept 30th/Oct 1st
 
The show at the National Museum of the Royal Navy is likely to be my last public show of 2023. While only 16 miles from home, I didn't want to spend a fortune on fuel at the end of the season, so decided to take the Dodge the first day and the Jeep the second.

I took the Dodge on the first day because of possible rain during the afternoon, so that I had some cover to hide in. Andy was there with his Jeep, so we set up a maintenance diorama with the Dodge and his Jeep.

[Jessie The Jeep]

A number of the usual local groups were set up around the historic quay with HMS Trincomalee as the backdrop. This was the first 1940s event held by the museum.

The Trincomalee is one of two surviving British Leda-class sailing frigate, built shortly after the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Work on the Trincomalee began in May 1816 and was launched on 12 October 1817. Trincomalee holds the distinction of being the oldest British warship still afloat, as although HMS Victory is 52 years older, the Victory is displayed in dry dock.

[Jessie The Jeep]

The Royal Navy Bomb Disposal display, demonstrated disarming a parachute mine during the show and the Wizz Bangs gave a talk and firing display of various weapons once each day. Another Jeepwas parked near us, with another two in the Wizz Bangs display.

The rain held off until mid afternoon, so I got wet on the trip home and while packing the Dodge away into the garage.

This appears to be our last event of the year, ending the season at Hartlepool, very close to Heugh Battery, where we started the 2023 season.

More pictures here - https://www.sacarr.co.uk/mymvs/events/2023/royalnavy.htm

Edited October 2, 2023 by Jessie The Jeep

[Jessie The Jeep]

September 29th - Dodge Rear Canvas

I got a second hand rear canvas for the Dodge earlier in the season. It is meant to be attached to the bow by a spiral of rope, wrapped around the top of the bow. On a normal Dodge, having it permanently fitted isn't a problem. On mine, having the crane fitted and having to dismantle the roof bows to get it in the garage, makes the standard way of attachment a problem. So far this year, I only fitted it if it looked like it was going to rain overnight. I wanted a quicker way of attaching it than threading the rope around the bows and through all the canvas eyelets.

The wires that support the crane usually hang a little way below the bow, stopping the canvas from rolling down from the top as on a standard Dodge. When the tailgate is closed, that will support the crane, so the lifting cables can be given a bit of slack. A small chain was added to the bow, to hold the cables up out of the way of the canvas, allowing it to hang below.

So after a bit of messing around with ideas, I came up with a new way of attaching the canvas. Small lengths of rope were cut and fed through pairs of eyelets in the canvas, knotted on the outside. They now hook over small dowels on the inside of the bow, without any need for being tied or wrapped around the bow. It is a quick job to unfasten the sides and unhook the ropes from the dowels to remove it. If I need to see out the back to move the truck while at a show, I can just unhook the tops and the whole canvas can drop down to the truck bed, without removing the side ropes.

Longer lengths of rope are attached to each side, which do wrap around the sides of the bow to pull it out at the edges. It is now a quick job to fit or remove and the crane lifting wires don't cause a problem. It's quite thin material and could do with painting in a waterproof fabric seal like Nikwax to help keep the rain out.

[Jessie The Jeep]

First Run Out of the Year - February 3rd, 2024

The Dodge hasn't run or moved since the Historic Quay event at the end of September. While it felt mild today, it wasn't warm. As with the Jeep in the morning, I began with a fan heater under the sump to pre-heat the oil. After that, I turned the engine over several times, to get some oil moving around the engine. Once I felt I'd moved enough oil, the carb was primed and I went for the start. Oil pressure was up straight away.

I pulled out of the garage and let the Dodge warm up on the drive before going for a drive. There wasn't much fuel in the Dodge, so this drive was only a couple of miles around a lane that loops around the village.

I stopped a couple of times for some photos, then returned home and tucked it back up in the garage again. Springtime servicing can wait until the weather warms up.