question Is our hobby dying out?

[robin craig]

I'm not saying I'm old but it seems that there has been a gradual change in our hobby.

 

Years ago the more complex and obtuse the machine the more people wanted it and bought them and used them.

 

Nowadays the ranks of the Stalwart owners are dwindling and less and less machines survive.

 

The venerable push me pull you Combat Engineer Tractor is not something that gets bought much and barely makes scrap price if they change hands.

 

Nowadays everyone wants something with a big gun on it.

 

Perhaps there was a time that vehicles were plentiful and the supply has dwindled. Perhaps fuel costs and trucking to events has killed it.

 

Perhaps i'm just loosing it

 

R

[Tony B]

A lot of people I work with save up and have a two week holiday. With the MV's I get a holiday every time I drive them! Hopefully a bit of snow soon and some real fun!

[.303fan]

with road tax rules changes they threaten in the netherlands,

a lot of diesel land rovers are converted or scrapped.

they plan, 40 years is tax exempt, 25 to 40 years on petrol there is a rule that bans em off the roads in winter time, diesel and lpg that currently are tax eccept will pay full amount if plans are pushed through.

also the zones in cities makes it near impossible to keep them...

glad i moved away from it all.

[Catch 22 LBDR]

I cant speck for the UK but hear in Ireland (Republic) I have come across one serious problem that jeopardises the future of the movement hear. The suborn farmer! I have lost many wrecks to the scrap man because this conundrum of a man is imposable to deal with. I find that as soon as you ask about that rusting lorry burred under the bushes in his field its suddenly worth a fortune and that the 70 year old man who owns is has plans to restore it, even though it has bean there for years.

 

I had this very conversation with a farmer while trying to save two Morris commercial Quads, one a rare Irish army 6x4. I even asked him to name his price (this was about 15 years ago). About 4 or 5 years latter they were sent to the scrap man.

 

So far I have bean unable to save, two Morris lorries, three Karrier trucks, and two champs, all gone to the scrap man :angry

[Redherring]

And then there are the people whose parts are made of gold.

Went to an auction. Veritable mountain of parts for sale; "no reserve" we were told during the auctioneers opening address. Most of the small stuff - junk really - sold quickly and for low prices. Most of the bidders were restorers like us - people I have seen about the traps and dependent upon the ever decreasing pool of parts left to us. However, the relaxed atmosphere wasn't to last. As we got to the NOS military spares things began to get passed in. Annoyed vendor, grumpy bidders, irrational auctioneer. Many of us had been to this bloke's shed over the years and paid high prices for NOS items. This was supposed to be his final sale - the rats and mice from a vast collection of NOS acquired after WW2. The auctioneer got to a small pile of Universal carrier flexible drive joints. I already had one but thought a spare might be in order. With the owner of said parts by his side the auctioneer asks for a typically high price. Surprise - surprise - no bids. "What am I offered". I couldn't resist. So against my better judgement I offered half his asking price. Big mistake. What sort of a cheapskate are you!!! I was told by the auctioneer - slightly less politely than that. I did my best to disappear - difficult to do in a small crowd - and it was a while before the auctioneer would take a bid from me at all - and I was one of many! As you would expect from then on the bids were few and most of the stuff was left where it stood. Not one of those drive joints sold. The auction became a complete farce and people have been talking about it ever since. It was one of the classics.

 

Personally I like to trade stuff. Nice equitable way to go about it. But you can't always do that. :angel:

[.303fan]

i know it, same as re manufacturing of winch parts for a aeroparts capstan winch,

i got the winch and the flange that goes on the engine pulley, there was a offer to have it re manufactured for 1500 pounds,

just the drive shaft bits. i can buy 4 complete winches for that money.

so, original is nice, but not above what i can spend.

[raeme 21]

I took the lovely out this morning, and the answer is NO. if your worried about things not being original, I suggest you check the air in your tires and see if it's still 70yrs old.

raeme21.

[joeferret]

I came upon my Ferret a few months ago......It was a classic car or an armoured vehicle ! I am really enjoying the hobby but I will never have the money or experience to make the Ferret show quality....I am proud of the fact I am resurrecting a historical Military vehicle....I hope the more experienced in our group here will continue to post so that people like me can learn more about our machines...Keep them going guys.....

[.303fan]

the air in my tyres is older then 70 years. it was hard to find, but it is NOS ... it states on

the can

not a lot of options i have, perhaps a bodge with a sliding piece from a propshaft will work. as for reap pto, i don't dare to say what i plan. i found a bearing block from a lorry on the road, i plan to have that spinning on tick over with a shaft.

[raeme 21]

She'l be right mate. There will always be one part older than you.

Phill.

[alixcompo]

I took the lovely out this morning, and the answer is NO. if your worried about things not being original, I suggest you check the air in your tires and see if it's still 70yrs old.

raeme21.

 

I always get my Mum to blow my tyres up. She is 97.......................

[.303fan]

still i hope for a few bits i can afford, or even a complete other pto winch.

if many parts for loydcarriers and thornycroft ww1 trucks are out there, my parts are in a shed waiting to be found.

[Austin]

Of course its not dying out, my 21 year old brother is on his third MV! His current is the RL in the restoration forum.

 

As with everything, things don't stay the same, where my Dad was buying vehicles and parts from local farmers and scrapyards, we're now using ebay and Milweb. Information has never been easier to share, helping restorations and exact paint schemes etc but also everyone has seen the ridiculous prices some MV's are advertised for, and that pushes up the price of the restoration projects, parts and militaria.

[79x100]

The market for WW1 and WW2 vehicles seems firm but they represent only the first forty years or so of military vehicle production. Almost seventy years has passed since then and a huge variation of vehicle types. I'd hazard a guess that with the exception of a few specialists and ex-servicemen, many of these vehicles will have passed in and out of service without making much impression on the general public or being linked to any particular conflicts.

 

I think it's inevitable that after the first flood as they're sold off, at which point they're accessible to almost anyone, only comparitively few will seek them out to own and restore in the long term.

[raeme 21]

But always remember when we had our unit vehicles, there was a modification to do on something. My vehicles always carried what they needed to do a job. It was very embarassing if you needed one piece and it was 2 days drive to go back to get it.

RET. RECOVERY CPL.

raeme21.

[stal108]

I think there are more vehicles in the hobby than ever,, Jeeps landrovers in there hundreds not so many big trucks but more now than ever still . More armour than ever ,, im not thinking its getting smaller its bigger than ever, More profile than ever.