OZITIM Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Proof thats its on the road and registered. Check out the link below OZITIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Sorry about the poor quality of photography. My son can spend hours filming his cat doing nothing, but ask him to film the Ferret was like asking him extract a molar. Ahh, dont you love teenagers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 I took the Ferret on its longest run yesterday. 80 klm from Cairns to Mareeba and back. No big deal you say, but between these two towns is the Kuranda Range which a climb from sea level to 1083 feet. It was blisteringly hot, however it made it up the range and all the way. I collected second place at the military vehicle show, and drove back at midnight. Half way back, I encountered a bushfire, coupled with the darkness and the amount of smoke I inhaled, it was an epic journey. The first two pictures are of me pausing at the bottom of the range and getting her ready for the long slow grind up the range. The last picture is about half way up and Im pouring water on the radiator and generally giving the old girl a bit of a cool down. Remember that this vehicle was recovered as a wreck in a paddock in the Australian outback. I rebuilt everything, so it was a nervous trip, panicking about what I might have missed or done wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 You can see in the pic, that I am already covered in sweat. Sun cream on. It was bloody hot. I drenched myself down with the jerry can half way too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 This is what I started with. It was found in this condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff66 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 What was the temp that day and what was max temp u saw on ferret temp gauge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 the temp was sitting around 30 degrees. Going up the hill it got up to around 200 degrees, but im not entirely confident about the gauge. Its an old temp sender. I need to get a new one. I pulled up regularly and checked it. It seemed hot to me, and I didnt want to push my luck. Coming back at night, with the temperature at around 21 degrees, it was perfect. It didnt seem anywhere near as hot as it did during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101 Ron Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) Many years ago as a young bloke I got the job of following a ferret from Sydney to Albury and back again in a series 2a Land Rover as support vehicle for the owner of the ferret. The ferret didn't miss a beat and at every hill on the Hume Hwy the ferret just left me for dead. The ferret has no problems doing lots of tarred road miles and at speed. The funniest part about it was listening to the truckies on the CB radio saying to each other they were just over taken by a tank. If I remember correctly the owner got the ferret cranked up to just under 60 miles per hour at times. Good luck with your ferret..............miles on hard roads don't seem to worry them when they are all sorted out. Edited September 5, 2016 by 101 Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Dear Tim, Cracking job there on the rebuild, I understand why you were anxious. A couple of questions, are the rear lights a modern adaptation and were many mk1/1 in Australian service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 How was your butt? I find the seat in mine to be pretty damned uncomfortable after 20-30km or so. The most I've ever done in mine was just shy of 500km in 2 days (Adelaide to Pinnaroo and back again) and it was murder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 The rear lights are an Australian army mod. The army wanted to fit brake lights and indicators and looked around for what they could retro fit. At the time, the army had a supply of AB130 International truck lights, which they acquired in the mid 60's. These were subsequently fitted, with the light protectors made up in a RAEME workshop. So if you want replacement lights, find an old international truck. Evidently, Dodge AT4 also used the same lights. Their is a great Dodge AT4 still in service in the military as a funeral gun carriage. Its a beautiful truck. Ive not every seen a mk1/1 in Australian service. It is definitely Australian, but never seen a photo of this model in service. I dont know of any other 'Australian mk1/1' that is getting around. Dear Tim, Cracking job there on the rebuild, I understand why you were anxious. A couple of questions, are the rear lights a modern adaptation and were many mk1/1 in Australian service? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 Yes, that seat gets hard. 500klm, thats an epic journey. I was surprised how good it was on fuel. When I climbed out of the turret when I got to Mareeba, the crowd at the show asked how was the drive, I think they were surprised when I said 'bloody terrible'! I loved every bit of it though. But the wind, shaking and noise, sure takes some getting used too. How was your butt? I find the seat in mine to be pretty damned uncomfortable after 20-30km or so. The most I've ever done in mine was just shy of 500km in 2 days (Adelaide to Pinnaroo and back again) and it was murder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Ive not every seen a mk1/1 in Australian service. It is definitely Australian, but never seen a photo of this model in service. I dont know of any other 'Australian mk1/1' that is getting around. Hi Tim, Looking at your Ferret, the fixed turret on it, would make it a Mk1/2, but these came out much later (early 60's I think) than when the Australian army were issued with Ferrets (early 50's). I have only seen this fixed turret on British Mk1/2 Ferrets. Is it possible a previous private owner has put this on from an ex-British one? Your data plate in the hull should show the true Mark number. cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 the hull number is 516.B.10.4. Build date October 1954. The turret was with the hull, but not attached. Tim Vibert imported a number of Ferrets into Australia about ten years ago, and some of them were mk1/2, but they all retain their fixed turrets. I have no idea where this one came from. Maybe it was sent to Australia as a mod trial. Hi Tim,Looking at your Ferret, the fixed turret on it, would make it a Mk1/2, but these came out much later (early 60's I think) than when the Australian army were issued with Ferrets (early 50's). I have only seen this fixed turret on British Mk1/2 Ferrets. Is it possible a previous private owner has put this on from an ex-British one? Your data plate in the hull should show the true Mark number. cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 ...Is it possible a previous private owner has put this on from an ex-British one?... That's quite possible; quite a few British Ferrets have been imported into Australia. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Tim's should be a Mk 2 and that the superstructure has been swapped out with a Mk 1/2. Cheers, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 5, 2016 Author Share Posted September 5, 2016 If anyone could find me a turret lid for the mk1/2 I would love to hear from you. This one has been cut off with a gas axe, presumably to make a BBQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toner Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 Fantastic work on your ferret. Would you be able to make a replacement lid if you got the dimensions ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZITIM Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 That was my next plan. Their is a great guy, about an hour from me with a Brit 1/2 who I have to go and take a visit and do some measurements. I was just hoping that someone might have had one propped up against the back fence, and was sick of the grass growing around it. Fantastic work on your ferret. Would you be able to make a replacement lid if you got the dimensions ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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