To see or not to see..........

[Jack]

Following on from Commanders point in another thread, http://www.hmvf.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=651 I have this question.

 

 

Do we compromise safety over vanity?

 

Do will strip out all of the old electrics of an mv and replace it with the modern equivalent? We are using vehicles today that primarily didn't take into account the rules and regulations of 21st century motoring. We all like a challenge in live and so it is driving an MV at night on modern roads.

 

So the questions are;

 

1. Is it better to been seen using modern technology but by association losing some of the vehicles history and originality?

2. Stick with what you got with out compromise, as you don't very often use it at night anyway?

3. Trying to mix points 1 & 2 together as a comprise?

 

 

Personally, I like all of the above but in my magic wand world I would like to have 2 GMC's, one that I have now that I can really enjoy and take it to where ever I want at anytime of the day and the second one that I WOULD restore to museum standard and would enjoy joining the camp of rivet counters..

 

 

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

Jack.

[oddball]

All depends on how much of a purist you are I guess.

[paul connor]

have never driven my PIG at night, not sure how good it is, poor i expect from what my landrover Piglet was like...

 

i think purism should be a key, but uprating things if you intend to work the vehicle at night etc

[fv1609]

I have several lighting issues I have wrestled with on my prototype pig.

 

There are two rear red lights on each side. One pair is for tail lights & the other is for stoplights. But the turnlight when operated overules the brake light on that side so the brake light on that side flashes whilst the other side it role remains as a brake light. I believe some classic US cars function along these line. I have taken advice from DoT in Whitehall & this is ok for the era of the vehicle (1956)

 

At the front each side there is a pair of opaque white lights. One pair sidelights the other pair turnlights. Given the average modern driver is unlikely to grasp what a flashing white light means I have painted the turnlight bulbs orange. So it looks ok at a show but when in use reveals the expected orange. Now you can buy orange bulbs, but not 24v 10w ones! So I have used glass paint from a craft shop & that works very well.

 

Although I don't go out after dark. I do miss not being able to give a headlight flash to an overtaking vehicle. To operate my lights I have to pull the lighting switch then turn it 3 clicks then make sure my headlights are main beam by turning a large knob on the horn assembly. There is no way on knowing when I am main beam so I have cheated & fitted a blue main beam indicator bulb. Not authentic to the vehicle but in the place where it was done on production pigs.

 

Without being able to give other drivers a quick flash I find some lorries behave with an appalling beligerance & cut me up. To punish me for being a slow vehicle & for not flashing them in. So I have a relay & push button I am going to wire in discretly before next season.

[Richard Farrant]

Jack,

 

Safety is paramount.......and also abiding by the laws on lighting, Road Traffic act, Construction and Use Act, etc.

 

My interests are WW2 British vehicles, they originally had one tail light, no stop light and one masked headlight. You have to compromise if you want to use it on the road. Flashers are essential, so I position them off the bodywork so they are not obtrusive, but in a correct dimensional position but under the body or wings. Same with tail lights and reflectors.

 

Richard

 

Just seen Clives message, and agree, that a few concession to originality have to be done for safety and self preservation.

[ashley]

Hi all,

for any person to ignore safety is an idiot, and it is fuel for beaurocrats to try and further curtail the tradition of peoples hobbies/intrests.

I feel that changes have to be made and as long as they are not detrimental to the vehicles character there should be no problems, i seen vintage vehicles with removable indicators etc and some vehicles can be adapted with in origonal parameters. My jeep (contary to other members feelings on this forum) has had the front blackout lamps converted to indicators, the rear brakelamps have had the internals removed and lined with foil just to give a brighter light (not my chosing but i have not reinstated them to origonal spec)

Also may be a spare wheel cover with Hi- Vis material may be next but i feel that as my night time driving (or even driving in wet or poor visability with manual windscreen wipers :shock: ) is very minimal

 

But saying all this if it has passed the govt. reulations re the M.O.T. then the other ****** road users should keep thier eyes open

 

From personal experiance the M25 is no fun in a jeep at any time of day.

 

Better stop here or it`ll go on all night.

 

Ashley

[Richard Grosvenor]

Hello,

Personally, I would always go for safety over originality if the vehicle is to be used on the road.

Because my Militant is large and slow, 30mph max, I have fitted flashing beacons front and rear. I know it wouldn't have had them in service but during the 50's, 60's and 70's other traffic was much slower than it is today. And I think a 44 ton artic running in to the back of me at 60 mph because he hadn't seen me would detract from originality a little more!

I've also added a rear view camera as a extra safety measure. I've installed the monitor so it can only be seen from the driving seat, anyone looking from any point outside the vehicle can't see it. The camera itself is mounted on the same bracket as the flashing light and most people don't even see that either.

I'm sure a lot of purist's would disagree but I would rather see someone stood behind the truck than run over them.

 

Regards

Richard

[mick garner]

When we first got our closed cab GMC I couldn't wait to go for a good drive in it, the crash gearbox takes some getting used to I know and I stalled it sometimes whilst going over the A1 roundabout at sandy, I stalled it once so instead of keep going I turned into the garage directly on the roundabout and got the old girl started again, and, i don't know whether it was an illusion or because of the fact it was in better mechanical condition but our open cab seemed to be a lot faster of the line than our closed cab. Sometimes the Jimmy did become a bit of a liability on the road though because she maxes out at about 47 maybe 50 if you're very lucky, but on bar-grip tyres and with play in the steering box it does start to feel a bit 'scary'. Our indicators weren't fantastic either, they were those small motorbike indicators so that we could fold them up and hide them when we went to photo shoots and shows. I would still recommend the motor to anyone with guts looking to buy an MV, they have a lot of road prescence and you have to admit that the closed cab is a very handsome truck! i think that modernising a jimmy would spoil the experience, a jimmy is what it is and should stay that way. Mick.

[ArtistsRifles]

Can't speak for the WW2 era vehicles 'cos I'm not that wealthy

But from research done thus far on Stalwarts the concessions to modern traffic are much the same as for Richards Militant - viz. beacons and rear view camera (one chap told me he has fitted 3 - on at the rear and one on either side on the drop side because the rearview is so bad. Personally I think a fourth under the nose would be a benefit as the hull shape means you can't see what directly in front of you if it's Fiesta/Mini-size but then it would cause problems when swimming). Also I've heard of removable boards being fitted to the tailgate (outer one) carrying hi-viz markings and warnings as to vehicle performance. Not much more you can do to enhance road safety on these on that respect....