Great War truck Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 What an amazing find. It is incredible what turns up some time. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 (edited) Hi Tim, After studying your restoration blog I feel I am getting off very easily, just wear and tear, only a few things to make. I have attached images of the Rotax Catalogue showing the meters. The cat is very interesting as I can identify all the components except the cut out and switch bank. The dynamo still has its original warranty seals! Although the pulley had been replaced, fortunately the original pulley has now turned up and just needs a new boss machining to refit. I have learn one of the original floor boards which had been noted as missing in the 1970,s restoration has been located by a previous owner who recovered the vehicle from India in the early 1960's, it is currently in the US so it may be some time before it is reunited with the car. Tom Cover.pdf Rotax Switch Box.pdf Edited September 6, 2009 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I read today that the 1918 RFC Crossley 20/25 tender rolling chassis that has pased through many collector's hands in recent years has now been sold to Peter Jackson (director of Lord of the Rings) in New Zealand. That puts paid to that dream! Still, at least, Peter has the resources and enthusiasm to do a 'proper' job with this vehicle. No doubt, in time, it will end up with his WW1 aircraft collection and museum: http://www.omaka.org.nz/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rlangham Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Good to hear that it's gone to a good home, but would be nice to have an RFC Crossley Tender in UK or Europe (aside from the RAFM Hendon one), before everything WW1 goes to NZ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 The most original tender is still in the UK in a private collection. The one at Hendon has a replica body (looks ok from a distance, but wrong in many ways) and the Australian War Museum's example has a replica body as well. There are also a few piles of distressed parts in the UK looking for a decent chassis - most unusual this, as it normally WW1 chassis that are the easy bit to find. But the one gone to NZ is probably the best 'project' vehicle around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Was it Mike Sutcliffes old one? Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I believe so. Subsequently with two or three others before it's latest move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Oh Bu***r it. I wished that i had bought it when i had the chance. This one came back from Ireland and had been used by the Black and Tans. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 (edited) History Laid to Rest As Dublin Welcomes Old Enemy It was a huge moment, steeped in symbolism and history, but the reception to God Save The Queen as England took the field at Croke Park yesterday sent out a clear signal - let's move on. A day Ireland buried its past. Just after 9.30 yesterday morning a soft smirr of rain was falling in north Dublin: Ireland's usual February morning rain, from an otherwise bright blue sky. It slid gently off the wheelie-bins in the front yards of Clonliffe Road, landing on the resigned scowls of the garden gnomes: it irritated the gardai getting into early place all around Croke Park, and collars were shrugged high against the long day ahead. It actually helped Vincent O'Sullivan, scrubbing the side of his house with a hefty wire brush. 'No Crossley Tenders Beyond This Point.' The graffiti had appeared an hour or so before, carefully stencilled, in blue paint, and Vincent had the police at the front door to tell him about it. 'They caught the boy pretty much in the act, got the photos and all. He smiled, a big open smile. 'Ach, well. I should get it off soon enough, not that bothered. The wall's coming off easier than the paint. Crossley Tenders? Some kind of old British army thing?' For those who choose to remember, yes: very much a British army thing. An armoured car, developed in France early during World War I to carry a Lewis gun and 10 armed men. They were used, on Sunday 21 November, 1920, to carry Empire soldiers, native English and the despised 'Black and Tans', into Croke Park where they opened fire on the crowd at a Gaelic football game between Dublin and Tipperary. Fourteen innocents died, including a boy and the Tipperary captain; it became known as Bloody Sunday. The first Bloody Sunday; this being Ireland, it wouldn't be the last. Croker - proud home to the most popular amateur sport in the world, Gaelic football - and, until two years ago, about as likely to open its 100 turnstiles to the 'foreign' sports of rugby and football as the Vatican would coat itself orange. But, in 2005, The Gaelic Athletics Association decided, momentously and controversially, to join the rest of the new, modern Ireland: to decide that there was more to the land today than Michael Collins and Patrick Pearse. To let rugby be played there, for the first time, while Lansdowne Road is being refurbished. To let the English sing, for the first time, God Save the Queen But, Dublin confusion aside, a great many enough seemed to be willing this city, to move on. To move on at 5.30 pm And, later, as they walked past that house in their thousands, after Ireland's triumphthe walls of Vincent's house were clean. The graffiti, the emotion, had gone. And more than a little history. Ireland 43-13 England Feb 2007 All the tenders are gone but not quite forgotten. Edited September 16, 2009 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Have you seen the Michael Collins film. They dug out two Crossley Tenders from an Irish museum and used a real Peerless with a replica armoured car body on it. The football game was a bit of a blood bath but the Peerless did look nice. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 That's not quite right, Tim. One of the tenders was the Crossley bus with it's bus body removed - see blurb here: http://www.crossley-motors.org.uk/Gallery/todaybus/20_25bus.html I don't remember another in Michael Collins but you may be right. There were certainly two in Wind that shakes the barley. If you look at the second one it has single rears, rather than twins. So it may be a car chassis done up like a tender. There is also a rather amusing scene when one of the soldiers pushes a motorbike into shot - he clearly couldn't ride it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Oh yes, thats right about the bus. I thought there were two tenders. I will have to watch the film again now (well maybe tomorrow). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 I read the same bus featured in the spaghetti western 'A Fistful of Dynamite' The current owner is the chap who advised me he had run the bus with a twin on the front, probably after the photo was taken on the crossley web site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Tim, you have managed to remind me of this monstrosity. How can I ever forgive you http://www.michaelcollinscentre.com/images/crossley.JPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 (edited) Clips - Ryans Daughter I have found the engine top castings are porous due to corrosion so have cast new items as shown. I still have to machine them and fit to the two engine blocks. They have been cast directly from the originals which are also shown in the images below. Edited September 18, 2009 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 The Crossley engine mains have now been white metalled, crank reground and new rods and pistons made, just waiting for rebored blocks fitted with cummins valves. Then reassembly can begin. The five bearing crankcase and replacement connecting rods with pistons alongside the originals are shown below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Those pistons look a bit taller than the originals which would upset the compression ratio. Is that right or am I seeing things? It all looks very nice though! Cheers! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Well spotted.The compression ratio has been raised from a lowly 4:1 to closer to 5:1 which will allow the engine to perform better with modern fuels. Later developments of this engine used higher compression ratios and were subsequently bored out from 4531cc to 5,266cc remaining in production in this form until 1944. The spares which were purchased with the car have now been picked up, they include the original tool box shown below which was removed from the car during its resoration in the early 1970's and replaced with a much inferior but at the time shinier box. Looking at the detail the differance is easily identified, the catches are a very unusual, neat design and the corner joints show the quality of construction. The box will be refitted in it's rightful place after some remedial woodwork, I am grateful the original parts have been retained by the previous owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Ohhhh that's going to be one BEEEEUTIFUL vehicle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 (edited) Thank you for your comments, The answer to my orginal question regarding driving with a twin wheel on the front axle is covered is within the British Pathe footage at the link below: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=79423 http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84313 Have a look, one of the tenders must have had a puncture along the way! Tom Edited September 29, 2009 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Well spotted. What a nice piece of detective work. So often the clues are out there. It's just a matter of knowing where to look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 Looking at the detail the differance is easily identified, the catches are a very unusual, neat design and the corner joints show the quality of construction. Those catches where probably an off the shelf type at the time, more commonly used to lock (ineffectively) sliding sash house windows, in old films burglars would be seen breaking in by sliding a knife up between the sashes to move the handle over. If you need any more elsewhere on the car reproduction ones are still available in various styles. http://www.snobsknobs.co.uk/shop/category.asp?catid=51 Great thread, nice work, thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Oh yes, i see what you mean. Amazing discovery. I am a little concerned about the method of dealing with a road block (or hole blown in the road). "Right ho chaps, put your rifles in a pile there and knock down that wall and chuck it in the hole - cant see anybody so no need to post a guard". Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 (edited) The man with the pipe I presume is an officer? He lent his rifle against the front of the tender, which worried me a little as I was anticipating a bayonet hole in the radiator. I also wondered if the tenders had an unusually high number of senior personnel and the staff cars were just full of privates due to the presence of the cameras. I have considered whether or not to list the film clip link below because it shows the RFC Crossley in a bad light, however the number of different types of WW1 transport shown makes it a worthwhile view, I am sure you will agree. Link http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=22746 Tom Edited September 28, 2009 by Charawacky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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