| Very
little happens on the mv front in winter. However, the usual suspects
went on their annual February pilgrimage to the Ardennes to play in the
snow as part of a larger group of some 23 members from across the North.
With heavy snow already
on the ground the weather was very kind, with fine days, making for a
good driving weekend. The 8 jeeps took part in road runs centred on
Bastogne and Houffalize passing in and out of Luxembourg several times
along the way.
Brian Slingsby says
it’s a great sociable weekend and gives you the chance to drive your
jeep as it was intended. This was his twelfth year and he intends to go
for as many years as he can.
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The
Area had what I believe to be it’s first coach trip on Saturday 12th
January. This was to the superb IWM Duxford. Some 42 bodies enjoyed the
day out on a very nice comfy coach leaving Wetherby at 8.00am. 3 hours
later parties went off on their own to look around and rejoined the
coach at 4.00pm when the museum closed. A successful trip and another
might follow later in the year. If anyone has suggestions for a suitable
destination please contact Brian.
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| So
what’s everyone been up to? Answers on a postcard please! Well by e
mail preferably. It would be nice to report on some major discoveries or
unique projects within the area, or are they all Top Secret?
What I can tell you is
that the artillery group, of which I am a member, has been very busy
progressing a significant number of projects.
My Bedford MWD tuning
difficulties turned out to be somewhat more of a problem and the engine
has had a complete overhaul at Drakes in Bradford and rebuild/re
installation by Melvyn Bean.
He has now set up as a
military vehicle restorer and is rebuilding a Morris No 5 body quad for
Mike Peacock, whose other quad has had gearbox work.
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Chris
Smyth has stripped the Morris CDSW, he bought last year, down to the
chassis and had it shot blasted and sprayed in Desert Sand.
At the end of January we
had a very cold trip into the heights of snowy Derbyshire to see a
collection of no less than 5 CDSWs! so Chris could take measurements for
the rebuild of his Bofors tractor version.
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Melvyn
continues to work on the full rebuild of his second Matador which is now
almost at the stage where it can be driven. This is being finished in a
pretty unique colour scheme with matching 5.5” gun. You will be
pleasantly surprised when it appears. He and I are also getting two
extremely low mileage GMC 353s ready for sale; one of which is the rare
air portable version, so contact Melvyn or myself if interested.
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Meanwhile
another lover of big boy’s toys, Simon Daymond, has bought a second
complete AEC Militant from Scotland. My jeep has had a new Solex
carburettor over the winter after it developed running problems. I
bought the carb from Jeffrey Engineering at Brian Slingsby’s
suggestion.
They do provide help and
a 1st class service, so this is a company I can now also recommend. In
addition I have invested in one of those battery conditioners – a 6v
CTEK XC800 6V at £35 a neat thing that I now have permanently
connected.
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| Mike
Shackleton’s Bedford QL has had a major brake overall with new wheel
cylinders and shoes all round, and a new master cylinder. He admits that
there’s still plenty for him to do including looking at the clutch on
the OXD.
Hugo Hunter’s jeep has
been to Simon Roberts for work on the top end of the engine in readiness
for the season. Someone else frustrated with engine problems is Stuart
Wright with his recently completed halftrack. He’s also been busy
helping Ken Pugh with his halftrack that was put up for sale in March.
He tells me the Rolls
Royce which once belonged to Monty will be at the Yorkshire Wartime
Experience along with another gem the sole remaining 1936 Carden Lloyd
carrier found in France and now fully restored.
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| Gordon
Trousdale reports on progress on his 1941 Ford GP. Now stripped down to
the bare chassis, the rear axle and springs were found to be in good
condition and have been painted. He’s going to work on the
transmission and front axle next. He says the GP has little in common
with a MB or GPW and has joined forces with Andy Gray (who also has a
GP) in importing parts from the USA. The body is in poor shape but some
panels can be salvaged and others he has bought from a PJ Van Leijen,
Osterbeek, Holland. The engine, a Ford N2 tractor engine, is in a poor
state also. Gordon promises a fuller report for a future issue. We wish
him and Andy well with restoring those rare jeeps.
Mark Hutson told me at
the April meeting that he had just bought a White Scout Car which will
make a nice change for him given his liking for all things amphibious.
We look forward to seeing that soon.
That’s it for this issue, but please don’t be shy and let me know
what’s going on across our area.
Mike Humphreys
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