1954 Daimler Ferret armoured car
Discussion
Looking forward to coming events soon with the Ferret, there's a PH Sunday Service coming soon at Santa Pod so I'm looking at taking it there. I've just booked three spaces at the War and Peace Show down at Paddock Wood in Kent, so it'll be me, Lewis (AceOfHeartsj) in his Landy and hopefully Matt in his Bedford all heading successfully across the Dartford Crossing come late July. Probably ambitious but we'll give it our best shot 
Took it into the fatherland at the weekend for a wash and a bit of a spruce up with their steam cleaner. My God does the engine bay look cleaner!
Had to stop for a drink on the way back
Took it into the fatherland at the weekend for a wash and a bit of a spruce up with their steam cleaner. My God does the engine bay look cleaner!
Had to stop for a drink on the way back
As requested!
Basically so far the idea seems to be get it going and stopping obviously. The truck came with rough worn tyres on it but also came with a spare set of wheels and ever so slightly larger 12.00x20 tyres to fit. Matt has cleaned the rims up ready for paint and had them fitted by our local HGV tyre place.
Despite the previous owner's insistence that with a bit of fettling it could be driven and the brakes worked fine, evidently this was not the case
The master cylinder and servo did pretty much nothing and so was completely stripped, cleaned and resealed.
Looking better after paint
All linkages need freeing off and cleaning/protecting. We've been taking the wheel cylinders off as well as they were seized or manky through standing. The actual shoes and drums look quite good, although getting the drums off in the first place was not easy. A bit of heat for the screws and beat it with a big hammer!
The pistons were seized in the wheel cylinders so Matt made up a grease fitting on his lathe, pumped grease in and they popped out a piece of cake.
One is moving and sealing nicely, the other not so great!
Work with the engine is ongoing as we simply could not get it to run right. More on that later
Basically so far the idea seems to be get it going and stopping obviously. The truck came with rough worn tyres on it but also came with a spare set of wheels and ever so slightly larger 12.00x20 tyres to fit. Matt has cleaned the rims up ready for paint and had them fitted by our local HGV tyre place.
Despite the previous owner's insistence that with a bit of fettling it could be driven and the brakes worked fine, evidently this was not the case
The master cylinder and servo did pretty much nothing and so was completely stripped, cleaned and resealed.
Looking better after paint
All linkages need freeing off and cleaning/protecting. We've been taking the wheel cylinders off as well as they were seized or manky through standing. The actual shoes and drums look quite good, although getting the drums off in the first place was not easy. A bit of heat for the screws and beat it with a big hammer!
The pistons were seized in the wheel cylinders so Matt made up a grease fitting on his lathe, pumped grease in and they popped out a piece of cake.
One is moving and sealing nicely, the other not so great!
Work with the engine is ongoing as we simply could not get it to run right. More on that later
Edited by LewG on Wednesday 29th March 15:34
More Bedford progress, the cylinder head has been sent away to our local engine shop T&L Engineering. They come well recommended as we've had several bits and pieces done by then in the past and they do a fantastic job.
The exhaust manifold was absolutely wrecked with huge great cracks in it as it's a 3 piece with sliding joints. It made for an interesting fiery light show running it at night, a bit worrying right next to a weepy carburettor
I took it to work and cleaned it up only to smash pieces off. Oops. Nevertheless I ground out/drilled the cracks to stop them spreading any further, then got abother mate with cast welding equipment to have a go at it.
Definitely an improvement in the end!
The exhaust manifold was absolutely wrecked with huge great cracks in it as it's a 3 piece with sliding joints. It made for an interesting fiery light show running it at night, a bit worrying right next to a weepy carburettor
I took it to work and cleaned it up only to smash pieces off. Oops. Nevertheless I ground out/drilled the cracks to stop them spreading any further, then got abother mate with cast welding equipment to have a go at it.
Definitely an improvement in the end!
As for the Ferret it's all going well! Popped along to Old Warden classic show at the weekend at the Shuttleworth collection just up the road. It was extremely busy, lots of interesting cars, classic aircraft and this lovely old Leyland bus that was giving rides around the airfield.
The traffic jam was ridiculous on the way in, other half doesn't like the attention so she came down to the dark depths of the hull instead
The traffic jam was ridiculous on the way in, other half doesn't like the attention so she came down to the dark depths of the hull instead
Edited by LewG on Friday 7th April 13:47
News!
Checked levels this evening and had a look through my spares pile. I dug out the old mine detector box and a small tin box for radio valves and refitted them to the rear wing for a bit of decoration. Whilst rooting through I found a pair of smoke grenade dischargers plus fittings I forgot we had! Thet should be fitted to the front wings but for some reason have always been missing from ours.
After a lick of NATO green they're looking pretty good!
Booked in to the Pistonheads Sunday Service at Santa Pod on May 7th. Taking her drag racing all being well so that should be pretty funny
Checked levels this evening and had a look through my spares pile. I dug out the old mine detector box and a small tin box for radio valves and refitted them to the rear wing for a bit of decoration. Whilst rooting through I found a pair of smoke grenade dischargers plus fittings I forgot we had! Thet should be fitted to the front wings but for some reason have always been missing from ours.
After a lick of NATO green they're looking pretty good!
Booked in to the Pistonheads Sunday Service at Santa Pod on May 7th. Taking her drag racing all being well so that should be pretty funny
Cleaned up the pinch bolts for the lids today, then painted and fitted them. Cut down some 3/8 UNC bolts to mount them to the wings. I removed the mirror arm as that was in the way now and fitted the launcher itself to the wing. I could then mock up where I wanted the mirror to be. Drilled two new holes and bolted it all up. Only finished one side but it looks cracking, as a bonus I've got much better visibility down the side too
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