1954 Daimler Ferret armoured car
Discussion
What a great idea! 
makes it look like I have enough power to smoke all four wheels too. Unfortunately I can't get the other side all wrapped up yet as I'm waiting on some 5/16 UNF wing nuts to arrive for the launcher lid. Well happy with the grenade dischargers though, a distant memory is Dad wire brushing the crusty paint off of them when we first bought the Ferret itself. He did the difficult bit I just applied the paint 15 years later! Needless to say there's been a house move or two since then so I'm amazed all the bits were still there.
The new mirror position will give me that bit more confidence in driving it myself too, beforehand it was just too much of a gamble swapping lanes etc. without a commander up top letting you know what's in your (massive) blind spot.
It is a challenge to drive but also immense fun out on the road, at roundabouts you find yourself unable to actually set off across the roundabout not because of a lack of speed but because people are slowing down for a look
makes it look like I have enough power to smoke all four wheels too. Unfortunately I can't get the other side all wrapped up yet as I'm waiting on some 5/16 UNF wing nuts to arrive for the launcher lid. Well happy with the grenade dischargers though, a distant memory is Dad wire brushing the crusty paint off of them when we first bought the Ferret itself. He did the difficult bit I just applied the paint 15 years later! Needless to say there's been a house move or two since then so I'm amazed all the bits were still there.The new mirror position will give me that bit more confidence in driving it myself too, beforehand it was just too much of a gamble swapping lanes etc. without a commander up top letting you know what's in your (massive) blind spot.
It is a challenge to drive but also immense fun out on the road, at roundabouts you find yourself unable to actually set off across the roundabout not because of a lack of speed but because people are slowing down for a look
Interesting development this evening.
The story goes, around 2002 I started Middle School in one of the local villages aged 9. This was just before the purchase of the Ferret by a couple of months funnily enough.
I used to get the bus to school and was amazed to see this strange military machine sitting going to rot on a farm on the way. 6 wheels, truck body and a boat like shape.
My vehicle geekery was intrigued, so I just had to find out what it was. It was an Alvis Stalwart, or 'Stolly' as they're known. These were basically a big amphibious military lorry designed in Britain in the late 50s mainly for a cold war scenario. They were immense off road with a Rolls Royce straight eight engine, permanent 6 wheel drive, and best of all a boat like hull with two PTO driven Dowty water jets, propelling all 9 and a bit tonnes of it through the water. The idea behind this being that they'd follow tanks onto the battlefield resupplying with fuel and ammunition, and possibly driving through rivers where bridges may be blown up etc.
We used to drive past this thing every day and I just felt so sorry for it, it never moved, and obviously hadn't seen TLC in a very long time. I had a look round it a few times as a kid and sort of formed a strange emotional attachment. Dad and I found the owner and approached him offering to buy a couple of times but he refused to sell much to my disappointment.
Anyway years later unknown to me the farmer whose land it was sat on decided he wanted shot of it. The owner did nothing about it so the farmer took it on himself to get rid. Allegedly fresh fuel was put in it after God knows how many years of sitting there and with some fresh batteries it fired up and ticked over like a Swiss watch. It was dragged onto a lorry and taken away, I haven't seen it since.
Guess what I found this evening? The very same one, for sale.
Do I?
The story goes, around 2002 I started Middle School in one of the local villages aged 9. This was just before the purchase of the Ferret by a couple of months funnily enough.
I used to get the bus to school and was amazed to see this strange military machine sitting going to rot on a farm on the way. 6 wheels, truck body and a boat like shape.
My vehicle geekery was intrigued, so I just had to find out what it was. It was an Alvis Stalwart, or 'Stolly' as they're known. These were basically a big amphibious military lorry designed in Britain in the late 50s mainly for a cold war scenario. They were immense off road with a Rolls Royce straight eight engine, permanent 6 wheel drive, and best of all a boat like hull with two PTO driven Dowty water jets, propelling all 9 and a bit tonnes of it through the water. The idea behind this being that they'd follow tanks onto the battlefield resupplying with fuel and ammunition, and possibly driving through rivers where bridges may be blown up etc.
We used to drive past this thing every day and I just felt so sorry for it, it never moved, and obviously hadn't seen TLC in a very long time. I had a look round it a few times as a kid and sort of formed a strange emotional attachment. Dad and I found the owner and approached him offering to buy a couple of times but he refused to sell much to my disappointment.
Anyway years later unknown to me the farmer whose land it was sat on decided he wanted shot of it. The owner did nothing about it so the farmer took it on himself to get rid. Allegedly fresh fuel was put in it after God knows how many years of sitting there and with some fresh batteries it fired up and ticked over like a Swiss watch. It was dragged onto a lorry and taken away, I haven't seen it since.
Guess what I found this evening? The very same one, for sale.
Do I?
Edited by LewG on Monday 12th April 13:14
I remember that well Alec as I taped it!
Will be giving the chap a ring today so I can go for a look. Going to try and put my sensible head on because Stollies are notoriously complex to work on and maintain even when running well so one that's sat in a field for 20 years and with an underlying transfer box problem is not a sensible decision in any way
I always tell myself this and then end up buying regardless, well and truly glutton for punishment
Will be giving the chap a ring today so I can go for a look. Going to try and put my sensible head on because Stollies are notoriously complex to work on and maintain even when running well so one that's sat in a field for 20 years and with an underlying transfer box problem is not a sensible decision in any way
I always tell myself this and then end up buying regardless, well and truly glutton for punishment
Edited by LewG on Wednesday 3rd May 07:33
I'm heard somewhere that when on roads, drivers would drive up kerbs in order to unwind the transmission as they don't have central diffs or something. Or there would be loads of telegraph poles that Stalwarts could driver over for the same reason.
I'd love on by the way- and amphibious!!
I'd love on by the way- and amphibious!!
I have made the phone call.... potentially going to see it Saturday
That's true about the unwinding the drive components, each side of 3 wheels all turn at the same speed, so although it allows for speed differences between left and right it doesn't allow for each of the 3 wheels either side if that makes sense?
Much the same thing happens with the Ferret to but just to a much lesser degree, I have jacked it up before and it took me by surprise when one side's wheels violently spun round as if by magic!
That's true about the unwinding the drive components, each side of 3 wheels all turn at the same speed, so although it allows for speed differences between left and right it doesn't allow for each of the 3 wheels either side if that makes sense?
Much the same thing happens with the Ferret to but just to a much lesser degree, I have jacked it up before and it took me by surprise when one side's wheels violently spun round as if by magic!
That's the good news, all the swimming gear is still there.
As for the Ferret I got the other side grenade launcher finished and bolted on tonight. I then relocated the mirror again too, only trouble was both mount arms seemed to be for the left hand side so I had to heat and bend it to make an 'opposite' for the right hand side of the vehicle. It really does look great with both launchers on, definitely a job worth doing!
As for the Ferret I got the other side grenade launcher finished and bolted on tonight. I then relocated the mirror again too, only trouble was both mount arms seemed to be for the left hand side so I had to heat and bend it to make an 'opposite' for the right hand side of the vehicle. It really does look great with both launchers on, definitely a job worth doing!
If I remember correctly they have a hydraulic accelerator which if leaking provides for much fun when leaking as the driver has to pump the accelerator to keep going. Engine decks are large and if loaded and broke down were a real pita.
Have memories of scrambling to get in the hot box for journeys to the ranges from Hohne Germany during winter months.
The majority of problems were the driveshaft joints as the stollys were driven mostly unladen and the shafts were at an extreme angle under load.
Enjoy.
Have memories of scrambling to get in the hot box for journeys to the ranges from Hohne Germany during winter months.
The majority of problems were the driveshaft joints as the stollys were driven mostly unladen and the shafts were at an extreme angle under load.
Enjoy.
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