1954 Daimler Ferret armoured car
Discussion
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
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 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!
The local duck pond won't know what hit it! I always find that video amazing in that it didn't just instantly sink, you'd think the momentum would overcome the buoyancy and that'd be that. Bet he was picking bits of his teeth out the dash for weeks afterwards though!
Getting awfully excited now
Getting awfully excited now
Hello chap,
I remember Wild Trax very well as Dad used to take us up there as kids to do motorcrossing! That is correct they did have a Mk2 Stolly as I remember going for an off road drive in the back! I bet it was great fun. The tracked personnel carrier was probably an FV432, nice and easy to drive, two big steering tillers that you have to really pull hard on to steer.
Now that would be my dream to drive a Chief! They do use a 4 cylinder 'donkey engine' and the main engine is a huge 2 stroke opposed piston Leyland L60 multifuel. It has 6 cylinders with two crankshafts top and bottom, so 12 pistons. They are an absolute monster and sound gorgeous in a horrible sort of way! You are a lucky chap to have had the chance really! I think Wild Trax have knocked all that on the head really as they do mainly karting and motocross now
I remember Wild Trax very well as Dad used to take us up there as kids to do motorcrossing! That is correct they did have a Mk2 Stolly as I remember going for an off road drive in the back! I bet it was great fun. The tracked personnel carrier was probably an FV432, nice and easy to drive, two big steering tillers that you have to really pull hard on to steer.
Now that would be my dream to drive a Chief! They do use a 4 cylinder 'donkey engine' and the main engine is a huge 2 stroke opposed piston Leyland L60 multifuel. It has 6 cylinders with two crankshafts top and bottom, so 12 pistons. They are an absolute monster and sound gorgeous in a horrible sort of way! You are a lucky chap to have had the chance really! I think Wild Trax have knocked all that on the head really as they do mainly karting and motocross now
Right, back to business
First Saturday's mission was obviously to go and see the Stolly. Things got off to a good start as on the way there I suffered a terrible bout of Gandhi's Revenge from a chicken balti the night before, and my beloved little daily Skoda Fabia decided to drop into limp mode for a few miles!
When we got there the current owner Trevor could not have been a nicer bloke, he along with his son Neil currently own four Stalwarts, including a prototype vehicle.
After a short drive we arrived at the barn, and there she was!
A few photos of her, the birds in the barn also appear to have a healthy appetite for chicken baltis!
Overall I'm under no illusions she needs an absolutely huge amount of work, although I pretty much knew that from the off. All 6 wheels are stuck at the moment either due to brakes or the transfer box as it appears someone has left the top cover off it allowing rain water in!
It is such an amazing vehicle though, the attention to detail is incredible and you can really see in the way it's built that cost was of no concern. It even has keeper plates with extra seals etc. to keep the brake calliper insides dry when swimming, wear indicators for the brake pads, high spec PTFE bearings for the impeller drives that actually require water to lubricate them. All clever stuff now let alone in 1959 when it was designed!
Trevor fired up his own running example for us and my God what a wonderful noise. It has that wonderful smell of hot gear oil and 'old' about it.
I've left it as I'll go away and think about it for now, but I think it's fair to say the decision is made
First Saturday's mission was obviously to go and see the Stolly. Things got off to a good start as on the way there I suffered a terrible bout of Gandhi's Revenge from a chicken balti the night before, and my beloved little daily Skoda Fabia decided to drop into limp mode for a few miles!
When we got there the current owner Trevor could not have been a nicer bloke, he along with his son Neil currently own four Stalwarts, including a prototype vehicle.
After a short drive we arrived at the barn, and there she was!
A few photos of her, the birds in the barn also appear to have a healthy appetite for chicken baltis!
Overall I'm under no illusions she needs an absolutely huge amount of work, although I pretty much knew that from the off. All 6 wheels are stuck at the moment either due to brakes or the transfer box as it appears someone has left the top cover off it allowing rain water in!
It is such an amazing vehicle though, the attention to detail is incredible and you can really see in the way it's built that cost was of no concern. It even has keeper plates with extra seals etc. to keep the brake calliper insides dry when swimming, wear indicators for the brake pads, high spec PTFE bearings for the impeller drives that actually require water to lubricate them. All clever stuff now let alone in 1959 when it was designed!
Trevor fired up his own running example for us and my God what a wonderful noise. It has that wonderful smell of hot gear oil and 'old' about it.
I've left it as I'll go away and think about it for now, but I think it's fair to say the decision is made
Cheers that man! Hopefully over the next few days something will happen about it but we shall see.
PH Sunday Service at Santa Pod in the Ferret yesterday was absolutely superb. The weather definitely treated us and we had a full day of watching and taking part in the racing.
I can't help but agree.
Set a time of 29.6 in the Ferret, barely in the nick of time as it clocks out at 30 seconds!
PH Sunday Service at Santa Pod in the Ferret yesterday was absolutely superb. The weather definitely treated us and we had a full day of watching and taking part in the racing.
I can't help but agree.
Set a time of 29.6 in the Ferret, barely in the nick of time as it clocks out at 30 seconds!
What a fantastically strange video! I see there's a Saracen near the end of the vid as well. Funnily enough I thought I recognised a few places in that video, turns out the band are from Stafford and as of last year I still went to engineering college there. These early 90s tunes have definitely come full circle again haven't they? About my most distant memory is driving about in an F ref Granada with my Uncle listening to Praga Khan and that sort of thing
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