1954 Daimler Ferret armoured car
Discussion
Rad and fan housing cleaned up and fitted with new hoses etc, I've filled the system with water for now and put in fresh engine oil. It's a real pain at the moment because the driveshaft joints are proving elusive for the driveshaft place, unfortunately they need to go back in before any more big bits really so work has slowed somewhat
Fetched the driveshafts back today having not had them done, as they claimed the slip joints in the centre were worn so they'd have to make new ones from scratch... at a cost of over 300 quid each! Needless to say in my humble opinion they seem perfectly fine, particularly for nearly 70 years old. I've done a bit of research on the UJs and they are the same as an early Transit diff end joint so I've ordered one as a test and will change that myself if it fits OK.
I did a bit of a REME level repair on the rear wing today as under the weight of 2 Jerry cans etc it'd buckled the strengthening rib on its lower edge and the top of the wing had actually started to crack from constant movement.
First I used a couple of bits of hardwood and some G clamps to clamp the bend out, then ground out the splits on the top
Bit of clamping and some panel bashing got it somewhere near, I then held a bit of plate up the back and pigeon s
tted it back together, a bit of grinding back and some NATO green and hey presto it's not pretty but it'll do 
I did a bit of a REME level repair on the rear wing today as under the weight of 2 Jerry cans etc it'd buckled the strengthening rib on its lower edge and the top of the wing had actually started to crack from constant movement.
First I used a couple of bits of hardwood and some G clamps to clamp the bend out, then ground out the splits on the top
Bit of clamping and some panel bashing got it somewhere near, I then held a bit of plate up the back and pigeon s
tted it back together, a bit of grinding back and some NATO green and hey presto it's not pretty but it'll do That's great it looks nicely weathered too, just how a Ferret should in my opinion. If I was to be a full on anorak I'd deduct points for having an early reg number with the later style side hatches but I'll let you off 
The new UJ I ordered has arrived today so at some point this week I'll have a bash at that, it really does need to go back together now, it was sod's law that on my week off work I didn't have any of the bits I needed to make it happen
The new UJ I ordered has arrived today so at some point this week I'll have a bash at that, it really does need to go back together now, it was sod's law that on my week off work I didn't have any of the bits I needed to make it happen
Gearbox is now back in and on the studs but not bolted up yet. The fuel tank has received a bit of tarting up too as it was rather nasty inside and out!
Temporary fitment whilst waiting on the forklift
Fuel tank prior to painting, and how grim it was particularly down at the bottom of the reserve side
Ever so slightly clogged banjo fitting on the reserve!
It was then steam cleaned out and rubbed down, I did notice a couple of pinholes at the bottom so somewhat carefully welded them up, then painted the entire thing whilst the weather was boiling. Looks cracking but didn't get any photos as too late in the day.
Temporary fitment whilst waiting on the forklift
Fuel tank prior to painting, and how grim it was particularly down at the bottom of the reserve side
Ever so slightly clogged banjo fitting on the reserve!
It was then steam cleaned out and rubbed down, I did notice a couple of pinholes at the bottom so somewhat carefully welded them up, then painted the entire thing whilst the weather was boiling. Looks cracking but didn't get any photos as too late in the day.
Edited by LewG on Sunday 18th July 20:48
Thankfully yep, did a bit of research and it's basically a 1350 Series U joint as used on loads of stuff, most recently post 2007 Defenders etc so that was a result.
Fuel tank is about 25 gallons as I remember, so about 100l, quoted range in the manual is 190 miles on road
The Stalwart in the background of the photos has a ludicrously large tank at 110 gallons, at current prices I suspect it'd cost about 6-700 quid to fill it
Fuel tank is about 25 gallons as I remember, so about 100l, quoted range in the manual is 190 miles on road
The Stalwart in the background of the photos has a ludicrously large tank at 110 gallons, at current prices I suspect it'd cost about 6-700 quid to fill it
Before I proceeded any further with the Ferret realistically I wanted to start her up to make sure I had no major leaks or issues, particularly from the fluid flywheel as that'd mean gearbox out again to do it. All linkages and mounts are connected up so I fitted the plugs and cables needed to run, plonked some batteries in and primed the oil filter etc. There was a horrid noise from the fan area on cranking so we suspected a blade was contacting the housing, in the end we took the radiator out again and turns out one of the fan axle mounting bolts was slightly longer than the others causing it to hit the back of the fan hub. With that sorted we put some petrol in a funnel down a line to the pump and gave it a go once oil pressure was up, not even a hint of firing so I checked for a spark and there was nothing. The only thing I'd disturbed really that would prevent spark was the points so I had a look in the distributor again and after much head scratching I'd fitted a wire and fibre washer to the points in the wrong order grounding them out, hence no spark. With that rectified it fired up and run as sweetly as ever, only for 30 seconds or so as no rad fitted
That was great Dan, sounded sweet as a nut afterwards. Night before last I dug out two of our spare Trak Grips and fitted one onto a rim I'd previously sprayed up with a new tube and flap, have left the runflat insert out so we'll see if that affects it at all. 
Had a bit of a mishap with a leaky air gun when pressure testing the fuel tank that needless to say has necessitated buying a whole new tank from Banisters as the old one is somewhat larger than it used to be so that needs a clean out and seal with a repaint now. Apart from that it's coming on nicely
Had a bit of a mishap with a leaky air gun when pressure testing the fuel tank that needless to say has necessitated buying a whole new tank from Banisters as the old one is somewhat larger than it used to be
so that needs a clean out and seal with a repaint now. Apart from that it's coming on nicely So a small update, the replacement tank was pretty nasty inside so whilst I had a pattern to work to I thought I'd try repairing the old one, this took weeks of panel beating, pressing, making fillet pieces and welding back together. We pressure tested it and repeatedly filled the tank with water to check for leaks but got there in the end.
It is a ridiculously tight fit in the hull which meant grinding some of the welds back and percussive adjustment etc. The mounts had to be repaired as they are bonded rubber onto two metal plates and had either split or come away from the backing, so we used some Tiger Seal bonding adhesive for that which seems to have worked a treat
With that refitted we cleaned up all the internal components and refitted driveshaft covers, my pal completely stripped and cleaned up the driver's seat and runners so it's like it was 60 years ago now. 3 of the 4 seat mounting studs had broken so I tried drilling through the floor to nut and bolt it down. That went well as the drill bits went instantly blunt
It may be a bit cowboy but it was out with the universal drill, the mighty plasma
Following a few test runs it was evident she was misfiring quite badly, I checked a few of the usual things and changed the plugs, checked fuel supply but realistically knew it was the timing of the double points sets. I tried adjusting them in various positions to no avail so it was stump up and buy a Jolley electronic ignition. Fitted and wired in on Saturday and now running like a top
With the interior back in and panels on we went for a decent test run to uphold the empire, all seems good and only got better as each mile passed
It is a ridiculously tight fit in the hull which meant grinding some of the welds back and percussive adjustment etc. The mounts had to be repaired as they are bonded rubber onto two metal plates and had either split or come away from the backing, so we used some Tiger Seal bonding adhesive for that which seems to have worked a treat
With that refitted we cleaned up all the internal components and refitted driveshaft covers, my pal completely stripped and cleaned up the driver's seat and runners so it's like it was 60 years ago now. 3 of the 4 seat mounting studs had broken so I tried drilling through the floor to nut and bolt it down. That went well as the drill bits went instantly blunt
It may be a bit cowboy but it was out with the universal drill, the mighty plasma
Following a few test runs it was evident she was misfiring quite badly, I checked a few of the usual things and changed the plugs, checked fuel supply but realistically knew it was the timing of the double points sets. I tried adjusting them in various positions to no avail so it was stump up and buy a Jolley electronic ignition. Fitted and wired in on Saturday and now running like a top
With the interior back in and panels on we went for a decent test run to uphold the empire, all seems good and only got better as each mile passed
Suits me it really was great to drive her again. Slight weep from one of the front brake hoses so that needs a new copper washer and a bleed. Apart from that nothing major. The bottoms of the storage bins are pretty rotten and really the whole vehicle could do with respraying at some point. Not essential at the mo, it still comes up quite well for a wash and an oily rag finish. Wicksteed at War show this weekend at Wicksteed Park so hopefully we make it there and back. We took it for some evening green laning yesterday so I'd call that a good test
it really was great to drive her again. Slight weep from one of the front brake hoses so that needs a new copper washer and a bleed. Apart from that nothing major. The bottoms of the storage bins are pretty rotten and really the whole vehicle could do with respraying at some point. Not essential at the mo, it still comes up quite well for a wash and an oily rag finish. Wicksteed at War show this weekend at Wicksteed Park so hopefully we make it there and back. We took it for some evening green laning yesterday so I'd call that a good test 
Tried some extra firepower to deal with petrol panic buying chaos
The weekend at the Wicksteed at War show ended up being a success, great weather and thankfully the Ferret didn't miss a beat. We even overtook two Morris Oxfords and a Citroen C2 with a space saver tyre on the way home
One of the highlights was looking round a chap's M41 Walker Bulldog tank, it had received a full restoration some years back and was truly stunning. It was originally built by Cadillac and as a result he'd had the seats done in blue leather with fitted and bound carpets! Sadly didn't get any photos
Another almost annual update to the Ferret thread. On the return journey from Wicksteed last year it appeared to run like a top. I parked it away and got it out for a run some weeks later and it was very poorly, misfiring and sputtering all over the place. I couldn't even face looking at the bloody thing after so much work, so it got parked for winter and that was that. This year I had every intention of leaving it tucked away to focus more on getting the Stalwart rolling, that was until my little cousin texted me, 'can I use the Ferret for my prom?'
No way was I letting him down so I went into the dark depths of the barn and fired her up after months of sitting, a task that proved remarkably hassle free! I didn't even have to charge the batteries so that was a result. I started with tidying and finessing some of the electronic ignition installation which was very much 'experimental' in its execution with wires and zip ties all over the place.
The exhaust has been making a horrendous rattle when driving for ages, so I cut the silencer open for a look and it'd rotted badly inside, I suspect getting whipped around by the exhaust flow and potentially causing blockages. In the end we replaced it with a newly made one as there was nothing to feasibly weld back together. Road testing it didn't feel too bad but was still breaking up under load so my theory was fuel was our issue. The filter was clear as were the lines so I took the carb off for a check. At this junction I tested the mechanical fuel pump as my fear was this had packed up as it's probably one of the worst jobs for access on a Ferret! Thankfully cranking the engine with the supply pipe over a tray it splurged fuel nicely on every turn of the cam, so should be fine. I knew I had a 'new' carb in my parts stash so I reluctantly unwrapped that and bolted it on. It feels wrong after so many years sealed up!
So far I've put a good few miles in and it runs pretty much spot on, it needs a bit of fine tuning as it's running rich due to black smoke on sudden throttle application etc.
The good news is we successfully made it to the prom, it was a great evening and well worth the effort to see such big smiles on our arrival. Also quite pleased I now have another mostly working machine again
No way was I letting him down so I went into the dark depths of the barn and fired her up after months of sitting, a task that proved remarkably hassle free! I didn't even have to charge the batteries so that was a result. I started with tidying and finessing some of the electronic ignition installation which was very much 'experimental' in its execution with wires and zip ties all over the place.
The exhaust has been making a horrendous rattle when driving for ages, so I cut the silencer open for a look and it'd rotted badly inside, I suspect getting whipped around by the exhaust flow and potentially causing blockages. In the end we replaced it with a newly made one as there was nothing to feasibly weld back together. Road testing it didn't feel too bad but was still breaking up under load so my theory was fuel was our issue. The filter was clear as were the lines so I took the carb off for a check. At this junction I tested the mechanical fuel pump as my fear was this had packed up as it's probably one of the worst jobs for access on a Ferret! Thankfully cranking the engine with the supply pipe over a tray it splurged fuel nicely on every turn of the cam, so should be fine. I knew I had a 'new' carb in my parts stash so I reluctantly unwrapped that and bolted it on. It feels wrong after so many years sealed up!
So far I've put a good few miles in and it runs pretty much spot on, it needs a bit of fine tuning as it's running rich due to black smoke on sudden throttle application etc.
The good news is we successfully made it to the prom, it was a great evening and well worth the effort to see such big smiles on our arrival. Also quite pleased I now have another mostly working machine again
Hello all, my apologies for not seeing the replies on the thread, I was a bit baffled when I found out they'd sent some to Ukraine too. Still a bit of armour plate is better than nothing I suppose.
After a long winter asleep I still some minor issues with the the Ferret. I have a few shows on this summer so have started cracking on with sorting it out. The front RH wheel cylinder leaks when the handbrake is applied which is just bloody annoying after faffing around with the brakes to get them spot on. I think I have a spare unit in the shed so I'll have to find the time to dig it out and make sure it's OK as a replacement.
Carburettor appears OK but idle isn't great, and still seems to be running well rich. I may strip and rebuild the previous carb as it run beautifully on that and pulled like a train, plus every mile per gallon I can get is a bonus!
2nd gear brake band slips when the gearbox is hot and pulling away. These should self adjust with use and you should give a few pumps of the gear change pedal in each gear prior to starting each time. It's got no better so I had an educated guess at adjusting the screw out a couple of flats today, then took it for a test drive to see if there was any positive change.
Looking inside the top of the gearbox at the brake bands and selectors. Looking at the adjustment screws the bands do appear to be quite worn, as with new bands there should only be a few threads showing on each. Replacement being a somewhat in depth and scary job that I may have to tackle at some point!
Finally a reminder of despite all the annoyances over the last year or so, bugger it's good fun for a trundle down a green lane
After a long winter asleep I still some minor issues with the the Ferret. I have a few shows on this summer so have started cracking on with sorting it out. The front RH wheel cylinder leaks when the handbrake is applied which is just bloody annoying after faffing around with the brakes to get them spot on. I think I have a spare unit in the shed so I'll have to find the time to dig it out and make sure it's OK as a replacement.
Carburettor appears OK but idle isn't great, and still seems to be running well rich. I may strip and rebuild the previous carb as it run beautifully on that and pulled like a train, plus every mile per gallon I can get is a bonus!
2nd gear brake band slips when the gearbox is hot and pulling away. These should self adjust with use and you should give a few pumps of the gear change pedal in each gear prior to starting each time. It's got no better so I had an educated guess at adjusting the screw out a couple of flats today, then took it for a test drive to see if there was any positive change.
Looking inside the top of the gearbox at the brake bands and selectors. Looking at the adjustment screws the bands do appear to be quite worn, as with new bands there should only be a few threads showing on each. Replacement being a somewhat in depth and scary job that I may have to tackle at some point!
Finally a reminder of despite all the annoyances over the last year or so, bugger it's good fun for a trundle down a green lane
Edited by LewG on Sunday 14th May 21:24
Nice work there chap 
It would appear I was talking a load of crap ref adjustment of the brake bands and following a bit of education from Dan and actually reading the manual my previous attempt was mostly wrong
I tried the proper procedure this evening and after a bit of trial and error got it to do as the book suggests whilst also understanding more about how the witchcraft actually works inside the gearbox. New gasket made and back together so needs a test run now to see if any improvement.
The old carburettor came out of storage and I began stripping it to check for any obvious issues as I may end up putting it back on to try and solve the rich running. Photos to follow
It would appear I was talking a load of crap ref adjustment of the brake bands and following a bit of education from Dan and actually reading the manual my previous attempt was mostly wrong
I tried the proper procedure this evening and after a bit of trial and error got it to do as the book suggests whilst also understanding more about how the witchcraft actually works inside the gearbox. New gasket made and back together so needs a test run now to see if any improvement.
The old carburettor came out of storage and I began stripping it to check for any obvious issues as I may end up putting it back on to try and solve the rich running. Photos to follow
So as of recently I've been faffing with the Ferret as per usual, the mechanical fuel pump appeared to be way past best as we were still suffering misfiring and breaking up under high load. Checking the banjo fitting into the carburettor directly from the pump it was full of braided rubber flakes which I suspect were the pump diaphragm breaking up. It's borderline impossible to get to, annoyingly I didn't change or refurb it whilst the engine was out as at the time my attitude was don't fix what isn't broke 
isn't hindsight a lovely thing?
Instead of replacing I bypassed it with an SU electric pump drawing through the original filter, to a regulator and then on to the carburettor. This has finally all but solved the constant running issues we've had since putting it all back together.
We attended Capel Military Show on the Surrey/Sussex border last weekend, I've been wanting to do this show since attending as a visitor last year so it's been a bit of a mission to get the Ferret there. With all the minor niggles we've been having the thought of a 93 mile journey was a bit daunting but the old lady made it there and back without too much trouble! The M25 was as expected, a car park, both on the way there and back!
Home for the weekend
Tyler's ex air assault WMIK with a Chinook, very lucky to have the chance to get these photos!
Drove to KFC in Horsham for dinner on Saturday evening as the on site catering was a bit pants
Finally the crawl home on Sunday evening.
There's a hub seal to attend to as that's started leaking quite badly, whilst I'm there I may as well strip it a bit further as on the same wheel station the inner gearbox/tracta swivel seal constantly weeps too. My sister in law to be is having her prom on Friday so she shall be arriving in style with the Ferret as it's better than a limo, even with a leaky hub
It should be on display at the Pistonheads 25th birthday bash at Bicester in August too, so very much looking forward to that.
isn't hindsight a lovely thing? Instead of replacing I bypassed it with an SU electric pump drawing through the original filter, to a regulator and then on to the carburettor. This has finally all but solved the constant running issues we've had since putting it all back together.
We attended Capel Military Show on the Surrey/Sussex border last weekend, I've been wanting to do this show since attending as a visitor last year so it's been a bit of a mission to get the Ferret there. With all the minor niggles we've been having the thought of a 93 mile journey was a bit daunting but the old lady made it there and back without too much trouble! The M25 was as expected, a car park, both on the way there and back!
Home for the weekend
Tyler's ex air assault WMIK with a Chinook, very lucky to have the chance to get these photos!
Drove to KFC in Horsham for dinner on Saturday evening as the on site catering was a bit pants
Finally the crawl home on Sunday evening.
There's a hub seal to attend to as that's started leaking quite badly, whilst I'm there I may as well strip it a bit further as on the same wheel station the inner gearbox/tracta swivel seal constantly weeps too. My sister in law to be is having her prom on Friday so she shall be arriving in style with the Ferret as it's better than a limo, even with a leaky hub
It should be on display at the Pistonheads 25th birthday bash at Bicester in August too, so very much looking forward to that.
Edited by LewG on Saturday 8th July 10:46
There's always next year Dan, I did see your Ferret and it's a cracking example, kept meaning to come back for a chat but didn't get round to it somehow! The Saladin and Armoured Engineering stuff was trouser accident time I do have the chance to buy a Saracen at the moment but not sure if I can justify that T minus 2 months to a baby arriving!
Was it just me or was the show quite strict with no vehicle movement etc? I missed my slot to drive round the arena on Sunday annoyingly as my mum and dad came down for the day so I was ambling round with them. I was expecting the arena to be open in the evenings after closing to public for a play a bit like War and Peace. We drove across site to there after getting dinner on the Saturday night as we'd heard from some pals camped in your field the arena was open, sadly it was closed and some marshalls had a moan at us for driving around site. Never mind!
Regards prep for doing a long journey I find check all oils are spot on and just do it really, with the windscreen fitted it's much like sitting there driving a car except noisier and more uncomfortable! You'd be surprised at how confident you can be in it even with traffic flowing well, I'll happily overtake dawdlers as they stare in disbelief at some armour passing them. Personally I've never found the wind up issue to be too bad, although when we return to the farmyard before putting it away in the shed I hammer it across the humps and bumps and get all 4 wheels sliding a bit on the dirt. It's definitely not because it's just fun, it's to relieve wind up, honest
I do have the chance to buy a Saracen at the moment but not sure if I can justify that T minus 2 months to a baby arriving!Was it just me or was the show quite strict with no vehicle movement etc? I missed my slot to drive round the arena on Sunday annoyingly as my mum and dad came down for the day so I was ambling round with them. I was expecting the arena to be open in the evenings after closing to public for a play a bit like War and Peace. We drove across site to there after getting dinner on the Saturday night as we'd heard from some pals camped in your field the arena was open, sadly it was closed and some marshalls had a moan at us for driving around site. Never mind!
Regards prep for doing a long journey I find check all oils are spot on and just do it really, with the windscreen fitted it's much like sitting there driving a car except noisier and more uncomfortable! You'd be surprised at how confident you can be in it even with traffic flowing well, I'll happily overtake dawdlers as they stare in disbelief at some armour passing them. Personally I've never found the wind up issue to be too bad, although when we return to the farmyard before putting it away in the shed I hammer it across the humps and bumps and get all 4 wheels sliding a bit on the dirt. It's definitely not because it's just fun, it's to relieve wind up, honest
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