I bought an SV - BIG Build thread

[Projectblue51]

Hello lovely people! It's here. It's faster, funnier, rockier, more truck content blah blah - oh, and a photo of the new runaround to boot

Edited by Projectblue51 on Sunday 26th July 15:03 - removed launch date as now passed

Edited by Projectblue51 on Sunday 26th July 15:04

[Projectblue51]

Hyde said:

Just subscribed, I am number 250

Thanks for your support

AeroS said:

Good episode sir,
Just remember you are trying to make it look enticing - £800 per tyre doesn’t feel enticing hahaha

I didn’t realise you were using motor craft adventure - would you recommend so far (they’re not too far from me....)
Aero

Thanks for your support, appreciate the positive (and constructive) feedback.

I know what you mean, but I promised myself at the begining not to edit out the ugly truth. And that's just as much my dealing with the project as it is the costs or the difficulties of the project. So the ugly truth is, there are some unavoidable costs with machines this big. It's like owning a Ferrari, you know servicing is going to be expensive. 12 tons rolling on massive tyres isn't cheap. BUT £800 is the full whack. Like if you rolled into the truck version of KwikFit. I paid half that per tyre for all of them, because I was careful and waited and they were needed. Plus, you won't get much cheaper than £400 each. However, the key factor is how long they last. If I get 30,000 miles and or 5 years (oldest is 2015 so will be 10 years in 2025) then I consider them good value.

I'm loving Motorcraft. The owner is just great, he goes out of his way to help. Like properly invests in his customers. I don't just mean pie and chips (I strong armed him on that - can't pie chips and gravy down in the South). Also, I buy stuff for a living. I've got a degree in it. I'm not boasting, just for a reference point. I have an established way of assessing prospective suppliers and that's asking each one the same set of technical questions. Some will bs you trying to sound amazing. Some will lie because they don't know and some will tell you the straight answer. But the best ones tell you the straight answer, without the BS, but you know they could have, if they tried. They just don't need to. Their confidence is in their knowledge and ability, if you get my drift.
Put it this way, I've spent millions of someone elses money at Babcock MacNeillie. They convert loads of stuff, but some of it is top level sneaky SF stuff. I'm as confident in Motorcraft's ability as I was with MacN. And they nicknamed me Mr Picky - to my face

Edited by Projectblue51 on Sunday 26th July 23:59

[Projectblue51]

custardkid said:

More truck details needed in the videos

Like what is all the gubins beind the cab?
What is going to happen to it?
What is the box on the roof ?
Etc

Also a look round the other trucks in the motorcraft yard would be interesting

Always keep them wanting more I was once told
Behind the cab tour coming in part 2.
What's going to happen to the truck is talked about.?
Which box on the roof? the one driectly on the cab? or the basket?

Also, the look around the other trucks will happen too. More truck related goodness in the next one, possibly two videos. Promise.

Edited by Projectblue51 on Monday 27th July 23:08

[Projectblue51]

jaybarts said:

Behind the cab drivers side you have the coolant tank, below that is the cab tilt pump and behind the coolant tank where you see the empty frame work is the spare wheel holder and pump system to raise and lower the spare tyre.
Behind the passenger side is the radiator.

Usually on top of all this is a metal basket which would be used for storing the cam net, absolute pain in the arse trying to drag the net up there as it gets caught on EVERYTHING!

The box on the cab is just the cab roof with the air con integrated and then you will have the cupola hatch (sunroof) which I hope is kept haha.

Haven’t watched any of the videos yet but I’m saving them for a quiet day at work and will be subscribing as I love this project!!!

Doh, done out of a job here
But seriously, thanks for the support. Much appreciated.
P.S I bloody hope that's not coolant tank because that's where I topped up the hydraulic fluid for the cab tilt

[Projectblue51]

RDMcG said:

What a true excellent project!..do you have a general sense of how long it will take you?..

Luckily in a way the CV Pandemic makes travel unpredictable anyway for now , so it's a great time to do a project like this.

Thanks for the support, much appreciated.
It is sort of great time, except that the builder has been on shut down, and I've been unable to take my test. So no real progress has been made. I did the YouTube stuff for something to do, and document what I had achieved. But then started running out of stuff

I have some vague timescales that are trigger points with what I do with my life however, Hofstadters Law is an abiding principle here. It may also depend on a viable workshop (if anyone knows or has a farm in East Devon where I can rent part of a covered area as workshop space?) where I and various professionals can work on her as and when required.

Needless to say she won't be going anywhere probably until next Spring

[Projectblue51]

Rangeroverover said:

Would Silverton or stoke Canon work for you

Why yes sir it would indeed - if you could PM me? Can you do that on here?

[Projectblue51]

mstrbkr said:

Following with interest! Love this sort of stuff. Like bad obsession motorsport’s truck conversion; it’s more interesting than their mini project.

Thanks for the support.

[Projectblue51]

Rangeroverover said:

Will do

Not sure if you have tried to message, but not received anything. Try me on 'my user name'@hotmail.com
(where my actual Pistonheads user name is changed for the word name )

[Projectblue51]

Hello, latest Vlog (Part 2 of previous is up) and I've answered some of the questions raised here. Have a look and let me know what you think. Happy to accept constructive criticism - it's all a learning curve.

[Projectblue51]

Finally the day has come when Princess Rosie slides backstage to begin her transformation. Hopefully, if I can shake this stupid bit of illness, I can get up to see her and get some footage in. In the meantime, this is all I have. But it's progress!

Oh, if you want to see Rosie in the metal along with similar trucks. The Adventure Overland show 19/20th September at Stratford Upon Avon Racecourse has been confirmed as being on. So myself and her truckness shall be there. Come over and say hello.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=...

Edited by Projectblue51 on Saturday 15th August 23:32

[Projectblue51]

Good point Pugwash, thanks. Edit to read September.

[Projectblue51]

So after weeks and weeks of nothing, it's Rosie's turn back stage to get her transformation from butch army truck to stylish, cool house on wheels survive the end of the apocalypse, Arnie brutal, wilderness crusher.

No video yet, but as of last week;

• The subframe was measured and tack welded together ready for zinc plate and paint.
• The torsion free gimbals manufactured - this allows the habitation box to move independently of the chassis. So as the chassis twists over rough ground, it doesn't twist the box.
• The existing chassis was steam cleaned and is being rubbed back and any surface oxidising treated before hardened chassis paint is applied.
• Many conversations about wheel swaps, colour swaps, final decisions on things that needed sign off because they affect everything else. So decision on folding stairs and how they relate to the subframe.
• Cost of painting the chassis (I had hoped to get away without doing it) was added to by the fact the fancy wheels I wanted to use wouldn't sit on the studs which aren't long enough. We all know how arsey studs can be, imagine doing them on an 13 year old Army truck!
• So, quick decision meant the existing super ace wheels (2 of) would be sold off, the 6 new tyres will go on existing MAN steel rims (need to source one, but they are like £50 each and tons of them about) and the wheels sprayed up to match the paintwork.

Hopefully, whilst not vastly eye catching, it is movement forward at speed now. Sometime in the next 10-14 days I will gett the chance to come up there and see how she has come on. Get some footage and pop another vlog up.

In the meantime, we (Rosie and I) will be at Adventure Overland Show at Straford Upon Avon Race course (horse, in case you were looking for tarmac road course!) on 19/20 September. Come over and say hello and see if she will be in a presentable state.
I must say, I thought all these custom mod TV programme deadlines were fake - turns out that's actually the way they work

P.S I made a trip over to land of sunbeds an' eels to pick up a little work horse and I think I've had a bit of luck. Might pop in on here rather than a separate thread? What do you think? In the meantime, thanks for your support. I'm holding at 299 subs on YouTube at the minute, determined to get it over that

[Projectblue51]

RizzoTheRat said:

Awesome stuff. I'd love to do something like this but would never have the nerve so it's a lottery win dream for me. Great to watch someone else do it.

I can only urge you to do it. Follow your dreams, don't wait.

Thanks for your support by the way.


And to everyone and anyone else who just subscribed and pushed my YouTube channel over the 300 mark. Happy bunny here - thanks so much.

There will be more updates and very fast now as she gets built. So I will keep you updated.

[Projectblue51]

Thanks for that little push over the line sir. I had been staring at it for days going "go, on. One more"

Love the Zil but you need to swap the engine cos the petrol thing does 3mpg and you can't get parts. Also, top speed is like 45. But it will always start. Prices on the SV (Man HX60) are rising. I paid £12k for mine inc vat and premiums and they are £20k now.

[Projectblue51]

Couple of photo's after two days of degreasing and dewaxing of the chassis and components as it heads towards prep for painting.

[Projectblue51]

Progress is going to come thick and fast now.

Subframe is built and ready and the torsion mounts are back from the Zinc platers. I really want to show you those as they are a bit cool but the company has asked me not to yet as they are proprietary and they don’t want someone working out how they do it.

Anyway here’s the subframe:

[Projectblue51]

Been busy this week doing HGV lessons. Shame I managed to just chuck it all away in the 11th hour by doing something bks early on. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer right?

[Projectblue51]

Bobberoo99 said:

They really don't like it when you pull handbrake turns do they?!?!

Thanks man, that made me smile.

[Projectblue51]

Swampy1982 said:

What did you do?

Love seeing the progress of your truck, keep the updates coming.

TLDR - Hit the B cone with the o/s corner during the reversing exercise.

Long version - didn't set up on entry correctly. Wasn't far enough over to the left between the cones. There is a drain cover that runs parallel to the yellow line at this particular centre. My brain just went 'that's handy for lining up' and at no point did it say 'the Instructor said DON'T BE LULLED by the drain cover. Stay to the left.'
Thus as I put full left lock on, I didn't actually achieve full left lock, I was watching for the cone coming in to view and it didn't - well, until it fell into view with a clatter cos I had knocked it over.

If I'm honest with myself, I wasn't ready. I needed a bit more time to get my head round it all. I have a new found respect for truck drivers. It's a bloody hard thing to do. Also explains why they are all miserable bds because it's stupid out there. 14m and 18 tons of truck WITH L PLATES and people squeeze past you or cyclists do stupid stuff. Madness.

[Projectblue51]

Truck is in build, pics incoming. Currently fighting with GoPro clips because they don't seem to want to load into iMovie for editing.