I had some sheet metal folded and scribed the shape onto it. I cut a piece of 10mm bar the same shape to dress the edge and folded a new piece of 4mm wire into the edge using a pair of pliers.

I cut a piece for the reinforcing and plug welded it in place

I then scrapped up a simple die to form the small pressings.

They didn't come out too bad.

I used welding rods to get the correct size round to make the small keepers for the seat cushion straps.
small tabs were added to the seat back and holes drilled to attach. Apart from adding the handbook pocket to the rear of the drivers seat these seats are complete.

Sandblasting and painting will have to wait for the new year.

quick update
 

I've been away in the old country for 5 weeks or so, had a grand time, met Rampant_rivet at Caldicott Castle and saw his brilliant Bedford MW, and amongst other things sent my steering wheel frames to Steering wheel Restorations in Kent. They were basket cases the resin castings completely gone, though thankfully the frames were sound.



I striped off the old resin, careful use of a dremel patience and thoughtful application of a screwdriver and hammer!

When cutting into the resin, I noticed they were an odd shade of "pea/Toy soldier Green" they weren't the Bakelite I thought they might have been. A suprisingly soft material despite its age, very good at clogging up dremel bits!

We sandblasted and primed the frames, and that's where things stalled, it was a low priority at that stage and the shipping to the UK would be rather steep. My trip to the UK meant I could save a few dollars on postage so i boxed them up stuffed them into my suitcase, and when the opportunity arrived I sent them, and hoped for the best.

after hearing nothing for a few days I rang them, fearing they were lost in the post, "yeah, we recieved them a few days ago, I've just pulled the first one out of the mould, and the second one should be done monday" Wow, I was expecting months. That was just before bank holiday weekend,. I recieved them Wednesday evening, and i couldn't be happier and at the first opportunity I took them down to Johns place and popped them on the Tilly! They even did a reasonable job matching the green!

A belated update...
 

Hello all,

appologies for a lack of activity, There has been progress but its slowed somewhat. We had been waiting for a loom for some time, but eventually got it from a local supplier of Vintage looms. Engine and gearbox mounts were few and far between so we contacted Old Era services who fabricated new dies and refurbished our old mounts, and did an amazing job.

Mean while our friend and Morris Register of Victoria Techo Rod Smith, assessed our engine collection, three Tilly engines and two Morris 10 engines, and began work. on our first tilly we will use the SU carby as used on the morris 10 as we only have one Tilly carburettor (SOLEX 30 HBFDO). i do wonder if the Solex will be a weakness, as the SU has such a good name for reliability. No matter thats what they had, and I'd like to get a second one day, but there will be plenty of time for that.

sadly only one Original Tilly block was usable, so we've settled on using a car block modified to Tilly spec using bits ratted from the Tilly engines to build the second engine, sadly there aren't a lot of detailed photos other than a general impression of progress. See below.

More pics of engine progress

and in goes the drivetrain!

John has fitted a door as well and fabricated new tilt bows as well but has yet to post the details of those, (although I was sure we did....)

I'm also waiting a new batch of SCC.2 Brown from my local auto colour matcher, its low on his priorities but he's a nice old chap and has a good eye and works just over the road from where I do, so i'll just have to keep prodding him. :fry:

hopefully things might start happening again, Shed leave tickets seem hard to come by these days. :whinge.

Need to get down to johns. and measure things up so Mr Brown of PegasusDrive can crack on with the canvas

Time to get back on the Tilly and get it finished and on the road.
First job was to assemble another three piece door. This one needed the top hinge plate reattached as the cage plate(?) had rusted away.

Doors done and hung. alignment is very accurate although it did require a bit of Porta Power use to move the cab here and there to provide sufficient gap.
Rear tilt bows have also been formed up and fitted.

With the engine and drive train fitted and a test run we need the radiator fitted so we can run the engine longer. This is what we have as the best example of a radiator support bracket.

Nothing to do but have a go at making some new ones.
Another job for my go to tool stock- scrap railway line. Forming the top hat section is simple enough.

The trickier bit was to get 90 degree bends in the ends of the top hat.
I already had a strong tool made up for previous job so I added some guides into it.

The bends could not have worked better. Now just to trim down to size and weld in the mounting plates and bolts.

Jack

Great stuff

The ordinary punter would just have pounded the plate over the edge of an anvil and taken hours to straighten it all out. Really professional work.

Lang

Thanks Lang. I have enjoyed playing with 100 ton psi and pieces of scrap. The tools might not be pretty but it’s the end result that matters.

All done. The side tabs are where the bracket was soldered to the bottom radiator tank but as all of these had vibrated apart from the tank I thought there is no point in rejoining them as original. I will glue some rubber inside them instead.

Radiator in and hoses connected.
Time to finish the grills.
I have rebuilt two grills but we did not have one decent wire mesh as both had been smashed around the crank handle hole.
Chris sourced some stainless steel woven mesh very close in design to the original galvanised wire. We salvaged the wire frame surround and reshaped it back to where it should be as they were both badly twisted.
That wire is only 2mm thick so impossible to work with.
I needed a frame to work with so I cut a piece of scrap to the shape of the mesh and curved it as needed.

Clamping the mesh over the template it was then trimmed and the wire ends individually folded over the edge at 90 degrees. A very slow process.
The mesh then removed.

The wire frame was then inserted inside the mesh and strand by strand each wire folded over, then cut back and curved over the frame with pliers. Another time consuming job but the end result very pleasing.
We just need to get specs on the crank hole insert, make that and pop it in place.

The second grill has been completed and now I am finishing off the front guards, which after a couple of repair patches and panel beating are in for sandblasting.
What we don't have and Chris has been unable to source is any wing mirror mounts.
They are just folded sheetmetal but the base curves to follow the guard profile and there is a small indentation that strengthens the fold.

Utilising the press block I used previously above to press up the radiator bracket I formed up some steel in a curve and notched out a groove in another block. I pre bent a piece of scrap to get the form started.

A bit of additional grinding and a few more pieces welded to the block to prevent some distortion and the final result has produced something close to what we need.

I received the specs for the grill grommets and using a jig I had made for another project I was able to modify it and press up some grommet blanks to try. They came out very neatly.

Then just cut a hole in the grill mesh and fit. I turned up a simple two piece tool with a tapered flange that bolted together each side of the mesh. Wind up the nut which flared the inside edge and then tapped it down to secure the mesh. Now just needs painting.

Those grills are beautiful ! It is so good to see this level of craftsmanship applied to military vehicles. Great job !

David

again I must say your level of skill is awesome Jack :thup2: