Another two carriers roll off the production line

kevin powles · #1 22-02-09, 02:06

They still keep coming.

Jordan Baker · #2 22-02-09, 05:56

Do explain more. Are these complete repros or just the armour?

Where abouts are they being done. They look to be a very high standard.

kevin powles · #3 22-02-09, 09:54

Hi Jordan thanks for the pics,

These are two completly new fabricated carriers being built in the u.k. by a friend of mine, one will be a Mk1 the other a Mk2. They are based on two British carriers that came out of a scrap yard back in the nineties, pictures attached. They are exact in every detail and construction methods. Martyn the guy building them has all original running gear which has been refurbished. Basically these will be new carriers straight out of the box.

Would make a nice Christmas present for someone.

RichardT10829 · #4 22-02-09, 10:53

It was Martyn that inspired me to do the Ferguys one, having seen what he has achieved litterally from nothing ! to restore one is hard enough but to scratch build two simultaneausly is a force to be reckoned with ! Martyn has got all the plans and measurements for my armour when it comes, cant wait until Easter Hols when i come down to Suffolk

Kevin shall i put the pic up that shows the carrier after all the mud had been cleaned out

i was gobsmacked at how far gone it was !

RichardT10829 · #5 22-02-09, 11:04

here you go.......hands up who thinks they got it bad ?,,,,,, or who would have binned this long ago ?

a true testiment of what can actually be saved

a few pictures later the front end has snapped off it was that bad.

ron · #6 22-02-09, 11:51

Hell Richard thats what I call a rust bucket,I dont think that I have ever come accross one as bad as that one, I guess that we are lucky up here at least the place is bone dry, I have come across lots of them down south in the rain forest country but thats about the worst I have ever seen, full marks to your friend in building carriers from scratch,can you post any pics of his workshop set up and production methods jigs etc? I know all of us here would like to see how he builds them,its a project that I want to do some day,
Thanks again Regards ron

Tony Smith · #7 22-02-09, 14:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

Kevin shall i put the pic up that shows the carrier after all the mud had been cleaned out

i was gobsmacked at how far gone it was !

What was actually holding the mud in?

Jordan Baker · #8 22-02-09, 15:25

Wow.

How come this guy isn't a member here. You should get him to join up.

martyn · #9 27-02-09, 00:12

Hi thort id log in and say hello and iam pleased that youre all talking bout my new projects thanks to kevin and richard for posting the photos i only just found the site evreyone kept saying bout the carrier forum but could i find it

I would like to clear sumthing up the mk1 iam building it a new tub and original running gear the MK2 is original runnig gear and lower hull with a new bulkhead and top armour.
Sum people might be asking why iam doing this well its simple how many people have looked at a carrier and thort yes thats what i want and not getting put off by a bit of track wear purchase it BUT dont look at the popped rivets or the rust build up between the frame rails just think this vehicle might be original but its been through a war had a army refit in the 50s then been scrapped and rebuilt buy sumone or just had a quick spruce up that a blind man on a galloping horse would be happy with well ive been there seen them had the hard sellers and thort yeh id have a carrier but id not be 100% happy with it so what options were open....
I decied to find a couple of wrecks and set to work and just see what i could acheve made a few calls found 2 hulls bit of top armour front and a bulkhead it started out as 2 to make 1 but i needed to replace the frames so had to cut the floor out and split the sides (what would you do at this point ?) iam having a new floor made and my friend says why not make 2 floors and copy the sides whilst you at this stage it was silly not to so I thort about it for a min and set to work on 2 carriers to make 2 but needed a few extra parts for the running gear so found a 3rd with a bit of rear armour.
now i have a floor, all lower hull parts, front top/rear and part of one side as pattens i have not set out to make this a job but it has kinda taken over a big part of my life after my normal job.
I am sure sumwhere out there sumone i thinking or saying there not real but its no diffrent to jeeps and other vehicles most restored vehicles have had new parts/ bodys or is a later type made to look wartime? well my carriers are made by using original parts as templates or drawings like kevin said new carriers stright out the box.
I hope that sum of you if not most will understand that a carrier sat in a tree for 30yrs+ is a waste and if sumone with a mad idea can use that carrier to help keep others running and keep history alive then good on them and for those who carnt well all i can say is NUTS.
hope i havnt bored you all with chatting bout my carrier build

RichardT10829 · #10 27-02-09, 00:19

Crack on Martyn thats all i can say fella ! your an inspiration full stop !

to take on one carrier is a massive task, but to scratch build two is nothing short of a miracle. cant wait to see them done ! and i reckon (myself included) you would have a big demand for fabricating the flat plate in my case the top armour bulkhead and ducting.

welcome to the forum matey

martyn · #11 27-02-09, 01:02

Hi mate, thanks for your support it takes it out of you building two having trying to rember what went where and have i missed any linkages ect still got 2 v8s to sort out and all the tin work but hey you only live once

when your ready for your top bits just say and we will get your old girl down here for a few days and sort her out.
martyn

Jordan Baker · #12 27-02-09, 03:54

Who cares if they are new or not. Its two more carriers out and into use. My carrier has all new side plates and a pile of new bins. To find the NOS stuff is impossible for some items and next to impossible for others.

What are you planing to do for some items that were cast? Would you just machine out the part or try and do some foundry work?

Anyway I wish I had the space, tools and skills to do what your doing. Id be making my Hamilton Armoured Car for sure.

martyn · #13 27-02-09, 13:38

Hi jordan, what cast parts did you meen, i am able to get my hands on sum more cast suspention units but mk2 ones are fabracated and i have old ones to work from other bits like the linkages ive had machined there not much on them that carnt be made might even look at making tracks one day. but like you say NOS bits are hard to find i was suprised noboby has done this before maybe iam just mad? ive attached a photo of the linkages and a few bits ive had made ive not got as far as the engine covers and bits i am aiming to get one rivetted up soon then get one ready for arnhem in september after that the other can plod along maybe a christmas pressy for the misses

chat later off to counter sink more holes martyn

martyn · #14 06-06-09, 21:58

here are sum new photos of my project.

RichardT10829 · #15 07-06-09, 10:37

absolutely fantastic ! how is the Mk1 coming along Martyn ?

Rich

martyn · #16 07-06-09, 14:25

Hi mate my mk1 is on hold till we get this one done but depending on the job situation i might have to sell her dont want to but needs must and all that.

martyn · #17 11-06-09, 00:43

Its funny less than a year ago i didnt think i would own a carrier that looks like it just rolled off the production line.

Ledsel · #18 11-06-09, 00:54

That's some excellent work. Keep track of the cost and you might be able to make a good profit on NEW carriers.

martyn · #19 19-06-09, 00:10

Hi thanks, we have been keeping a record of the costs to build a new carrier hull works out at around £12k to build and rivet the hull then you have the cost and time taken to buy and refirb the suspention units etc.
Building a hull is the easy part if i could find more cast parts i could build more but would prefer to restore rather than build new but if some one was to ask...

RichardT10829 · #20 19-06-09, 14:41

Martyn it looks "mint !" as us Geordies say...

cant wait to see it running and next to Shauns, a sweet pair of mk2's

martyn · #21 20-06-09, 00:54

Thanks Richard
just about to get the rear axle on this wkend and then hopefuly the exhausts bit of pait thrown on and then maybe the engine and box in nxt wkend and how knows it might move soon

martyn · #22 06-07-09, 23:10

Hi was just want to say if any of you are at beltringe iam going to try and bring my mk1 new build hull down it has not been fully rivetted yet but will be soon but just thort id show it in the rebuild state.

RichardT10829 · #23 16-07-09, 22:07

when is beltring again ? i might well pop down all be it is in Kent.....tuther side of teh moon to me.

have you done any more since your last pics Martyn ?

Ron Pier · #24 17-07-09, 11:11

Pretty well most of next week. Ron

martyn · #25 17-07-09, 22:01

it starts wednesday till sunday but its open for people to get in from this saturday ?

martyn · #26 05-08-09, 01:01

new linkages made from original pattens all working well had a dout in my mine once or twice but there all good few

ron · #27 05-08-09, 12:05

Hi Martyn.
Very nice work, what did you do about the double ended bolts?the two of them, did you make new ones or were you able to buy them? I refer to the ones with both the left hand thread and also the right hand thread, I have made them myself in the past and just wondered if anyone has any N. O. S. ones ? well done its a credit to you,
Regards Ron

Lynn Eades · #28 05-08-09, 12:15

Is that the one at the bottom of the steering column, in the middle?

ron · #29 05-08-09, 13:51

Hi Lyn.
I was talking about the two double ended ajustment bolts that you wind in or out to ajust the steering rods, one end screws into each clevis,and they are the standard right hand thread and the other end has the left hand thread, much the same as a turnbuckle,I know there was a guy in the states who had them awhile back for sale, but I made up mine,
Regards Ron

martyn · #30 05-08-09, 23:14

Hi Ron
Ref the double ended nut adjuster we made them along with all the linkage parts, we decided to make everything even the bottom of the steering coloum the T shaped part as every thing was too rotten to reuse. its not worth cutting corners on these parts as they are not just your steering it the brakes too so every thing made new and tested. all the threads are metric m12 and the left hand thread is m14 as not to get it confused