Daimler Ferret Restoration - Canadian Service

[Neil Smith]

In June of 2013 I thought I needed a project to fill up my spare time so I bought a Mark 1 Ferret that was ex Canadian Army from a guy here in the USA. My previous experience of vehicle restoration had been a 1956 Triumph Tiger T110 motorcycle, back in the 90's.

I decided to start this restoration thread because it has been 15 months since it arrived at my home and I wanted to share some of the experiences with anyone else that is crazy enough to need a project to fill up their spare time

Well, to tell you all the truth, there's a lot more to vehicle restoration than I thought. I learnt that there are a lot more systems that can go wrong, so you cannot just change the oil and spark plugs, squirt a bit of easy start in the carb and then tear off round the street in a 4 ton vehicle

I learnt that you really have to tear it all down to ensure that the brakes are going to work, that the fuel tank is sound, that the tire rubber isn't perished etc. etc.

I also learned that an armored vehicle has very heavy parts and I'm not as strong as I was before I turned 50! Try taking all four wheels off by yourself - that's a workout that the wife doesn't understand when you are complaining about just how sore some of your muscles are. She thinks your pulling a fast one to get off the home improvements list.

Anyway, I would strongly recommend you get a partner to work with you if you are attempting a restoration - preferably one who's in great shape, strong as an ox, limber as a leopard and with small hands to get into those fiddly spots.

Ok, for those of you who are laughing at my whining, the truth is that I have actually done quite a lot of work and have enjoyed nearly every minute of it.

So what have I accomplished so far? Well, I have finally stripped the interior and removed the engine and gearbox.

And what a good thing it was that I pulled the engine as here is a sample of the brake lines tucked under the rear bevel box where you could not see the damage

I'm going to end this post here so I can see if it comes out the way I intended.