Daimler Ferret Restoration - Canadian Service

[Neil Smith]

Here's some of the fun stuff - sifting through the dirt, slime and general filth that comes out from the hull. I took some pictures of the remnants found in the ferret - things that were jammed against all the working control rods adding to the friction !

Nuts, bolts and washers -



Ammunition and links



Odd bits and pieces



Coins



And beer bottle tops!

[Mrs Vampire]

all those bits and pieces deserve a glass display case of their own

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Neil Smith

Here's some of the fun stuff - sifting through the dirt, slime and general filth that comes out from the hull. I took some pictures of the remnants found in the ferret - things that were jammed against all the working control rods adding to the friction !

Odd bits and pieces

Hi Neil,
The short chain with a split pin at each end is the safety pins to stop accidental release of side escape hatches. Essential !

regards, Richard

[rob love]

Usually there is a ratchet hiding in the hull, or at least a wrench or two. A rule of thumb in the ferret is what goes down usually stays down, at least until the next engine change.

[Neil Smith]

It will probably be six months before I post again on here - this is a one day wonder!

Here are some pictures of some sheet metal parts that I have had rebuilt. The first picture is of the indicators. My ferret came with the typical later militia modification using US lights "scabbed" on to original light towers. I have chosen to go back to the light tower indicators and rebuilt the originals.



I took great pains to keep the section of plate that had the FV number on it



The next picture is of rebuilt antenna bases. These had been cut up to fit a later US style antenna base, but as I'm restoring to a late 60's Larkspur era, I restored them to fit the correct type of Larkspur mounts ( You can source NOS Larkspur bases from Tim Vibert in Australia).





Thanks to Colin MacGregor Stevens booklet on "The Ferret Scout Car in Canadian Service" I have seen a picture of the pattern of camouflage used by the Ft Garry Horse while in West Germany in the late 60's and as mine was one of the Ferrets sent by Canada to West Germany, I am now seeking more information or colored photographs of what appears to be a four color pattern. Can anyone help with this?

[Neil Smith]

Lynn, no tools found, but buckets full of good Canadian top soil!

[Robin Craig]

Dear Neil,

great progress your making, I envy you in sunny Florida as we approach another winter and I still don't have a garage.

I would suggest, that despite my dislike of the social media, joining the facebook pages of the unit associations that your vehicle served with may lead to some unexpected finds as far as history goes.

I'm not sure about the light tower change, but it is your vehicle after all.

FYI Militia is a term we use for the reserve part of the army.

I am very glad that you decided to do the right things and tear the vehicle down and found that brake line issue. I have been preaching that for a long time, start from a known baseline.

I assume you made up your own lifting frame for the pack removal.

R

[Neil Smith]

Richard, thanks for identifying the escape catch chain thingy. This ones a bit corroded but it will be a simple job to make up a new pair for my hatches.

Robin, good advice as always - I will look up the Fort Garry Horse on Facebook as well as the 8th Canadian Hussars.

I'm a bit confused - obviously about the use of the term militia wrt the Canadian forces. Post 1972 when the Ferrets in Germany were returned to Canada, I understood that they were sent to reserve units. I was using the term militia to refer to them being in a reserve unit - is this not the proper term?

Regarding the light towers, they were clearly fitted to my ferret by the Canadian Army and later modified to have the US style indicator lights fitted. I am speculating that as I have seen pictures of a few other Canadian service ferrets with these light towers that they may have been fitted while in service in Germany as they would have been common with British Army ferrets serving in West Germany around the early 70's. Pure speculation on my part and hence them not being standard with other Canadian ferrets.

I used the excellent drawings in the various manuals to make both the power pack lifting bar and the gearbox lifting frame. The bar is down with the motor in storage but I took a quick picture of the gearbox lifting frame.

[Lynn Eades]

Neil, I would liken your step from the motorbike to the ferret, as stepping from a bicycle to the space shuttle. (not a technology step, but a difficulty step)
There is a lesson in all those nuts and bolts in the hull. What you drop is gone!
Like working on a bulldozer. Did you not find any tools?

Edit. after posting I see Robs post re tools etc.