New Home For Old Carrier

[Plushy]

Colin i wish there was all i can find is Blitz trucks and Modified Matilda`s .

[colin jones]

I wish it was that easy. So your not into matilda tanks. I wouldn't mind a crack at doing one of those up. Are there any for sale.
Colin.

[Plushy]

No none for Sale , i would love to own one as well but most of the ones i find are bathtubs all the top armour has been cut away and the turrets are gone . I will post up a photo tomorrow night of one just down the road .

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Colin,


Great find mate! As Ron said, they dont happen like that much anymore!

I was wondering what your plans were for this girl? (i`m not offering to buy it, dont worry!). I think i am picking up the vibes of restoration?

While obviously its none of my business what you do with her, i just thought i would suggest something apart from restoration, and that is....... Dont restore it.

I`m not sure in carrier world how much information is known about the finer details of a vehicle- bolts, nuts, washers, placement and order of the above, shape, finish, colour, placement, orientation and configuration of original parts etc etc. All of these things, i`m guessing your carrier would have still in their original, as left the army, style, in general. As i see it, its an encyclopedia of information as it sits now. To find a jeep or blitz (or any vehicle, military or not) after such a period of time since being sold, in this condition would provide a wealth of information to other restorers and collectors and people interested in the vehicle and i cant see how this carrier is any exception.

Basically what i`m trying to say is that it is a great example of a ww2 carrier in original, excellent condition and i think it would be a shame to restore her- restoration would just make it another carrier running around the paddock (dont get me wrong, thats still great too!), but ih original condition and running around? Can you really top that?

Its the same scenario with jeeps and blitzes- to find one in a condition like your carrier is, is very difficult now. That means that they are either rust buckets, stripped bare or good parts and are shells, broken up for parts or restored. Very few are running around or held in original (unrestored), army configuration, which i would think makes the ones which are in original configuration (of any army vehicle), rarer or more interesting than the restored (no matter to what level) ones.

In my opinion, a running unrestored vehicle in excellent condition stands out much more than a restored one, no matter how rare the vehicle is.

I think (again, a personal thing) she would be best served by cleaning her up, getting the dust and much out, fixing anything broken and preserving rather than restoring for future carrier buffs to admire and learn from.

If preserved, then you would have the best of both worlds- a prototype carrier and an original condition, complete version- who could ask for more in their garage?


Anyway, i hope this has presented it in another light for you to think about of the future of this vehcile. Either way, she's a beauty!

Keep up the great work on that prototype too- i love looking and reading your posts on its progress- very inspiring work!

Cheers,
Ian.

[aj.lec]

Hi plushy if blitz trucks is all you can find send a few my way ! (or parts there of)

Ian has a point .Personally I always look at the original unrestored ones first .They always seem that little bit more interesting with a real feel of history about them be it carriers or blitzes.
To find them in such good shape as yours is impressive. Congratulations

[colin jones]

Hi Ian, I thankyou for your comments and opinion. First up, your vibes are wrong. Restoration is not on my list for 2706. This machine is to me like my prototype, they are few and far between.
If I wanted just another carrier to bang around the paddock in, there's plenty around to do that. The reason I wanted this one is because it is original and its probably the only one around like it that still runs on its original engine. As far as I know, the engine has never been out. I would love to see it all nice and new but ive got one of those and i'm not greedy. My intention the first time I dribbled when I saw it was make it all comptete and start a collection of different forms of carriers. But I got a different sensation when a bit of juice down the throat, quick tow start and it roared to life. I guess its like "don't fix whats not broke" After getting it home I looked at the things that were missing and found not a lot. But if I did replace them I realized i could never match the paint and I wouldn't put a new part on without painting it. So at the end of the day the motor,running gear and radiator will come out and be totally cleaned and put back. All linkage will be pulled apart, cleaned and put back. A few items do need to be repaired or replaced as in mainly electrical things but they are incidental and a must. I certainly won't go into details, but I could have got another carrier that would be far more complete a lot cheaper than this one. So rest assure, I know where your coming from. It's got a good home. If you ever get to Adelaide, I would be only too happy for you to see it.
Regards and thanks for your comments.

Colin.

[ron]

Hello Colin,
I could not agree more with your thoughts on not restoring such a fine machine,its great the way it is,please leave it that way, the old girl has finealy found a good home after waiting 45 years,it is indeed a rare thing to find someone who does not want to tear them apart ,
best regards,
Ron,

[ron]

Hi Ian,
Sorry mate I did not intend to hijack your thread, I was thinking along the same lines as you , but was not game to say it,and I am so glad that Colin was thinking along the same lines,this carrier has certainly gone to a good home,well done again Colin,
Regards,
Ron

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Colin and Ron,

Ron, no worries mate! It didnt bother me in the slightest what you said- the more people who think like we do, the better i guess!

Col. Thanks for letting me have my say then and i`m glad it didnt offend. While i`m no expert by far and i dont profess to be, i`m glad your going to do the work you have said to her and not much else and that your aim is to keep it original!

When i get to SA, I certainly will take you up on that offer of a look around the carriers! I dont have one myself but have great respect for them and the people who restore/own them. As with the prototype, i look forward to seeing the pictures of this one as you work through it and 'fix' her up.

Will, 2706 be at Corowa in 08? Either way, if i can get a time to chat to you, i`ll come say hi and have a look at your other carrier. I also promise that when i talk, i dont put everything in brackets - i just re read my post above and there is a hell of alot of little bits in brackets! (ha! )

Cheers and have a great rest of the weekend. I`m off to play with my jeep!

Ian.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Colin
I think I have helped in creating a monster. A few months ago you didn't know a Carrier from a water buffalo and now I reckon you are trying to get a bigger Carrier fleet than you know who. How many are you taking to Corowa? Mate another brilliant find.
Bob

[sth65pac]

Bob,

A carrier is a tracked vehicle of beauty, a buffalo of a tracked thing of mystery (you cant see inside it)

I emailed you about my Blitz dash, How is it going?? (sorry all, a bit off track... Lol that was not a pun)...

Ian