another Aussie humber fv1601

[john piercey]

Hi guys newbie here,i have recently purchased an ex Aust army humber fv1601a chassis no 163021 from wheatbelt country Western Australia,truck in very good order for year but has been off the road for approx 30 yrs.I have engine now up and running,and freed stiff gear change but not picking up fuel from tank i suspect fuel pump diaphragm is shot,only real rust to speak of is 6 to 8 inch long section on lhs roof and small bubbles just below spare tyre door and some minor dents ,orig deep bronze green for most part but has faded remnants of its farming area fire unit red.I am chasing spark plugs ,points etc and maybe if possible gaiters for tracta joints/axles,some pioneer tool brackets missing from RHS top of cab and other small bits and pieces so if anyone in Aus knows of any leads etc it would be appreciated.Every bit of rubber is rock hard and needs replacing but as i said for the most part is in very solid cond.I have found MLU to have the most info on these vehicles thus far,there is scant info for the most part elsewhere,i have read Paul Handels article on Humbers in Aus service . Cheers hoping for some more Aussie input in the future PS i will post some pics when i can con my son in to helping me load them up . John

[maple_leaf_eh]

Good Luck with your project!

One lesson from the folks who are keeping old vehicles safely on the road, is to identify the commercial equivalent parts and replacements for your Humber. The easier it is to find a minor electrical component or well-hidden mechanical part, the faster your project will proceed.

One MLU long-timer told about taking a Land Rover part to his local auto-parts store and playing 20 questions. The answer came back it was from a 1960's Detroit small block V8 which was sold to the UK. The difference in price between the part in North America and one from UK was significantly less.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

One lesson from the folks who are keeping old vehicles safely on the road, is to identify the commercial equivalent parts and replacements for your Humber. The easier it is to find a minor electrical component or well-hidden mechanical part, the faster your project will proceed.

.

Sadly there are very little parts on a Humber 1-ton that have a commercial equivalent, but .... some parts are shared with the Ferret Scout Car, which will help, like engine and brake components, electrical components. As there a number of Ferret owners in Australia and a few Humbers, this will help you. You should make contact with Tim Vibert in Victoria as he stocks a lot of British military parts for Ferret and such like.

regards, Richard

[Robert Sexton]

Originally Posted by john piercey

Hi guys newbie here,i have recently purchased an ex Aust army humber fv1601a chassis no 163021 from wheatbelt country Western Australia,truck in very good order for year but has been off the road for approx 30 yrs.I have engine now up and running,and freed stiff gear change but not picking up fuel from tank i suspect fuel pump diaphragm is shot,only real rust to speak of is 6 to 8 inch long section on lhs roof and small bubbles just below spare tyre door and some minor dents ,orig deep bronze green for most part but has faded remnants of its farming area fire unit red.I am chasing spark plugs ,points etc and maybe if possible gaiters for tracta joints/axles,some pioneer tool brackets missing from RHS top of cab and other small bits and pieces so if anyone in Aus knows of any leads etc it would be appreciated.Every bit of rubber is rock hard and needs replacing but as i said for the most part is in very solid cond.I have found MLU to have the most info on these vehicles thus far,there is scant info for the most part elsewhere,i have read Paul Handels article on Humbers in Aus service . Cheers hoping for some more Aussie input in the future PS i will post some pics when i can con my son in to helping me load them up . John

Hello John, another Humber found in the bush!. I too have the same model rescued from a farm shed in the eastern wheat belt,chassis number 6310009 so not far apart from yours.Mine is under restoration (a long and expensive process) but it is a rare machine. If you go to the restoration forum you will see a lot of info from the fellows in the east who have been down the path and have lot of knowledge that will be useful.If you carefully sand away the paint on the centre of the doors and on both sides of the bonnet where the front curves away you may well find the original insignia under the red paint. It is most likely that mine was operated by the 10th Light Horse before being decommissioned in 1969.Mine also has insignia on the left rear panel on the cargo body. kangaroo over crossed swords ,all in yellow paint.Parts are very scarce.
Robert

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hi and Welcome John.
Humber, Cargo, Chassis # 6310021, original engine #13601, ARN 105 691
"declared for disposal list 5B/VSD/B27 21/5/69 "

I think the 5B is "5 Base", sure I will be corrected otherwise, as for the VSD/B27 no idea, possibly the sale tender/contract as there are other trucks with identical info.

The tracta boots are an awkward job to replace, they do come up for sale on occasion, but will perish shortly after fitting. Dave Mills is the man to speak to, he has pioneered the design of an easyfit replacement.

Plugs (RSN13P) come up on Ebay quite often, or available ( as Richard F. suggests) from Tim Vibert;
http://www.timvibert.com.au/

Tim will most likely have leads, fuel pump, and possibly both sets of points.
Points can be replaced with electric ignition, much simpler and more reliable, but not cheap.
(worth every cent though!!)

NB The fuel pump is not the same as the one used on the B40 (Champ) motor, one of the few parts not common through the "B" Range.

Pioneer brackets etc, easy enough to fabricate, yell out if you need pics, or you can probably buy used from Altmanns in Stawell,

Is this a restoration, or a get it up and running project?
As for questions, ask away.
Rich.

[john piercey]

Hi to all ,thank you for replies,i deduced(rightly or wrongly) at the time that ARN no may have been 691 as it was the 20th one after the initial one 631001 but knowing army could well have been miles off,so thank you Richard if that is actually the proper number.Robert may be good to actually catch up with you 0ne day and compare notes seeing we are so close,it appears some one has used a sanding disc on the bonnet areas to actually remove possible army markings (pics will show this when i get them on here) only orig marking is a 35 presumably PSI tyre pressure on lhf wheel arch,previous owner sandblasted and painted rear tub so no hope there.Tub is extremely well preserved but i think shade of green may be slightly off,i read g63 is the british standard and aussie shade orig used on 50s vehicles. Did any of these ever get painted camo green or olive drab later in their service lives or did they just stay DBG? I have just removed grille/front panel/bash plate/radiator and have been pleasantly surprised at "relative" ease at removing nuts and bolts i have had much newer vehicles hassle me more- READ- land rovers! I have read articles stating b60 RR motor etc but none say what actual Brand(Rootes) or otherwise or model no.s gearbox, same with diffs etc i dare say anyone with actual manuals etc will know.A Major refurbishment is what i had planned just repair,remanufacture/replace only as needed not a tear down and rebuild of apparently servicible units,and would like to keep some of its ambience/patina about it with mainly exterior paint being the biggest job to do(coz it really needs it)
John

[jeepfinger]

Hi John,

Have you been down to any of the meetings of the Military Club? I am sure that the late Bob Dimer owned one. I also saw one at Brookton show in 1998.
Dave

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

John, ARN's were not issued in order of chassis #, it was a case of next in line, so arriving at 105 691 via chassis counting would be an anomaly, in this case it was the 18th truck to be numbered, so good guess indeed.
Trucks were delivered in the factory finish, the British version of Deep Bronze Green, slightly different to the Aust. norm. This needs to be stressed when having paint mixed by the experts.... Many were over painted at some stage, but to my knowledge never in a Cammo. pattern.
It is has been remarked upon before how well the Humber bolts will come apart even after years of living outside, biggest exception is the tub floor bolts, shame you will miss out on them!
As Richard Farrant mentioned in a previous post, most Humber parts are unique, there was no off the shelf gearbox, transfer case, running gear parts. This design was part of a Grand Plan project that became so incredibly expensive it was shut down because Britain could not afford it, with only a handful of vehicles being finalised, now you know why.
(read Pat Wares "In National Service" or "Tugs of War")
Manuals are pretty ordinary, but you can't do without them.
Vintagemanuals.co.uk had copies made, there is a drivers handbook, spare parts cat, and a combined manual that covers Cargo, wireless and armoured.
Rich.

[john piercey]

Thanks Jeepfinger ,i havent been involved with or been to any shows with military clubs but will prob proceed to as i move forward,we (my son Colin) and i have a couple of ex army 1966 11a landys 1 ex NZ , 1 Aust both incomplete ffr units both rebuildable but not high on list at moment,Colin has Diamond T tank transporter 980 1942 to restore it is in remarkably solid cond with only a few parts missing and fairly minimal dents/rust etc fitted with Hercules DXFE diesel,will be looking for any technical information etc in the future.
Richard i really meant the straight camoflage green as in Protec paint colour rather than WW11 or auscam type camo,sorry to confuse you,i have seen photos of drab ones which made me ask although i am unsure if they were Aussie ones. the floor bolts with exception of 2 all came out nicely which considering the fine thread and length still stuns me they definately built them right first go. A replacement NOS or very very good spare RHF mudguard (wing) and rubber "wing finishing strip" came with vehicle as it had had a small bingle on front which i have straightend out although i think dented guard is still repairable i will fit the replacement.
John

[john piercey]

Any pics of the tool brackets and .303 top internal bracket/straps would be good Richard if you have any, it only has the butt mount left on both floor sides(would have been a real bugger of a setup in actual use i reckon)

[jeepfinger]

Hi John,
A real good friend of my lives in Kalamuna, is that any where you? His name is Norm Chester. His son Ray has a Landy, he had a Bloodbox, not too sure if he still has that one.
.
Military Section meetings are held at the VCCofWA clubrooms on Hale Rd. near Tonkin Highway, Wattle Grove, on the third Tuesday of each month beginning at 8pm. Anyone with an ex-military vehicle of any era or country, or an interest in them, would be welcome to attend any meeting

John, looks like you have just missed the last one.

Regards, Dave

[jeepfinger]

John,

Just saw this photo in an old newsletter
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...MTNkZDBhYjEzNg

Quite a few shots of the Humber in there. the unimog belongs to Norm.
Dave

[john piercey]

Bringing the Humber home - on the back of the trailer ready for the journey

[john piercey]

Damaged right hand front


Hard to see but someone rubbed down with sanding disc


Main rust in roof LHS


Replacement guard trial fitted


Damaged front panel pulled into shape

[john piercey]

Jeepfinger, Dave thanks for vcc info will check mv side out soon.I live approx 30 kms from Kalamunda and have seen a CMP truck parked out the front of a house at the bottom of the hill before you head up to kalamunda,it was/is fully restored and was a couple of years ago so maybe thats your mates? cheers John

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

John, sorry for the delay, been bush for a couple of days.
Some pics of pioneer tool fittings and layout.
I assume you realise that the bolt hole in your new mudguard is for the bridge plate (bracket) as are the two extra screws next to the headlight.
More to come
Rich

[john piercey]

Thanks Rich thats great,did not even notice that small hole in guard,must use a long screw and a spacer ?,i can either keep my eyes open for brackets or fabricate some now i know what they actually look like.I see bridge plates for sale in UK i assume they are the same ones we used or are they different size or pressing to Aus ones? and / or does anyone do them here?.Have got in touch with Russel Altman,and will be chasing up Tim Vibert as well.Dave mills how do i get in touch with him?
more photos to come but we struggle a bit doing them
John

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Pick head Brkt, and the last is the top rifle mount. Will fit the driver side with no issues, but they are a pain on the passenger side.
There should be a set of brackets on the side passenger of the tub as well, you will never guess what they were for.
Roof rust like yours is not rare, as well as inside the centre vent, and around the battery box etc.
You could always paint it back to the red, with all the markings, it probably spent more time red than green, and will be waaaay faster.
Be interesting to see if you can unearth the markings on the bonnet, hope it's not too late for wet&dry with plenty of water. As a side note, don't let anyone sit on the either of the bonnets, you will end up a major bumdent.....
Rich.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Dave Mills is on MLU, you can contact him via Private Message, or he may turn up with some prompting.
Tim may well have another bridge plate, worth asking. They are all pretty much the same, the last ones I got from him had Leyland packaging.
There was a simple bracket made of flat metal strip bent to suit, to come out the same distance as the headlight surround.
Check your photo's are not too big, the manage attachment screen will show maximums.
Rich.

[john piercey]

Rich ,The brackets on the side of tub are something to do with the canvas frame or so arent they, carrying pole like things?.
.303 is fairly basic bracket thought it may have been bit more intricate i have a kiwi one similar on NZ landy dash.
im hoping to reveal some markings but someone has been a bit heavy handed with a drill type sanding disc not very effective but enough to butcher things a bit,suspect it may have been rubbed down prior to red paint and maybe just taken any high spots EG markings off only thing i can see is marker pen type quick scrawl 911d written on lhs door may be an auction marking?

[jeepfinger]

Hi John.
No I don't think that was Norm's CMP, he lives up near the Wally Deli in Walliston. I said Kalamunda, but it's Walliston.

Glad that the club info was of help.

John, will be following your project

Regards, Dave

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

The brackets over the rear passenger wheel where intended for a crowbar,(Took me years to find this out) but I have yet to find any record of them being supplied with one. I use them to carry the flat sections of the canvas framework, as there is no provision to store them with the rest of the frame.
In answer to an earlier question re colour, most of the Humber's I have seen do seem to have been overpainted at some stage with the dull, darker green. Champs had the same fate.
Rich.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Pic not loaded, try again.

[john piercey]

Hi Rich ,same brackets are on the tub lhs and the lower pick handle bracket at rhf corner,Definately having trouble loading photos,the first lot worked subsequent trys bring up a" security token missing" report to admin,cant work out where we are going wrong.Will just keep on experimenting.
The cylinder on the drivers side step does What? looks like a hydraulic cyl of some sort
John

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Air filter for the tyre inflation pump. Has a little cap on it which is removed so the air line can be fitted. Control for the pump is on the side of the transmission tunnel, do not rev over 1000rpm!
Rich.

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by john piercey

corner,Definately having trouble loading photos,the first lot worked subsequent trys bring up a" security token missing" John

This usually means the photos are too large and need editing to reduce them, I reduce mine by pixels making 700 the largest number.

[john piercey]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

This usually means the photos are too large and need editing to reduce them, I reduce mine by pixels making 700 the largest number.

thanks we will reduce sizes and see how we go,i am completely hopeless at this kind of stuff ,have got my wife on the job now seems a bit less of an effort to her .Richard did they all come standard with air compressors? if so mine has gone walkabout at some stage.
John

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

John, this drivers handbook is not only for the Humber, but your Humber in particular. I have only ever seen one original copy, this one, bought through E bay 4 or 5 years ago. From memory it may have been around Buderim/Maroochydore Queensland.
Amended by J Calder (?)
Rest assured, I will continue to look after it!
Air pump was the usual for the era, mounted on the right side of the gearbox with a control lever extending through the side of the transmission tunnel. If you do not have the pump, there must be a blanking plate in it's place ( Blitz ones fit). And yes, there would most certainly have been one fitted.
Rich.

[john piercey]

Well bloody hell hey,whats the chances of that in the coincidences book. Air comp, i hadnt even thought to look for one there,i assumed the pics of one mounted under the bonnet somewhere on this site must have been the spot,but there doesnt appear to be anything on g/box just a couple of plates,blast thats something else i have to look for!
Have found the manuals in that vintagemanuals site and will order some in the new year, thanks rich
john

[john piercey]

Speaking of manuals i just had a score at work last week ,one of our subbies (we drive semi freezer pans) an irishman was in the army way back when and kept his inter 6x6 f1 and f2 training manual and gave it to me the other day after showing him some pics of the Humber and Diamond T,its in very good cond and with some of the photos there is a few different rego no,s on various trucks.I have one lined up(truck) so will come in handy when that comes home.
P.S. pics up when we get time to downsize them
John