I have begun my carrier's transformation

[Jon Bradshaw]

As I said in a previous post I am planning on making a Vickers Light Command tank out of a beat up old T16 "Bathtub". I made the trip to Ontario to get it in a new to me truck and bought a new to me trailer to haul it back.
More money than brains I know I know....
I have wanted a tank for a long time and this seems the way to get one.
I started by cutting out left over bits from the original fire wall and engine mounts.
Blasting the interior and applying grey primer to keep the rust away.
Then on to the engine. My first choice was a Jeep grand Cherokee for its "bullet proof engine". After finding one that was in good shape I tore it apart. Getting the engine and wiring harness out was a bit of a chore. Rad was rotten so need another but heater core was good so at least I can make it warm inside.
After a few weekends of frustration I am now stuck with an engine that ran well until I pulled it. Now it won't do anything. The computer needs a good talking to by a tech more familiar with it than myself.
I am using an old standard truck transmission to reverse the drive direction so that the front of the carrier will now be the back.
I have many pics but will need to try another way to post them as they are not loading right now.

color_vickers_m1937.jpg after sand blasting.jpg

[Jon Bradshaw]

I had a friend who is better at wiring than me come over and after about 30 minutes he had traced the reason it was dead. The previous owner had wired in a ignition cut out switch. It looked like a regular switch to me and I had not considered it anything so important.
Attached are a few more pics of my carrier and the mods to it so far.

I know this will not be a favorite of the hard core carrier crowd, but it was pretty far gone when I got it.

This is another way of saving a hull that might have been scrapped.

I have a few hulls so will put at least one back right in the future.

[Robin Craig]

Congratulations on having a go at such a project where it would appear that none survive in the public domain.

Look forward to watching your progress.

R

[Hans Mulder]

You will get no such flak from me...there are (relatively) many carriers around, not so many of the light tanks.

[Jon Bradshaw]

I have been working away on the reproduction tank for a while now. The engine has been sorted by an actual mechanic. It has had it's first and second test drives and then gone out for an hour long field test to see what it will do. I am happy to say that it is now at a metal shop getting steel cut for all the outside armour. The plywood is only temporary to give the metal guys a good idea of what it looks like.I have high hopes for the final product.
Thanks Peter Duggan for the poke to remind me to post pics.

Pictures are very hard to upload. Seems only the ones off my phone will go.

[Peter Duggan]

Jon,

Great looking replica. This is a period in the evolution of light tanks that doesn't have many survivors. Looking forward to your updates.

Peter

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jon being interviewed about his project:

https://youtu.be/AP0Hbcpvm7U

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Heh, I just came across that video and thought, “That looks like that replica I was reading about on MLU this morning, I wonder if that video is linked there yet …” Turns out I should have clicked the link Hanno posted Cool to see it running, though.

[Jon Bradshaw]

Thanks Hanno.
Posting this video here completes the story.
Glad to have been able to share the progress and now it has been seen by the world.
Best I or any of us can hope for.
Also thanks to Chieftain for a good interview.

Jon Bradshaw