Oshkosh Tank Transporter all but complete...

Jan Fouche has provided the following photographs and captions on the ongoing work of the Oshkosh Tank Transporter.

6th May 2010

The new hoodlining

The repaired side panel refitted

Wheel hub removed and broken studs replaced

Wheel stud tips cover in red for the military touch!

Winch chain cover primed and refitted

One rim was broken and was repaired

Left hand side showing the side cover and bonnet refitted

New 24volt alternator fitted

New air suspension bags fitted

New tail lights and original registration plate fitted

Right rear view with rear arches repainted

Radiator grill refitted also showing the new front bumper

Rear winch roller and side cover plates repaired

Reinforcing frame welded into back of side cover

Right front hub partly repainted

Inside of cab, fully refurbished

All of the rechromed parts refitted

All the wheels were removed to clean hubs before painting

Bodyfiller applied to engine side cover

Front view with truck completely repainted, back to its former glory!

The bonnet now also in place

Side cover finished and coated with MS primer

Some wheel studs were broken Starter motor removed to fit new brushes and contacts

The air cleaner housing refitted

31st March 2010

Jan Fouche has provided the following photographs and captions on the ongoing work of the Oshkosh.

Alternator removed to repair broken mounting

Battery box repaired and primed

Battery box with floor panel badly rusted

Battery box with rusted floorplate cut out

Cab interior with old carpeting being removed

Cab top ventilator coated with MS Primer

Exhaust cleaned up and new flexible hose to be fitted

Front fender with body filler applied to small dents

Front of truck with radiator and fender refitted

Front of truck with radiator refitted

Instrument panel with some gauges removed to repair and be cleaned

Left front fender in position

Left front fender with MS Primer applied

Left front side now ready to be painted

New baseplate for battery box mounting coated with primer

New battery box cover which also acts as the step on the right hand side

One of the old gauges repaired and cleaned up ready to be refitted

Right front fender back in place

Right front fender coated with MS Primer

Right front side almost ready to be repainted

Some new gauges fitted

The battery box with one of the corners welded

The broken alternator mounting

The cab coated with MS Primer

The exhaust pipe with rusted flexible hose cut off

The exhaust welded together and refitted

The front of the truck now looking much better

The fuel tank cleaned inside and sprayed with primer

The fuel tank refitted to the truck

The other front fender being repaired with body filler

The rusted battery box floorplate

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

HTN 63 - Army spec Bedford found along the Garden Route in the Cape - to be fully converted

While the Sandstone Heritage Trust is not concentrated on old commercial vehicles, we do have some interesting old items. For example South Africa’s oldest commercial vehicle – a 1910 Peerless is part of our commercial vehicle collection. We have spent a lot of time looking for a suitable army spec Bedford. We found this one along the Garden Route in the Cape. It is a military spec that has been converted for use in a mining application. During 2006 it will be re-converted to a full spec Military Bedford.

Below is a picture of two of our military commercial vehicles already restored – a Diamond T and a 1942 Dodge Power Wagon.

Sandstone Heritage Trust - News

HTN 91 - It goes around Earphones and Helmets.

22nd May 2006

Anybody who was in the Armoured Corps at that time, knows that wearing earphones (for both the radio and the Armoured Car's intercom) at the same time as a steel helmet, consisting of a plastic liner 'mosdop', and the steel outer 'staaldak', will tell you that it's somewhere between very uncomfortable, and impossible. Parade ground photos of men in tanks and armoured cars, wearing black berets and shiny silver badges, with earphones on top, look very smart. But these photos were taken under operational conditions on the Northern border of South West Africa, now Namibia, where wearing a helmet was an unpleasant necessity! The earphones had to be squeezed in under the headband of the helmet, with the strap which was supposed to be over the top of your head, hanging down behind your ears, which in turn were being pushed downwards by the rubber mouldings of the earpieces! Our Sergeant hit on the idea of 'borrowing' aircraft type helmets from the lads in light blue, and supported his suggestion to the top brass with these photographs.

These were taken in the days before these locally made Armoured Cars were called Elands. This was called a VA Mk3 / 60, equipped with a 60mm Breech Loading Mortar as main armament. Crew Commander (Cpl Selfe) sits in the turret on the left, his Gunner (Trooper Bezuidenhout) on his right, and Driver (Trooper Kleynhans) in the hull.

Looking much more comfortable and professional are Cpl Pretorius's crew in a VA Mk3 / 90. This is the same model as the one in the Sandstone Heritage collection, with the 90mm DEFA gun. Just to show Armoured Cars run in the blood, attached is a photograph of my father, also as Crew Commander (below, in the middle) in May 1942, outside Gazala in the Western Desert. They are sitting on a Marmon Harrington Mark 4, one of 5 746 which were also made in South Africa. Andy Selfe

BTW, do you know how the School of Armour / 1 Special Service Battalion works, or used to? School of Armour is the place where Officer and NCO 'material' was sent, like an Army Gymnasium, a few months prior to a normal intake into 1SSB. The unsuccessful candidates were 'Returned ot Unit' to us in 1SSB. Those who 'made it' came down to us as our officers and NCOs. Some of us who showed promise, were promoted 'out of the ranks' from 1SSB itself. 1SSB had mostly Armoured Car squadrons, and less Tank Squadrons. Much rivalry existed!

1st March 2010

The photographs give a good account of the work that is involved.

A rusted section of the bonnet to be cut out

A section of the other side of the bonnet cut out

A spot cleaned up to remove rust and repair with body filler

Air compressor housing with a crack leaking water

Air compressor piston and conrod removed to repair stripped conrod bolt

Air compressor water supply hose completely blocked causing overheating

Another angle of the bumper

Another angle of the diesel pump

Another angle of the steering box

Another photo of the oil leaks

Another photo of the old air lines

Another one of the brake boosters that have to be replaced

Another shot of the repaired steering cylinder

Back part of water pump removed from engine

Ball joint removed to remove steering box

Beneath the diesel pump near the bell housing showing oil leak

Carry axle air suspension mount was bent - here being repaired

Close up section to be replaced

Complete diesel pump removed for oil leak repairs

Compessor water supply also showing rust and blockage

Compressor back in place

Compressor casing cleaned up showing the crack

Compressor removed to repair cracked casing

Cooling fan removed to remove water pump

Damaged steering cylinder oil hoses to be replaced

Diesel pump refitted with new packings showing the red sealant

Diesel pump with many visible leaks

Engine with diesel pump removed

Front of engine with cooling fan removed

Front part of waterpump removed showing the trail of leaking water

Just in front of that, another place

Left hand side of cab rear with a section of bad rust

More of the cab dents repaired

New diagram for one of the brake boosters

New front bumper fitted

New plate also welded in here

New plate fully welded

New steering cylinder hoses fitted

Oil cooler cleaned and new packings installed

Oil cooler removed to clean rusted water ports and repair oil leaks

Oil cooler showing the oil leak

Old front bumper with pipe cut out

Old PVC air lines removed

One of the ball joints with a lot of dirt in the grease

One of the relined brake shoes

Other places on the bonnet to be repaired

Refitting the compressor after repairing the crack and conrod

Replacing winch brake drum

Right hand corner with plate replaced

Rusted section replaced with new plate

Some of the new air hoses and fittings to be installed

Some very deep rust grinded out to stop further decay

Steering box being cleaned

Steering box opened up showing some water mixed in the oil

Steering box refitted

Steering box with all parts cleaned ready for seals and packings to be fitted

Steering box with clearly visible oil leaks

Steering pump removed to repair oil leak

Steering cylinder back from hydraulic repairs showing where they welded it

Steering cylinder refitted

Steering cylinder removed to have new seals fitted

Steering cylinder with dust seals replaced

Steering clylinder with torn dust seal

The carry axle air suspension mount top piece showing how much it was bent

The compressor with piston removed

The corner in process of sanding down

The left hand corner with body filler applied

The new plate tag welded in position after all rusted parts were cut out

The new water pump impeller with the old one on the right

The old steering cylinder hoses removed

The rear of the cab with dents repaired

The reverse side of the impeller

The right hand corner showing a hole rusted in the plate

The right hand corner also totally rusted away with old body filler coming off

The spot above the air vent repaired with body filler

The steering box spiral removed to fit new seals

The water pump shaft with cracked seal and worn impeller

Water pump splitted to remove leaking seal and worn impeller

Winch brake drum completed and outer cover replaced

Winch brake drum shoes relined and fitted

Winch brake drum with inner part refitted