Post War bikers.

Not mine, I’m sad to say and almost nothing to do with the Jeep, but what a lovely picture depicting a life free of Health & Safety, when people were allowed to think for themselves. I love the Wallace & Grommet slippers. I found the picture mousing around on http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/your_photos/
One can waste hours, but the rewards are well worth it. Peter will be lost forever in an historical cyber space. The bike, a B.S.A. M20 (I think) is relevant, however, as one of these lived up the road from me when I was a car/bike mad 13 year old. It was for sale, but the £5 was beyond my pocket money, so I bought a B.S.A. B31, 350 single, for ten bob instead. It was an early one with a rear sprung hub and started a relationship with the infernal combustion engine that lives on today, in the Jeep project. Thanks to John Hyatt, Nottinghamshire for the picture.

Carbon footprint.

Nothing to do with the Jeep, but interesting never the less. Trying to do my bit to save the planet, (Waste of time.... obviously. We're all doomed) I have taken to using my electric bike and charging its two 12 volt batteries via the two 40 watt solar panels on the roof of the Land Rover. Squeaky clean power. The bike itself dates back to the 30’s and is a Philips Gent's with rod brakes and a Sturmey Archer three speed with original cross bar mounted changer. The electric bit comes from a 24 volt electric shopping bike discarded by none other than Ron Combo’s elder brother. It’s remains were in a lock up in London when Ron quit this sceptered Isle. I welded the mounting bracket to the bike frame, made a battery rack and fitted a Bakelite switch offering ‘on’, or ‘off’. I even managed to rig it to run through the Sturmey Archer three speed, thus giving comfortable cruising speeds of 100 mph. No room for the back brake, but any fool can make a bike stop. Added advantages are one can quite legally ride it back on the cycle lanes having had one or two too many in town and whizz up behind pedestrians in silence giving them a huge fright!

New this, new that.

The motor is now in complete with; new clutch, new water pump, new carb, new manifolds, new distributor, new engine mounts, new-ish starter motor that I bought on ebay. I bought this engine from Jeeparts Uk before Christmas. Originally rebuilt by the French Army, probably in the seventies, it had been stored in some vast hanger in France until the army decommissioned their Hotchkiss Jeeps. Graham, at Jeeparts, gave it a check over and a clean bill of health and with a few more little bits it should be time to fire it up. Less torque than a Hornsby, but probably more suitable for the task in hand.

Massive Torque.

In the winch room at Cadgwith, down on the Lizard Peninsula, lurks this remarkable engine. I have been aware of it for over 20 years and pop in to pay my respects every time I’m down here. It is pitch black in the shed and I banged my head on something to get these pictures. Up until comparatively recently (Within the last 30 years I guess) this engine was in regular use hauling fishing boats up the quay in this living fishing village. Web research tonight has unearthed that is a Hornsby Oil engine dating back to about 1910. There’s a mass of stuff on the web about them and some You Tube video of boiler suited enthusiasts keeping them chugging along at summer meetings.

A Load of Hot Air.

A recent addition of a space heater to the Overland Preparation Barn, a thoughtful Christmas present from Liz, Matt’s wife, raised the temperature from -20º to a tropical -5º and made an evenings work on the Jeep almost enjoyable. I was trusted with wire brushing bits of chassis whilst Matt fitted new; engine mounting rubbers, gearbox mounting rubbers, and a new rear wheel bearing. In an evening we achieved a lot. Prior to my visit, Matt had already fitted a completely new brake system, rebuilt the steering box (yet to be fitted) and replaced all the seals in both the gearboxes and both diffs. I’m optimistic that it will hit the tarmac in June.

The Lights Arrive.

These are probably the least convenient Jeep parts yet. A photo last summer showed a Jeep tail lamp on a trailer in Italy. The genuine article, not some Filipino copy, and it turned out there were a pair. The trailer was in Guileo’s yard. The Italy v. Wales Six Nations Rugby Match was coming up. Tickets were purchased for both the match and flights from Milan to Bristol. Beer drinking trousers were dug out of wardrobes and we all met up in Cardiff. Frazer and Delores threw a party and the tail lamps were exchanged, then the singing started. It was quite a night and the following day Wales triumphed, though it was anybody's game at half time (he added politely!) Great weekend!!!

Pop that top.

The Jeep will never have a Pop Top, but it seems my life has featured cars with lifting roofs for a long time. I photographed the Bedford CA in 1964 on the first roll of film I ever shot. Kodak Bantam Colorsnap 2, 828 Kodachrome 2 film, set to ‘cloudy, but bright’. Life was so simple then. Dad had borrowed the Dormobile from a colleague at work and four of us went to a campsite in Manorbier, near Tenby. Easter from memory and unusually clement weather for both the time of year and Wales. The Bedford was both cramped and slow, but in 1964 most things were. The Land Rover was shot last month in Libya. How plain the colours look in comparison and yet its Pop Top dates back to 1970. Perhaps I should fit it with some nice flowery curtains.