Thread: The Ultimate FC

Hi 101 Ron, wondering if this is repairable? Is the guy ok?

Cheers Rod

Graham is still in Hospital and will be for months by the sound of it - he’s speaking now which is a good start, but he has a long recovery and how far he manages to get back to normal is still unknown. Waiting on an update now on his last few days, but he has multiple back fractures and other serious injuries.

Originally Posted by 67hardtop

Hi 101 Ron, wondering if this is repairable? Is the guy ok?

Cheers Rod

The Stalwart will be a write off.
The alloy side gates are gone and all the top side sheet metal work.
The Stalwarts arse is 4 to something like 8 mm thick in places.
The thing is the hull being the chassis with bevel boxes and shafts, gear box and engine all precission hard bolted to the hull.......it would only take a few millimeters of miss alignment somewhere to cause real trouble to bearings and general well being of the machine.
In one photo it appears the rear of the hull is bent................a B double going 100 kph into something in a 40 kph road works zone will do that.......mind you this is all here say and facts have to be all sorted out.
There are other factors too which I cannot discuss. ...........again all to be sorted out by the appropriate people.
Yes I hope Graham does Ok.
I for one wouldnt like to be rolling around in the cabin of a Stalwart four times quickly with all the levers and protrusions in every direction and spat out of the roof hatch and not found for well over a hour in the dark.
It was proven a MK 1 Stalwart could survive a IED in Aden back in 1964 and survive and drive home with a wheel station blown off and then repaired.
This was different.
Mk 1 Stalwart .....RIP

I am thinking my trailer approach to moving the Stalwart around is a good option.

Originally Posted by 101 Ron

The Stalwart will be a write off.
The alloy side gates are gone and all the top side sheet metal work.
The Stalwarts arse is 4 to something like 8 mm thick in places.
The thing is the hull being the chassis with bevel boxes and shafts, gear box and engine all precission hard bolted to the hull.......it would only take a few millimeters of miss alignment somewhere to cause real trouble to bearings and general well being of the machine.
In one photo it appears the rear of the hull is bent................a B double going 100 kph into something in a 40 kph road works zone will do that.......mind you this is all here say and facts have to be all sorted out.
There are other factors too which I cannot discuss. ...........again all to be sorted out by the appropriate people.
Yes I hope Graham does Ok.
I for one wouldnt like to be rolling around in the cabin of a Stalwart four times quickly with all the levers and protrusions in every direction and spat out of the roof hatch and not found for well over a hour in the dark.
It was proven a MK 1 Stalwart could survive a IED in Aden back in 1964 and survive and drive home with a wheel station blown off and then repaired.
This was different.
Mk 1 Stalwart .....RIP

I am thinking my trailer approach to moving the Stalwart around is a good option.

Sounds a bit safer for sure. Wow. Such an impact. Lucky to be alive at all by the sounds. There wouldnt be seatbelts either.

Originally Posted by 101 Ron

The Stalwart will be a write off.

Mk 1 Stalwart .....RIP

Like Fruitloops..

I'm going to go get my laser mic and a buffer...

She'll be right.

Just another quick up date.
the stalwart has not been progressing.
I have repainted some of the front end, and need to do the roof hatches and the wave deflector on the cabin roof.
Its been something like 7 years now and the last 2 years the vehicle has been stored out in the weather and the UV rays are now catching up with the paint work.
The carby jets have been cleaned out again due rust in the steel fuel line between the fuel filter and the engine...…….running much better now.
I am going to have to find about 100 litres of fresh fuel to sort out the fuel going stale in the tank.
I have a local army truck rally coming up and it is within driving range for the stalwart and I badly want to take it.
I don't think its going to happen......may be next year.
My efforts have been centred on the trailer I purchased for the stalwart.
With my small budget I have been buying lights, tie down chains, etc ready for when the trailer becomes ready to use.
still a lot of work to do to finish the trailer as I must have to turn it up side down to finish welding a lot of it, wiring, replacing air lines etc...…...but I am progressing.
A part of the tilt deck is bent after being much over loaded in its previous life and I am going to see if I can straighten it up by a heat distortion welding method.
The idea of the trailer is reducing the need to have the Stalwart spot on mechanically and not have the worry of having a 10 tonne lump sitting on the side of road broken down and unable to purchase specialised parts for it in this country.
I am on the look out for a tow tug for this trailer now.
When that happens I can really start enjoying and using the stalwart.
the trailer has had its fixed deck mostly finished and a removable electric winch set up so it will work on both fixed and tilting decks.
Ron
DSCN2316 by john smith, on Flickr

DSCN2328 by john smith, on Flickr
DSCN2131 (1) by john smith, on Flickr

Hi Ron, have you thought about using "stabil" fuel stabiliser to stop the fuel going off? Its really good and ok for petrol and diesel.

I was wondering if it is possible to replace the fuel line with copper line maybe or alloy?

Have you thought about an ex military mack truck as a tug??

Cheers Rod

Hi Ron,

Rod beat me to it - Army Mack trucks and Moga come up for sale almost monthly at Minto...