The Ultimate FC

I have 2 other historic vehicles with Shannons insurance and the insurance is cheap as for these 2 vehicles.
Naturally shannons had no listing for a alvis stalwart so they googled it and then asked if it was amphibious.
After a bit of disscussion and and many questions etc it is insured for what I paid for it.
The insurance was not that cheap as they claim if any thing goes wrong the stolly could cause a bit of damage to other vehicles etc with its 11 tonne weight and the value of the stolly is self is more than average for a military truck.
I have a good track record with shannons.
what they did do is group all my historic vehicle insurance together in one lump and give me a discount on the other 2 vehicles.
They made it very clear they wouldnt touch it at all if I sank the thing in the drink and that is fair enough.
If I ever swim the thing I will get it insured as a boat with a boat insurance company and that should solve that problem.
In NSW any powered vessel over 5.5 mtrs long regardless of its capable speed must be registed, ( the stolly is something like 6.2 mtrs) so that is another bit of red govt tape to go though a couple of years down the track.
I have found someone to act as co driver this Saterday so I am set for a bit of a test..........just got to find a few hundred quid to get the fuel tank to 1/4 full:o

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Originally Posted by 101 Ron

I have found someone to act as co driver this Saterday so I am set for a bit of a test..........just got to find a few hundred quid to get the fuel tank to 1/4 full:o

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Ron, is it legally possible to fit the appropriate number of seats and seatbelts so that you can get a few mates together to chip in for fuel? I read the other day of a bloke in the UK with a 12 man crew cab Leyland Martian Artillery Tractor.With everyone chipping in it was equivelant to getting 48mpg instead of 4mpg.That's all assuming of course that unlike myself, you actually have mates.
Wagoo.

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Originally Posted by wagoo

Ron, is it legally possible to fit the appropriate number of seats and seatbelts so that you can get a few mates together to chip in for fuel? I read the other day of a bloke in the UK with a 12 man crew cab Leyland Martian Artillery Tractor.With everyone chipping in it was equivelant to getting 48mpg instead of 4mpg.That's all assuming of course that unlike myself, you actually have mates.
Wagoo.

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On the other hand, you might be able to get those acquaintances to chip in some money for you to drive away.
Anywhere.
Just away.


Loving this thread Ron. Seriously, do you think it is possible to drive it up those hills to the farm?

Ron - Well done on getting the historic plates. Try Lumleys Special Vehicles insurance - they are only 2/3rd the cost of Shannons for my 101 and give better coverage.

Garry

Well things were interesting.
The curent seating is for Seven people with Three in the cabin and Four in the area near the cane on the fold down seats and it was stated on the RTA rego as that.
One of the restrictions is that it is not to be used for commercial purposes and carry people.
The way I read it is I cannot carry people for money which is fair enough.
The insurance company may not have read it the same way and It could be in a grey area.
I do need to carry a passenger in the LHS and may be the RHS seat at times for safety at say a ANZAC march where the driver would have trouble seeing the bottom front corners of the vehicle.
I took a friend with me today to ride shot gun and help me centre the vehicle on the road if I had problems as I was worried about the forward control drivers position with , the width of the vehicle and the near central drivers position.
It turns out I had no problems with this and manervering the vehicle on or off road.
The steering is very different........but not a problem in any way.
The vehicle does want to move around abit when putting on or off power on the road and is a matter of getting to know the vehicle.
The passenger couldnt feel it , but the driver knows different.
Gear changes require a slight steering correction too.
My biggest problem was a lack of grunt due to the hydraulic throttle only giving me half of what it should and most likely fouled sparkplugs.
Brakes are up there with the best .
Suspension and tyres give a bouncey ride at times and it works well off road to a point.
Most pot holed roads dont exist with this vehicle.
I have a few moto X jumps in a old quarry near home to drive the stolly over to try and get a feel for the way the vehicle will perform off road.
Its size is the biggest restriction as it just doesnt fit down a lot of tracks.
In fact I took out a mirror big time.
It will not fit under the roof of ther local servo to refuel ( atlas crane) and that limits me to just one bowser etc.
It is early days, but I got a feel for the way the the vehicle drives and what work I need to do to get it to a better standard.
The separate forward/reverse gear lever helps alot in speeding up turning the vehicle in bush tracks as you have to back and fill alot to queeze around things.
This thing is totally different to any miltiary vehicle I have driven before and I have driven a few from M113 to M816 to jeeps .
It seems where ever this thing goes there going to be someone wanting follow and ask what it is.
I have a lot of work to do and not much spare time to do it so it is going to be a slow job.
The thing is now I can legally take it to the next ANZAC march or airshow etc that comes up near by and start to enjoy the vehicle and show it off.
Looking at the speedo and hour meter it is something like this.
175 hours............285 miles............very low and most likely since last overhaul when the guages where most likely changed.( I cannot believe that would be original.)
The motor , transmission, brakes and steering are in good condition.
Ron

Just one more thing .
The fuel filler is up very high near the top of the cabin...ie 3 mtrs off the ground(so water cannot get into the fuel for amphibious use), so I climbed down the drivers side and my mate standing though the left side hatch hole had to hold the petrol dispenser after I passed it up to him.
The stolly takes a while to slightly fill the tank :o, so I though I would save time and line up to pay while my mate was still at it..
I find out the bloke at the till couldnt give me the bill as my mate couldnt hang up the petrol dispenser to shut it off.:p:p:angel:
I am learning.

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Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

On the other hand, you might be able to get those acquaintances to chip in some money for you to drive away.
Anywhere.
Just away.


Loving this thread Ron. Seriously, do you think it is possible to drive it up those hills to the farm?

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If you guys want me to keep posting I will.


Going to the family property will not be a problem and that has been put down as one of its places of storage.
The farm is a good play spot and the local 4wd club uses it as it is very much out of the way and hard to find, but not to too far away from town.
The size thing becomes a factor again, as the area is almost rain forest in parts and regrowth is high, so the tracks get closed in.
The last time I had my studebaker 6x6 up there I was limited in where i could go without taking out the canvas and canopy bows, in years past in was never much a problem at the farm.
I may have to get to find time to do a bit of clearing with the tractor.( that time problem again)
I dont think driving the stolly up and down reasonable hills off road is not going to be problem unless it is super steep, where the short wheel base comes into play.
The limiting factor is going to be the operator, as hanging infront of a short wheel base vehicle with bouncy suspension going down a steep hill is going to take more guts than I will likely have.
This vehicle I say will not be any speedster going up hills on the highway.
As I said , it is early days and I have much to do to get the thing running at its best.
I am thinking civie versions of this motor gave 300 hp with triple SUs and will solve the problems of having a carby set up for MT 80 fuel which doesnt exist anymore and the long inlet manifold for the straight Eight which gives plug fouling problems.
300 hp would be just right verses 220 to 240 hp.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK6CefF-zU0&feature=related]YouTube - alvis stalwart (stolly) @ KORC going down 12/04/09[/ame]

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Originally Posted by 101 Ron

If you guys want me to keep posting I will.

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Please do - I am fascinated.

I am still learning about these vehicles.
The poms used Mk1 stollys in Aden and were better than the Bedfords in use for the delivery of ammo, fuel and supplies to various units in the area.
The local roads were unsealed and often very rough which was perfect for the stollys and could operate at higher speeds.
The roads were oftened mined and the stollys were mine resiistant and bullet ressitant too.( the locals were not very happy)
The Windscreens are suppose to be ammour glass, the bottom plates are about 8mm thick with about 3mm around the cabin.
They were new at that time and cutting edge.
Found these pics.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/02/695.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/02/696.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/02/697.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/02/698.jpg