Wow! The last three months have flown by, work on preparing and promoting The Dig For Victory Show is well under way, and we've been busy on multiple fronts.

Here's a roundup....

The Little Lady - Jeep

The great news on this front is that the engine rebuild has been completed and the task of bolting it all back together can begin! Needs a lick of paint first...

 The body tub has been dispatched to an engineering firm for new patches to be welded in and the rust cut out.

Bedford QL Troop Carrier

The somewhat beaten Bedford QL - torn canvas and unreliable running - finally got the chance to come into the running shed when the Conveyancer forklift was moved out. The canvas was duly stripped off for repair. Rich, meanwhile, came up with a new wiring diagram and has made a new loom for the truck. It works! Even the windscreen wiper functions!

A glimpse into the rats nest of the old wiring loom.

New loom going in.

Hooray! Working lights!

At the same time, the leaking exhaust manifold gasket has been replaced, a passenger side mirror was found, painted up and mounted, and the trafficator cable was fixed.

The passenger door glass (which was smashed) has been replaced, and felt edging strips added.

Bedford QL Tipper

Hiding away at the back of the yard was this civilian QL tipper truck. Previously a runner, and painted in the sawmill livery to match the Matador Timber Tractor, it was at one time fitted with a diesel engine, but now has a Bedford lump once more. The wiring will need wholesale replacement though as it's rather poor. Good thing we know how to do that now!

The brakes are somewhat non-functional, so James, Neils, and the team have been disassembling the hubs to get the brake cylinders off for a rebuild.

The engine needs a core plug replacing, and the bodywork needs some fresh metal, standing out in the open hasn't been kind to this old truck but it's not too far gone yet!

Staghound Armoured Car

Jason has been busy working on the the Staghound Armoured Car. The welding on the hull has been completed, cracks filled and bent bits straightened and replaced. They are currently waiting on good weather to blast and paint the hull.

AEC/Douglas Matador Timber Tractor

A new fuel filter has been installed, last year the truck had a crack in the housing through which air was getting in. An inline car type filter was a quick substitute, but this is somewhat beefier.

The lift pump gauze was clogged with crud, so it was cleaned out.

Big Bonser Forklift

 The workhorse is now up and running again with a freshly rebuilt engine - painting is on hold until the weather warms up.

There's much more to come, so stay tuned....

Outing to the Portishead carnival with members of the DFVS Team.

Volunteers from the Shopland Collection, IMPS and DFVS Team worked tirelessly to deliver this fabulous event on the North Somerset Showground.

After nine months in the planning DFVS 2014 was a huge success, with over 250 vehicles, 3500 visitors and a packed programme of re-enactors, singers and performers. 

  Acts included the fabulous Good Night Sweethearts, Ricky Hunter, Jayne Darling, Sandy Ince to name but a few.

  Various car clubs supported the event including, Norton and Radstock, RR and Bentley SW Branch and the locel MVT.

 We were delighted to welcome speakers James Holland, Col Stuart Tootal, Seren Evans Charrington, Julia Elton.

The Shopland Collection had over forty different exhibits and vehicles on display, including the LCVP, Mk8 torpedo, Jeeps, Staghound and 25pdr to name but a few.

The Collections 3.7" HAA Gun looks resplendent in its new 'bunker' / gun pit.

We were very fortunate Jason Jefferies brought Jim Clark's Sherman which put on a fabulous display in the arena on both days.

You can read more about the event at www.digforvictoryshow.com

I guess the question do we want to do it all again next year......

The Little Lady - Jeep

Roughly two thousand tons of filler has been removed from the Jeep tub, we're about halfway on this section.

Once the footwells are primed, we can flip the tub and do the underside before starting the welding in of new panels.

Big Bonser Forklift

The hard-working mill forklift was taken out of use in the Autumn for an engine overhaul. Apparently the amount of sludge and coke inside the engine was a sight to behold!

This vehicle is one of the behind the scenes workhorses, for example last summer moving the Staghound armoured car out of the workshop.

With the engine out, it's a good opportunity to apply some fresh paint. Seen here with the first lot of primer going on.

Below: Engine block being lowered into place

Below: Primer applied to large areas - the counterweight was very scuffed up.