Project 56-KB-23

[avgenisis]

Well the fun starts.

Took delivery yesterday afternoon of a 99% complete vehicl, starts, runs..

Good news, On first inspection chassis 99% sound, all origonal fittings all origonal electrical fittings and looms.

bad news.... electrically bodged I think is the best way to put it.

- no lights (except headlights - think they are powered by an alien cable), no temp or fuel guages, no dashelectrics, a few as yet unknown extra switches, and alot of extra wires...

Twin tank switch bypassed, one tank perminantlyconnected by another separate petrol pump, the other full of some oily peroly, diesely remains...

tomorrow night the fun begins. try and prune the the extra wires (unplug rear loom - take its the same as the civie S3 - the large multi plug on the engine side of the bulkhead?)

Im thinking it may have something to do with the IR switch. i have live headlights at the far setting of the 6 way switch.

Have got circuit diagrams from web, so hopefully can get the front end up and running properly, then work backwards.....

ID plate says Con No. FVE 22A/225 ITEM 1. what if any significance is the Item number?

will update tuesday with photos of wiring and progress.

A

[avgenisis]

Here are a few shots from the electrical carnage..

[avgenisis]

and a couple more. engine bay has loads off "new wires" ...

[avgenisis]

A quick question, is the camoflage design fact or fictional?

[removeduser185]

It looks to be an interesting vehicle. How will you finish it? Are you going for originality or something more individual? The contract number is in line with its registration number suggesting a build date of 1983, but there are some earlier parts on it. I think, by 1983 it would originally have had standard Series 3 axles (the ones with the little caps on the end) whereas yours has the older Lightweight pattern with flat ends. You also have the older dashboard without the brake test light and rear fog lamp warning light. Do you have an IR switch? I see there is a switch where it would be, but I can't tell whether it is an IR switch or an aftermarket one.

Have fun with the wiring loom - when I bought it mine looked perfectly ordinary, but there was a fuse missing, though everything was working. I popped fuse in the empty gap and all sorts of things started hissing and crackling and going click. I never got to the bottom of it, I must admit. When the loom goes back in it will be standard.

As for the colour, no, I don't recognise it as a standard British military pattern. It looks as though a PO has been busy with a paintbrush at some time.

Anyway, enjoy the road you are about to travel!

Fred

[avgenisis]

Hi,
Thans for the comments, as far as the actual vehicle goes, fairly origonal i think, ie not adding hundreds of antenea etc.

I quite like the grey but not so much the mixture of colours, so if i can find a grey based camo design i may go that route.

I have the B card too, doesnt look like it ever did much, although my decoding is pure guesswork.

I was led to believe the first of the last batch (which again im ledto believe this was an early vehicle in the last consignment were a bit of a missmachof parts)

The vehicle was burchased from "diposal" then exported directly, used then reimported to UK, stored in a barn then moved to Belgium, again spending time in a barn, before I purchased it and had it brough back to blighty!

All the Modifications were done by the first new owner (post MOD), I think he probably made a mess that the subsiquent owner to me couldnt sort out....

Hopefully I can..

[avgenisis]

Am going to drop the panels off the dash tomorrow, so will post my findings...

[Tinweasel]

Looks like it spent it's time in Northern Ireland with 5 Ulster defence Regiment.

Same batch as mine I think, I also think at least one other from this batch is owned by a forum member.

[fv1620]

5 Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment, my Shorland served with them.

The colour code A5 is interesting. A is often taken to be NATO Green but it isn't necessarily "A" means "Army/NATO Green" so it could have been Olive Drab or similar but as yours is from 1983 it would very likely be NATO Green.

Many vehicles are "A7" taken to be Army/NATO Green IRR Disruptive pattern ie 2/3 Green, 1/3 black splodges. But yours is "A5" meaning Army/NATO Green IRR Distinctive pattern.

Regulations give an example of "Distinctive" as might be top half white, lower half green & brown dividing the two. Can't see how would fit in with IRR, sounds more like an ice-cream van!

[avgenisis]

wow, interesting stuff.... funny you should say brown and green, here is the rear view.....