restoration Crocs' Explorer Blog

Having lost what I had done so far, here is the condensed version. :cool2:

After wanting an Explorer for years I finally bought one in September last year (2007). Although I did have to miss GDSF to fund it.

It had not been used since '89 but started first turn when we went up to look at it in Dingwall. None of that expensive petrol stuff, it's got a Leyland 0680 Powerplus fitted. :-D

I finally got it delivered home at the end of September, got it off the lorry in the village and drove it the last mile up to the house.

With it parked at my place one of the first jobs was to fit some headlamps, the more major job was to fix a leaky radiator.

If you look carefully at the previous pictures you can see that the drivers side walking beam is stuck. It's a bit more obvious in this one.

The other side shows off what it should do.

Living in the middle of nowhere has its' advantages, this is about half a mile from the house.

About the same time that I got the Explorer, Adam Elsdon got a Pig, just the thing to test the jib with.

Without a windscreen it was a bit draughty, so the old one was replaced with one off ebay. Not original but it filled the gap.

The next job was to fit some side and indicator lights.

Then it started snowing, so I went out to play.

And that brings it back up to date, I had sent off an enquiry for the log card to the RLC museum but it has come back that they don't have the card. However, Brian Baxter at the REME Museum has been able to let me know the ERM was 01 BD 98; and the date on the winch plate is 2-10-51. So the next thing to do is to get an age related plate for it.

Where do I get one great photos

Paul Down under

Good thing you decided to halt and go back before you got stuck in one of those snow drifts ,Since you don't have anything big enough to get it unstuck!

That's what I thought at the time. It was only a few hundred yards from the house so if it had got stuck I would only have had to wait a few days for it to melt out, but I decided to play it safe anyway.

I love that snow picture. I was hoping to take the Jeep out when we had snow last weekend. However i couldnt get the cars in front of it out the way so it ahd to stay in the garage. Did the Explorer get through without any trouble. Certainly couldnt have done that in my Jeep.

Tim (too)

Those Explorers are so impressive - have to be the best truck off road??

there is something almost magical about seeing a less than pristine vehicle doing what it was supposed to do all those years ago ,keep on enjoying it

The last picture in the drifts is about ten yards short of where I stopped, the Explorer had no problem at all through three to four foot deep drifts on the flat. Beyond this point the track goes down a dip with a climb out of the other side, none of it is particularly steep but there is nowhere to turn untill you get right through. I decided to stop rather than risk getting stuck or having a very long reverse. A couple of days later it had thawed a bit so I had another crack at it, there was less depth of snow but it was heavier going. I needed a few runs at the deeper bits uphill but got through no bother.

I can see that your cabs still abit drafty , But I wanted to ask if British WWII Military Vehicles had heated cabs (other than staff cars) with or without defrosters as compared to no heaters in American Military Vehicles (again other than staff cars)

The Explorer is post war, therefore far superior then wartime stuff that was put together in a hurry, out of whatever was available, and not expected to last long. :evil: :whistle:

As far as Explorers are concerned only the first contract (batch / order) were specified with heaters. I have a copy of an EMER instruction dated April '60 titled "removal of unserviceable cab heating system" for removal rather than repair of the heating system.

What is strange, is that my Explorer which was of the second contract, has a heater and demister fitted. It is the correct system for the Explorer but, by the book, it shouldn't be there; I suspect it was sent somewhere cold and someone fitted it, but whether this was done "in service" or not I have no idea.

nice to have that little extra creature comfort seeing as you enjoy taking it out in the SNOW !

Seriously I m glad that your heater never had a problem so thats why it was never removed ...perhaps ??

What a beautifull place to live ! Keep up the good work mate ! Andy F.

Great truck, I like the way it looks like - like a MONSTER!! Keep it like it is!

This photo of your truck just reminds me of the movie "Duel" - ever seen it?

You should try the same feeling when next time you are following a Reliant Robin!! The maximum they would see would be your front bumper, "honey this is a nightmare, that awfully big truck is following us"!

...The Duel truck...

Cedric

Snow over a coffe pot, fine sight, fine sight.

The weekend was spent cutting up bits of Humber chassis (see Pig pictures thread) and playing with winch ropes. When I got the Explorer there wasn't a rope on the jib winch. I am not sure what the correct size rope should be, but I had a one 16mm by 36 metres, SWL 3 ton lying about, so I used that. I suspect it is narrower and longer than the original fitment but the SWL matches the jib. The length gives be about 100 feet of usable rope and means I can use it with a snatch block to pull the main winch rope out to 50 feet. With it fully wound in the drum is over full but it's not a problem when using it.