I don't get a lot of time to spend reading messages on forums, but I came here because Brad asked me about putting his canopy pictures on the forum. I've been away for a few days and I've just found that he has managed to do it.
It has been interesting reading the posts made in your endeavours to get your vehicles back to operational condition.
I have had 30 years experience with these vehicles, using them in the wildest parts of Australia to make a living. I have been as far from civilization as you can get in this country in these trucks, in the most trying terrain you can imagine where ten hours driving gets you 50km for day after day. The trucks never let me down. Many times I have thought " jeesus, how much more of this going can they take before something breaks?" Nothing ever broke.
The modifications I made to the trucks in that time were so small, you would never notice. A better catch on the jerrycan holder, small protector lugs in front of the tool box catches to stop trees from wiping them off. I widened the passenger seat to take two when necessary and fitted the Mk4/ F1 rev counter to the instrument panel. I made swing-in mountings for the original mirrors after crumpling up lots of those original ones with legs.
I fitted spin-on oil filters to make it less messy and less prone to ingress of dirt when doing oil changes in the bush. (The mounting block off the V/8 engine fits straight on)
All wheel cylinders are sleeved with stainless steel and and I fitted stainless pistons to them.
I changed two of the trucks to busses without changing the original vehicle., just by adding removable bits.
That's about it! A good vehicle doesn't need to be changed.
Sure, engines have worn out and had to be rebuilt or replaced, as have some other parts, but not many! I've ripped off brake hoses travelling cross country, and brake pipe too, but not much else.
Look after your truck and it will look after you and mine always did. We never flogged them and I knew the few little ideosyncrasies that needed watching to avoid a problem. So we had few.
I bought all my vehicles directly off the army......three Mk 3 and one F1 tipper. From Morebank, Banyo and Laverack (Townsville)
The chassis numbers of the MK3's are 37, 41, and 1121. The date of disposal of the 37 in the records is inncorrect. I still have the receipt.
I don't have that truck anymore, it's somewhere on Cape York Peninsular catching wild bulls.
They have been almost everywhere wild that it is possible to go in Australia. All the deserts, the Kimberley, Arnhem Land, Cape York.....Many times.
In the 1980's when I bought them, I also bought a lot of spares off the army and I have a lot still. However, you need to realise that the army only had lots of parts left that seldom were needed, the things that didn't fail.
Rather than me read through all your posts to see what you are looking for, email me if you are searching and I will tell you if I have any.
I have begun to write of my experiences in my life of travel, that began with Land-Rovers, so that I can share them with other people.
It may take a while but it eventually it will happen.
I started with Land-Rovers and then progressed through ww2 Blitz's, Mk3's and now Russian Military vehicles in other countries.
If I can help you, let me know.
Red Rocket.
