Keeping them clean
Hi Jim
Glad the little video helped, as I said I broke the first one that I tried to take apart, so I wanted to save other people that problem. I'll try and remember to take a picture of the little tool which is designed to unscrew or tighten the ring. Now that you see how they come apart you can see that they are just the standard civilian ignition switch so keep your eye for a good one at the flea markets. You can swap your switch knob and cylinder into a civilian one. The civilian ones often are cheap because the key has been lost, but with a little practice you can pick the lock and then push the little pin in and the whole cylinder will slide out.
As to how do I keep the trucks clean, generally I don't they have all been buried to the axles in mud. But you get the mud off by fording streams and driving in hard rain. But yes I do wash them before parking them so they are read for the next parade. The other thing is to get any reasonable antique truck insurance (other than liability) here in the states they have to be garaged. They want to confirm that the trucks are actually stored in doors, which keeps them out of the rain and snow. I had to submit photos of the building and all of the trucks parked it to get coverage. What strange though is the biggest cause for full insurance payment is from building collapse. One guy in our club lost six trucks, crushed flat, in a modern Quonset Hut when it collapsed from unequal snow loading.
Cheers Phil
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