Our LRDG Chev

[Lynn Eades]

Andrew, here is a small picture that was for sale on trademe. My apologies to the seller and buyer who ever they were.

[motto]

Anybody know what that is on the front bumper?

David

[Lynn Eades]

David, I tried to blow it up. The photo is not good quality. It looks like a Vice.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Andrew, here is a small picture that was for sale on trademe. My apologies to the seller and buyer who ever they were.

Thanks Lynn,
That is actually a well-known photo that appears on page 150 of "The Kiwi Scorpions" by Brendan O'Carroll. It is the same truck named "Te Aroha III" that we are modelling our replica on. All of the NZ trucks had Maori names representing the towns the men came from. That truck is particularly appropriate for us because we live in the town of Te Aroha, where at least 4 of the LRDG men came from. The truck had "Te Aroha III" painted on its bonnet (see wartime photo attached). It did not survive the Barce raid.

[Andrew H.]

One of the most difficult parts of the restoration was the scuttle which was very badly rusted. Also it had a sharp curve up to the windscreen, which had to be flattened, as the LRDG trucks had the "flat-faced cowl" discussed in another thread. The job was made even more difficult by not having any previous welding experience! So it was straight into the deep end, doing what some would consider very ambitious work for a first attempt at welding.

First we had the scuttle acid-dipped to remove rust and paint (we tried molasses too, but more about that later). Then we made and inserted two patch panels. This all took many weeks, much exasperation and the invention of some new words for the English language.

[Andrew H.]

Then we replaced the curved upper part of the scuttle (immediately below the windscreen) with a flat-faced cowl but as that involved compound curves we had it done by a professional panel-beater. Then we made up a flat dashboard out of 2mm steel to replace the original curved dash which is not correct for our truck. This involved also making a new glove box and a new instrument panel from scratch, as these are different on the 1533X2 trucks. We have about 6 books on the LRDG with many useful photos that help with authenticity. Finally we primed and painted everything ready to install on the chassis.

[Andrew H.]

We found that our chassis was not good enough so hunted around for a better one and were surprised to find one with the correct 134.5 inch wheelbase on a nearby farm. Then we did a mockup of the truck for an ANZAC day display at the local RSA, which caused a lot of interest.

Later we attached the front panels to the chassis for a trial assembly in the shed, with the steering column attached. All body panels have been bead-blasted or acid-dipped and have been given six coats of paint (3 coats of primer, two of gloss enamel and one final coat of mat finish).

We are aware of some minor inaccuracies in the shape and width of the front mudguards, but at this stage we are undecided whether to remedy that, as it will be expensive.

[David Dunlop]

Nice work, Andrew!

Are any family members/relatives of the men who served from Te Aroha still in the area? They would probably be thrilled to see what is being done to honour their ancestors efforts!

David

[Andrew H.]

We have made contact with one local descendant, who expressed interest and in due course we will contact the others. One of the already completed trucks has been made by the son of an ex-LRDG member. The father is still alive (aged 92) and has already had a ride in the completed truck. That's them in the attached pic.