Daimler Ferret - ex Canadian Forces

[Amatikulu]

In June of 2013 I thought I needed a project to fill up my spare time so I bought a Mark 1 Ferret that was ex Canadian Army from a guy here in the USA. My previous experience of vehicle restoration had been a 1956 Triumph Tiger T110 motorcycle, back in the 90's.

I decided to start this restoration thread because it has been 15 months since it arrived at my home and I wanted to share some of the experiences with anyone else that is crazy enough to need a project to fill up their spare time

Here's a picture of it taken at the previous owner's place.



Well, to tell you all the truth, there's a lot more to vehicle restoration than I thought. I learnt that there are a lot more systems that can go wrong, so you cannot just change the oil and spark plugs, squirt a bit of easy start in the carb and then tear off round the street in a 4 ton vehicle.

I learnt that you really have to tear it all down to ensure that the brakes are going to work, that the fuel tank is sound, that the tire rubber isn't perished etc. etc.

I also learned that an armored vehicle has very heavy parts and I'm not as strong as I was before I turned 50! Try taking all four wheels off by yourself - that's a workout that the wife doesn't understand when you are complaining about just how sore some of your muscles are. She thinks your pulling a fast one to get off the home improvements list.

Anyway, I would strongly recommend you get a partner to work with you if you are attempting a restoration - preferably one who's in great shape, strong as an ox, limber as a leopard and with small hands to get into those fiddly spots.

Ok, for those of you who are laughing at my whining, the truth is that I have actually done quite a lot of work and have enjoyed nearly every minute of it.

So what have I accomplished so far? Well, I have finally stripped the interior and removed the engine and gearbox.



And what a good thing it was that I pulled the engine as here is a sample of the brake lines tucked under the rear bevel box where you could not see the damage



To continue on a positive note I have met a lot of interesting folks that have helped me along the way on the various internet forums that have been very helpful with information.

It can all be a bit overwhelming when you start by stripping one piece only to discover that you really need to go even further until eventually you discover that you are running out of space to store all the parts. I'm fortunate to live in sunny Florida so in my case the space problem was solved by moving the cars out of the double garage and parking them in the driveway - the Wife was understanding of this . She wasn't very understanding when I told her I needed to spend a large sum of money on a split unit air conditioner as my garage was unbearably hot in summer and my work output dropped :devil:



SO some lessons learnt so far:

Lesson 1 - there's no such thing as a simple restoration - it will end up being a complete restoration

Lesson 2 - You need a partner as you are not as young as you used to be.

Lesson 3 - Make sure you have a large enough working and storage place for your project - one that's usable all year round as time is precious.

Here's some of the fun stuff - sifting through the dirt, slime and general filth that comes out from the hull. I took some pictures of the remnants found in the ferret - things that were jammed against all the working control rods adding to the friction !

Nuts, bolts and washers -



Ammunition and links



Odd bits and pieces



Coins



And beer bottle tops!



Here are some pictures of some sheet metal parts that I have had rebuilt. The first picture is of the indicators. My ferret came with the typical later militia modification using US lights "scabbed" on to original light towers. I have chosen to go back to the light tower indicators and rebuilt the originals.



I took great pains to keep the section of plate that had the FV number on it :salute:



The next picture is of rebuilt antenna bases. These had been cut up to fit a later US style antenna base, but as I'm restoring to a late 60's Larkspur era, I restored them to fit the correct type of Larkspur mounts ( You can source NOS Larkspur bases from Tim Vibert in Australia).





Thanks to Colin MacGregor Stevens booklet on "The Ferret Scout Car in Canadian Service" I have seen a picture of the pattern of camouflage used by the Ft Garry Horse while in West Germany in the late 60's and as mine was one of the Ferrets sent by Canada to West Germany, I am now seeking more information or colored photographs of what appears to be a four color pattern. Can anyone help with this?

Information

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[25-5]

Really a nice project. I understand they are still in use. How's the driveway holding up? Grenade launchers are a nice touch. I could use it in Chicago.
Oh, where's the bang bang thingy that goes on top?
Enjoy it!

[browningautorifle]

Still in use where?

[Amatikulu]

Wiki answer as follows on current operators

Ferret armoured car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Have found a Inglis made bren which if Santa is kind I will be adding to the project.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Nice Ferret.

Following the links a bit further leads to this:

Canadian Tracked Jeep (Willys) | MilArt

Anyone out there in forum-land have one in "the shed"?

[muffett.2008]

Nice project, my first 'A' vehicle licence was the ferret.

[CODFan]

The Labatt 50 cap made me chuckle.

[Peter Laidler]

There are loads of easy to fabricate fixtures and fittings on those little early turret-less Ferrets. Should be a relatively easy restoration job by doing partial restoration projects over a few years.

[harry mac]

I can't believe you stripped out an A vehicle and didn't find the following 3 items:-
1), from under the engine, a watch with a snapped leather strap.
2), A "compo" can opener.
3), A chinagraph pencil
The best 6 months I spent in the army was crewed on Ferrets in Cyprus with the Scout Car Squadron of the UN peacekeeping force. As much beer and brandy as you could drink, and a medal for your trouble.

[Peter Laidler]

Keep us up to date Amatikulu. Great little project. My friend has a Daimler Dingo that is 'problematical' at the best of times. Runs like a stuck pig - WHEN it runs! I almost found myself as the owner of it when frustration got the better of him........... But the GOOD thing is that they are of a very simple engineering generation