FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Discussions relating to pre-production prototype Mokes.
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GREYHARE
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Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:32

FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by GREYHARE »

Can anyone tell me who owns the pre production Moke in the February calendar picture and any of its history? Obviously it is a very early Moke (1959?) because it has no side panniers, bench seats and the spare tire (American spelling) is bolted to the rear of the back seat. It also appears that the fuel tank is behind the spare tire. In the limited research I've done I have not come upon USU168 before and would like to know more about it. I see Carrie Cant is responsible for the photograph.

I own a pre production Moke but I believe it is of a little later vintage (1962?). It also has no side panniers and bench seats, but the spare tire bolts to the floor behind the rear seat and the fuel tank is on the left side instead of behind the spare tire. It's also left hand drive. I am just beginning restoration in the near future.

Is there anyone in the club who is familiar with the pre production Mokes and who could help me with finding out more about mine? I tried to run the numbers through Heritage but they tell me they can only deal with production vehicles and that my numbers are not in their records. I've read the articles in the club book "Mini Moke 1964 -1989" and I understand Graham Robinson owns one and is something of an expert. Can anyone put me in touch with him?

Nick Becker
Walnut Creek, California, USA
carrie

Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by carrie »

Hi Nick,

Yes I am responsible for that photo. I can confirm it is Graham Robinson's moke as well. If you send me your details I will then pass them on to Graham for him to contact you, I am afraid I can not give you his details because of data protection. My email address is in the front of Moking Magazine.

Carrie Cant
Membership and Club Secretary
Mini Moke Club
GREYHARE
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Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:32

Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by GREYHARE »

Doug,

I am a member. i just joined in January. I don't have any pictures of the Moke. It is completely disassembled, has been bead blasted and is ready to go to the body shop for a lot of work. Apparently sometime in the past hay was stored in it and there is a lot of tin rot. I do plan to take some photos when it comes out of the garage to go to the body shop. I'll try to post them then but I'm pretty much a computer doofus.

Nick
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59Prototype
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Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 15:18
Location: Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil

Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by 59Prototype »

Just to let you all know that although a Moke Club member for goodness knows how many years I have only just signed up to the forum. Nick Becker's email address has just been forwarded to me and I have already written to him. His Moke is of as much interest to me as mine is to him!

In fact somehow I first found out about Nick's prototype Moke just over 10 years ago but was never able to track him down. The tables have been turned and he has succeeded where I have failed!

By the way if anyone has any information on prototype Mokes i.e. pre 1964 Mokes I would be delighted to hear from you. If you have a question please put it on this forum.

Finally if you have a Moke that has a chassis or engine number that begins 'SPL' then you could well have something very special lurking in your garage!

Whilst I wouldn't go so far as to say I am an expert on prototype Mokes I have nevertheless gathered a fair amount of information on them over the years. So much so that I now have a whole suitcase full of photos, articles, letters, etc.!!

Graham Robinson
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59Prototype
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by 59Prototype »

An article for the mag on prototype Mokes? What? Put pen to paper or finger to keyboard?!!! Ok, then I will! I don't promise it tomorrow but I will do one. Anyway it's about time I did a follow-up to my article in the club mag published aroud 20 years ago!!! Let's see what this thread throws up? It might bring about some new info that can be added into an article.

Perhaps we should start a new topic based on something specifically to do with the prototypes? After all this one stems from Nick Becker's question re my Moke in the 2009 calendar. What do you think?

Graham Robinson
Bournemouth
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Tim
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Location: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Tim »

Sounds very interesting Graham, I'd be keen just to see some photos of yours.

Tim
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59Prototype
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by 59Prototype »

Tim, I'm happy to put some shots of my Moke in the gallery. It's the first time that I have tried to use the gallery so I am not sure if I have quite done it correctly. However hopefully you can find them.

They were taken in 2006 for the insurance company that insures the Moke. With time I'll try and do some better ones and post them on the gallery.

Graham
Bournemouth
England
Nigel(no top)Sykes
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Nigel(no top)Sykes »

Just for my own interest... what do the front mountings of the rear subframe fasten on to ?
Come on summer
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59Prototype
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by 59Prototype »

Mmm, a good question!!! As it's around 20 years since I put it back together you got me thinking! However by diving into my pre-digital archive I found a shot of the belly of the Moke after it came back from the shotblasting. I've put the photo in the gallery. As you can see the front end of the rear subframe bolts onto a small angled crossmember fixed to the main tub. Hope that helps. With time I will try and upload some more of the same series of shots. i.e. as the shell was when it came back from shotblasting.
Nigel(no top)Sykes
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Nigel(no top)Sykes »

Fascinating .... It's amazing the differences between it and the production model - and the similarities
Come on summer
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Tim
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Tim »

Great stuff Graham, very interesting indeed.

Here's the direct link to the gallery.
http://www.gallery.mokeclub.org/thumbna ... by&uid=719

Tim
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Dean
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Dean »

By a well timed co-incidence, The latest "The Mini Experience" magazine has just hit the mailboxes over here and 14BT17 is featured with a nice colour double spread and poster!
Dean
14BT17 btw is one of the prototype English Mokes from 1959.
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Tim
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Tim »

Whoops, just sitting here wondering where my TME had got to and muttering to myself about the carrier pigeons that Watto uses, when I suddenly realised my subscription has lapsed. I'd better drop by the newsagent in the morning.

Tim
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59Prototype
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by 59Prototype »

Good to know that 14 BT 17 is getting some exposure on your side of the world. Is there any chance that I could get hold of a copy of Mini Experience to add to my bits and bobs of early Moke information?

I actually went to have a look at 14 BT 17 last December. (My Moke is 14 BT 18 by the way). Like a famous painting in an art gallery, 14 BT 17 now hangs in the Haynes Motor Museum, at Sparkford, Somerset. Yes quite literally the old girl is hanging from the rafters! I took a few photos and when I get a chance I'll post some in the gallery. Prior to my recent visit, the last time I had seen 14 BT 17 was around 1986 when she was in the Museum of Army Transport in Beverley, Yorkshire. The museum closed around 4 years ago and thankfully a home has now been found for her at the Haynes Museum. She carries the chassis number SPL 446/AM by the way. As I have said before if you spot anything Austin/Morris/BMC with an SPL number then it is a prototype. SPL, I believe, stands for Special Products Longbridge. One last point, the engines even had SPL engine numbers and normally were close numerically to that of the chassis. e.g. If the chassis number were SPL 400 then the engine number would start with something like SPL 405 followed by A for A series and then the engine size. Here's an example of an engine number: (no, it's not a real engine number, just one I am making up to illustrate the point!) SPL 450 - A - 950CC.

To further complicate matters I believe that my Moke was originally given the army number 14 BT 17 and the Haynes Museum one 14 BT 18. However somewhere along the way in the 1960s the army for some reason only known to them either deliberately or in error swopped the numbers over. It's history now and they will for ever remain as they are currently numbered.

Graham
Bournemouth
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Dean
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Re: FEBRUARY CALENDAR PICTURE

Post by Dean »

There's a picture of the Moke "swooping" from the ceiling of Haynes in TME and mention of it's time in the army museum.
The article states that six prototypes were built in 1959. Is this figure accurate Graham and how many were built after 1959?
You can buy TME direct from the publisher, Autofan media (which is owned by Moke owner Craig Watson). There was talk of distributing the mag in the UK but I don't know if that has happened yet.
The website is http://www.autofan.com.au and you can now subscribe online (a recent improvement). While you're at it you may want to buy a copy of issue 6, the Moke Special, a great read!
Dean
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