This photo shows the
Champs as found.This photo shows the
Champs as found.
85BE36 - engine 60274. 94BE73 - engine 61208. 89BE87 - engine 53128.
Notice the spare axles in the background taken from other Champs
that have
been broken up.
I recently contacted John Mastrangelo with regard to an entry
on the
Champ website.
The entry mentions several Champs that were 'found' in Scotland.
The truth of the matter is that a friend of mine has known the
whereabouts of these Champs since around 1978. At that time they
were very complete. Since then they have been 'robbed' by other
enthusiasts of their back seats, windsreens, instruments etc.etc.
My friend, a fellow military enthusiast and vehicle owner, actually
closed a deal to purchase the said Champs in late 1998.
It was his intention to 'restore' one or more of the Champs to
original
road-going condition. If he had problems with the restoration,
he
thought, the fact that he had four vehicles meant that he could
rob the
other vehicles and make and mend the parts required so that he
had a complete vehicle with a minimum of fuss, expense and effort.
Being used as he was to the Willys, Dodges and other American
Military vehicles, his first exposure to the British-built Austin
Champ resulted in an enormous culture shock. He was bowled over
by the complexity of the bodyshell, he told me he had enormous
respect for anyone who drives a Champ, let alone does a total
chassis-up restoration. He was of course referring to me, that's
what I was about to embark on.
He, of course, 'chickened-out' of the Champ restoration project
and
offered the Champs to me, along with all the 'used' spares.
I only saw three Champs, the fourth one was cut-up where it stood
on the side of the road in Scotland, it was in a very bad state.
The other three, he had a friendly contractor transport to his
yard in
Cannock, which is close to where I live in Walsall.
Out of the three Champs, two were deemed salvable, whilst the
remaining one, having nothing left in the way of bodywork beyond
the rear seat and not very much in the way of metal on the front
inner wings and bulkhead was thought not worth keeping. This Champ
was cut up on the site in Cannock, the resulting spares were transported
along with the other two Champs to my brother's garage in Walsall.
That is where they are now, January 2001, sheeted over, waiting
their turn in the 'Champ' shop.
Out of interest there were ten spare rear axles, every possible
type of failure is present among the axles. Only one has a complete
unworn pinion, but it is discoloured. It has suffered from lack
of lubrication.
It is useable but not as quiet in use as it should be. Another
friend of
mine has tried it out in his Champ - a Champ he bought in Coventry
with only a front axle - a scrap front axle installed. But that's
another
story. I'll tell you more about that Champ another time.
I will let you have more details of my Champs in due course.
I can give you the info to hand at present, which are, 85BE36
- engine 60274. 94BE73 - engine 61208. 89BE87 - engine 53128.
Description of Condition
Numbers:
1
Restored, Running in original condition
2 Under
restoration or to be restored 3 Salvable 4
Fit for spares 5 Broken up 6 Modified 7 No trace since sold.
The
Austin Champ Register Home Page