Need HELP in the UK!!!

[micdavis]

Remember that Luke landspeeder that was built on an '88 Escort?

Well some how it ended up in the UK.

A friend of mine bought it with a promise from the seller that he could get it shipped back the US for a reasonable rate. He took the money and split.

So...... the speeder has been in storage at Elstree for a few months. Now they are asking it to be removed. My friend can't afford the shipping just now. If it's not removed by July 10th it will be scraped.

If there is anyone in the UK that can go and pick it up, wants to use it and store it, it would really help someone out. Maybe someone from the UK Garrison?

It would cool to have. It is drivable and was once street legal in California. It probably needs a jump or new battery to get it moving under it's own power.

If you can help. Email me at:

micdavis@mac.com

Thanks

 

[micdavis]

Nobody? Bummer.

 

[shagger999uk]

I've taken the liberty of posting alink to this over on the UK Garrison site:

http://ukgarrison.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=226465#226465

I hope someone is able to help your mate out (I'm at the wrong end of the country and don't have a a garage!).

Steve

 

[shagger999uk]

Hopefully you'll have received an offer of help from the UK Garrison / National Space Centre.

 

[micdavis]

Looks like we may have a rescue in progress.

THANKS!!!

 

[shagger999uk]

How's this going?

 

[HAL9000]

FYI
This is currently stuffed in the corner in the underground Car Park
beneath Stage 9. I took this photo last friday with my phone!

I wondered what that was doing there.

 

[carbonitekid]

Firstly...

Sorry for resurecting a loooong dead thread but it is with a bit of an update.

This speeder wound up with the UK Garrison of the 501st . To say it was in a sorry state would be a major understatement so a few of the members conducted emergency repairs and a quick tart up to make it atleast halfway presentable for use at the national Space centre in Leicesteshire.

However , a lack of storage facilities led to a hasty decline in its condition:

The pics make it look better than it was.

It was then decided that something needed to be done with it else it go on ebay/to the scrap heap as the owner of where it was "stored" needed their drive back.

with that in mind the Vectis Remnant Squad of the UKG based on the Isle of Wight offered to give it a new home and do their best to bring it up to some level of use and displayability.

This is how it arrived in january this year:

Please excuse the 2 extras from Deliverance sat in front.

The engine had already been removed. A large amount of the wooden panels comprising the body had rotted through and had to be replaced , the bondo/P38 used to skim the body had been broken through to the high density foam body beneath and the side engine pods had rusted out and were beaten into unusability.

And here is how she looks as of Monday:

There are a few final touches to do. The radar has now been fashioned and fitted as has the detail in the bonnet appature. As the hand of the drive has been swapped we are fashioning panels to fit in the holes left by the likes of the radio.

We will be fashioning up a more accurate centre console panel inthe near future along the lines of this quick prototype I knocked up:

Obviously she is far from accurate ( the sheer size of her go's against her from the start. Shes 4 meters wide !! :eek ) but we have tried to do the best with what we have. we've tried to keep the "spirit2 of the thing whilst adding a few touches to help when she is on display.

Sadly as she is now engineless we have been forced to create a small hole at the base of the nose and fit a detachable tow bar. This enables us to tow her in parades yet still display her without a hulking great tow bar sticking out the front.

I hope what we have done meets with your friends approval. Trust me , it was very close to being irreparable.

Incidentaly, any and al info about this speeders past history would be most greatfully recieved.

 

[micdavis]

Wow.

I figured this was long gone.

Hope you find it useful to have.

Large props can be a pain.

 

[carbonitekid]

Wow.

I figured this was long gone.

Hope you find it useful to have.

Large props can be a pain.

She'll hold together for a few more years. but yeah, she's a pain already. Wooden frame + foam + moist English weather means near constant cracking/repairs of surface skin.

But she's worth it. Certainly got heads turning when taken for a trial spin round Cowes.

That was during the worlds largest Yachting festival mind.


Do you know anything of her history? And out of curiosity who was the nefarious seller as I have a few hunches.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Glad to see that this thing finally got some of the TLC it deserved! Good on you guys for doing what you could to save her. :thumbsup

 

[carbonitekid]

It was suggested I put up a renovation thread, so without further ado: http://www.therpf.com/f9/88-landspeeder-rescue-renovation-124351/#post1825831