Looking at the chassis end,
 

I'm convinced you have a GS chassis. Those bent U shaped brackets welded to the chassis flange brackets are often found on GS trucks to stop the tail gate hitting the pintle hook if it is dropped.

Excellent find

Rob

Has anyone got an idea what this rather large screw did? It’s located just about 6 inches to the left of the gear lever. While I was taking the floor up I thought I would find it was a dip stick of some sort. As it is, it would be worthless and looks as if it was put there for some reason, but what. I have been looking at other blitz floors and haven’t noticed any others. Any ideas?

(The floor is sitting on the rear of the tray when picture was taken)

plug
 

Models fitted with tyre pump, access to screw slot on top pump activating lever.

Thanks for the above Bob.

Just a question - regarding the paint colour for this C8AX. The paint behind the Tac Sign was quite a dark green. Now there is a mile of information on here about paint etc. But I want to find out paint pattern/colour that was used by the 2NZEF-IP on their trucks.

Are there any other Kiwi Restorers (or anyone) that have an idea about the 1942-43 colour of the period applied to a truck heading off to the Solomon Islands?

What went into this hole.........it has a chain but no plug?........

I got a spot on paint sample from the bottom of the oil filter, washed the 'junk' away and a perfect paint sample to work with. Rather a dark green compared to the green on other parts exposed to the sun.

hole
 

NOTHING, the chain goes on the drain tap on the block.

Spending a few hours one day a week on the old girl.......about to tow it to a mates for the engine out and a good chassis sandblasting.

Have got a power isolation cut off switch on this truck located above the 6v battery....was this an add on or a genuine piece of ‘puddle jumper’ truck? Anyone know?

Isolation Switch
 

I haven't seen one of these before. Probably an add on by someone wanting to retain all the juice in their battery!

My Brother and I have run our PJs on 6V since the 1980s. As long as the contacts on the battery leads are clean both ends, and the starter motor hasn't got loaded up with grease, it works like a charm. We also ran the earth cable directly from the battery to the engine block near the starter, then back to the chassis.
The cost of 6V batteries is getting prohibitive, but they do last a long time.

Rob

Can anyone tell me, were the gearstick etc boots made of canvas or rubber?

I'm glad I started restoration on the C8AX as the Blitz I had my eye on may be a project later when more experience is gained! (And a heap more money) ARN number was on cowl 104241.

Lever boots
 

Those I've seen were canvas. They were just remnants, so i'd like to see pics of originals if anyone has them please.

Watch out for the CMP bug Mick. It has no known cure.
Many of the worlds best female minds have tried to defeat it!

here are some pics from earlier in the year:

1. Changing the clutch pressure plate in a C8AX GS

2. Line up of Radio Shack, Ambulance and GS

Rob

Rob

I found these ones in leather.


C8AX - I know what the C the 8 and the last letter X mean, but is the A just an indication 4x4?

Well a mate went past with a mini excavator today and I waved him down. Told him I had a five minute job for him and he had just the right tool for the job. Engines out! On the way for some compression tests etc new bearing and seals in gear box and transfer case, if needed.

Started work on replacement panel in the POW holder and back cab section.

Got my paint mixed ‘just right’ (that's a hot topic on here!). have a long list of mates with a wide variety of skills that are now wishing they didn’t owe me favours.......the fridge is full of beer.......so......

......do I start a new thread in the restoration area for the next phase or continue on here......

'a'
 

Yes, the 'A' was used to denote a driven front axle. :teach: :thup:

Spent Sunday with a mate on a few of the (what we thought were but were not,) smaller projects. The engine cover had the dome shape cut out of it with a grinder (for ease of access to engine in civilian life?). The floor of the POW can holder was rusted out......and the original battery box was a joke. The curved section that was added back in was from the bonnet of an old EH Ute.....fitted well with a bit of a tap. The battery box and can holder floor was put together with 16 gauge.

The finished product -

Hi Mick,
I will be sending you some deck pics and some notes on dimensions tonight.
Cheers Terry

Deck hold down details
 

Here are some pics of the under deck supports.

The deck sits on 4 1/2" x 2" bearers full width. Three of these are bolted with coach bolts down thru the bearer and through an angle bracket welded flush with the top of the chassis rails. The bearer behind the wheel arch is bolted thru the top flange of the chassis rail.
These are all bolted to the deck panels by a pair of coach bolts at each end.

The bearer under the middle of the front locker, and the short one over the chassis arch are held by countersunk screws down thru the flange on the edge of the body sides.

Note also the simple mudguard and H frame mudguard supports, also the stirrups under the back of the deck.

Rob

This little project started off a nightmare, but ended up being nothing. Pulled the wiper motor apart and it was set solid with a line of old grease. The gasket kit had broken in the process. Grabbed some 0.4mm gasket sheet and knocked out two new ones. Cleaned up and rebuilt.......don’t think I will sweat as much on the second one.

Has anyone got a picture of where the hose runs to connect this ‘stone age’ contraption? Was there a shut off valve in the line? All the hoses have been long missing from this truck.

C8AX Deck mountings
 

Rob has covered it nicely Mick. Your deck mounting will be the same as the NZ made 30 cwt only shorter with similar brackets welded to the chassis.
With mine I figured that because the crossmembers are fitted inside the panels I would make each side and the front separately, fit all the cross members to the chassis and then fit the sides from each side and weld it up in place. Worked well.
Instead of drilling down through the timber crossmembers I made U shaped brackets that are bolted on but this was not really neccessary
Terry

Further to Terry's comments,
 

I've re-timbered a couple of original decks, and found that if you chamfer the corners of the timbers, they fit into the deck with a bit of persuasion. Cutting them a little bit shorter helps too, and doesn't affect the bearing capacity!

Drilling down through the timbers is by guess and by God, but if you hold your mouth right, you'll find the hole in the chassis bracket. Using a smaller drill bit to drill a pilot hole can help too.

The old timbers have just had coach bolts with a split washer and nut. We have used a pair of nuts for security, but its easy to see most of the nuts from outside to ensure they are tight.

The radio shack, with its timbered body apparently had over-long bolts with springs under the washers. The GS body is able to flex with the chassis, so plain bolts are fine.

cheers
Rob

Canopy Frame
 

Here's a couple of pics of the canopy frame.

Its fairly basic with the hoops from 1-1/2 x 3/8 steel flat, and sheet steel on the ridge and corners. The diagonal braces are from 1-1/2 x 1/4 flat, as is the shoulder blade level back rest.

The hoops just drop in to rectangular holes in the top edge of the deck.
There is a block of 1-1/2 x 3/8 flat welded to the outside of each leg as a stop (or rest) so the hoops sit at the right height.

Rob

Tail gate ideas
 

You may have already seen this clip Mick. There are a few good deck shots including the tailgate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHhWgg4ns-Y
How are you progressing?
Cheers

Thanks Rob and Terry for the "Kiwi" input into this project, as an Aussie doing up an ex Kiwi Truck, I don't have many people this side to ask.

In answer to your question how is it going?. I have ordered the parts I need for the engine ($790) and I was happy with that as it could have been a lot more. Funny thing I found after pulling the engine out of an acid bath was a small plate that had been tacked on to the block near the starter motor. It basically said a name of a Dubbo Firm that has long since gone and a date and year the engine had a total rebuild......1957...... I am putting parts back in it to let me use unleaded fuel. Hope to have the engine bolted back in two weeks.

Have put the first coat on a lot of parts etc too. Next few days am about to put a new panel on the lower back section of the cab and get it ready.

Question? - what was the height from the truck deck to the middle of the canopy bow?

Canopy height
 

I measure 1375mm which is a shade over 4 ' 6" in old measure.Thats from the deck floor to the top of the bow at the centre.

The top of the bow isn't flat, probably rises about 1" to 1-1/2" from the sides.

Rob

Windshield wiper lines
 

For the 13 cab, the lines ran from the wiper motor (that included a shutoff valve) to a T fitting at the center post of the windshield frame and then downward. Most of the length of the lines were hard lines, the rubber connecting lines were fairly short. I've never seen reference to a a separate shutoff or speed regulating valve.

Overflow Tank
 

Just about got the Overflow Tank finished this weekend. The width of a tank is supposed 6¾ but I found some pipe on the scrap heap at 6½ so called that close enough. Made a dye to press out the little ‘bubble’ in the top lid. Hope to run an inlet and overflow pipe in during the week.

Wiper pipes
 

Hi
The vac metal pipes on my 13 cab are 1/4 brake pipe and just use a 3 way brake pipe brass union. :salute:

o/flow
 

The bubble as you call it covers the overflow pipe. the top of the tank had several holes around the pipe which went all the way thru the tank, to drain when tank FULL. fit the pipe into tank proud 1/4", drill 4 holes then cover with large welsh plug.

truck numbers
 

hi
my brother has an austin k2y ambulance, well some bits any way, 24-4-41.

the bonnet no. is A1207004 which was usually shortened to 1207004 in australian service, i can guess because the windscreen is in the wrong way ( how careless) that it is one of 8 that served in the 2nd platoon 2nd australian car company. they be others but thats all the picture i could find.

i have tried the official sites but they cannot help with its history.

Got the pipes in the overflow tank weekend past and a bit of paint thrown about on a range of other parts.