[Big D]

Hi all,

I’ve been inspired by some of the recent armour restoration threads by Rick, Peter, Dale and others so thought I would post some details of my latest restoration project - an M8 armoured car, U.S. Ordnance serial number 7373. I’m hoping that I can get assistance on this forum from time to time with this project as I’m sure I will need help. I imagine the first few months will mainly be spent on taking stock of what I have and working out what I have got myself into!

I’ve been told I must be brave or just a little mad, in attempting this project. I figure though that if I don’t do it, someone else will and as the saying goes, they’re not making these anymore!

With lots of help from Willy Rouhalde in France and Jaap Rietveld in Belgium, this M8 arrived in New Zealand in September 2015.

As you can see, the M8’s hull is cut in two. Little is known about its history apart from the fact that it is ex- Italian Army and that it was cut as part of their demilitarising process. I understand the turret is not original to this M8.

The US Ordnance serial number on the hull below the glacis is 7373. From what I’ve been told, its likely manufacture date would have been early to mid 1944, and its U.S. Registration number 6040276-S.

The project came with the two hull pieces, turret and ring gear, turret rotation gear, 37mm gun tube and mantlet, gun mount, elevation and recoil system parts, 37mm ammo racks, 3 x engines in various states of repair, axles, wheels and tires, transmissions, transfer cases, engine covers, shocks, hatches, brakes, springs, guards, storage boxes, prop shafts, torque rods, instrument panels, steering boxes and steering wheel, starter motor, generator, radiator, fuel tank, fans, clutch assembly, hydrovac, muffler, carburettors, co-driver seat, distributor, water pump,handbrake and gearbox levers, BC-603 radios and FT-237, BC606 interphone boxes, etc, etc.

The size of the project when I bought it was such that it wouldn’t fit into a 20 foot container and I had to get a 40 foot container to bring it all home.

From the start I knew there wasn’t a heck of a lot of the bigger parts that I still needed. Most of the big stuff was there and while I was preparing the vehicle for shipping I managed to find a few things that I knew I did need including the turret seating frame, electric choke, master switch, primer pump, foot pedal assembly, grenade boxes, brake line covers, compass mount, BC-604 radio, and 37mm spare parts case.

It will be a while before I start the restoration with any real speed as I am still finishing off a White M3A1 AOP Scout Car. However, my initial plan is to try and get the hull welded reasonably quickly, then get the vehicle on it’s wheels so that it can at least be moved around if needed to be. After that, we will look to fabricate the floor.

I knew the welding of the hull was something that was going to be beyond my very limited welding skills. Fortunately, I have been storing the vehicle in a friend’s engineering workshop and he has a number of specialist welders who are going to do that part of the restoration.

I’ve heard various thoughts on the recommended approach to welding the hull. Peter – this is why I had some interest in how you did your hull.

Some have said to weld with stainless steel rods. Others have said MIG is the way to go. My initial conversations with the welders who will do the hull is that they are thinking MIG with high tensile wire. I’ll keep you posted once the we progress with this.

At this stage I am looking for the following parts if anyone has anything available or any contacts:

· Driver and co-driver seats

· Aircleaner

· Regulator

· Throttle fluid reservoir and mounting bracket

· Ignition coil

· Fire extinguisher bracket and water can bracket

· Protectoscopes

· Exhaust elbow – engine to muffler

· Ignition coil

· Hydrovac repair kit

· Fuel sender

· Ammeter


I’ll post some more pictures of the progress as I go.