How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi all,

One of the things I have been working on this week is getting the turret interior completed. As you would have seen on the photos, the breech ring is damaged on the underside but I have fitted this and the damaged tube until the new gun arrives.

I had quite a battle getting the gun tube seated in the sleigh and in the end had to make up a tool to make it happen. I guess there was enough of a kink in the tube to make it a tight squeeze in the sleigh.

The mantlet has two pieces of threaded rod which along with two large 5/8” Allen screws screws underneath, hold the mantlet onto the recoil system. My mantlet had one original piece of 5/8” threaded rod in it on the right side. I had to fit a new piece of threaded rod in the left hand side of the mantlet. I am not sure why but the original right hand rod does seem too long (maybe it’s not so original?). As it is it tends to sit over the ammo belt making the feeding of the ammo belt a bit tight. It does work but I wouldn’t trust it in combat. Ideally, I should take the mantlet off again, cut the rod down, and tap a new thread on it. I may yet do that. Thanks to Jonathan for his advice around the ammo belt feeder and ejected rounds shute. The .30 cal seems to sit in there nicely.

I also had quite a job getting the brass guide block on the side of the breech ring to line up with the right hand side plate. The brass lock was bent and it took a few hours to get it straight enough to align the breech ring and the side plate.

I am not at this stage yet, but how do you guys lift your turret? The access point where the plate bolts on at the back is an obvious lifting point but what about at the front? Do you wrap the strop around the mantlet? Perhaps front and rear, along with a strop that goes from side to side using the tie down ring around the turret?

I have a few other things back from the blasting and painting. The floor pieces came out good. The pintle hook is now fitted.

That's all for now.....