Restoration update

[Bob Carriere]

.........but if your vehicle has 6" steering ends .......

Hi Keith

Are you implying that some early (43-44) C60 or F60 in Australia had small C15a front axles eggcups.........four bolts on top instead of six on the larger units.

Curious because we did find some 1945 Autralian contract C60L in Canada that had the smaller C15a front axles and some were shod with 10:50 x 16 tires....

We passed it off as being factory assembeled with left overs at the end of production as the war ended.

Enjoying the warm weather I assume.

Boob

[Keith Webb]

Hi Bob

What I was saying was only the very early (1942) cab 13s here had wooden GS bodies (as well as wooden spare wheel carrier toolboxes) and these early Fords in particular had the lightweight steering as a hangover from cab 12 production. That is why for example Australian No 8 and 9 FGTs for example had light steering ends.
I have not heard of Aussie contract C60Ls in Canada like that - interesting...
I thought the only ones with 16" wheels were the 30cwt medium wheelbase vehicles used for ambulances. But interesting to hear about and you could be right assuming they were left-over production.

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Are you implying that some early (43-44) C60 or F60 in Australia had small C15a front axles eggcups.........four bolts on top instead of six on the larger units.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Keith

I have pictures of at least half a dozen such Australian contracts..... all built within a 6 week period in Sept 1945.......all had small 16 inch wheels and small C15a front axles......and all long wheel base...... some had round gauges some had the old early civvy instrument cluster...... and obvioulsy none where sent to Australia as the hostilities drew to an end.....

Bob C.

[Keith Webb]

They must have been made from spare bits because in Australia Holden built complete cabs and bodies - only the chassis components were shipped for cab 13s.
Love to see some pics.

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Hi Keith

I have pictures of at least half a dozen such Australian contracts..... all built within a 6 week period in Sept 1945.......all had small 16 inch wheels and small C15a front axles......and all long wheel base...... some had round gauges some had the old early civvy instrument cluster...... and obvioulsy none where sent to Australia as the hostilities drew to an end.....

Bob C.

[Jim Davis]

For the record, out of the 4 or so diff sets we've accumulated, only one had the large steering (which we're now using), but the wreck it came off had the small steering box and therefore different ball sizes, hence our current setup being a bit of a custom job. This F60 we're working on had the smaller steering when we got it, as did our other F60 wreck. Saying that, these trucks were modified into tow trucks/cranes whilst in timber country, whether they swapped the diffs during this time, who knows...

[Bob Carriere]

Will do some digging Keith and post pictures..... from what I could see they were built for Australia but never made it......

I have one of those frames at the barn.....a guy in Montreal has one fully restored.... a few in the Bellville area...... a few in Orangeville ... a few in Sault Ste Marie...
... but all are from the same Aussie contract and built within a few eeks of one another in and around August / September 1945 and obviously never shipped........ and with and w/o roof hatches and early and late instruments clusters......

In the AEDB engineering manuals there are records of such 16 inch CMP trucks being built as troup carriers and for ambulances....all long wheel base.....

Will put a package together an post for you.....

Boob