Where to find CMPs?

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Don..
You can basically do what you want and I have been around these things for 600 years and have always thought I would like to take the CMP distinctive cab and box and just strip the body off a modern pick up truck and plop it down on the new frame and running gear..That would work and you would have left hand drive and all the good stuff..sort out the dash and make it fit and you would have all the modern conveniences..like Heat and air ,good breaks and 200 MPH potential..with a super charger..
If you look at some of the CMP conversions in Thailand,you would soon realize that some camouflage tactics and you can do any thing you want and still have that CMP Look..
Go for it...
But what ever you do take pictures and post them here and have fun..
Damned the torpedoes and full speed ahead.!!!

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Don

Sure a lot of traffic on this issue...... just a couple of observations on what you most recently wrote.....

You mentioned that your area of expertise was computers and not mechanics/body work..... well the thruth be know most of us are frustrated wanna be mechanics/welders/bodymen....... in fact I suspect that the majority of the MLU membership are not mechanics but rather earn our livelyhood doing something else...... and turn to MLU / CMP and all that is greasy/mechanics as a release from the frustration of life....

I for one is am a professional paper pusher for the Feds.... once out of the office I like to do work with my hands..... very little formal training in what is required to restore or repair a CMP......

Collectively the greatest attributes are....willingness to try... the stubborness to persist...... and be dumb enough not to know we can't do it......oh yes money!!! do not restore a CMP to sell for a profit...!!!!

Some of the greatest restorations have been done by members who presisted and turned to MLU, books, the web, EBay, etc. to find ways to make it work.

Another firm belief that I suscribe to..... you cannot restore a CMP with out have a couple of vehicles as a parts source.... or just as a model to look at when you can't remember how the parts fits...... the three Mousequeteers at the Hammond barn have in excess of 24 parts trucks to draw from.....

Get yourself some CMPs.... and go for it...... but..... you have to keep us posted of your progress or failures....... I know if no other places where such a wealth of information is so readily available.

Bob C

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Hi Don

Sure a lot of traffic on this issue...... just a couple of observations on what you most recently wrote..... ...

You mentioned that your area of expertise was computers and not mechanics/body work..... well the thruth be know most of us are frustrated wanna be mechanics/welders/bodymen.......

... do not restore a CMP to sell for a profit...!!!!

..... you cannot restore a CMP with out have a couple of vehicles as a parts source.... or just as a model to look at when you can't remember how the parts fits...... the three Mousequeteers at the Hammond barn have in excess of 24 parts trucks to draw from.....

Get yourself some CMPs.... and go for it...... but..... you have to keep us posted of your progress or failures....... I know if no other places where such a wealth of information is so readily available.

Bob C

I just wanted to expand on Bobs points a little and to disagree with one point.

You most certainly must be craze to restore a CMP but as most who have gotten into this mania realize almost nobody restores just one. In its advance stage CMP mania requires you to restore the second and even the third trucks. Bob mentions that it is important to have a parts sources ie. the proverbial parts trucks what we have to let Bob in on is those aren't parts trucks they are potential restoration projects.

One of the nice things about CMPs is because they were designed to be built with the simplest available parts and parts manufactures so much of the trucks are reproducible.

Cheers Phil

[Ian McColl]

Hi Don,

The C15a shown in your second picture was featured in Convoy Magazine, Issue # 27, Page 25. The article indicated that the truck had been rescued by Jim Harrison and later donated to his local Region Branch. The picture you have shown is identical to the picture in the magazine. Not sure if the deal fell through but just thought I would share what I know with you as there have been situations where people have purchased trucks from people who didn't own them. Speaking from personal experience as one who had a truck sold by someone who did not own it. Good luck with whatever you decide in your restoration.

[Marauder_Pilot]

I have been talking to Jim about these trucks. He did mention a previous deal for them that had fallen through, and that he'd just bought them to save them from the crusher.

I can believe that it's happened before, especially since so many vehicles are found in barns and fields and such, but I have no doubts about this particular deal being on the level.

[Kootenay Cruiser]

Nice CMP's, I also have the same idea of rebuilding my CMP to be more modern running gear (diesel motor) with the old school body. Right now it has a I-6 Chevy motor and four speed in it, works pretty good for being 40 years old. Just remember necessity is the mother of invention...

[poorman]

Ian is right about the cmp in the second picture.I did donate a cmp to the legion ,but it was one I picked up from Bill Spence in WPG. I still have these two cmps. A fellow club member spoke for them two years ago and backed out of the deal this fall.They can be had real cheap just to get rid of them, and I do own them . Thanks jim