Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

As I spent morning and early afternoon in town, not much got done on the truck today.
bonnet & grille 3.jpg
I did manage to get the bonnet / hood on the nose, using two small shims to raise the hinges slightly. The reason it looks to be sitting too high in the front is because it is sitting on a roll of tape to stop it from taking paint off front edge. The bolts holding cross piece of nose panel front hit against the bonnet. I will remove each one and whittle the head thickness down to about 2/3 of currect thickness. It won't hit then!
bonnet 3.jpg
Can someone please tell me what these holes on upper cross piece of nose panel are for? I am hoping they are to take rubber grommets for bonnet to sit against! If they are, it will assist me greatly. If not.........crap, i'll have to find some other way of keeping bonnet still so it doesn't take more paint off.
bonnet 1.jpg
I also made a little heat/acoustic shield for under bonnet. Not greatly concerned about heat there, but the added bulk should minimise 'drumming' of the sheet-metal.
bonnet 2.jpg
Look at all the bloody paint I lost when first testing bonnet fit last weekend. It's the same on both sides too!
TAC plate bolts.jpg
Had enough time in the bank to get the bolts welded onto back of the front TAC plate holder. Last night I was playing around on the computer, and narrowed down fonts for unit signage and 'PASS' sign.

More on that in next post...

[Keith Webb]

You are right, Tony those little holes are for rubber bumpers which you can still get from a good rubber supply company. Your insulation under the bonnet means you can't paint the nomenclature there - I think you'll find there's so much other noise a little drumming there is insignificant.

Originally Posted by Private_collector

As I spent morning and early afternoon in town, not much got done on the truck today.

Can someone please tell me what these holes on upper cross piece of nose panel are for? I am hoping they are to take rubber grommets for bonnet to sit against! If they are, it will assist me greatly. If not.........crap, i'll have to find some other way of keeping bonnet still so it doesn't take more paint off.
Attachment 49420
I also made a little heat/acoustic shield for under bonnet. Not greatly concerned about heat there, but the added bulk should minimise 'drumming' of the sheet-metal.
Attachment 49421

[Private_collector]

After much playing around with different fonts, these are the ones which may suit. The military directions regarding font size and type are making it VERY hard to keep this historically accurate. When using the correct height and width of font for the unit numbers, it fills the entire plate, leaving bugger all space either side. And thats with a font that is still a little smaller than specified. This problem is due in no small part to the signage I need for my Fathers unit, 29-46 Inf Btn.

It's a bit like 'Goldilocks'
TAC sign 4.jpg
This one's too small.....
TAC sign 5.jpg
This one's too big....
TAC sign 6.jpg
This 'bastardised' version, while not entirely following the regulations, does match two similar plates I have seen in original photos where the unit had a lot of numbers to fit on the plate. So I guess this one could be......Just Right Maybe. I'm over it for now
TAC sign PASS.jpg
On a happier note, this mock-up of the PASS side of the plate looks just about right compared to the drawings as shown in military regulations documents.

Once I settle on my requirements, I will take the 'mock-ups' to sign cutting place on Monday afternoon. They will probably tell me "Oh no sir, we don't have any of those fonts. At which point I will strike them roughly.....and run away laughing insanely

[Private_collector]

Thanks Keith,

I was hoping that was the case with those holes.

I'll call into the local rubber shop next week.

I was in two minds about the sheeting under the bonnet too. I thought about it for a long while and came to the decision that I won't worry about the under bonnet writing. The poor old truck is now made up of so many trucks, and the chassis shortened to something between F60 & F15 length, that I wouldn't try to represent it as any particular spec. I will assert it to retain a 1942 build year, but even that is drawing a long bow if you stop to think of the numerous parts that must be from other years. Mind you, those dates are rarely identified for certain.

[Keith Webb]

Sounds like a sensible plan Tony.

But you really will have to do another... next time you'll find an intact CMP with everything original and unmolested... I'm convinced there are more waiting to be discovered in farmers sheds around Australia.

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Thanks Keith,

I was hoping that was the case with those holes.

I'll call into the local rubber shop next week.

I was in two minds about the sheeting under the bonnet too. I thought about it for a long while and came to the decision that I won't worry about the under bonnet writing. The poor old truck is now made up of so many trucks, and the chassis shortened to something between F60 & F15 length, that I wouldn't try to represent it as any particular spec. I will assert it to retain a 1942 build year, but even that is drawing a long bow if you stop to think of the numerous parts that must be from other years. Mind you, those dates are rarely identified for certain.

[Private_collector]

TAC sign 6.jpg
Having remarked that the applicable unit sign I am using for the restoration looks like a mathematical problem, I decided to 'work it out' for my own amsement. Calculators are a wonderful thing

I was astonished to find that while the 'answer' was a negative number, it worked out to be the EXACT calibre of the Lee Enfied rifles carried by the soldiers. That being .303......etc.

Isn't that just the strangest thing!!!

[hrpearce]

Tony do you also like watching letters and numbers on SBS?

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

Tony do you also like watching letters and numbers on SBS?

I have seen that show at times, but don't watch it regularly.

Not mathematically talented, me.

T

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

Tony do you also like watching letters and numbers on SBS?

The only positive about that show is the girl who places the letters on the wall If she wasn't there , I think I'd rather watch paint dry than watch that show .

Richard Morecroft , the host, should have flown away with is friend Archie, the flying fox , years ago. Or was it a Wombat !

Mike