Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Hey Phil,

Once the two pieces of frame are together, I spray a rustproofing compound such as Tectyl or Fisholine, in through one of the sliding hinge holes. I don't go overboard with it though, because depending which you use, it can slosh around and seep out. I tilt the frame around, so that the fluid reaches all areas, then angle frame in such as way as to allow excess to drain out.

If in any doubt that frame may require welding in future, don't even consider rustproofing. I'm lucky in this part of the world, we don't get snow, rarely get frosts, truck lives undercover and always will. I wont be taking truck out in poor weather for a number of reasons, includingpreventing corrosion. That said, it is gonna get cought out in rain some time!

Don't know what types of spray rustproofing you have there, but one of the best penetrating I believe, is Fisholine, a relatively thin compound that gets in seams, crevices etc, and the manufcaturers state it can stop rusting if completely covering the rusted area. I first used this stuff when I was painting classic & vintage cars in 1980s. Back then, Fisholine, as name suggests, had a horrible & almost overpowering fishy smell. Since then, the manufacturers have 'deodorised' the smell away........almost! Fisholine remains fluid consistency for ages, hence the excellent penetration. Tectyl by comparisn, has no offensive odour, is more viscous (spelling?) and forms a skimming surface within hours or days, depending on temp etc. The thicker consistency of Tectyl has created problems when it has been accidentaly sprayed into door window sliding tracks, mechanisms of same, or blocks the drainage channels to doors and such.

I will be spraying Fisholine into the doors of my truck, a bit further down the track. I can virtually guarantee it wont interfere with the window glass or winder mechanism.

[Private_collector]

Just a quick posting to say I visited the engineering works this morning, and they are part way through the job.

Both replacement sections to rear of the rails are fabricated and tacked in place, fish plates are bolted on, and two of the three minor crack repairs are completed. Well, actually there are two cracks & one area requiring patch repair. That one spot is on the transmission cross-member where someone had cut a jaggedy hole.

Things are on track for me gettting it back this Saturday!!!!!!

I have $10 that i'll bet I can't get a hire trailer for this Saturday.

[Private_collector]

As they specialise in large truck repairs & body fabrication, I enquired about purchasing a suitable turntable when inspecting my chassis repair progress at the engineering works this morning. I meant to ask about this last week but didn't get an opportunity. My timing is as good as always, because there WERE some tired (read as 'stuffed') units up the back of the yard until a little while ago, at which time they were removed and sent for scrap! Lucky me!
Because they often come across turntables in need of replacement (read again as 'stuffed'), they will have more at some point in the future, and I have asked to be contacted once something suitable turns up. Cost will be negligable on such items. I have no intentions to ever use the vehicle to tow a trailer rig so an old one won't be an issue for me. In fact I would have the damn thing permanently disabled, to avoid having to register as a prime mover, and require an articulated licence. For now, I just wait. I'm used to that. Don't like it, but used to it.

[Private_collector]

Hand brake lever finished 1.jpg Hand brake lever finished 2.jpg Hand brake lever finished 3.jpg
That hand brake lever came up fairly good.
Certainly a little better than when you saw it last, I hope. Finished it while doing the windscreen frame painting, to make mixing the paint worthwhile.
Yet another part to store carefully until needed in months/years.

I reassembled the driver side windscreen this evening. Hmmmm, it's OK I guess, but not perfect. Temporarily installed the outer seal and cut the corners, ready to glue tomorrow afternoon. It's funny to see so many restored vehicles which don't have the outer seal parts joined together, just all sitting there seperately. All for the want of a 'bees' of super glue. Just leave a slight bit more length than minimum. The rubber may shrink over time. From my experiments, the glue wouldn't break though. I did a test on a scrap piece before I did passenger side, and flexed the joint back & forth for a couple of days, until I got sick of that and pulled the bits apart. Glue remained, rubber broke apart.

I have booked the car transporter trailer for 0800hrs Saturday A.M, so I am going to get the chassis, one way or another. Not losing my rental money! It better be ready for me, or.........."Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when i'm angry"

[Private_collector]

Saturday morning I got the chassis back. As usual, it wasnt ready when I arrived to get it. One weld repair, and the holes for the two pintle brackets were not done. Despite me providing a photo, the guy that made the cross member fabricated it the way they do for large trucks and not as per the clear photo I had supplied.

I am grateful that all the holes line up, and after I did an awful lot of cleaning, smoothing and etch priming, I tightened the bolts and checked the chassis alignment. Almost dead straight!

Photos will follow when I get back to my computer. This portable device doesnt shrink the photo size easily.

[Private_collector]

Chassis repair 1.jpg Chassis repair 2.jpg Chassis repair 3.jpg Chassis repair 4.jpg Chassis repair 5.jpg
Finally back on the computer again. Here are the photos showing current state of chassis. Waited 2 hours while they finished the work that was 'ready' for me to pick up. It did give me opportunity to see how they drill holes, and how they cut larger round holes using the Oxy-Acetyline torch. That was quite impressive to see actually. I took the pintle brackets off before I attempted to trailer the chassis home. They would have been too heavy for me to safely 'wheel' the chassis around on the axle I have temporarily chanied, for mobility.

I kept a real good watch on the rail alignment as I torqued each of the bolts around the rear member etc. Pleased to say it wouldn't be more than 2mm out of true! Yay!!

You will note that the rear cross member has a cut-out section at each end, unlike original. This annoys me, but in reviewing the photo I had given them, the ends of the rear member are actually VERY difficult to see in the photo, not that I believe the photo ever was shown to the guy that did the work! This method is how they do all replacement cross members for the heavy vehicles they do. It's supposed to give greater ability to flex. I have no plans to alter this now. I will be putting a second bolt on top surface of the cross member, and will need to add another hole underneath, where the spring hanger bolts through chassis base.

The new sections of chassis rails look good, too good really, because it's the only part of the chassis that doesn't have a surplus of holes along it.

It is ironic that I finally get the bloody thing home, just days before we all depart for annual holiday, so no work will be done for roughly the next 2 weeks. The new security system and neighbour with 12ga will deter would-be thieves in our absence.

I will have my tablet device with me on holiday, and hope to be able to post from a 'historically significant' location.....or two

[hrpearce]

From hear on the more you bolt to the chassis the greater the urge to finish.