Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

dsc_0069-resized-960.jpg dsc_0772~2-resized-960.jpg dsc_0670-resized-960.jpg dsc_0710-resized-960.jpg dsc_0593-resized-960.jpg

First photo is the equipment cases which will be attached to the inside of front shield, which will be 6mm aluminium........$$$ kachinnng. The second photo shows the inner barrel tube. Best not to ask about the spark plug or piping! It does work though Third photo another angle of the trails when I did a test fit onto the axle & wheels. Fourth photo is the cap that goes onto end of the recoil mechanism (? recuperator). Had to make that from fibreglass with large nuts incorperated into it, and the rectangular shaped section it goes on top of, is made from two lengths of 100 x 100 square steel box welded side by side, making 100 x 200 total. Sorry, I don't have a photo of that piece handy right now. Last photo,......well,.......you get the idea.

As i said, a folly!

[Lionelgee]

G'day Tony,

Good to see you back posting on MLU Tony .

Kind Regards
Lionel

[David Dunlop]

Spark plug and piping. Hmmmm. Wiring that into the brake system in lieu of lights per chance? Get ones attention better than a 'Keep Back 50 Metres' sign, that's for sure!!!

[Private_collector]

Not a bad idea, David.

[Ken Smith]

Good day Tony,
It is nice to have you back, you must be so proud of your son and his chosen profession.

I have been going through your thread a fair bit since I got my latest F60L and I even buy stuff off Mac's Auto now, thanks to you.

Somewhere in your thread you asked about the ends of the studs that hold the wheels together being painted or not, the wheels on my good C60L had the ends of the studs painted. The truck didn't come out of the army until 1955 so I imagine some poor appy being handed a tin of red paint and a brush and being told "Get on with it".

Cheers Ken

[Howard]

Good to see you back, Tony!
Good Health Mate
Howard.

[Private_collector]

Hello Ken and Howard,

Thanks for the kind words. Ken, good to hear that you found Macs Auto of use. Going waaay back, it was another MLU member who told me about them, so it's nice that my scratchings could help someone else. Pity Macs shipping is so expensive though. Only recently, I received my order of 2x rubber covered foot pedal and rubber bump stops. Thankfully their pedal parts price was low enough for it to be doubled by shipping and still be worth the order.

Now that i have a reason to make future trips south, I hope one of those trips will coincide with the Corowa gathering. I'm quite sure Bryce would find that interesting as well.

My Wife and I went to look a Corowa late last week, while we were staying at Albury.
dsc_0820-resized-960.jpg
Saw this interesting truck on the road between Albury and Corowa. What is it? How long has it been there? Quite sure Corowa attendees who passed this way would be well aware if it's existence.

[Keith Webb]

Hi Tony, great to see you posting. I hadn't seen this truck before, as a 'Mexican' I approach Corowa via the southern route just past Wangaratta. The truck in your pic looks like it might be a re-cabbed AEC Matador. We had a fleet of those used as gun tractors for towing the 3.7" guns.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

My Wife and I went to look a Corowa late last week, while we were staying at Albury.
Attachment 73072

Saw this interesting truck on the road between Albury and Corowa. What is it? How long has it been there? Quite sure Corowa attendees who passed this way would be well aware if it's existence.

This is a Thornycroft Nubian 4x4 and Dave Mottram and I gave it a close inspection a few years ago. It would appear to have originally been a fire tender and very likely for airfield use as the RAF had some like it, you can see where the body has been cut away and cab has been changed at the back. It will date from early 1950's.

regards, Richard

[motto]

Hi Tony
I don't know what the legislation/regulations are in Vic where I live let alone QLD but wouldn't be surprised at all if you had to register your folly and maybe go through a series of hoops to do it.
Things have changed so much in recent years you can't do many of the things we used to be able to get away with.

Cheers

David

[Private_collector]

Yes David. There are a couple of hoops to throw ones self through!
Not needed yet. Its still a big pile of bits. Some assembly required.
Once I have enough parts that require 'good' welding, I will get those all done together. My welding is simply atrocious, and not anywhere near the quality needed for structural joining. I can do minor MIG welds and tack welding, but anything beyond that is out of my league.

[Private_collector]

Now that things have cooled considerably, it's time to get animated again. I was thinking the front of my new truck looked a little bland, so I set about adding a wee bit more militarisation. This dear old truck has so many modern changes to make it a vehicle worthy of long distance travel, and only a serious effort will return the exterior to authentic (more on that plan in a minute ), but a couple of choice touches wouldn't hurt.
dsc_0885-resized-960.jpg
I put on a vehicle number of family significance, several weeks ago. Today I added a 9th Division formation sign, and a bridge plate. The business in town that made the TAC plate for my other truck has closed down, and I am yet to find a suitable place to make the one I want for this truck. In readiness for it's eventual manufacture, I have negotiated with a gentleman in UK who is making a decal to identify the truck as an AEME vehicle. It will have the three horizontal colors, with the Corps logo in the middle. Another version has been ordered also, being the Corp logo alone, on a clear background. In that scenario, I would paint the three colors myself......the old fashioned way.....spray cans x 3

That was my Play for the day, though i did put one of the piston/rod units into the flathead engine. As usual, it's only a test, for now. I will need to insert all pistons from the bottom of the block. The super strong racing rods have a big end which is so heavily built that they cannot be installed from above, meaning that they will all have to be put in below and tapped towards the crank, which must be put in place once all pistons are already there. I have been told this is not unusual. It bloody well is for me, but because I have NEVER built any engine before, I wouldn't know how unusual.

My Wife and I took the 'grey' (I'm considering nick naming it Gandalph) for a drive this afternoon. Drove to Theebine, which is normally a 25min drive. The return trip took about an hour and a half. We did call in to visit an older gentleman who had been unwell, so I guess thats not too bad. Unfortunately, I now have a very splendid headache to contend with. Not sure if it was the symphony of sound that we call a diesel engine, of if it's all the bouncing and bumping around that has tried to make my brain into a cocktail, shaken but not in shock! Either way, I'm suffering for it now. My Wife is the smart one of the outfit. She took earplug. Incidentally, she doesn't have a headache. The trip was fun though. Got ever so slightly LESS fun when it started raining. The wipers work! Previous owner has rigged them so the passenger side wiper won't come on unless the seperate switch for driver side is activated first. That's the extent of thought which he put into his electrical work. I am still on a voyage of discovery, and new things are being realised every time I drive the truck.
dscn0029-resized-960.jpg dscn0026-resized-960.jpg
How's this for a find? A friend of mine came across this Sunshine Cab roof, and contacted me. I had told him I was wanting one of these for the grey truck, but really didn't have any expectation that one would be found intact, let alone the nearly perfect one that this is. To my eye, it appears to have all the bits that it should have, and they all look to be in very good condition. What is the flat strip which goes across the front of the roof opening? Is this the thing that the canvas is attached to? If so, that is a real bonus. Never seen one so intact and unmolested. I can't see a single dent or rust hole, only surface rust. As you would expect, I jumped at the opportunity to buy it. I won't upset everyone by saying what price I paid. That would just be cruel. I have also purchased a full cab that takes the canvas covered doors. Another friend and MLU member has taken some photos and measurements of the steel frame for canvas doors, and my thanks to him for all his efforts in doing so. Without the help of people like you, restoration would be sooooo much more difficult, if not impossible. Thanks Rob
dscn0033-resized-960.jpg DSCN0017.jpg
The chap selling me the roof has option to buy these trucks. They also are in remarkable condition. Look closely, you can see they still have a number of the original military items. I believe he will purchase them both. There is a significant cache of other CMPs he has located, but I will not speak about them yet.

[Keith Webb]

That sunshine roof is really nice, looks like the original piece for the front canvas too - it should have a grab handle (same as the ones in front of the hatch) to help open and close it. The F15A in the lower pic looks to have the ARN on a diagonal.

[David Dunlop]

Nice finds, Tony.

It's amazing how much fun you can have when the weather cooperates, isn't it!


David

[Private_collector]

Absolutely, David! Despite the sudden storm and no door tops, it was still fairly warm and dry inside the cab. Wouldn't have wanted much heavier though, or we might have got damp. The rubber window surrounds don't seal entirely and water was being pushed through, from the pressure built up by driving straight into the wind. Not surprising when you consider the great speeds these vehicles can get up to! When I get my other cab, I plan to use the window frames of it and use fresh rubber seals of another type, which are readily available at the local foam & rubber shop. I put the same rubber on window frames of the green truck. They seal much better and are considerably more flexible. I think the age of ones on the grey truck have made them stiff. Also the entire frames on 'grey' were manufactured from scratch, so they won't take the other type of rubber anyway, or I would put that on immediately.

I have been waiting for the cooler weather for such a long time. Might now get some well overdue jobs done.

As a foot note; It always amuses me, when going from driving the truck to driving my little Micra, it feels like a rocket ship to the moon, by comparison. Only by comparison, you understand. That tiny thing wouldn't pull a greasy sausage off a plate.