Restoration of Canadian Scout Car Ford Lynx I, Mk.III No.1726

[lynx42]

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All of the bearing cups had quite a lot of pitting and marks from standing in one place for so long.

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The diff oil was a funny colour and was quite metallic with plenty of silver flakes in it.

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The only parts useable from this diff were the two halves of the housing and the brakes. All the rest were replaced.

Rick

[lynx42]

The hand brake mechanism was removed from under the hull floor and after dis-assembling, was put into the molasses bath.

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The hand brake cables were totally beyond saving and I remembered seeing some at Dirk Leegwaters place in Holland in 2009. These were new old stock ones on the shelf. An email to LWDPARTS.com saw two on the way very quickly. Thanks Dirk.

Rick.

[lynx42]

Some old photos from 14 years or more ago when we started to weld the armoured windscreen into place. The rear armour was also taking shape.

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This is what we brought home taken from the front showing the Australian ARN. 123980.

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The mounting bracket for the steering column helped to locate the exact position of the front armour.

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The column mount bolts to both the hull and the 1 inch + ¼ thick armoured ‘windscreen’ panel. This was to help locate that windscreen panel in its correct place when we welded it back on.

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Now back to stripping the hull 2013. The steering column was again removed from the hull and put aside for later work. The steering wheel was extremely hard to turn and the column had to be completely disassembled and new bushes fitted.

Rick

[lynx42]

The hull was now nearly ready to take to the sandblasters but before I took into town I did a complete photo walk around taking photos of every stencil and sign on the hull, mudguards and lockers etc.

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The Hull number 1726 was stenciled onto the front of the fuel tank armour on both sides. Note the sand coloured base paint with green camouflage.

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‘Sling Here’ at the four lifting points.

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‘W/T’ on both escape hatches. Notice I did not say doors, these are just that, Escape Hatches in case of a roll-over.

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Tonnage and Tare on the out side of the fuel tanks. (TARE 3 tons 13 cwt 3 lbs.)
And other stencil’s in other places.

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and the unit sign of the 1st ARMOURED REGIMENT (I think) who went to Japan with BECOF in January 1946 as the 1st Australian Armoured Car Squadron – the vehicles were initially 18 Staghound Armoured Cars and 8 Canadian Scout Cars (Lynx). ( I am open to correction here as I am not up on Heraldry).

Rick.

[lynx42]

The chassis was ready to pick up from the sandblasters and with that out of the way I was able to take in the stripped hull, the front axle complete with springs and other smaller items.

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Once again a crew at the sandblasters was arranged and they did the heavy work as I took photos.

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The chassis came up a treat.

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At last I was starting to see some results happening. The chassis was taken home and set up ready to receive the many items as they were rebuilt.

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The front axle, hubs etc were all sealed up so that the medium would not get into the workings. Large coffee tins were just the right size to seal off the hubs.

Rick.

[lynx42]

Well believe it or not we were only 21 days (three weeks) after the Lynx was pushed into the shed and the chassis has been sandblasted and painted in undercoat.

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You do not realize how many parts there are until you completely strip a vehicle down.

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Many more small pieces were then taken to the sandblaster.

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The rear radiator armour is one heavy piece but I was glad that it had not been butchered as it lay out in the paddock for 40 years.

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The lifting rings. And there is a story. The hull had the two top rings with it when I picked it up so I had to locate two more. Tony L. in SA found one for me and I was able to find one in a farmers shed. This farmer had wrecked a Lynx many many years ago (Hull No. 718). He thankfully still had the drivers seat and a few small bits. I visited him one day and as we chatted in his workshop I saw one lifting ring hanging on a nail on a post. That gave me the four I needed.

I did know where the two original ones were off my hull. Charlie McCallum had welded the into a rear bumper bar on one of his Dodge Weapons Carriers as tow or tie-down rings. This Dodge is now in the Canberra area and I was offered the bumper bar but the rings had been well welded in.

Rick

[lynx42]

There were still plenty of bits to go on with whilst waiting for the sandblaster to get his gear repaired.

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The armoured roof was next to be dis-assembled. This is quite a heavy bit of ¼” armour plate which hinges in the middle and then folds back out of the way.

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Pulling this handle releases the two latches at each side to allow the whole thing to lift back.

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There are hinges, latches, pivot arms and plenty of other fittings including the earthing straps every where.

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Not all the nuts came undone, but I was pretty lucky.

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The latches were rusted solid and I had to get new springs made after pulling the whole thing apart.