Nathans F15A Resto

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Nathan

Hope you enjoy your CMP as much as I have enjoyed mine, much easier to get information on CMPs today with the internet than nearly 40 years ago when we were mailing letters around the world to ask questions. Wanted to mention the doing things by mail because when I got started sent a number of letters to CMP owners around the world asking questions, and the Australian's who beat everybody in the speed and detail of their letters responding to my questions with photos and detailed drawings.

So ask away on your questions, though the search feature on MLU works pretty good, lots of times it is matter of how to phrase the search, if you got a question about a part or how something goes together post a photo. Sometimes you will get a response and sometimes somebody may direct you to a thread on the topic that has already been discussed.

Cheers Phil

PS- Before you start disassembling things take lots and lots of photos, my photos have helped me lots of times on things like whats this part or what order does it go together.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Welcome Nathan, double check with the farmer that you got all of it, all the hard to get bits (doors, engine covers etc) are hard to get because they are removed for convenience, then left behind a tree on the back 40, or chucked in the old dam because it was a pain, or,we use that bit as a chicken coop, and that bit is in the shed as a paint shelf OR (my favourite)that bits hanging on the wall 'cause it's history that is; the grandkids might want it.
Very hard to ask a stupid question on this forum, if you don't get a reply, it is not lack of interest, it is because no one knows the answer.
Have fun!
Rich.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Nathan,

Welcome to the forum also.

Good advice from Richard and Phil. Bits are often left behind especially doors. I found one in a loft in a suburban workshop in Moorabbin Vic.
the crane truck was in the yard and the door was an inconvenience to open and close for the operator so into the loft it went.

Photos are one of the best tools. When I started my restoration there was only 35mm film around and at 50 cents per print one was judicious with the use of the camera.

Now thanks to digital cameras I take stacks of photos of everything I do, plus the date on the photo's file information is a good automatic log. It is amazing what you can forget even after a few weeks away from a disassembled part.

Nice little F-15A. Small enough to work on in an 18' x 24' shed which is one of the reasons I chose that model to restore also.

As you proceed with the restoration enjoy the ride!

Cheers,

[Robin Craig]

Welcome to the friendly forum

[Mike Cecil]

Welcome, Nathan, and ditto to all the above.

A couple of points about your F15A. It has an Australian '44 pattern cab, meaning the 'hard' doors were not fitted, but demountable canvas doors covering a flat steel frame. You can tell by the inserts in the leading edge of the door opening, and there will be a flat across the bottom edge to prevent objects on the floor vibrating out through the door openings as you drive along.

As you disassemble, try and locate the chassis number stamped into the top flat of the right side chassis member adjacent to the front (engine) cross member. Probably begins with '3G' or '4G'. This will be the key to locating your particular truck in the vehicle registers in AWM126, which are now online - hours of amusement ahead of you looking for your vehicle.

NO question is too elementary or simple - we are all glad to help a fellow enthusiast, so ask away.

Mike

[Nathan O'Malley]

Thanks for the advice guys

Have checked with the farmer he has only had it for two years he was going to use it to tow field bins but his son was killed in a truck accident and the farm has gone to pieces since he did manage to find the other half of the front right wheel in the farm dump at the moment its wearing a tipper front rim I think.

the rest of the truck may be spread over 3 properties so just as well we know all the farmers it belonged to we may still be able to track down its missing parts.