How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi all,

After a week away I started work again on the M8. I’ve painted the US star on the engine covers. That was a bit of a challenge with all the different heights on the covers and it is probably good that the finish is not expected to be perfect. I reckon there was about 4-5 hours work getting the preparation on the stencil right. I had to lay the stencil out, mark its location and then cut it into pieces and stick it on the covers. I think the finished product does look effective though.

I folded another piece of hydraulic line for the throttle reservoir. I wasn’t happy with the first one I made up and I was hoping to get the layout of these tubes as close as possible to the throttle to keep the tubes away from the co-driver’s feet. I think I was only partly successful but it is pretty good. Bending the 3/8” steel tube into that tight a curve without kinking it requires patience and time. Next time it will be copper-nickel tube….

The radiator is back now from being serviced. The guys repaired some of the cores and replaced the filler neck and overflow tube. It passed all pressure tests and I am painting it as we speak. I’ve also made a start on building a stainless steel fuel tank.

I had to make up the rods from the transfer case to the levers on the gear change housing from scratch. My local steel scrap merchant had some nice old yokes with the right thread and it was just a matter of cutting some suitable rod and threading the ends. One of the yokes actually came with a bit of rod which I used. This had an eyelet on the end which I left on there, as it seemed a better option than just bending the end of the rod like the original and in the end, I welding an eyelet onto the other rod. I have temporarily fitted the transfer case protection framework while I work out the nuts and bolts required to mount this.

I spent a bit of time working out where the gun firing cables went. These are in place now.

I needed some space in the workshop so I have temporarily put the ring on the turret and the fuel tank cover on the hull.

That’s it for this week…..