Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

There seem to be more willing donor vehicles out your way. For me I must rely on the kindness of friends up in Canada to find me bits of CMP which are needed.

Yes, you're definitely CMP deprived in the US Phil! I'm not sure how many were shipped down under but it must have been in the tens of thousands I would guess. Fortunately a good percentage have survived in one form or another, thanks mainly to their durability in various civilian roles over the decades. It's only in quite recent times they've attracted interest amongst MV collectors.

The chassis repairs you describe are good examples to follow I think. As you suggest, there's no need for welding if the components are securely bolted together. After all, the pintle hook itself is entirely bolted on.

I enjoyed the serendipity in your misunderstood channel specs! The resulting "expandable channel" solution was rather clever I thought. I may even pinch the idea for my FGT chassis repair! Alternatively, I may leave a gap between the two pieces so I can run welds along the edges, directly onto the inside face of the chassis rail. I'm also considering replacing the spring hanger rivets with longer ones and running them through the reinforcement piece. Whatever I finish up doing it needs to be strong enough to withstand lateral forces generated by the winch cable. I like your 1/4" channel - very beefy!

Just for fun I've included some pics of a nearby CMP boneyard with some of the "willing donor vehicles" you mention. I daresay this pile would have come in handy for your chassis extension. I'll leave you to identify the eclectic mix of parts!

Cheers,
Tony