Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Keith, I'm certain it's for winching, I distinctly recall seeing a diagram when we were kids, showing the use of scotches on a Cab 13 FAT. A chain (or cable) is attached to the scotch plate under the rear wheel and hooked onto the spring hanger, anchoring the vehicle for winching forwards. A similar arrangement was shown for winching rearwards, with the scotch plate under the front wheel, but I can't remember where the other end of the cable was hooked onto.

I always thought it was rather clever - the scotch plate has a "spade" underneath, which is forced into the ground as the vehicle is driven over it until the chain is taut.

As you say Keith it must have been a very late mod, because they're extremely rare to find. Here's one on a wrecked chassis I came across a while back.

[Bob Carriere]

...are illustration of how the scotches where tied to the truck in a fashion that allowed the wheels to be dragged over than held in place by the chain... it also shows where they were tied bu that may have been only for CGT...

I must admit I have never seen that extra hook on the front spring hanger.

Phil Waterman has a set of scotches and may actually have used them with his C60 cab 12 w/w.

There was a guy in Ontario, wine country, that had a whole bunch of wooden crates..... 4 scotches to a crate..... lucky to get a few before they went to the scrap heap as no else wanted them.

Bob