Wanted: Chev Blitz C15A North QLD

[Luke Jackson]

Hi all, this is my first post, so I apologise for any newbie mistakes.

I live in Townsville, QLD, and am chasing a cheap C15 blitz truck as a project for me, my dad and father in law to work on. Times are a bit hard for old blokes, so I suggested a relatively cheap distraction in the form of an old blitz.

I would like to make it close to a daily driver as possible, so an engine swap will probably occur early on (goodness knows what will go in there). I know they are loud and noisy and not usually considered to be daily drivers, but I'm happy to put up with the quirks.

I am new to these vehicles, and new to building vehicles, so I would like something fairly close by that doesn't cost the earth to freight up and will be a good introduction into mechanical shenanigans.

I am chasing a C15 as they are more practical and can be driven on a C class licence.

Please be gentle on the replies!

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hi Luke,
Hate to see a first post ignored, so:
1/ Welcome to MLU
2/ The fact you have not had a reply is not so the apparent rudeness of the forum members, it just that means that no on can help you with finding what you want, where you want it.

Ebay and Gumtree often seem have CMP's up your way (well Queensland anyway), other than that it's watching the clearing sale ads. and keeping your eyes open for rusty trucks whenever out and about.

Most common and easiest engine swap (for Chev.) is the Blue flame motor, but it sounds like you want to go further than that, and as a daily driver the original full crash gearbox may not be suitable.

When you do find what you want, there will be plenty of help and interest here, good luck with the hunt.
Rich.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Luke

To echo Richard's post, welcome aboard and good luck on your search, you started off correctly on your search by giving your location, amazing how often that little detail is left out, also good in that you clearly stated what you are looking for.

Hopefully some one will have or know of a C15 that needs a good home. Will warn you though CMPs are addictive so once you get one to follow you home others may follow. Cheap maybe a relative term given the cost of restoring or getting to being in a running order vs someones running older restoration.

Daily driver is also a relative term depending on distances and road conditions. Relative low speed driving 30-35 MPH the smaller CMPs or a lot of fund to drive even with the non-sychro transmission. Fuel economy is not one of there big points.

Keep us posted on your search, if you find something that you are considering take lots of pictures and post them for comment.

Cheers and Good Luck Phil

PS just googled Townsville, QLD, and my guess of where it is located was off by a lot.

[Luke Jackson]

Thanks for the reply, gents.

I actually do have a CMP in mind but is quite a distance away and I think it may be too expensive in terms of initial purchase price and then delivery on top. (The gentleman has 7 CMPs for sale, but only one C15).

I have a mate in that part of the country who is going to take some photos today, so I'll pop them up when he sends them through.

I have another associate in Toowoomba who has a C15A and put a 60 Series landcruiser engine and running gear in his and he uses it for work purposes. I thought of doing something similar.

I can get an L20B engine for free from a workmate, but I don't know if it would be suitable in this instance. I would prefer not to keep the crash box as I have a feeling it'd be wrecked before I'd learned how to use it properly.

Also, low speeds are fine, but Townsville does have a surprising section of 80-100kmh sections and I'd prefer to be able to use them.

[Private_collector]

Luke,

Although I am also in QLD , I'm too far south to be of direct assistance, however I will keep my eyes open. Perhaps I should have said 'ears' open! How far afield are you willing to go to retrieve a vehicle? Equally as important, is it definately a Chevrolet vehicle you are after? I as that because I have a friend who does a substantial amount of travel, both within QLD and interstate, in search of CMPs and part/s thereof. He has no interest in Chevs though. I suspect something traumatic must have happened to him during his childhood, while in or near a Chev. Although he only accepts Fords, he obviously will get to hear about Chevs too, but wouldn't be attempting to buy any!

I agree with previous comment that these trucks are very much like chocolate biscuits. You can't stop at one. Especially the case if your chosen vehicle requires replacement of worn-out, missing, or rotten parts, which it no doubt will. While I'm restoring only one vehicle, there are lots of extra bits squirreled around for 'just in case'. Speaking of storage, on the off chance that your restoration space is as limited as mine was originally, I suggest you do what I did. Get lots of rusty truck parts and leave them laying around your yard. Eventually the wife will be so sick of looking at them, she will recommend you get a nice new shed built to hide them in. Problem solved.

The truck I'm restoring will retain an original engine type (Ford, sidevalve V8) but it will be virtually a fresh engine. When I started restoring that truck, I would have been aghast at the thought of changing for any other engine, but I recently bought a second CMP for almost daily use, and previous owner had a 4 cylinder diesel engine grafted in, from a Canter light truck. If it wasn't for the engine swap I don't think I would feel confident enough to drive it as often as I do, so I think your plan is quite a sound decision. I hope your truck has longer legs than mine though! It's a push to get over 90 km/h on anything other than a billiard table flat highway, but has lots of power down low. Still as rough as guts to ride, but that's part of the charm of these old things. If your resto will have the larger wheels (20", as opposed to 16") you shouldn't have same lack of speed I get.

May I suggest you consider placing ads in some of the rural newspapers up your way? I know my CMP hunting friend has had very good results from that avenue. Don't despair if no immediate results. I got a couple of calls half a year after work colleagues put flyers on country town noticeboards while they were travelling out west. One of those leads resulted in the purchase of my restoration truck, the other call made me a good contact for parts. Neither one was particularly close, but a few hours round trip is OK by me. Makes a good day out for the family.

Hope you get as much enjoyment out of these old vehicles, as many of us have already. These trucks are certainly worth saving, and good fun to drive. I'll email you if I hear of anything promising. Do keep watch on ebay and gumtree too. Occasionally something interesting DOES appear up north. All the best with your search, and feel free to contact me if I can be any help.

One tip, take HEAPS of photos along the way. Partly for your own reference, partly to post here! Nothing gets things across like a photo of whatever is being spoken about. There are considerable variations in specifications between Ford and Chevrolet, and also between the different types within a manufacturer. Not everything is interchangable. Photos help identification much easier. Ask plenty of questions on MLU. Nobody will get annoyed. Everyone here is very willing to assist where we can. Once you get a vehicle, start a restoration thread for it, in the Restoration section.

[Luke Jackson]

Hi Tony,

Retrieving vehicles is really as far as the associated costs allow. I don't have a trailer or truck to bring one home on, so it would be up to a transport company.

I would like a chev, but really, when thinking about it, the cab patterns are the same practically and if the engine and gearbox are going to be swapped over, I'm not sure that it would matter to get a Ford or Chev!

I've never completed a engine swap over, but without the cab the CMP's look incredibly straightforward in terms of access! I'll take your advice and see what lurks out west. I'll also post up some pictures of the truck I'm currently looking at when they come to light

[Private_collector]

Cool. Look forward to seeing the pictures.

It's time you made friends with someone who has a trailer! Car trailer preferred. If not already, get yourself known to the local vintage car clubs. The more eyes looking around for you, the better. The Townsville Veteran, Vintage, and Historic Vehicle club secterary is 4773 5651 (Kevin Warren), or email KWA61532@bigpond.net.au and try the Military and Historic Vehicle club, Townsville. Dont have contact details, but will be on the internet somewhere.

Good luck.

[Keith Webb]

I know it's about a 4 1/2 hour drive Luke, but Sid Beck had many CMPs at Mareeba, and I know since his death some of them have been sold.

[Luke Jackson]

Might be worth going for a 4 hour ride on the Harley - any excuse

I tried sending the museum an email, but am getting errors. I also contacted Kevin, so feelers are out! Just waiting on these Ballarat truck photos....

[Luke Jackson]

Here are some photos. The bloke wants 2 grand and will make the truck as s 'complete as possible' and will take the crane off the back and barrel and counterweight off the front. Transporting the thing will be the real killer as we're on opposite ends of the country. What do you guys reckon? Apparently it was running a while ago, but he drove it too long with a 12v battery and cooked the dizzy. Been out in the weather for 6 years.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Crane trucks often have modified/butchered chassis due to the strain and forces that they were not designed to cope with.
Vendors idea of complete maybe very different to your own.
All trucks were running when last used.
From the pics, money could be spent a lot wiser.
If you are going to search so far and wide, it does open your options up. Here is a comparison for location, condition and price: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/WW2-Army-...p2054897.l4275

Sale may be over by the time you look, but the pics and info will give you an idea. (not to mention the vendor is on MLU)
Rich.

[Private_collector]

Luke,

I do agree with Richard. $2000 is a lot for that condition. Heaps of rust holes means HUGE effort repairing, or more likely, further searching for replacement parts. Dents are a relatively easy fix. A bit of gentle persuasion, and a little filler, all fixed. Rust holes are a major time waster, and a real big pain. Even worse, they will be expensive if you need to pay pros to do the job.

Can you give us some information on what areas of expertise you guys have. What restoration or repair experience do you have, or are wanting to learn? I guess what I'm wanting to know is, what things will you need to pay other people to do.

The above photos are of various stages of my rebuild. The 'as found' photo, does not show that I also got a almost intact cab and some rather rare parts, such as original side curtains (I had new ones made from the remains), spare tyre rack, tool box, etc... I have spent over three years solid work, and a couple years very little work, to arrive at being roughly 60% done. I know you have more people to work on yours, but I think you can get substantially more for $2000. If you don't do better initially, you may be up for much, much more later on. Even worse, you could lose interest if things stall for want of usable parts.

Incidentally, the engine you see in the photos, is a buildup of all new mechanicals, block, water pumps, carburetor, distributor, etc, etc.... If you want to piddle away cash, follow my lead. If are clever, you will use my actions as a WARNING, and avoid what I have done. It would be embarrassing to admit how much money has been sunk into my engine. I should have gone to a hotrod shop and reversed their 'modifications'.

Beware of the 'it ran a while ago' engine. I bought a Ford Sidevalve from a supposed fellow enthusiast/restorer which was supposed to be a "good, rebuildable engine". When I removed the heads, entire engine was solid with rust and full of water. If you don't get to hear the engine running, best to assume it's stuffed! If it is knackered, you won't be surprised. If it isn't bad at all, that's a big bonus. Mind you, if swapping it for a later engine, who cares anyway. Check the chassis VERY WELL for cracks and bad welding any time in last 70+ years. Some trucks were absolutely flogged to death, and chassis often showed this. Mine was shortened, but salvagable, though not without specialist welding first. That said, I haven't finished the truck, so it's not been tested yet!

Please don't feel we are discouraging you, Luke. In fact, it's quite the opposite. All the folks here are motivated to encourage and assist where possible. I can only speak for myself with the next statement. I feel there are better vehicles for that kind of price.

[Tony Mathers]

I will add to what Tony Baker has said:

From my recent experience, you will save yourself a fortune if you buy a $10,000 going concern as compared to a $1 -> $3000 almost going blitz.

You would be shocked when you get all the bills to get one running... and then there is the time it takes....


But if you have the time and the money, go for it as it is an excellent and rewarding undertaking.

Tony

[Private_collector]

A mate of mine had this truck advertised on ebay, for $6000.

It is not exactly original, but had been altered in ways to make it a practical and reasonably comfortable vehicle to go travelling in. He has swapped the sidevalve V8 for a modern diesel of greater reliability and function. While not bodily restored, it is quite rust free and sound. All the mechanicals were rebuilt to ensure trouble free motoring. As were brakes. The electrical system is exceptional. The truck sat unloved on ebay for weeks. Knowing the owner, and the standard of work that he put into it, I struck a deal and bought it for myself. It will be a fun project, as I make visible changes (hopefully, improvements) to return it to a more military look. The bridge plate, serial number, and military division symbol on the front, are only temporary, until I get around to a color change. Since buying the truck in March/April, all I really needed to do is put fuel in and turn the key. Had some interesting experiences in this truck, that's for sure.

Deals like this come along now and then. If I had bought this truck in 2010, I would have put all my efforts into it alone, and saved myself a lot of hard work! Well, maybe not, but my point is with a running, drivable vehicle, you can work on it while still enjoying the use of the toy. That way you get to do restoration work AND enjoy the benefits straight away. Just a thought.

[Luke Jackson]

Thanks Tony. I think your $6000 truck is probably the sort of thing I'd like to eventually end up with.

I guess I don't have much experience with any restoration on trucks. I do a bit of motorbike work, and I know my way around an engine, but I honestly have never welded or anything before. I do have some engineer mates and a boilermaker or two in my circle of mates-of-mates.

Budget is also a bit of an issue. The upfront cost of a runner is out of my price range, so that's why I was looking for a cheaper entry point and sort of lay-by it up to a working state. Like you say though, projects make you pay one way or another.

I'm making some enquiries in Charters Towers (an hour west of me) and in the local area, so I suppose I'll just keep on plugging along.

I was chasing a blitz primarily due the engine being relatively accessible and the chassis etc looking pretty simple. I thought it'd would be a good intro to car mods without totally butchering something into a hotrod or whatever.

The advice I've gotten from MLU has been very supportive and I definately get that while everyone is enthusiastic, no one wants to see a newbie get ripped off

[Private_collector]

I was talking with a fellow restorer and 'blitz sniffer' today. I swear he can smell the damn things from miles away. Like the child catcher from Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, but not creepy! Anyhoo, he told me about a pair of Monkey Face CMPs and some cab13 Chevrolet ones he came across out west QLD a while ago. Sounds like they might be reasonably complete, and the farmer owner is keen to get rid of em. My friend will see if he can contact the owner for me, to find out if they are still there. While I don't have any further information on these vehicles, they might be worth a thought. I have asked for photos, if possible. I believe they are located in vicinity of Augathella. If any further info is forthcoming, I will hand it on. My friend has no interest in Chevs, so didn't give them any thought while he was there retrieving a vehicle for himself (I'll post photos I took today, on my thread soon) and a nice sunshine cab roof for me. I write this post after just returning home from a ~700km round trip, with another trailer load of parts.

[Luke Jackson]

Thanks Tony, definitely pass them on. Its fairly remote, but closer than Victoria. I've made some enquiries that might bear fruit a lot closer to Townsville, however, so I'll let you know. It's good to see that they do come out of the woodwork when you poke around!

[motto (RIP)]

Hi Luke and welcome aboard.
I would definitely go along with the opinions expressed and recommend you side step the truck you're considering.
$2,000 and the cost of getting it to northern QLD. Wow! I would still be doubtful if it could be got home for free as you won't really know what you've bought until you eyeball it.
If you are prepared to have a truck hauled home from Ballarat to Townsville then an arc drawn that distance out and centred in Townsville would cover an enormous area within which there must be a very large number of CMPs.
Don't rush in. When thoroughly examined the very first Dodge Weapons Carrier I purchased was only good for parts and I payed a lot for it. Lesson learned.

David

[Luke Jackson]

Thanks Scott. I saw that one. Tried to get in contact with the owner and offered a carton of beer for him to let me have a look and got no response.

A bit too good for me, but still worth a view. Ah well, who doesn't want free beer?

[Private_collector]

Luke,

Call him instead. I have had lots of times where I have used gumtrees email system with no reply, then found out later, they did not receive the email at all.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Luke Jackson

Hi all, this is my first post, so I apologise for any newbie mistakes.

I live in Townsville, QLD, and am chasing a cheap C15 blitz truck as a project for me, my dad and father in law to work on. Times are a bit hard for old blokes, so I suggested a relatively cheap distraction in the form of an old blitz.

I would like to make it close to a daily driver as possible, so an engine swap will probably occur early on (goodness knows what will go in there). I know they are loud and noisy and not usually considered to be daily drivers, but I'm happy to put up with the quirks.

I am new to these vehicles, and new to building vehicles, so I would like something fairly close by that doesn't cost the earth to freight up and will be a good introduction into mechanical shenanigans.

I am chasing a C15 as they are more practical and can be driven on a C class licence.

Welcome to MLU, Luke!

I see my fellow MLU members have given you some sound advice, all I would like to add is that I think you should look for a 4x2 Chev rather than a 4x4 as that would be better suited as a sort-of daily driver.

Hanno

[motto (RIP)]

There are a couple of advantages in going for a 4x2. Apart from being a nicer cruise machine the engine/gearbox swap is made simpler because you don't have any concerns over front differential clearance. Also you are not restricted to having to fit the units in the distance between the radiator and transfer case, perhaps necessitating moving the transfer case back. This could become an issue particularly if you want to use an auto transmission as they tend to be fairly lengthy.

David

[Luke Jackson]

Thanks for the 4x2 info guys. I would have preferred a 4x4 as feel pretty confident going off road once in a while, but its definitely worth considering.

Looks like I have some calls to make. The guy in Townsville, but apparently there is one living in Charters Towers, only an hour away. Hopefully its what I'm looking for

** Update: Old mate at Charters Towers has a LWB version with a crane. I'm going to head out there anyway to say gday and get a feel for it and kick some tyres.

[Luke Jackson]

A bit of an update a year on. The search continues. I've seen a number of blitzes, but I haven't seen a short wheelbase within a sensible distance from home. I've found a bunch on the Atherton tablelands in QLD and there is a far with about 10 near Calliope.

Im tempted to get this one. The bloke wants a grand and shipping to Tville is 660. He obviously has a number of them, so I'd like to get it as complete as possible.



I'm not going to bother with the tray and the junk on the back doesn't come with the truck. I'd prefer to get a junker and work on it gradually than outlay a big dollop of money (sort of like lay-by). Am planning on putting landcruiser running gear etc in it so it'll be a good while before it's up and on the road.

Thoughts?

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Luke Jackson

Im tempted to get this one. The bloke wants a grand and shipping to Tville is 660.

I feel a grand is way too much when looking at your picture!

[Luke Jackson]

Yeah Cliff. I have spoken to an auto engineer and he said the conversion process to Blitz Cruiser can cost about $2200. So I'm up for $1600 to my door and then just the engineering ticks will make it almost as much as a couple of bargains I've seen in running condition.

Well, even if I don't have much cash, I do have a lot of time to wait. I have a couple of other projects on at the moment, so it may be a case of another annual update in 2017 lol

[Keith Webb]

You'd be better off starting with a Chevrolet if you're going to put a Landcruiser engine in... I had a C60S with one mated to the Chev gearbox, it pulled pretty well. It's now located at Rust Hill in South Australia.

[Luke Jackson]

The one I've seen and ridden in just had the cruiser engine in it. I'll make some time to have a chat with the auto engineer and come up with a plan

[Luke Jackson]

The search continues and we may have a winner. I have recently moved house and a mate of mine happened to come around the other day and mention he had seen a SWB Blitz almost literally around the corner from where I'm living. I've inspected it and while it's been out in the weather, there doesn't seem to be any rust holes as such. For $600 the old bloke and I might have a deal. Engine is probably stuffed but will see how we go. If I do get it, I'll put up a proper thread.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hope all goes well with the deal Luke, hard to go wrong with that price and location. Look forward to some photos.
Rich.