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

[Big D]

Hi all,

The job on the hull has had to be put off until after the Xmas break now so in the meantime I am still focussing on a lot of the small jobs with this.

As you can see from the photos, I’ve done some more painting on some of the interior parts as well as the gun parts that I had cleaned up in molasses.

I stripped all the turret hold down roller assemblies. As you can see I am missing one, and one in particular is pretty stuffed. I am on the lookout for a replacement for that one plus another one I need to make up the eight required. I’ll need to fabricate the vertical roller and pin for all of them as well as up the horizontal roller for another three of them.

I pulled the two turret support rollers out of the hull. Once out, one came apart fairly easily and both it and the housing are soaking in molasses. The other one looks like it is quite corroded and refuses to come apart so far. It is also soaking now for the Xmas break. I have another bearing housing which is very tidy and a contact has a bearing put aside for me. I am on the lookout for the gudgeon for that bearing though.