How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Keith,

Thanks, it was a good project even if more labour intensive than I originally thought. I have been lucky finding those other plates in fairly reasonable condition either originally on my truck or some donor trucks.

I got a Publications plate from you a while back and perhaps you could help me with some info?

My late war round gauge panel doesn't have any holes for those Publications and Manufacturers plate. But a Ford gauge panel has the 4 holes for them on the top of the panel. I don't want to start drilling extraneous holes in the round gauge panel- I usually want to weld up those type holes!

I have seen a photo somewhere of those plates on the door and seem to remember a driver's side door? I once had with 4 holes in it I think for them.

Did late war Australian cabs such as mine have them located on the driver's side door and if so, what was the position of the holes?

Cheers,

[Keith Webb]

Australian built trucks did not use the door for the plates. You sometimes find Ford RH doors drilled for them - I had a F60L like that but that I think mostly likely indicates the door has come from a Canadian imported F15 - the ones with the 2C1 bodies.

The other fairly common place to find these plates was the engine cover - I have seen quite a few like that.

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Keith,

Thanks for that info re publications plates. Perhaps someone has a photo of where it is located on an engine cover on an Australian Ford CMP. My two covers only have the shift pattern and lubrication plates attached.

Attached is a photo of the switch plate reattached to the repainted dashboard.

I had some decal paper left over so have run off a couple more sets of the decals if anyone is interested.

Cheers,

[Private_collector]

Im interested!

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Tony,

Thanks.

I just noticed something verrry interesting also, as Arte Johnson playing a German soldier used to say in "Laugh In" for us baby boomers who remember it.

Comparing the early brass light switch plate with my later steel switch plate I noticed the early ones will only switch on the designated light as compared to the later ones that switch on combinations of lights at two of the switches: Tail and Side" and "Tail Side & Head".

This sure makes wiring simpler for earlier trucks as almost any automotive single pole single throw (SPST) toggle switch could do the job.

The later version requires the special switches that can only be described as triple pole, single throw with common input side. The outputs terminals are all isolated from each other in order to allow the lighting combinations to occur. If they were not isolated from each other, any switch would turn on all lights!

No doubt others have noticed this but I though it might make interesting reading.

Cheers,

[Private_collector]

I didn't know that, Jacques.

Mine are the brass plates. At least, the ones on the green truck are, for now.
I piled heaps of paint layers on, and when dry, shot a black coat over, to then sand back to just the low spots. It worked, but I didnt like the green finish, so I stripped it all off.

Re Laugh In, I do remember that one. Very hippie if I recall correctly. The names, Rohan and Martin came to mind when you mentioned that show.

One of my favorite 'age defining' jokes is:

Q. Who has the worst problem with thrush.
A. The Man from UNCLE!
Actually it was T.H.R.U.S.H & U.N.C.L.E. but why ruin the joke.

Always wanted an engineers hat, like Casey Jones. Never got one.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

I had some decal paper left over so have run off a couple more sets of the decals if anyone is interested.

Jacques, I am.

Cheers,
Hanno

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Hanno,

Please check your PM box.

I am thinking I better buy some more decal paper!

Cheers,

Jacques

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Australian built trucks did not use the door for the plates. You sometimes find Ford RH doors drilled for them - I had a F60L like that but that I think mostly likely indicates the door has come from a Canadian imported F15 - the ones with the 2C1 bodies.

The other fairly common place to find these plates was the engine cover - I have seen quite a few like that.

Hi Keith et al,

Thanks for that info a while back.

Funny what you find out when you are doing something else.

I just pulled the engine cover on the right side in the attached photos out of storage in preparation for repainting it the correct colour this summer (if it ever arrives). I noticed the two holes in the upper rear part of it and upon checking, the Vehicle Publications plate matched the holes perfectly! I never even noticed them before and there were no matching holes on the left cover.

The other items of interest is that the cover on the right came off a F-15 and has only 4 holes for the engine/shift pattern data plate. The one on the right has 4 holes to accommodate the F15A, 30's, 60's with the transfer case shift pattern and hence a larger plate plus the 4 holes for the F-15 plate. Obviously one size fits all was the intention for that cover. The covers also have the rear lifting handles in different places.

They must have used one heck of a staple gun to drive the staples through the cover for the insulation in the right side one also!

Anyone looking for an original F-15 engine cover now that I won't be using it on my F-15A?

Cheers,