Cab11 C8 Bush Find

[RichCam]

Ok, I stopped and took some pictures but if I bring one more home.....I doomed. So, it sits in the field and I might look at it next year.

[Mike K]

The background scenery is certainly different. I think I see birch trees but not sure . No signs of habitation .

Can you do something for me ? Measure the diameter of the pipe in that frame .
The best method is to use vernier calipers. A ruler is no much good for measuring diameters.

The pipe in that frame appears to be a odd "in between" size . The sizes available here are nominal 27 mm and 33 mm diameter.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Well done Richard!

OK, so no door hooks....that could confirm Bob's comment that some were retro-fitted.

@ Bob; I wonder if we can narrow down some of those early Cab11/12 details to when and where they were done....factory or retro-fit....for overseas service or not....British or Canadian.....door hooks, marker lights, cutouts in rear cab wall for seat backs, door straps (for British if I remember correctly) etc.
I do believe we have seen pictures of Cab11's in Canadian service in the UK without marker lights on the front fenders.


Alex

[RichCam]

Hello Mike,

Measured with vernier calipers - tube outer diameter - 26.9mm - so I would say it is 27mm.
Upon closer inspection, other than being a bit bent, it is an authentic superstructure.

Let me know if there is anything else that you need.

Regards, Richard

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Can you do something for me ? Measure the diameter of the pipe in that frame .
The best method is to use vernier calipers. A ruler is no much good for measuring diameters.

The pipe in that frame appears to be a odd "in between" size . The sizes available here are nominal 27 mm and 33 mm diameter.

[RichCam]

I'm going to be spending a bit of time this winter on just the mechanicals of the C8 so I'm going to be hard pressed to do a full restoration of the 1A2 body. How about if I did it up as a bolted wood body 2A1 and mounted the fuel tanks up on top of the frame like in the picture of the Ford F8 Pg 216 of Drive to Victory? That way, I could utilize the superstructure properly and I would have good ground clearance. Thoughts and comments always welcome!
Regards,

[Rob Baens]

hi Richard,

You just can't resist can you! Good job

grretings Rob

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by RichCam

Hello Mike,

Measured with vernier calipers - tube outer diameter - 26.9mm - so I would say it is 27mm.
Upon closer inspection, other than being a bit bent, it is an authentic superstructure.

Let me know if there is anything else that you need.

Regards, Richard

Many thanks . That is good news , I can buy 26.9mm gal pipe here , it is a standard size . These days gal. fittings are becoming a little scarce , the plumbers seem to use a lot of plastic pipes and fittings .

Some details. My C8 as found had the parking lights inside the main headlights , a small bulb in the reflector shell. And, a glass rear window in the cab top.

I would like to find out how a Canadian bodied Cab 11 C8 ended up here in Aust. Maybe it was a pattern vehicle for a possible Aust. version ? Would it have been shipped direct from Canada ? I believe they shipped out a single 15 cwt Canadian wireless house type vehicle as a pattern for the Aust. wireless van

[Pete Ashby]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

I would like to find out how a Canadian bodied Cab 11 C8 ended up here in Aust. Maybe it was a pattern vehicle for a possible Aust. version ? Would it have been shipped direct from Canada ? I believe they shipped out a single 15 cwt Canadian wireless house type vehicle as a pattern for the Aust. wireless van

Mike didn't you guy's take some vehicles back home from N Africa at the end of the campaign ?. If I remember correctly these were issued by the British to Australian forces in theater.
I thought there was some discussion about this on the forum some years ago ?

Pete

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Pete Ashby

Mike didn't you guy's take some vehicles back home from N Africa at the end of the campaign ?. If I remember correctly these were issued by the British to Australian forces in theater.
I thought there was some discussion about this on the forum some years ago ?

Pete

Hi
Yes but this particular C8 is a odd ball because all of the other C8's found over here so far, all of them as far as I know, were fitted with British Duple bodies. As an example ,my first C8 a Duple cab 12 had a British Z reg number on the cowl. see the pic

The cab 11 C8 is a May 1940 date as far as I have worked out ( possibly the earliest in Aust. ) , it does not fit in with the much later cab 12's that sem to have arrived here as a batch.

[Pete Ashby]

As you know we were receiving trucks as CKD through the Southampton rebuild plant up until it was bombed on the 30th of November 1940 and then via the Citron dealership in Slough. The early 11 cab trucks all seem to come of the lines with Canadian built bodies.

If your truck was shipped direct to N Africa it would have been reassembled at at two locations close to the the port of Suez up until late 1941 again as CKD with Canadian bodies.
A plausible scenario may be that the C8 was shipped into the UK issued to British forces and shipped out with them to N Africa then 'acquired' or legitimately transferred to Australian forces in theater. The second option is that it was shipped direct to N Africa in late 1940 and issued directly to Australian forces.

Sorry rather hijacked this thread

Pete