New C15?? Restoration Project

[Ganmain Tony]

The bits that have come with the vehicle appear to include a gun tractor fuel tank.

[Mike Cecil]

In the parts image, the seats are the standard narrow back type, not the Australian wide back type which entered production in early 1944. So IF these are the original seats, the truck is not a 1945 period vehicle produced in Australia by GMH.

Robert's images of the chassis numbers are your best guide, along with Keith's comments. If you cannot find the remains of something like that, then the suggestion that the number stamped into the chassis is a later, police/registration dept requirement because a chassis number could not be found becomes the most likely scenario.

Mike

[Mike K]

Maybe you could ask the previous owner if they know anything of the vehicles history. Ancestry.com for CMP's , that would be useful project ! A long shot but you can ask the QLD registration dept. to do a search in their computer system for that chassis number.

[nbarkley]

Thanks all for the info so far. Spent a few hours looking at the chassis yesterday and came across a very worn number under the cab. I could see a 3 then 8 then nothing until maybe a 2 at the end. My folks live in Canberra and are retired so have asked them to do a bit of research for me at the Australian War Memorial.
Have done a PPSR check and unfortunately returned nothing. The previous owner mentioned he had bought the vehicle up from Victoria 10 or so years ago.
Mike in regards to the seats, thanks for identifying them. They looked so rusty and not worth saving but had the folks up at Christmas and Dad got stuck into restoring them and have come up really well. Was going to replace the springs but as they are not visible may look at new methods.
So with the info on the seats I also have the following:
- wooden steering wheel (1943 production onwards)
- engine number seems to be similar to others in 1943 and very close to two CGTs built
- Sunshine cab ?? Later in the war years so 42/43 onwards and an Aussie design
- possible chassis markings starting with a 3

[nbarkley]

Can I ask if anyone else has been through similar in registering a blitz that has possibly only war history, no current / recent rego papers. What were the sort of issues you encountered, had to produce to get registration? I have noticed a bloke in Hervey Bay who has a blitz currently registered as commercial vehicle and thought I would ask here first before talking to a local club.
I called QLD Transport and they want to see any history, how was it brought into Aus and registered or import papers.
Engineer has no issues with what I am doing as most don't need to comply with ADR rules (1972 onwards). He did say it's the oldest vehicle he will engineer, not to sure if that's a good or bad thing.

[Mike Cecil]

Until you locate the chassis number, or most of it, there is probably not a lot of point in sending people to the AWM, and even then, the Army registration (ARN) books are viewable on line, as are many images from the AWM image collection. You can browse these from your desk at home.

There is another thread on this forum about the ARN books.

Long time since I did a rego in Oz, so I can't help you there.

Mike

[nbarkley]

Thanks for the info Mike, I have found where they exist and have spent the last 2 weeks looking through each book page by page and line by line. Unfortunately I have not found the engine number and as I don't have the full original chassis number it is getting a little harder. I did find that one of the AWM volumes was incomplete and only can download 50 pages of a 300 page document. The AWM is currently looking into this and I am crossing my fingers it may show something.
The numbers are so close but it was quite exciting searching through. The AIF had quite a few BSA, Harley Davidson, Indian and even noticed quite a few Scooters on the list. These must have been for the good fuel economy and quick get away.
Will keep searching and hopefully find something.