Ford WOT 8

[Richard Farrant]

These are in no particular order as you can see.

[jack neville]

Thanks Richard. They appear to share quite a few common parts with other Fordson WOT trucks as expected. Interesting that the cab on the 6 you worked on has a seperate top half. Jakes is solid.
Any more photos will be appreciated.

[David Herbert]

I can't wait to see the restoration of this truck. I would have regarded it as too far gone but having seen the Tilly and Dodge ambulance threads I can see that it is just a matter of a vast number of man hours and we will see a new one for the first time in preservation.

I have been seriously interested in military vehicles for 50 years and have never seen a WOT8 in any condition at all. There should be a WOT6 in equaly dreadfull condition somewhere that could donate its transfer box which I assume would be the same. I wonder if there is a parts list out there somewhere? Does anyone know which units were originally issued with WOT8s and what bodies were fitted to them? Low volume trucks like this tended to be put to more specialist uses as that made parts supply simpler.

David

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

I can't wait to see the restoration of this truck. I would have regarded it as too far gone but having seen the Tilly and Dodge ambulance threads I can see that it is just a matter of a vast number of man hours and we will see a new one for the first time in preservation.

I have been seriously interested in military vehicles for 50 years and have never seen a WOT8 in any condition at all. There should be a WOT6 in equaly dreadfull condition somewhere that could donate its transfer box which I assume would be the same. I wonder if there is a parts list out there somewhere? Does anyone know which units were originally issued with WOT8s and what bodies were fitted to them? Low volume trucks like this tended to be put to more specialist uses as that made parts supply simpler.

David

Hi David,
There is a restored WOT8 in Kent, it has been around the area for some years. The WOT8 is a 30cwt truck and like the Bedford OXD 30cwt GS, they had a short production span as the government decided that producing 30cwt trucks they could buy a 3 tonner version for very little extra and one truck doing the work of 2. If I remember correctly they were produced around 1941. I think all the WOT8 trucks were GS Cargo bodies.

Richard

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by jack neville

Thanks Richard. They appear to share quite a few common parts with other Fordson WOT trucks as expected. Interesting that the cab on the 6 you worked on has a seperate top half. Jakes is solid.
Any more photos will be appreciated.

Hi Jack,
Here is another shot of the cab. The seat cushion is not original but the canvas backs may well be.

The cab roof has to come off to remove the engine and gearbox, they will not come through the front aperture, so guess the earlier models had to have the cab lifted to change an engine or for a simple job like a clutch. There was a lot of commonality with parts in those days, same with Bedford as well.

regards, Richard

[jack neville]

The seat appears to be the same as the WOT2 H I have. I have two spare seats but two other WOT ‘s that need them. Another 2H and a 2D. I might have to go down the same path I took with the Tilly seats.

So initially it appears that a WOT 8 is a very rare vehicle. Information from Bart Vanderveens Directory indicates only 2500 produced, and at this stage only one restored example mentioned on this forum. Surely there must be more than that still in existence.

[Mike K]

Just in case you don't know, there is or was a WOT6 attending a few events in QLD years ago. Don't know what became of it but I think somebody in the MJCQ owned it.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Jack,
Further to my private message, here is the scan from the workshop manual showing the WOT8 GS in comparison to the WOT6 GS.

regards, Richard

[Dusonn]

Hi Jack,

congratulation to this acquisition. I only know of 3 WOT8 survivors including yours so far! One of them belongs to my friend in Czech Republic and it is in good running order. We think it was supplied by UNNRA to Czechoslovakia after the war. Many of these WOT8s were used by the Czechoslovak army in Great Britain during WWII and there are period pictures of them.