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

[Big D]

Hi all,

One of the things I have been working on this week is getting the turret interior completed. As you would have seen on the photos, the breech ring is damaged on the underside but I have fitted this and the damaged tube until the new gun arrives.

I had quite a battle getting the gun tube seated in the sleigh and in the end had to make up a tool to make it happen. I guess there was enough of a kink in the tube to make it a tight squeeze in the sleigh.

The mantlet has two pieces of threaded rod which along with two large 5/8” Allen screws screws underneath, hold the mantlet onto the recoil system. My mantlet had one original piece of 5/8” threaded rod in it on the right side. I had to fit a new piece of threaded rod in the left hand side of the mantlet. I am not sure why but the original right hand rod does seem too long (maybe it’s not so original?). As it is it tends to sit over the ammo belt making the feeding of the ammo belt a bit tight. It does work but I wouldn’t trust it in combat. Ideally, I should take the mantlet off again, cut the rod down, and tap a new thread on it. I may yet do that. Thanks to Jonathan for his advice around the ammo belt feeder and ejected rounds shute. The .30 cal seems to sit in there nicely.

I also had quite a job getting the brass guide block on the side of the breech ring to line up with the right hand side plate. The brass lock was bent and it took a few hours to get it straight enough to align the breech ring and the side plate.

I am not at this stage yet, but how do you guys lift your turret? The access point where the plate bolts on at the back is an obvious lifting point but what about at the front? Do you wrap the strop around the mantlet? Perhaps front and rear, along with a strop that goes from side to side using the tie down ring around the turret?

I have a few other things back from the blasting and painting. The floor pieces came out good. The pintle hook is now fitted.

That's all for now.....

[Big D]

More photos.

[James P]

As usual GREAT pics and updates Big D. Lifting the turret, can,t you just hoist it using the three mounting points for the ring ?

[James P]

Hey Darryl, what exactly are we looking at in this pic in regard to big sections of armour cut away ? Looks like a life time of work getting those vehicles back in fine form.

http://www.milweb.net/webvert/a3892/96014

[Big D]

Hi James P,

Sorry. I’ve just realised I missed your previous post.

I think just relying on the welds holding the ring mounts might be asking a bit much. I figure by the time I mount the ring on there and the gun trolley, the turret will be getting reasonably heavy.

I think what I’ll do is put a strop through the back access opening, one around the gun mount between the mantlet and turret and a strop around each side. I’ll then lower it down onto blocks on the turret, remove the side strops, and then lower it the rest of the way. That’s the plan anyway...

[Big D]

Hi again,

Yes, I saw that advertisement. Very interesting. I have a contact who has seen them and he says the hulls are pretty bare. The damage to the hulls though might mean you’d be up for a fair bit of panel replacement. I see some of the panels look pretty knocked around. I’m not sure why one of them would have had the front section cut out. Replacing that might involve a fair bit of work, including on the inside.

From what I can see, individually, most of the hulls would be ‘doable’ without having to buy two, to make one, if you know what I mean. As you can see by mine, anything is possible. There are still plenty of parts out there for them....

[Big D]

Hi all,

After a week away I started work again on the M8. I’ve painted the US star on the engine covers. That was a bit of a challenge with all the different heights on the covers and it is probably good that the finish is not expected to be perfect. I reckon there was about 4-5 hours work getting the preparation on the stencil right. I had to lay the stencil out, mark its location and then cut it into pieces and stick it on the covers. I think the finished product does look effective though.

I folded another piece of hydraulic line for the throttle reservoir. I wasn’t happy with the first one I made up and I was hoping to get the layout of these tubes as close as possible to the throttle to keep the tubes away from the co-driver’s feet. I think I was only partly successful but it is pretty good. Bending the 3/8” steel tube into that tight a curve without kinking it requires patience and time. Next time it will be copper-nickel tube….

The radiator is back now from being serviced. The guys repaired some of the cores and replaced the filler neck and overflow tube. It passed all pressure tests and I am painting it as we speak. I’ve also made a start on building a stainless steel fuel tank.

I had to make up the rods from the transfer case to the levers on the gear change housing from scratch. My local steel scrap merchant had some nice old yokes with the right thread and it was just a matter of cutting some suitable rod and threading the ends. One of the yokes actually came with a bit of rod which I used. This had an eyelet on the end which I left on there, as it seemed a better option than just bending the end of the rod like the original and in the end, I welding an eyelet onto the other rod. I have temporarily fitted the transfer case protection framework while I work out the nuts and bolts required to mount this.

I spent a bit of time working out where the gun firing cables went. These are in place now.

I needed some space in the workshop so I have temporarily put the ring on the turret and the fuel tank cover on the hull.

That’s it for this week…..