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

[Big D]

Hi all,

I’ve been out of action for the last two months while travelling through Europe and catching up with a few people over there. We also took in the 75th anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy which was great and the parts markets were a good source for a few bits and pieces.

Thanks to Willy, I managed to get hold of the elusive wee bell crank lever for the handbrake. I now need to make up a rod and clevis to suit this. I noticed that the angle that the handbrake cable runs at is a little odd. The cable arrangement does work but I would have thought the pull on it would have been straighter. Has anyone else noticed this? Nothing appears bent so maybe that is the way it is designed – just a little unusual to me.

I received the seat cushions and backs from Jim at Allied Forces. They are real nice and fit perfectly. I found that with the seat cushions on, I had the drivers seat a little too close to the steering wheel so I have now adjusted that. I had no pattern on the floor in the first place so my original fitting had involved some guesswork. I fitted some new dome buttons to the floor for the cushion domes.

With the help of one of the boys in the workshop and a forkhoist, we have the turret up off the floor which gives me more access to install everything else. I fitted the new seat backs and bases to the turret seat towers, and am now installing these towers in the turret. Once I have the seat frame in place and firing cables fitted, that will just about me it with the turret until it is dropped onto the hull. I will wait though until the vehicle is fully up and running before I do that.

The radiator is now painted and ready to fit.

While I’ve been away, the machining on the block has been completed. The valve seats were marginal but will do the job. Next up is to get the engine assembled.

That’s it for this week…..