Possible engine for Cab 13 C15a

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Barry Churcher
The 270 for a CMP would make one heck of a machine. As Bob says they are a little longer but the rad can be moved ahead easily like in the C60X. After driving Stefan's armoured truck in those parades I was really impressed with the way a 270 moves along. The C15TA is quite a heavy beast and the 270 performs real well. There is lots of power for the hills (in Holland) Unfortunately there is not such a ready supply of the 270 in Canada. Dirk took Brian and I to one of the dealers in Holland and they had containers of take out engines. Brian actually got one for his armoured truck. Like Bob I don't want to hack up a good truck but modifications aren't forever. Can you imagine being able to drive to a CMP event in Canada without worrying about killing your engine? I know lots of MLUers will crap all over us for even having such subversive ideas and would be calling us "Hot Rodders" but a look back in history will show proof that the Canadians were known as the hot rodders of WW2. Look at the Jeep modifications used by the Canadians. Even look at the Aussie and Kiwi mods to vehicles.

Hallo Barry,

Thanks for your thoughts. Being used to a V8, I couldn't live with that puny 216 cid in a Chev, so I'd go for the 270 cid engine. Like you say, as long as the conversion isn't irreversible there is no real harm done.

Re. Canadians being the hot rodders of WW2, read the following snippet from Gregg's "Blueprint for Victory" p.151: "Kuno Stockelbach, a civilian employee of Ford Motor Company of Canada, supervised all vehicle assembly and major overhaul facilities for the British 8th, 9th and 10th Armies in North Africa and the Middle East from the Fall of 1941 until the end of the Sicilian Campaign.
Kuno attempted to keep the inventory list down by putting Canadian 95 h.p. Ford V8 engines in anything that had room under the hood. All Universal Carriers were re-engined, at the first refit, with the larger powerplant, as were English Ford products such as the W.O.T. transport series. Engines did not last long in the North African desert; Universal Carrier engines were changed every 2,000-3,000 miles and transport vehicles after 10,000 miles. The enthusiast should not despair if he finds a British-built Armoured Car equipped with a Canadian Ford V8 engine. This was the standard refitting procedure in North Africa."

Met vriendelijke groet,
Hanno