F15a Finally!

[sth65pac]

Hi All,

I 'captured' this F15A at the Dubbo Military Museum Clearing Sale. It is home now, after 20 hours to Dubbo & back!

First job is to find the ARN.
The shell is very good condition but as you can NOT all see it has the cattle conversion. Someone can you help me post pictures... It aint working!

It was supposedly ex ex 2SD (Dubbo Supply) RAAF base. It has the rifle holders extinguisher holder and copious amounts of paint in all the wrong places.

A long term project for a full tear down and rebuild. Eric, Bob, Keith and Max have all inspired me greatly. I have met Ian and Tony at the Auction and Bill (carrier man from Armidale) too... (you all know who you are). Yes, yes I know its not a Chev, but I am not biased to either.

Now the questions:
1. Was the primer under the olive drab blue? (about mid blue)

2. Is the Chassis number next to the steering box on Fords?

3. If I get the ARN can I trace the Vehicle through the War memorial?

4, 5, 6 and the rest will come later. Sorry cannot get pictures to upload.

[Keith Webb]

On SOME Fords, not all, the chassis serial was stamped when the engine was installed and is in fact the engine number which is a curious way to do things. There is usually also a vehicle serial on the data plate but this isn't stamped into the chassis.

This is where to look: adjacent to the engine mount on top of the right-hand chassis rail:



Olive drab blue? Yes, there should be primer as the base coat, then khaki No2, then another colour if it served in a different arm.

Yes, if you have the ARN you can visit the AWM and go through the vehicle record books. This won't tell you a lot about the vehicle, just the basics of when acquired, perhaps engine changes, and date of disposal and where disposed. For example many Fords were disposed of back to Ford Motor Co to e be sold through the dealer network.
Good luck with the pictures - the instructions in the read me should help.

[Tony Smith]

Ian, if the F15A is ex-RAAF, it wont be in the AWM's lists of ARN's (ARMY Registration Number). There is a whole chunk of Blitzes that are ex-RAAF (F30, C60X, etc) that the records are lost to time.

IF you do find an ARN, go to the research centre and ask to see the 127 series books.
AWM 126~01 vol: 'AIF 1 ~~ 6112' Pre WW1, WW1, post WW1.
AWM 126~02 vol: 'AIF 6113 ~~ 12325' WW2.
AWM 126~03 vol: 'AIF 12326 ~~ 18867' WW2.
AWM 126~04 vol: 'AIF 18868 ~~ 25974' WW2.
AWM 126~05 vol: '00001 ~~ 13807' 1917~1960
AWM 126~06 vol: '13808 ~~ 20076' 1938~1954 .
AWM 126~07 vol: '20077 ~~ 26346' 1938~1960
AWM 126~08 vol: '26347 ~~ 32616' 1938~1962
AWM 126~09 vol: '32617 ~~ 40471' 1938~1948
AWM 126~10 vol: '40472 ~~ 48358' 1942~1964
AWM 126~11 vol: '48359 ~~ 59264' 1942~1977
AWM 126~12 vol: '59265 ~~ 66912' 1942~1969
AWM 126~13 vol: '66913 ~~ 74560' 1943~1973
AWM 126~14 vol: '74561 ~~ 82208' 1942~1978
AWM 126~15 vol: '82209 ~~ 89842' 1942~1974
AWM 126~16 vol: '89843 ~~ 97415' 1944~1982
AWM 126~17 vol: '97416 ~~ 105866' 1938~1990
AWM 126~18 vol: '105-867 ~~ 114-437' 1938~1992
AWM 126~19 vol: '114-438 ~~ 122-646' 1926~1989
AWM 126~20 vol: '122-647 ~~ 132-320' 1938~1983
AWM 126~21 vol: '132-321 ~~ 140-600' 1942~1990
AWM 126~22 vol: '140-601 ~~ 150-896' 1942~1990
AWM 126~23 vol: '150-897 ~~ 159-509' 1942~1993
AWM 126~24 vol: '159-510 ~~ 168-121' 1941~1980
AWM 126~25 vol: '168-122 ~~ 177-970' 1945~1990
AWM 126~26 vol: '177-971 ~~ 187-538' 1945~1990
AWM 126~27 vol: 1954~1966 Armour. Aircraft. Landing craft.
As you can see, there are records here for over 200,000 vehicles, so it would be a much happier outcome if you could find the first digits of the ARN rather than the last digits!

[Rusty]

Tony I have looked through the ARN numbers for ww2 and most Biltz vehicles not all are held in two volumes. The other number ranges have jeeps transp[ort trucks, even cookers. I am looking for my Library card which has the volumes on it. At a guess it is volumes 10 and 11.
As well as disposal dates and contracts if your truck has been sent OS you may find a shipping date, port and ship that it went aboard. I have found that my 12 cab came back to South Australia on the Mesopatamia (I think the spelling is correct)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by sth65pac
Someone can you help me post pictures... It aint working!

Ian, see Posting Images. If that doesn't help e-mail them to me and I'll put them up.

Yes, yes I know its not a Chev, but I am not biased to either.

Don't listen to those Chev People. There are some Ford Fans down under who will support you in restoring the Best Brand Of CMPs

Hanno

[Keith Webb]

Quite a truck.

Does the engine turn over?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Quite a truck.

Indeed - great buy!

H.

[Phil Waterman]

Was interested to note that the last picture showing the door opened all the way forward against the cab, was this peculiar to Australian Ford CMPs?

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Phil Waterman
Was interested to note that the last picture showing the door opened all the way forward against the cab, was this peculiar to Australian Ford CMPs?

Peculiar to this one I think!

Apart from our canvas doors on late production trucks Fords used Canadian made doors. Holden built Chevs had Holden made doors which were almost identical to Fords except they didn't have the stamped circle on the inside panel.

[Phil Waterman]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Peculiar to this one I think!

Apart from our canvas doors on late production trucks Fords used Canadian made doors. Holden built Chevs had Holden made doors which were almost identical to Fords except they didn't have the stamped circle on the inside panel.

I'd be interested in a close-up of the hinge inside and out so I could see how it was done.

The door hinge modification if that is what it is would make a lot of sense when operating the truck in extreme temperature (that is warm temperatures)

Also noted that the floor plate has a different pattern, which I don't remember seeing before.

[Howard]

Originally posted by sth65pac
A long term project for a full tear down and rebuild. Eric, Bob, Keith and Max have all inspired me greatly. I have met Ian and Tony at the Auction and Bill (carrier man from Armidale) too... (you all know who you are). Yes, yes I know its not a Chev, but I am not biased to either.

Good luck with the rebuild. Wait 'till you hear the old V8 crack into life... you won't wish for a Chev again...
See if you can get the rebuild done by the second last Saturday of August for this!
I visit Berrara at least once a year, would love to call in & check her out! Good luck with the rebuild, you'll have a ball! (I am)
HH

[sth65pac]

Hello all,

Yes the engine turns with effort against 8 cylinders, two camshafts and a bit of sticky oil. I did that the other day before I bought it, no fun at all but was wirth the very big effort.

There's a nice darrrk treacly (maybe Maple Syrup!)looking oil in there which is good news...

I have a chassis number now, but I will have to check the details (a trip to Canberra I guess). Volume 7 I think.

No Number on the RH Guard after four hours of sanding. It has desert sand straight over the olive drab, so I think it has had an overseas holiday. hard to see any white stencil on a sand background.. .

I will do a close up of floor and door hinge in the next few days. Oh maybe tonight if I get time...

Thanks to Hanno for posting the pictures, G R E A T !

I am pleased too. I will keep an accurate picture record as I go.. that way we can all enjoy my pain & pleasure.

First job is to paint it all in lanoline whilst I source all the missing bits and refurbish some. Thanks EVERYONE.

Ian

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by sth65pac
Thanks to Hanno for posting the pictures, G R E A T !

Errr?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by sth65pac
Thanks to Hanno for posting the pictures, G R E A T !

It was keith, the other Ford Fan!

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Phil Waterman
Also noted that the floor plate has a different pattern, which I don't remember seeing before.

That is because it was made locally - ref. Mike Cecil in Antipodean Ford CMPs:

Ford: all chassis, mechanicals, cab floor/lower cab frame, upper (windscreen) cab frame, doors, windscreen frames, front shell, wheels. Rest manufactured locally in Aust: cab floor, engine cover, cab back, roof, guards, spare wheel carrier & tool box, body. Mods also placed to satisfy Aust Army requirements, such as windscreen opening device on centre column of upper cab frame, and lengthened windscreen opening brackets.

Chev: all chassis and mechanicals, wheels. Rest manufactured locally: complete cabs, complete bodies, spare tyre rack and tool box.

[Tony Smith]

Originally posted by sth65pac
Yes the engine turns with effort against 8 cylinders, two camshafts and a bit of sticky oil.

2 cams?

I have a chassis number now, but I will have to check the details (a trip to Canberra I guess). Volume 7 I think.

Note that the AWM volumes list the vehicles by ARN's, not the chassis numbers! You will have to find the ARN first before the AWM books can help.

[Keith Webb]

Ian's just sent some more pics, this time a bit smaller.

[Keith Webb]

It looks like the ridge cast into the outside of the hinge to stop it opening has been ground off. Odd thing to do.

[sth65pac]

Well Tony,

Camshafts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,>>>>>>>>>>>>>,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,
It was doubly hard to turn One camshaft....You win.. too many years of modern engines!

If anyone wants clearer detailed pics of the door hinge mod please let me know & I will e-mail them direct.

Ian

[sth65pac]

Well things were going swimmingly here until Sunday rather than create a new string I will add to this one..

When cleaning out the vacuum wiper tube T-piece with a sharpened steel rod, I managed to impale my hand.. Not one to be disheartened I managed to clean the tubes successfully, and then went to bed.

Now Monday (10th) I had a bit of a swollen hand. You can see in the picture the small hole where the rod went in between my finger (and 2" further!!!) This was after a day at work....

I was 'in date' on my tetanus shot so I was not worried.

By Tuesday my hand was bigger still. A trip to the Dr's & double lot of antibiotics I have had a little bit of improvement. Looking forward to going back to work...

I have learned from this that you should get treatment ASAP when it comes to bad hand injuries ESPECIALLY impaling ones.

The Dr told me that it would only be a few more days of ignoring the pain and me possibly losing my hand. Now the truck won in this case & Keith you get to see a picture..

Ian.

[sth65pac]

Well here it is, in all its unpainted glory... I have attached wiper motor pic for fun

Ian