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#1
19-03-13, 09:40
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C15A resto
I've joined this forum to share the long term restoration of my blitz, and leech dome info from all you experts...
So it's a C15A - 15cwt 4x4, no 13 cab. My uncle bought it in the early '90s. It had a seized motor, but was straight, original and complete. He towed it back with his Studebaker US6 (had to get a police permit to drive it - was on ANZAC day). He bought a rebuilt block that had been sitting in a shop since the 50s. He used the old head, got it running and used it to power a sawmill. I showed a lot of interest in it, and he gave it to me when I was 14. I started pulling bits off it a few years later, and have been chipping away at it for the last 14 years. I've now moved to Australia from the UK so can take it back up in earnest. My uncle is hopefully bringing it up to me on his truck in a month or so. I have so far: Pulled the motor down, had a machinist confirm the bottom end had a decent rebuild and it's still well within rebuild tolerances. Had the valves ground in, got them to hone the bores out properly too. Rebuilt the gearbox using parts from a 1930s chev pickup dumped in our creek. Amazingly this box was in great nick. Rebuilt the transfer case using parts from three different cases. Originally these smaller 4x4 blitzes had a single speed T case, but I'm putting a 2 speed in. The 216 I6 isn't exactly over powered... Rebuilt the brakes - all relined, new lines and hoses. New cups, honed bores (came out perfectly thanks to original fluid being caster oil). New wheel bearings. Stripped the chassis, had it sandblasted and primed. Then whacked 3 heavy coats of black wattle killrust top coat on. Bought a sandblaster, stripped and painted the bulkhead/floor. It's back on. It's currently got an old jaguar radiator so I can run it. Runs nicely, the brakes haven't liked sitting for the last 4 years though. There was no brake fluid in them when my uncle delivered it last weekend, so I'll be finding where the leak is. So I need to source a new radiator ($250 in the US or $1000 quoted for a record here), then strip and paint all the body panels. ALso I'll make a new timber tray (had a rotten one), and when I'm feeling rich buy a new set of tyres. I'm actually considering having a go at repairing the original radiator now though, it's better than I remember. I've slowly been replacing what it had on it (9.00x16) with various 8.25x16 my uncle has lying about as the old ones have perished. You wouldn't believe what holds air though... Changing the tyres was a real job - they're two piece military bolt togethers, with no relief well. The beads are enormous rigid ones corroded to the wheel. After breaking the beads with the truck stabilisers, I chained one half to a tree, the other half to the cruiser and put a lot of pressure on. Some popped off, others needed persuading with cold chisels, angle grinders and a chainsaw (no steel belts). So if anyone's still with me, here are some photos. chassis stripped - uncle towed me 10 km up to the house behind his FSJ and me standing no a board steering it. Was a very steep rough track too...  Towing with the studi  how it sat for many years  starting to strip it  after putting all the gear back on the chassis and going for the maiden drive. That was a great feeling. Was 8 years ago now though  In these photos the tyres are the ones it had on it for the last 20 odd years. Pumped right up. Then just in the past 8 years three have died. The rear left is the last original military one. And I think is the remaining survivor. "They don't make like the used to"...  Bead breaking  gives a bit of satisfaction at the end though. Why didn't I get a tyre shop to do it? I didn't have the money (no income at the time), and I called a tyre shop for advice - they had to put their oldest bloke on the line "Jee I remember those old blitz tyres, the only way we could remove them was by putting them on the bonfire and burning them off".  top coated  current state 
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#3
19-03-13, 11:25
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One thing you might not realize. The frame and undercarriage were painted the same colour as the body. They were never black.
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1940 Cab 11 C8 Wireless with 1A2 box & 11 set 1940 Cab 11 C8 cab and chassis 1940 Cab 11 C15 with 2A1 & Motley mount & Lewis gun 1940 Cab 11 F15A w/ Chev rear ends 1941 Cab 12 F15A 1942-44 Cab 13 F15A x 5 1942 cab 13 F15A with 2B1 box 1943 cab 13 F15A with 2H1 box 1943 Cab 13 C8A HUP 1944 Cab 13 C15A with 2C1 box 1943 Cletrac M2 High Speed Tractor MkII Bren gun carrier chassis x 2
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#4
19-03-13, 11:39
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Harry,
Bloody good show!  Keep it coming. Welcome aboard. 
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Ford CMP, 115" WB,1942 (Under Restoration...still) Medium sized, half fake, artillery piece project. (The 1/4 Pounder)
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#5
19-03-13, 13:32
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Thanks a lot fellas. Nice shot of yours Robert, that's a very familiar look! Is your throttle hooked up? Mine isn't and it adds to the 'experience', must sort it...
cletrac - that's interesting about the same chassis colour, not something I'd realised. However, I hope this doesn't offend people but this resto will make no attempt at being period correct. I'm keeping it original as possible just because I love the original fixtures and have learnt the hard way the more you alter a vehicle the worse it gets. It's also a very nice complete original one. But otherwise it'll just be a vehicle I can use and enjoy and won't go much beyond what I've got, and definitely plan on painting it civilian colours. I like to think it as a worker not just a looker
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#6
19-03-13, 21:54
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Hi Harry in that photo the accelarator wasn't hooked up so I was using my left foot on the linkage end.
My blitz was a worker up till a year ago but now I have started to restore it a little closer to original as I am enjoying car club outings. Mine still has the original unrestored engine although the carby is not standard. Enjoy your blitz, I have a lot of fun with mine and have met a lot of people including vetrins, since I started driving it in parades in town. 
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Robert Pearce.
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#7
20-03-13, 08:15
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Good on you Harry
Quote:
You raise a couple of great points... Good for you with the civilian colours. A lot of these trucks did more work in their civilian clothes than in their military service years so why not honour the massive contribution they had in civvy life? Our heritage is not just confined to the war years. A lot of brave (or mad) blokes used Blitzes to snig logs, fight fires and cart just about anything you can name on the back of these old beasts... usually by working out legal load mass, then multiplying it by four. The other point is you can get so caught up in a resto with all the details...you can potentially fall into the trap of never finishing it and worse...never driving it, or more to the point...never having fun with it as a truck on the road. THANKS for posting, good luck with it, cant wait to see more pictures or even a bit of you tube film...
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Pax Vobiscum.......may you eat three meals a day & have regular bowel movements.
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