FGT project

[Tony Wheeler]

In addition to my Ford Blitz ambo project presented elsewhere in this forum, I'm also pursuing a number of FGT projects. I say “a number” because I'm not sure at this stage how far I'll get, or how long I'll live!

Initially the plan was to build a FGT 9 replica, starting with an F15A chassis. However, in the course of accumulating components over the past couple of years, I've come across some actual FGT chassis, each one better than the last, so the plan keeps getting modified. It has graduated from an F15A chassis, complemented with bits off a wrecked FGT chassis, to an actual FGT chassis, missing a few bits and quite rusty, through to a complete FGT chassis in good condition. In this way my single FGT project has multiplied, much like the fishes and the loaves!

Ideally I'd like to restore them all, as I hate to see any of these limited production blitzes disappear. No doubt Keith feels likewise – in our blitz hunting days as kids, the FGT to us was the ultimate prize – the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which kept us pedalling ever onwards in the hope of finding! We didn't come across many of these rarities, but on the handful of occasions we did happen to stumble upon one, our excitement was immeasurable at the time, and we'd revisit them over and over. Keith became became so attached to a discarded No.8 body at a sawmill in Ringwood, that with no thoughts of how to retrieve it, or where on earth to put it, and no money whatsoever to pay for it, he walked upstairs to the manager's office and boldly asked if he could have it! Amazingly enough the answer was yes! I always thought that was a pretty impressive move for a kid, although I'm not sure his parents were so impressed when they got the news!

In the next few posts I shall present my 3 potential FGT projects individually. For the moment, by way of showing where it all started, here's a pic of the building where Keith hopped off his pushbike that day, leaned it up against the shopfront, and walked upstairs to acquire his first ever blitz. I think he'd agree it was a pivotal moment in his life! Some pics of the FGT body itself and various other treasures at the site can be found on Keith's website here:

http://www.oldcmp.net/ringfgt.html
http://www.oldcmp.net/rtnadt.html

[Keith Webb]

Ah yes, the FGT, to me the ultimate CMP. It was the one with all the 'fruit', winch, tyre pump, seats 6, and very chunky.

This was taken the first time Tony and I saw it, we knew it must have been ex CMP because of the windscreen but were mystified until we looked in Bart Vanderveen's "Fighting Vehicles Directory", the bible for identification in those days.

[Keith Webb]

This is one of their delivery F60Ls. The interesting part of the story here is the door on this truck came back to me many years ago attached to a C60S. It is now on Swiss Chris's F15 i Switzerland!

[Tony Wheeler]

Remains of this FGT were located by Keith in a scrapyard in Greta several years ago. They consist of a rough chassis sandwiched between two other blitz wrecks, and a cab frame and front shell lying nearby amidst a mountain of scrap metal.

Having bought these remains I've since managed to extricate the front shell and bring it home, and will be returning in due course to retrieve the chassis and cab frame.

Along with an F15A chassis purchased soon afterwards, plus an F60L wreck with winch, these remains form the basis of my first resto plan. Here are some pics of the FGT parts:

pic 1: Blitz sandwich! Only a well trained eye would recognize this twisted, welded, plated, cut off chassis as having once belonged to a FGT. First clue is the brake booster linkage.

pics 2 & 3: If you're game enough to crawl underneath you'll find the original winch mounts, and the definitive twin rear crossmember.

pic 4: Minimal chassis crop makes for an easy repair (unlike my latest FGT chassis) and provided the savage twist springs back when it's finally extricated, this chassis will clean up OK with a bit of work. If not, I'll transfer the relevant crossmembers etc. onto my F15A chassis.

pic 5: FGT front shell safely rescued, subsequently revealed ARN 132257 and other interesting markings....more on that later.

[Tony Wheeler]

My FGT resto plan A was superceded when a more complete FGT chassis became available from John Belfield's collection last year. It's a lot more rusty than when Keith photographed it many years ago (pic 3) but otherwise unchanged. It also appears in pic 4 taken some years later. Unfortunately the winch mountings have all been torched off, but thankfully the rear chassis hasn't been chopped and the rear fairleads are more or less intact. All in all it's a much more straightforward project than ARN 132257, so plan B came into effect!

[Mike Kelly]

What became of the FGT 8/9 I found at Whittlesea , Terry Halls place?

The chassis was very rough , but it had a few bits on it . I think the ammo box was still on the passengers side dash .

Mike