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  #1  
Old 18-10-09, 23:01
Keith Webb's Avatar
Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default The story of the FGT No8

This is a long-running saga of a vehicle I'm happy to say is in good hands now and being restored.
So this thread will attempt to trace it's life (with some very large gaps) from when I first found it back in 1973 in Ringwood.

Now long gone this is the shopfront for the Ringwood Timber and Trading Company, which had it's main sawmill on a large block behind this building.



I had noticed there were CMPs in use in the yard so I went there one day on my trusty pushbike to have a good look around and discovered this discarded No8 Ford Gun Tractor body.



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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
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  #2  
Old 18-10-09, 23:11
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default Part 2

It was fairly rusty by that stage but fortunately the chassis, although stripped of components was still there.

I approached the owner of the business and was astonished when he let me take it.



And inside the shed were most of the missing doors!



Which I also rescued.



The rear door revealed it's original Australian army registration number: 132748

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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #3  
Old 18-10-09, 23:19
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default Part 3

My friend Bert Barker had a timber carting business and kindly collected it on his timber jinker and stored it at his place at Wesburn.



Which is where it sat for a number of years. In 1977 I left Australia on an extended overseas trip and the project then passed on to Peter Growse who did a certain amount of work on it including building up the chassis and sitting the body onto it.

The property where he kept it was sold and unbeknownst to him the FGT and another truck (C8A) were taken to the local tip which is where it was found by a MV enthusiast who called me and I was able to speak to Peter who again rescued it, although he was too late to save the C8A.
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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #4  
Old 18-10-09, 23:22
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default Part 4





In the early 2000s Peter passed on all his CMP material to his brother Alan who set about a restoration.

By this stage it had been subject to some 30 plus years of open storage and was looking the worse for it.

[IMG][/IMG]
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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #5  
Old 18-10-09, 23:29
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default Part 5

Alan has set about the task of completely reskinning the body.

The panels have not come off easily as they were not only stick welded to the frame but were also spot welded.

He has come up with the idea of using modern vehicle adhesives and sealants to affix new 16g sheet steel. Almost every panel has something bolted through it to the frame so this is quite a realistic method.

The pictures here were taken in October 2009 36 years after I originally rescued it and it's great to see something is finally happening.

Some of the panels are seen here being trial fitted.









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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #6  
Old 19-10-09, 04:18
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Default Great story

Hello Keith,

It is great to see something come back from the brink and be able to trace something you had a part of all those years ago. A lot of twists and turns and interesting photos. Now shoot me down in flames - a Cab 13?

Kind Regards
Lionel
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  #7  
Old 19-10-09, 05:13
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aj.lec aj.lec is offline
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionelgee View Post
Hello Keith,

It is great to see something come back from the brink and be able to trace something you had a part of all those years ago. A lot of twists and turns and interesting photos. Now shoot me down in flames - a Cab 13?

Kind Regards
Lionel
No shooting or pyromania needed Lionel -Correct

Great to see the no.8 on the road to recovery Keith .Keep us updated
And towed by a no.9 ! Have you any pictures of it as well Keith ?
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Last edited by aj.lec; 19-10-09 at 06:49.
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  #8  
Old 19-10-09, 06:47
Richard Coutts-Smith Richard Coutts-Smith is offline
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Default

Trying to work out if this vehicle has an incredible will to survive..... or the opposite!
Rich.
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  #9  
Old 19-10-09, 11:48
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default Part 6

Alan has just sent me some more pictures of the No8 (and his CGT 9).

The No9 is used to move it around for the time being. They make a nice pair don't they? Alan also has a F15A, a 7A2 cab 12 CGT and a HUP in need of complete rebuild.

Not many have seen this No9 as it has been out of circulation for a long while. It was built from one of the NOS Hughes Trading bodies back in the '70s.

Quote:
Trying to work out if this vehicle has an incredible will to survive..... or the opposite!
Having just watched the best of Top Gear it reminds me of the HiLux a bit.

The panels are just sitting on the No8 in a trial fit.









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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #10  
Old 19-10-09, 12:04
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aj.lec aj.lec is offline
Andrew
 
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Webb View Post
Alan has just sent me some more pictures of the No8 (and his CGT 9).
They make a nice pair don't they? Alan also has a F15A, a 7A2 cab 12 CGT and a HUP in need of complete rebuild.

YES they certainly do make a nice pair

Alans lineup is impressive .A 7a2 cab12 CGT and a CGT no.8 and a HUP
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  #11  
Old 19-10-09, 12:12
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default Lineup

Quote:
7a2 cab12 CGT and a CGT no.8 and a HUP
Just to clarify:

1942 HUP

1942 F15A with 2A Aust body

1941 Chev CGT 7A2

1942 Ford FGT No8 (Aust)

1944 Chev CGT No9 (Aust)
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42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #12  
Old 19-10-09, 12:18
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aj.lec aj.lec is offline
Andrew
 
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Webb View Post
Just to clarify:

1942 HUP
1942 F15A with 2A Aust body
1941 Chev CGT 7A2
1942 Ford FGT No8 (Aust)
1944 Chev CGT No9 (Aust)
Well that makes it even more impressive
I was thinking the no.8 was some one elses
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  #13  
Old 19-10-09, 12:35
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default The 8

Quote:
Originally Posted by aj.lec View Post
Well that makes it even more impressive
I was thinking the no.8 was some one elses
Yes it used to belong to me, and then Alan's brother Peter.
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Film maker

42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #14  
Old 20-10-09, 01:24
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Keith Webb Keith Webb is offline
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Default But wait, there's more

Quote:
Originally Posted by aj.lec View Post
Well that makes it even more impressive
I was thinking the no.8 was some one elses
To complete the list:

1942 HUP

1942 F15A with 2A Aust body

1944 Chev C60L (spares)

1944 Chev/GM C60X for restoration

1941 Chev CGT 7A2

1942 Ford FGT No8 (Aust)

1944 Chev CGT No9 (Aust)
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Film maker

42 FGT No8 (Aust) remains
42 FGT No9 (Aust)
42 F15
Keith Webb
Macleod, Victoria Australia
Also Canadian Military Pattern Vehicles group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/canadianmilitarypattern
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  #15  
Old 23-10-09, 10:25
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Bob Moseley (RIP) Bob Moseley (RIP) is offline
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Default Well Done

Hi Keefy - what a fabulous story and end result.

Bob
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