Ford P/U - Project

[James Y]

Hello from Canada.

I thought I would start a tread on my project. It is inspired by the 1940 Ford WOC1. It will be based on a 1940 Ford p/u with a 8wt Duple style wireless box.

I was able to purchase a great original 1940 Ford p/u in Saskatchewan this summer. After a 9 hour drive to get and a 9 hour drive home it is now on the trailer, soon to be unloaded.

Jim

[James Y]

With a lot of help from MLU members and on HMVF I was able to get the dimensions for the 8wt body. I would like to thank Ron Pier with all the help on the detailed measurements and confirmations of the body.

I did some drawings on a simple drawing program that the sheet metal shop was able to use to build the body components. A couple of examples are attached.

[James Y]

The sheet metal shop did a great job on bending the metal. Working with all new metal is really nice. A few pics of the components.

[James Y]

For the wood it was a challenge to find 1" thick wood for the floor and front of the box, I was able to find a millwork shop that made up the 1" fir planks. They glued up boards with a profile that is stronger than a T&G joint and then routed the T&G grooves to simulate actual T&G boards, it turned out great.

[James Y]

I made up the frame for the top

[James Y]

I am working on the tailgate now and could use some help.

I have the framework for the tailgate done but need some details or opinions on the wood attachment, Mike Kelly was kind enough to send some details and pics of an original one, I made mine with angle iron and was planning on holding the wood in with wood screws around the edges using countersunk #12 x 3/4" on approx 3" centre's I have not drilled the holes yet but you can see in the pics the centre punch marks for the holes.

Thoughts?

[James Y]

These are Mike Kelly's details.

[Mike Kelly]

Hi

Nice work.

My drawings are provisional to some degree and I have taken a little poetic license with the drawings in order to fill in the gaps. It is over 70 years since these vehicles were built and only god knows what mods people have done over the years.

I suspect that the tailgate had a metal band around the outside because the tailgate would be rather flimsy without a band.

I will have a look , I might find some pics of Rory Ballards tailgate on his PU . Rory knows the ins and outs of these bodies like nobody else does.

This pic shows the band around the 15 cwt CS8 drop sides as an example

[Ron Pier]

Here is my original PU tailboard Jim. It has a flat metal band wrapped around the edge and welded at the top. The top and bottom screws are pretty random with centres roughly between 5"-7" The side screws are 2 per plank each end.
Ron

[James Y]

Tailgate starting to take shape, counter sunk the holes for the wood screws around the edges. Fit the outer hinges and checked the fit. All seems to be OK, I have a couple of holes to fill, overall looks good. I was going to use these "Antiluce plates" from the UK except I am not sure of the overall size, they were mentioned on another build thread, perhaps some reading this knows the overall size.

[super dave]

WOW that box is looking great

[James Y]

A little more progress, installed the support bars for the canvas top, need to cut the extra material off the ends of the bars.

[super dave]

Keep up the good work, I might be out of Business now

[Snowy]

Antiluce fasteners should be available locally for you, they are still commonly used. I bought some to attach marston matting sides/ramps for my ute at a Truck and Trailer supplies place. I already have them on the tray sides and rear. I think they are a nice type of latch, strong, simple and don't seem to jam as much as the rotating latches on ute/trailer trays.

[James Y]

Thx Dave, Merry Xmas

I had a 19set that I put in for a mock-up, I am hoping someone can help out with the window size and placement for the canvas. I also found these gate bolts that will work for the top frame to box tie downs. I will spot weld them to the box. They should work well.

Jim

[Mike Kelly]

Your pic showing the 19 set mockup: The FFW bodies had a hole cut in the floor in front of the wireless ops seat , a metal dished pan fitted into the hole , this pan was for the wireless ops feet.

I do have the wireless table drawings for the 11 set but your 19 set looks pretty good sitting there.

The canvas is a guessing game. I don't know of any surviving original canvas.

[Ron Pier]

The original tail gate latches on my Morris are not 'antiluce' they are flat pegs through a slot.

I got the measurements for the wireless fit up from Rory which probably came from you Mike and my floor has its original operators foot well.

The windows on mine are 11"x 16" which could be confirmed by scaling from original pictures although lots didn't have windows. Mine has roll down canvas shutters on the inside. Ron

[James Y]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

The original tail gate latches on my Morris are not 'antiluce' they are flat pegs through a slot.

I got the measurements for the wireless fit up from Rory which probably came from you Mike and my floor has its original operators foot well.

The windows on mine are 11"x 16" which could be confirmed by scaling from original pictures although lots didn't have windows. Mine has roll down canvas shutters on the inside. Ron

Mike Kelly do you think you could post or pm me the details on the wireless fit up.

Thx Jim

[Mike Kelly]

I think these are Rory's drawings but Richard Notton did the measuring

I will upload some pics tonight

[Mike Kelly]

pics...................................

[Mike Kelly]

.................................................. ..

[Ron Pier]

I first did my wireless fit up by copying the PU Humber snipe in Tony Oliver's museum. (19 set). See pic below. He let me have unrestrained access to his museum one Sunday. His wife brought me tea and cakes and then he took me back to Wndsor in his Rolls Royce..... Great bloke and sadly missed!

I then had to do some modifications to the table area once I had acquired my 11 set (cheers Mike) and the drawings from Rory.

Unlike Rory, I'm no carpenter! But I did the whole thing myself using plywood.
There is a lengthy thread here on 11 Sets which has quite a bit of detail/pictures/videos on PU’s and from about page 4, some research we did on the switchboard charging unit and how I built my replica.
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=22184
Ron

[James Y]

A little more progress, attached the tabs to hold the frame to the p/u box and welded the tabs to the tubing. Added the side pieces that the flat steel side pieces go over the canvas to secure the canvas tight to the frame.

[Wayne Hingley]

Nice work Jim. Your progress looks great.
What size pipe (and wall thickness) did you use for the bows and support bars? Did you make the bends and flattened connection points yourself (what tooling)?

[James Y]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hingley

Nice work Jim. Your progress looks great.
What size pipe (and wall thickness) did you use for the bows and support bars? Did you make the bends and flattened connection points yourself (what tooling)?

The tubing for the bows is just 1" electrical conduit, the support bars are 1" thin wall tubing. The flattened areas were done on the sheet metal brake.

Jim

[Alex van de Wetering]

James, lovely work on the wireless body; really nice.

Ron, Mike, Thanks for sharing more info on the British body on the forum!

Alex

[James Y]

A little more progress, flipped it up side down and added the fender supports, need to make the wood frame for the bottom of the floor. I am going to use some fir planks that I have been saving.

[Ian McCallum]

Hi James, apologies for not sending more pics. Have got a few more together and will send by PM after this.

Fantastic work, looks really good. I may have sent this detail before but this is the rear of my WOC1. I have only ever found the one picture of a WOC in a FFW configuration. Being 6 volt they would obviously need to have carried a charging set. Most appear to have been in a GS configuration.

Keep up the good work.

[Ron Pier]

Ian the supply for the wireless was by means of 2X 6V batteries wired in series to create a 12V supply. One pair mounted by the headboard and another pair mounted further back. One pair would be on charge via the PTO or remote generator whilst the other pair were in operation.
I think the British version PU's all had a 12V supply to the engine and lights?
Ron

[Ian McCallum]

Hi Ron.

The WOC1 was a 6 volt system and was never fitted with a PTO, so if used in a wireless configuration would have to be supplied via stand alone batteries and recharged via portable generator.

The vehicle actually has a plate on the dash which states 'This Vehicle is not suitable for use with a wireless set'

Ian