Project F15

[Howard]

OK so no-one can shed light on the winch, or the mozzie repellent. Can anyone help with a photo of a restored or maybe new F15 cab 12?

[Howard]

G'Day All,
Just to update you on the F15 recovery...
Weekend before last we went out to the old girl, and rewired the starter system. However it became evident the engine was not going to turn over, so everything was soaked in 'rost off' (penetrant) and left for a week.
Last weekend we made a late start on Sunday only 3 hours before sun set. In that time we swung a bar off the crank end & got her turning over by hand & then on the starter. But no spark.
Yesterday we headed out & after receiving a jolt worked out that one of the points was stuck closed. This afternoon I hooked up a gravity-feed fuel system, bit of cranking and
BBGGGRRRAAANNNGGG! Away she went!!
I need a radiator as mine is corroded out. Can anyone help with one, I cannot wait to drive the old girl into town!!
More pix of "Before" on Keith's old cmp site. Attached a spinning & smooth running side-slapper V8!

[Max Hedges]

Howard it's good to hear that the old blitz is running again.
Keith called in yesterday and picked up your book and will drop it off to you sometime.
Max

[Howard]

Thanks Max, I look foward to catching up with Keith & burying myself in the book.
Max do you have a spare radiator? Mine blows bulk bubbles @ 2psi!
HH

[Max Hedges]

Originally posted by Howard
Thanks Max, I look foward to catching up with Keith & burying myself in the book.
Max do you have a spare radiator? Mine blows bulk bubbles @ 2psi!
HH

I would have one or two here that might get you out of trouble, they are not blitz original ones though.
Max

[Keith Webb]

Howard, I'll give you a call.

Congratulations on getting it running! You should have waited until I could be there with the camera!

[Howard]

G'Day all.
To save MLU bandwidth, and those not that interested, I have started a 'diary' of the rebuild on my web site.
Click here to view. I will notify of updates here.
Thanks to all of you who have helped and encouraged me so far!
HH

[Howard]

A question for all of the old hands...
Is it possible to trace the history of my vehicle? Data plates are missing I presume with the instrument cluster. Do these vehicles have a chassis number and is it possible to trace it's history prior to being purchased by my family in aprox 1950.

Howard

[Mike Kelly]

Howard ,

if the vehicle still has its ARN number somewhere , then you can go to the Aust. war memorial and look it up in their records .

The ARN is the 5 or 6 digit number 3" or 4" high painted on the cowl or doors on CMP's . Luckily for us the AWM has these records .

Mike

[Tony Smith]

And the AWM records also list the engine number, which was often used on Fords as the chassis number. If you can't find the Army Registration Number, then if the engine is the original, the AWM records will have those details. Beware, there might be something like 30,000 blitzes to look through until you find your engine number. Start looking for the ARN!

[Howard]

Thanks for the advice fellas. 30,000?! I have trouble getting out of the AWM at the best of times, yet alone searching that many records...
Maybe next school holidays.
Thanks
HH

[Howard]

F15 rebuild has been updated
Cheers,
Howard

[Howard]

G'Day MLU'ers,
I hit one of the fuel tanks with the pressure washer today. I previously reported the inside of both tanks 99.9% rust free (well, the bits I can see, anyway).
As layers of paint came off I noticed 3 colours. The first coat sems to be Olive Drab. Second coat sandy yellow. Top coat dark green. Does this indicate it's history in any way? (Let me guess, assembled in Canada & painted olive. Shipped to Western Desert & painted yellow/sand. Shipped to Aus & painted Green. Too simple??

[Ian Pullen]

Howard, my boys in the workshop and I are currently in the process of a Cab 12 resto as well. We are about an hour and a half down the road at Wodonga.
We may be able to help.
Feel free to give us a ring and visit anytime.

[Howard]

G'Day Ian.
Tony (no, not that Tony) & I actually visited the workshop and museum last Friday. I tried to ring you a few times in the week leading up to last Friday, Keith gave me the number.
Anyway, we spoke to Brett(?). Mick was there and was very helpful and we learned a lot. Took many photos & asked many questions.
We will definitley be back to check on the cab 12 as progress is made with yours and as setbacks are made with ours.
Cheers
Howard
PS You don't employ civilians, do you?

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Howard
G'Day MLU'ers,
I hit one of the fuel tanks with the pressure washer today. I previously reported the inside of both tanks 99.9% rust free (well, the bits I can see, anyway).
As layers of paint came off I noticed 3 colours. The first coat sems to be Olive Drab. Second coat sandy yellow. Top coat dark green. Does this indicate it's history in any way? (Let me guess, assembled in Canada & painted olive. Shipped to Western Desert & painted yellow/sand. Shipped to Aus & painted Green. Too simple??

OK What this seems to indicate is: Factory paint Khaki (not olive drab) then issue in the Western Desert, hence the light stone colour, then repatriation to Australia and a repaint here. As mentioned elsewhere most of our cab 12 C60L stock came to us this way. Ford cab 12 F60Ls we imported directly from Canada.

[Keith Webb]

Howard,

Have a look at this pic of a cab 11 F15A posted in this thread by Pete Ashby. Notice any similarities with yours?

Incidentally I haven't downloaded the pics yet...

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

If this truck is indeed a # 11 or # 12 Cab...can't tell which ...then it is most likely a very rare survivor from contract Supply/Mechanical 2002, 3,000 of which were ordered to be delivered to Egypt for assembly in Alexandria starting around January 1941 although the order was placed in July 1940 with subsequent amendments. Production then started in September 1940. These trucks were then issued to and used by the British Army, AIF, NZEF and possibly Indian Army. Those survivors that had been issued to Commonwealth Forces were sold to the respective Governments and subsequently shipped back in the case of the Antipodean trucks for further service.

[Keith Webb]

On Sunday we set out with a mission: Howard, his mate Tony (also a new CMP owner), and myself as cameraman to see whether we could not only start the F15 but move it as well.

Here's a pic of Howard after the deed!

[Keith Webb]

Meet Tony.

Tony would have to be one of the most enthusiastic new CMP owners you could meet. As you can see, he's now the proud owner of a Cab 12 F60L which used to have a winch. The winch and transfer case are missing, but the truck has the remnants of an original body, and most of the cab is intact and in pretty good shape. Hopefully Tony will now go out and buy the next most important item of equipment in the enjoyment of CMP-dom... a computer with internet access.

[Howard]

They are good looking around Ganmain, aren't they. The trucks, that is. Thanks for your company Keith on a very enjoyable morning...
I will update the online diary in the next couple of days.

[Ian Pullen]

Go the Ganmain - Grong Grong - Matong.......................
I even got a game once...........

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Howard
They are good looking around Ganmain, aren't they. The trucks, that is. Thanks for your company Keith on a very enjoyable morning...
I will update the online diary in the next couple of days.

The pleasure was all mine! I've watched the video of the 'move' - Tony's whoops and the war-dance are exquisite.

[Howard]

Originally posted by Ian Pullen
Go the Ganmain - Grong Grong - Matong.......................
I even got a game once...........

Crikey Ian! G-GG-M Lions are on top of the ladder & lining up for 3rd consecutive grand final win. When did you play?
At the moment Coolamon are looking for players after consolidating their last rung on the ladder. A section of their ad for players read as follows. "...if you can pull on a pair of boots unassisted you'll get a kick." Time for a com-back Ian?

And Keith, cannot wait to see the Video!!

Cheers, HH

[Keith Webb]

This is one for Salesman Bob...

The Waltham speedo in Tony's cab 12 is one I haven't seen in a CMP before - possibly a replacement?

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Keefy
Definitely a replacement speedometer out of a Ford car or pickup. Guess Tony is going to need a truck Speedometer.
Salesman Bob

[Keith Webb]

Or at least it's brother. I was looking through an original photo album from Syria, 1942 and noted this pic - same type, same body.

This pic is a crop of a tiny 3 1/2" print so it's a bit blurry, but not so soft you can't see the front hub is from a 4X2.

[Howard]

FANTASTIC PIC, KEITH!
Pitty my RHF door is not fitted (on mine), it would be interesting to see if we could match up some markings. Do we know what the markings on this truck are for?
Thanks for your help,
HH

[Howard]

Well this is what she used to look like.
Photo circa 1948, can't have been long after the truck was purchased.

Also, I have updated my online diary, with a photo of the F15 without the scaffold gear. Also I have started Tony's page.

[Howard]

G'Day All,
We have spent a couple of more hours on the F15. See my web page here
Also spent a morning exploring a farm with several Blitz's. I expect Keefy will have pix on his website once he returns to Melbourne...
Cheers Everyone.