The elusive truck
 

The truck is parked in a barn in Limehouse Ontario where the owner Frank Grant lives. Frank has aquired an amazing collection of Militaria over 35 years through the process of always buying quality material and seldom selling it, and if it does sell it goes to a high roller. He always had a large number of vehicles around and had them restored correctly by local mechanics and body shops. I'm the one who found this truck and negotiated with the owner. Bill Gregg wan't interested in it so I called Frank who snapped it up. It was complete when I found it and it ran.
I think the price is reasonable and it amazes me it hasn't sold.
How long would it take in your life to restore a cut up wreck to this configuration?? At least one year of hard labour and when you were done you'd have 10 grand in it. It's not like Levy's was still around, when we were filling trucks with all we could grab for $40. Frank is a registered Museum (A Call to Arms) and has been around for 25 years that I know as a Museum. He has someone else list for him because (really) he is a busy guy. No website or E mail either. Need more???

Bruce, on that mickey mouse camo the running boards should be black too.That extra line of green isn't right.

ON ebay 1944 GENERAL MOTORS MILITARY WIRELESS REPAIR TRUCK
 

Hi, here is a nice truck:)

here the Item number: 280150061965

C8a mach zl
 

Just a little up date on the MACH ZL from Frank Grant, the truck is in fine operating condition with a big thank you to Barry, Bob and Murray of Churchers Automotive in Whitby, for there great work in servicing the truck to driving condition, over the past year they serviced the brakes, engine and driveline and hand build a new gas tank from parts supplied by Brian Asbury, of course this could not have been totaly accomplished without a few words from Brian Gough.

The truck was shipped this week from Toronto by TFX International and received at the Nanton Lancaster Air Museum in Alberta where it will be displayed and driven, there was much talk about the condition of the truck and it sure could not have been much better than this, the truck is in very nice conditon and I think you would be hard pressed to find one anywhere in this condition these days.

I am happy to see Gordon’s truck has finally arrived at the Nanton Lancaster Museum. He has put it on loan to them for a time. I would like to comment on Hanno being at my garage and seeing the truck. He walked up to it and immediately knew which truck it was. What visual recall the man has. We asked him not to post anything on MLU as the owner hadn’t even seen the truck in person yet and had requested we didn’t spread the word till later. Hanno was as good as his word and has said nothing. Dank u wel Hanno.. :cheers:
The photo was taken during Hanno's visit.
Barry

I must admit I was initially disappointed when the truck arrived at our garage. Our customer had bought a vehicle that was not as good as described to him or myself. We were tasked to make the vehicle safe to drive and run well enough to be put in parades. Initial inspection indicated lots of work and perhaps more than the customer expected. No brakes, won’t start, no lights and so on. I was told by the vendors agent that the starter was rebuilt and just needed to be hooked up. Well the starter was in wrong ( I know, how do you do that on a CMP?), the battery cables were about 8 gauge wire and nothing was “as advertised”. Gordon gave the okay to get working so we did. Brian Gough, Bob and I gave the truck a thorough once over and all of a sudden were amazed a what a great truck this was. Everything it needed was just a result of sitting unused or being improperly done. The fuel tanks were coated inside and out but the pickup and gauge holes were soldered over. The coating inside the tank had come off. All of these things involved time but nothing was serious. The more we finished on the truck the more we realized what a great vehicle it was. It now runs like a Swiss watch, starts on the second revolution and will stop on the proverbial dime. I agree with Gordon when he says you would be hard pressed to find a vehicle this solid and this complete. Good on you Gordon for having the balls to take this on. :thup2:

Thanks Barry, but actually . . . I did offer a sneak preview last March :o

I felt it was appropriate to post the picture below to commemorate your good veteran friend Herb Danter after he passed away. One month later, the veteran on the right, Art Bell, also passed away.

Gordon, that HUW of your is really a great truck, and I am happy to have seen it in the metal. Most of all, back in November 2007 it was a fitting backdrop for a photograph of two great veterans. I would never have thought these two men would be gone a little over a year later. I hope your truck is preserved for many more years to commemorate guys like Herb and Art :salute:

- Hanno


http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/at...3&d=1238446740

C8-a mach zl
 

Thank you Hanno, I will pass the photos on of Herb and Art to be posted with the truck, it still needs a little minor work and cleaning, I felt the museum was the best place to keep the truck, stored in doors and out of the weather, it will be looked after and driven by the museum members for special events hopefully it will stay on loan for a few years, look forward to posting a few pic in the furture :cheers:

would anyone have interior photo's showing the layout of the cabinets and interior components of a C8A Machinery ZL.
thnkx Gordon

This is the only one I could find.

Attachment 68095

Interior photos C8A
 

Would anyone out there have interior photos of the layout of the interior cabinets and furnishings for the C8A Machinery ZL trucks ? thnkx Gordon

C8A Interior
 

Hi Dave
thnkx I have the same as this, would like to get some good inside shots of an original interior of a C8A MACH, I stripped the inside of my C8A as it was not original, not even sure the chore horse enclosure is original on this truck . Truck is good, but would like to see what the interior was really like.

There are 3 photos in the design branch records. I went to photograph them, but the camera batteries died. So they are now on the charger. If no-one else posts the same photos in the next couple hours, I'll give it a whirl.

interior
 

Thnkx are these photos on the CMP factory CD ? Any ideas on a replacement seal for the sliding roof hatch, removed hatch and repaired sliders, removed old seal or what was remaining, not sure what material is was ?

Photos......
 

Hi David: I have done up copies of the "photos" from the ZL Manual, which are a little more revealing than the one you posted. Copied on "gloss" photo paper really helps out on the the detail and clarity (for those out there making copies). If you want to, pm me with your email address, I can scan and send you the photos. However.....don't be in too much of a rush this week.....I'm having some "glitches" with my computer and just need to get my neighbour over here to get it straightened out. Hope this helps......Robert :thup2:

Apologies...
 

Sorry David.....I meant Gordon. But I'll email you copies also. OR maybe you guys want to buy a copy of the ZL Manual which will show you all aspects of the rear of the vehicle. $100.00 each mailed to you. Let me know....Robert

Here is what little I have.

C8A interior
 

Here is what the interior looked like, made entirely of light plywood, except the chorehorse enclosure which was made of checker plate, have now stripped out interior except chorehorse

PM sent....
 

Have been in touch with Gordon to give him the "details" for his unit. Robert :thup2:

C8A interior
 

Rob do you have any idea if the interior compartments shelving etc where made of wood or metal ? I get the impression the interior should have been metal, the wood cabinet's looked to me to be home made added at some point over the years, front table was not what I have seen in books, the front table should have been a folding table, not fixed ? Gordon

But did you kept the detail of the Rifle attachement on the roof?? That's the fist time I see something like this...would be interested in some pictures.When possible could you also arrange some detailed pictures of the door for the corehorse?? Many thanks Pieter

What did you use for the sliders?? I have to rebuild a complete Hatch..

Interior C8A
 

Chore horse enclosure interior and exterior

C8A interior
 

2 rife brackets mounted above the rear door and at rear of the sliding hatch, 2 rife brackets mounted behind driver and passenger in front of the sliding rear hatch.

Do you know where your HU-MACH came from? Is it the one from Frank Grant in Limehouse (Ontario)? If I recall that one came up on E-bays a few times. If it is I have some idea of its history.

C8a
 

yes the vehicle, drives nice, engine runs nice, body and chassis are very good solid, not bad for age, some rust in frt window frames, could do with a complete new wiring harness, not sure about the rear interior did not look original, made of plywood, maybe someone tried to make it look original, I stripped it out .

I examined the photos in the design record carefully with a magnifying glass, they look to be metal. The two battery boxes are wood, and you can see the dovetailing on the fronts.

There almost appear to be wooden strips on the housing beneath the workbench.

The whole design of your drawers is not the same as the photos I have shown. I think you are likely right about them being a similar (but different) copy.

C8A Mach ZL
 

Hi Pieter

I see you have serial number 3844136670 on CV2611 I have serial number 3844536696 May 15 /44 on CV 2611

C8A HUM s/n 3844536696 1944
 

Hello John,

I have merged the known threads on your truck into one so you have some background history on it.

HTH,
Hanno


While owned by Frank Grant:

Attachment 111518


After being sold to Gordon Piro, under repair by Barry Churcher (2007):

Attachment 111519


At Gordon Piro:

Attachment 111517


As offered for sale by Robert Morrison:

Attachment 111516

C8a HUM_ZL
 

Thanks Hanno,

Here are some photos of it in Normandy in June 2019 following a repaint in "Gosling Brown" and several other jobs including a new wiring loom, tyres, extra rear seat, new speedo cable and other small tasks.

Photos include: Arromanches beach on 6-6-19; Juno Beach Museum; impromptu HUP gathering at Tilly

Data plates (Research)
 

Just to add to this thread, here are some photos of the data plates of this HUM.

Dash plates
Attachment 111550Attachment 111551Attachment 111552

Body tags
Attachment 111553
CHRYSLER
SERIAL-NO
MACH-ZL-1-087

I am a bit puzzled about these though. While the Chevrolet plate says that this is a ZL-2, the Chrysler plate next to it clearly says ZL-1. I would love to see what other ZL-2s plates say. Maybe all Chrysler plates are ZL-1 and only the Chevrolet plates got the update?

Also interesting to note: My dash plate also has the C stamped in the upper half. It is stamped right on the 'M' from 'Vehicle Model'.