Another Lynx mkIII
 

Unless I'm a member since 2010 of this great forum this is my first post.
I really enjoy reading this forum mainly because the big amount of info that is available here.

Today I came home with a Ford Lynx MKIII that was left in the woods since the seventies in Italy.

There is only the armor and chassis left, so it will probably be a slow and long restoration to get this vehicle back on the road.I will start with the restoration of this vehicle soon and I hope to find some support or advise.


David

A great find, David. Congrats!

There is a long running thread on the restoration of another ex-Italian Lynx on here, I’m sure you’ve seen it.

Looking forward to seeing this project documented on here too.

Great
 

David,

Welcome to the fraternity of Lynx owners. Judging by the armoured sponson for the LH fuel tank, I would suggest that you have a Lynx 11, not a Lynx mk 111. On the horizontal surface below the observers position you should be able to find stampings that will show the build date and the hull number. Please post them if they are still visible.

Again, congratulations, Peter

Gents, thank you for your kind words.

Yesterday I also found the hull number back: 779
The Lynx is the version with the metal roof so I assume that the petrol tanks were replaced somewhere in time.

Chassis
 

I'll keep my eye ouut for a 38-41 Ford Truck chassis to see how close it is the Lynx1 chassis. Probably more on our side of the ocean. Would need to be heavily modified but I'm not sure you will find a chassis.

It looks like the Ford Lynx owned by Patrick Tedeschi in Italy. Thankfully the chassis is present, for springs and axles you may have to convert F15A 15-cwt 4x4 truck components. The track width of the Lynx is 63 inches versus 71 inch on the F15A, so you will have to shorten the axles.

Attachment 122006
Source: http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving...Scout_Cars.pdf


Specs from “Canadian Military Headquarters. Vehicle Data Book (Restricted). 1944“:

Attachment 122004
Attachment 122005

Welcome
 

David
Welcome to the Lynx I MkIII fraternity. Looking at the literature surrounding the transition to Lynx II you would think that the Lynx I is useless but mine is just lots of fun. Good luck with the rebuild. Should you need photographs just let me know.

regards,
Alastair
F60S LAAT
Lynx I MkIII*

I have a chassis, the only things that I miss are the axles and the drivetrain.

Its not the Lynx from Patrick Tedeschi. My Lynx was a couple of months ago placed on facebook in the Dingo group by a guy who found this in a wood.

Thanks, I will send you a pm.

Ah yes, the one from Erick Perino: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mapl...1534251124928/

In the first photo you posted it looked like Patrick’s, hence my comment.

Axles
 

When converting a set of Ford Axles its not only a question of sorting them you have to turn the unit over so right becomes left and left becomes right as the input is in the opposite direction. And Glad you have the chassis. now for the transmission..... Maybe there is an old transit bus under some growth somewhere.
Or a guy I know in New Zealand, hmmm.

Today I stripped the petroltanks from the vehicle. It seems that they are out of order after been standing more then 40 years outside. :)

I also found out that unless its a MKI body it has the hole in the floor for a MKII observer chair and it has MKII petroltanks and it don't look as a retro fit.

Lynx Axles
 

Hi David, just a few observations that I have made, that may help you ,with regards to axles for the Lynx. The change in direction for power happens at the transfer case, so an axle used is in the normal configuration.
From what I have observed in my work on Lynx's:
The Mk1 (Lynx111), as I call it and the MK2. The MK 1 has a diff that is about 250mm in dia. on the crown wheel with a 5-83 ratio, which by all accounts was found to be one of the weak points in the earlier models. The Mk2 uses a standard commercial 1940 Ford 3 ton crown wheel and pinion setup, which is 640, 6 pinion teeth and 40 crown wheel giving a 6-66 ratio, diameter is about 320mm across the face of the crown wheel. The axle length from tip top tip is 1750. It measures 830mm on one side to the crown wheel housing flange and 425mm on the other side, so being offset. This would be the easiest one to make if you had to. The backing plates on the rear are Chev C8 and the drums used are 6 stud for the MK1 and 8 stud for the MK 2.
Question for the experts....is the 8 stud rear drum a standard item on some make of truck?, as the 6 stud is identical and is the same as a C8 CMP.
Brake parts are all standard C8 CMP rear and both models of Lynx from the steering hub knuckle out on the front are all standard to the Ford or Chev, once again the difference being 6 or 8 studs on the models.
If you want to delve deeper into the drive train, the transfer case is basically a standard single speed C8, CMP using a different gearbox input shaft and speedo drive gear is opposite, this is the only difference.
Steering box on the different models, is that they changed the ratio from MK1, it takes two turns from center to full lock and on the MK2 , it takes 1&1/2 turns.
Also of mention is the gear box casing is specially cast for Lynx. The top is now on the side, they have rotated it 90 degrees to get a flat floor, it uses all the standard Ford 4-speed 1940 truck gearbox components. Cheers Andrew.

Andrew, thanks for this very valuable information!

At this moment the Lynx is completly stripped and most parts are sandblasted. As expected it seems that I have a lot of welding to do.

Lynx and C15TA
 

I commented about your project on a Facebook group for C15TA Canadian Armoured Trucks. There are many similarities between the technologies and the present condition of the vehicles. Although not the same thing, you may find commonalities in restoration methods within that group.

As for having any parts to offer, sorry about that. There are other things cluttering my property, and none of them are armoured.

Thanks for the info!

MLU promotion
 

To be honest Terry, I am pretty sure that the members of said FB group with any restoration experience are on this forum to begin with. I have not seen a comprehensive CMP restoration thread anywhere on FB but on the MLU Forum FB group. Don't get me wrong, FB has it's place but they themselves advise users to post just a single photo with only a few lines of text - that's whats gets the most likes.

Sorry to be preaching to the choir, but sometimes a little self promotion is needed to keep the herd together :)

David, it indeed looks like you have your work cut out! It was to be expected after standing outside for so many years. But most of it seems to be there so it can be recreated. Good luck and keep us posted. Keep asking questions, most of the answers are on here.

There is a chance that newcomers to the hobby and non-English speaking people would gravitate to FB as a first stop. Social media has a couple of major providers, which sort themselves out by age and demographics. More conventional forums like MLU have long established clienteles. And, much better search and revisit functions.

And yes, choirmaster we recognize what you do.

From a friend I recieved some photos of a Lynx MKI from the Manitoba Dragoons in september/oktober 1944 in Oostwinkel (Belgium).

Attachment 123216 Attachment 123217

Thanks
 

David,

Thanks for posting the period picture of the Lynx and Staghound of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons. My interest is the unofficial kit that the crews would carry on their vehicles. This crew looks as if they were in it for the long haul.

Peter

Hello Peter,

Another photo in Belgium (sept 44) from the Manitoba Dragoons taken near Brugges. Can you spot the 'upgrade'? :)

Challenge
 

David,

Another great period picture. All three are great examples of 'ad hoc' stowage that crews adopted in the field. Hard to tell in the picture but it does look as if the Observers/Gunners seat has been changed out ?

Peter

vice

:no4:

Indeed the mounted a vice on the right fender. For wat purpose? maybe becouse its a MKI :)

Good eye! :thup:

good eye Crets !