Found MkI carrier

Ralph Volkert · #1 01-04-08, 18:35

Hello I am new here. I just found and bought a MkI carrier. It will be delivered in May. Hull is not bad, suspension, wheels all there, though the interior is pretty much gutted.

Manuals are on the way but I have a few questions I hope can be answered before then. I want to figure out what things I will need to keep an eye out for.

What Diameter are the headlights. Was there running lights on these?

Can someone identify instrument panel function? Mine is pretty rough.

I am assuming the guages are pre war ford? All are round, 2 are Large Diameter the rest smaller but all completely rusted or smashed.
I can identify the speedometer from the odometer and trip meter. What are the others? Does it matter where they are installed on the panels?

There is a big pushbutton ???? At the bottom of center panel. Ignition?
one toggle switch marked "side" Headlights?
one toggle switch marked "tail" Tail lights?

Would the guages be black face or white?

A photo would be great if you have one?

Now colour. Is the inside of the carrier painted the same as the exterior

Thanks in advance.

charlie fitton · #2 01-04-08, 18:47

What part of the world are you in?

c fitton
Ontario

Piper · #3 01-04-08, 18:56

Hi Ralph

Welcome to the group. I too am really new at this and people here are really really informative and helpful. When your manuals arrive a lot of the questions will be answered. I have found these 3 manuals to be the most informative and in depth of any auto manual I've used, and I've used a lot of them! The dash diagrams are very good. You won't be sorry for the manual investment.

1 place that's great to look at is http://www.macsautoparts.com There are lots of components that you'll need and will find there.

Good luck!

Cameron

Ralph Volkert · #4 01-04-08, 18:58

Thanks!

I am in Temagami (just north of North Bay) in Ontario. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many from ON were on here.

Alex Blair (RIP) · #5 01-04-08, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Volkert

Thanks!

I am in Temagami (just north of North Bay) in Ontario. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many from ON were on here.

Hi Ralph.
Welcome to MLU..There are lots of us around ..Chris is in North Bay and will jump in here soon..
He is pretty knowledgable on these things and has restored a few..
Read your manuals thoroughly before you start at the job..It will help you to no end..
Keep a picture file on the restoration and post them here for all to see..There are guys here that have restored lots of them..Charlie Fitton is one of the best also.

chris vickery · #6 10-04-08, 15:22

Ralph, I sent you a PM!!!! Chris

Brad Mills · #7 11-04-08, 00:44

Ralph,

Congrats on the mk I purchase. They really are alot of fun and once you start putting her back together they are very rewarding as they take shape.

There are a few places you may want to contact for parts...

Brian Asbury in Milton Ont for NOS items...contact him and request his 4 or 5 page list of items.

Another source is John Bizal at midwest military for very accurate reproduction parts. John's website...http://www.midwestmil.com/

Good luck and have fun, don't hesitate to ask questions...

Ralph Volkert · #8 12-04-08, 13:08

THANKS TO ALL!

Folks here are a big help and supportive. (I may need that once the wife sees the bills!!!)

I thought parts for my 74 roadrunner were pricey. There is a stick shift knob for a carrier on ebay that is at $70 now. Are they really that rare? Or are people getting carried away?

I saw my baby this week. (will try posting pics later today) A Couple of questions come to mind.

1) the large bin(crew?) you see mounted on the back of the hull, in all the pictures I have seen...On this carrier it is mounted on the inside of the rear of the hull on the drivers side. This appears to be the original position. Has any one seen this before? Would this be a specific application or just a field mod.

On the outside center of the rear of the hull is a mark of where a very small bin(?) was once attached. It appears to be the size of a bin I have seen mounted on top of the large bin when that is mounted on the outside.

2) On the front of the hull, on the front of the hull, in front of the gunner are 2 vertical weld marks (12-18") as if a fitting had been cut off. If this was original what would they have been for? If not original should I grind them down.

Thanks, Ralph

Alex Blair (RIP) · #9 12-04-08, 16:35

Hi Ralph...I wouldn't get too carried away until I had the right manuals ..
Mr Manual,Joel Bellrose has all the right manuals you need..
and Chris Vickery will be more than willing to help you out..

http://www.dana-nield.com/d32/Defaul....com/d32/blair

#61
423 pages
FUC-03 FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA
CARRIER, UNIVERSAL Mk. I and Mk. II.
Illustrated Parts Catalogue 1941-44.
Reissued May '44.

#61A
200 pages
FUC-02 FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA
CARRIER, UNIVERSAL Mk. I* .
Illustrated Parts Catalogue 1941-42.
British Supply/Mech-1026 W.S.L.-72-2
And Canadian CDSt-957,CDLV-58...73..213...259...422...423...435...445.
Reissued June 1942.

#62
200 pages
UC Universal Carrier Mk. I,
Operators Maintenance Handbook,
July '43, Canadian.

#63
290 pages
UC-F1 Universal Carrier, Mk. I, Canadian
Workshop Manual,
Nov 1942.

#64
96 pages
UC-OM1 Carrier, Universal No. 2, Mk.2,
Operator's Manual,
Sept 1944.

Can't remember if it is a MK.l or MK ll..
But the manuals are invaluable..

Sounds like you have a jewell there..

rob love · #10 12-04-08, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Volkert

THANKS TO ALL!

Folks here are a big help and supportive. (I may need that once the wife sees the bills!!!)

I thought parts for my 74 roadrunner were pricey. There is a stick shift knob for a carrier on ebay that is at $70 now. Are they really that rare? Or are people getting carried away?

I saw my baby this week. (will try posting pics later today) A Couple of questions come to mind.

1) the large bin(crew?) you see mounted on the back of the hull, in all the pictures I have seen...On this carrier it is mounted on the inside of the rear of the hull on the drivers side. This appears to be the original position. Has any one seen this before? Would this be a specific application or just a field mod.

On the outside center of the rear of the hull is a mark of where a very small bin(?) was once attached. It appears to be the size of a bin I have seen mounted on top of the large bin when that is mounted on the outside.

2) On the front of the hull, on the front of the hull, in front of the gunner are 2 vertical weld marks (12-18") as if a fitting had been cut off. If this was original what would they have been for? If not original should I grind them down.

Thanks, Ralph

Seems to me that one of those knobs sold for over $150 a year or two ago.
The interior positioning of the large locker is correct. The carrier was originally designed for a crew of 3. The entire left side was nothing but stowage....kitted out you could not fit one person in there. It was common to place the large box onto the front of the exterior of the hull, so that more people or kit could be carried on the interior.

The little box on top of the battery box (exterior rear center) was to house a Bren magazine loading tool. The inside of the little box was lined with rubber so as not to damage the loading tool. Expect to pay around $300 for that tool if you can find one.

There was nothing in front of the gunner that I can think of. How about posting some photos of your carrier....sounds like you found a fairly complete one if you have things like the locker. Some guys go years without finding an item like that.

alleramilitaria · #11 13-04-08, 05:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Volkert

I thought parts for my 74 roadrunner were pricey. There is a stick shift knob for a carrier on ebay that is at $70 now. Are they really that rare? Or are people getting carried away?

simple answer, some people are on crack.

was near north bay 2 yrs ago and rescued 2 carriers.
both now in texas

rob love · #12 13-04-08, 05:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by alleramilitaria

was near north bay 2 yrs ago and rescued 2 carriers.
both now in texas

When removing Cdn items accross the border, likely never to return, the term is poached, not rescued.

alleramilitaria · #13 13-04-08, 07:43

hey, no one up there wanted them, or the other 5 i rescued from up there.

and we never say anything about all the WWII jeeps you guys keep poaching from us

Ralph Volkert · #14 14-04-08, 13:10

Here are some pics of my carrier.

Ralph Volkert · #15 14-04-08, 14:21

here are some more pics

I just realised there was a battery tray still there and the oil breather was still there in the cargo bin.

rob love · #16 14-04-08, 14:29

Ralph:
Upon re-reading your earlier posts and looking at the pictures, I see I have given you some incorrect information.
The ;arge box you were asking about is the auxilery battery box where the batteries for the wireless set were kept. It should be mounted on the center rear exterior of the carrier.

The small box I was talking about mounts on top of this box. So I am not sure what box on the rear you are talking about, unless it is the bracket that holds the jack handle in place.

Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you.

Ralph Volkert · #17 14-04-08, 16:07

Oh yeah it needs work! That is for certain!

I just found a complete running Ford flathead motor and 4 speed to put in it for $500. Not far from here. I found some one on line who makes reproduction motor mounts so that is a relief.

I will have to make a pair of fuel tanks though. There seems some good info on the web about that.

A gentleman in Cobalt restored a MkI not that long ago for the Bunker Military Museum (Static). So I have a reference close to hand to use as a model.

So as soon as it arrives I will get busy cleaning and sandblasting and removing crap. The engine will go in the shop on an engine stand and I will work on that on rainey days or over the winter.

ron · #18 15-04-08, 01:08

Hi Ralph,
And welcome to this forum,congatulations on your carrier find, we will watch your progress with much interest,
Regards, Ron

Ledsel · #19 15-04-08, 15:49

Isn't this the same carrier that you were looking at last fall Chris V.?

Hanno Spoelstra · #20 15-04-08, 16:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ledsel

Isn't this the same carrier that you were looking at last fall Chris V.?

That's what I thought when I saw the pics. Can't find the thread, though.

H.

Brad Mills · #21 15-04-08, 18:23

Here is the thread Hanno, its the same carrier, photos down below in thread...

http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9912

Hanno Spoelstra · #22 15-04-08, 19:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMills

Here is the thread Hanno, its the same carrier, photos down below in thread...

Thanks Brad. Tag - you're it . . . Search King!

H.

chris vickery · #23 16-04-08, 03:52

Its the same one alright!!!

Poached before I could get my hands on it...

Anyhow, good luck with her, at least saved from the scrapper.

charlie fitton · #24 16-04-08, 13:37

Quote:

I just found a complete running Ford flathead motor and 4 speed to put in it for $500. Not far from here. I found some one on line who makes reproduction motor mounts so that is a relief.

Note that there is a little difference in the tranni, and how it mounts. Drop a picture in this site and we'll know right away if it''s the right one. Likewise the front of the engine. New mounts are availa through MAC's.

Quote:

I will have to make a pair of fuel tanks though. There seems some good info on the web about that.

Don't bother 'till later - focus on the good stuff. If you put a small portable tank in the B/Box, you'll have plenty of run time untill you need more, and room for the "friends " you'll suddenly have.

Justin Pollard · #25 19-04-08, 13:37

Hello all,thats a good looking carrier you,ve got there Ralph,good luck and look forward to more pics.

Ralph Volkert · #26 21-04-08, 02:17

I have been going over the hull and cant find any numbers in any of the usual places. Some of the armour has been removed.

BUT! I found the number 801 stamped into the angle iron on the outside rear of the hull (on the gunners side.) Would anyone else have something like this and does it relate to either your S/N or Hull Number?

On the plus side I found it still has the Literature Case under the front hull in front of the gunner.

Ledsel · #27 21-04-08, 03:57

There should be two more numbers there. It should have five. That is your lower hull number. There is one more hull number right behind the gunners head on the angle iron there. That is the hull number that is on the data plate. It should be fairly close to the other maybe about 100 or so higher.

Ralph Volkert · #28 21-04-08, 15:16

What is the range for the serial, uhull, lhull numbers for carriers made in Canada. Is there a registery for UC's?

Will the casting date on the tracklinks be any indication of when this MK I carrier as made?

rob love · #29 21-04-08, 17:04

Track dates would not be a good way to get a build date as track replacement would have been likely. You should be able to get a year on most of the brackets, it will be stamped near the area of the FMoC marking.

Serial ranges for the mk1 carrier range from around serial number 1 to, I believe, around 18000, when they switched over entirely to mk2 production. Earliest carriers I have seen were 1941 production. Lowest serial number I have seen on a carrier to date was 48.

If your hull number is indeed in the 800 range, then yours would have had early features like the horn, the baffle type air cleaner, and possibly the ratchet type track adjusters. It may have also had the large brass plate on the right fender with all the serial numbers on it, although I am not sure of when the cut-off was for this. If your carrier did have this, then it would not have had the serial numbers on the front armor. Yours, unfottunately, has the typical book size cut out for the driver which gets rid of many of the numbers. As was suggested by Ledsel, check the angle iron behind the co-drivers head and you will get another serial number which, on the early carriers, should be relatively close to the other number you have already found. On earlier production, these numbers tend to be relatively close....as production went further, the numbers could be several hundred apart.

Ledsel · #30 21-04-08, 23:23

All I can tell is that your carrier is a mark I. That piece of flat iron that is laying in the battery box is the latch that holds the rear seat in the up position. So don't throw anything away that you mite think is garbage till you have finished the restoration. I just had an auction sale at this place I bought and now I have seen some military pieces that were here and I thought was junk and sold for next to nothing so watch it. Good luck, it's a fun hobby even if you aren't necessarily the military type. I did mine last year and it's in our town parade this July. It's nice to see the vets that remember them tell their stories. My interest is that we have always had a few carriers around for fun and work. So they are sort of sentimental in that respect. Mine I purchased when I was 16 from a farmer in St.Charles Ontario. (39) years ago.