Spotted in Newcastle, Aust

Tony Smith · #1 19-12-06, 12:55

Dinty found this F15A in Newcastle and e-mailed me the pics to put up. It appears to be a fairly straight F15A with 20in wheels and a later camper-style body on the rear. Fraser Island is a large sand island in Queensland popular as a 4wd tourism destination. It looks like this vehicle has spent some time in the service of a tour operator on the island, which doesn't bode well for future rust issues. Dinty spotted it at the 4wd supply shop "Out of Town 4wd". If it is now owned by them, or is just dropping in on a journey down from Qld, who knows?

Tony Smith · #2 19-12-06, 13:02

Interior appears to be updated a little, with a few details like indicators and the cupholders on the engine cover! You'd slip off those Vinyl seats when you get sweaty in the Qld heat.

Keith Webb · #3 19-12-06, 20:53

Looks like quite a practical conversion.

I notice the horn button has been transferred to the dash and interestingly, it has a Canadian pattern floor which suggests it's been built from more than one truck with a Canadian F15 in there somewhere.

Ian Fawbert · #4 20-12-06, 04:57

Hi Keith, What do you mean canadian pattern floor? How would an owner of a F15 tell if they had a canadian floor or not?

Is it the check plate that denotes this? If my F15 has a diamond style plate, would that say it is an australian type, ford, floor?

Thanks,
Ian.

Keith Webb · #5 20-12-06, 05:12

If you have a look at the floor in that pic you'll notice it's different to the diamond pattern used in Aussie assembled Ford CMPs. The early Canadian cabs also had windscreens which didn't open to 90 degrees, which was an Aussie invention.

With Fords, we locally produced the floor and roof. For Chevs, Holden built the entire cab.

Dinty · #6 20-12-06, 06:40

G'day All, Thank you Tony for posting the pix. Some information re vehicle, it is now owned by Fred Black (prop out of town conversions etc) he was apparently on holidays on Frazer Island when he spotted it for sale, he bought it and now uses it to promote (I think) the OOT tag-along-tours. I did see this vehicle last Friday when in Newcastle (NSW, OZ) but I didn't go the same route out of Newcastle so no pix, but a return journey to All 4 x 4 Kotara with camera at the ready, and I asked permission to look/photograph it before I went near it.
It still has the flathead motor, with the crab type dizzie it the front, I didn't hear it running but I have no doubt that it goes and probably goes well. I thought it had incorrect wheels/tyres combo, and yes as Tony has already mentioned it would be a very easy job to restore it to it's original configuration.
The wiring up under the dash was a nightmare all the wires were white in colour and just numbered, I always imagined that a CMP's wiring loom would be a very simple affair, anyway it was still good to see a reasonble example on display and just to add it was drawing people in just like me to stop and look at it anyway cheers and all the best for the coming festive season Dennis

PS You never know it might venture Sth to Corowa as a few Mil/veh enthusiasts live in this area

Ian Fawbert · #7 21-12-06, 07:58

Thanks for that Keith! Another thing to 'lock it in Eddy' in my head!

Ian.