Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Tony: I was giving serious consideration to sourcing metal tube radiator pipes UNTIL you mentioned the price!

Yes, you'd need to order 20 units to spread the set-up cost, that would bring the unit price down to around $30. I haven't shopped around though so there may be cheaper options.

Some time ago there was a NOS pipe on ebay, with a Buy it Now price of AUD 183 plus shipping from the US!! It kept recycling on my watched items list for about a year until I finally had to delete it!

I had a look at the Macs dress kit at a nearby hot rod shop a while back. It's designed to fit under car bonnets so the bends are close to 90 degrees, as opposed to about 45 degrees on CMP pipes. It would probably fit but it might kink the rubber section.

I'm very interested to know what pipes have been used on other CMP restos. Or does everybody just use full length rubber hose...?

[Private_collector]

Shame about the Macs ones.

I'll just bide my time and see what shows up.

I won those brake shoes on ebay too, by the way.
Sellers sound like very nice folk, and have restored a F15A of their own.

Today is the first time I was flooded OUT from home.
Major piddle down in the early afternoon lead to flash flooding, and although I left work as soon as I found out about the rising waters, we didn't get home in time and had to sit a two flooded causeways while the waters went down again. First one, then the other. Despite all the pleading and begging of emergency services, there are soooo many people who take the risk still.

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Despite all the pleading and begging of emergency services, there are soooo many people who take the risk still.

Unfortunately there is no law against stupidity

[Private_collector]

Hey Robert,

There is a law against stupidity.

It's the law of natural selection

[Ian Johns]

Here's the old girl (future project) 1943 Cab 13. The front spring bracket is different then yours. It has the extra hook on the bottom. Has anybody have any ideas why?

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Ian Johns

Here's the old girl (future project) 1943 Cab 13. The front spring bracket is different then yours. It has the extra hook on the bottom. Has anybody have any ideas why?

That is a very late production modification, I've only seen a couple like that here in Australia. I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Does yours also have a different to standard gearbox cross member? One of those I saw with that type of spring hangar also had a F15 type cross member rather than the one where the gearbox bolts into it.

[Ian Johns]

Thanks for the info. When I get home tonight I'll check and see if I have any photos. If not when the snow melts a little I'll get in and crawl under her.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Keith, I'm certain it's for winching, I distinctly recall seeing a diagram when we were kids, showing the use of scotches on a Cab 13 FAT. A chain (or cable) is attached to the scotch plate under the rear wheel and hooked onto the spring hanger, anchoring the vehicle for winching forwards. A similar arrangement was shown for winching rearwards, with the scotch plate under the front wheel, but I can't remember where the other end of the cable was hooked onto.

I always thought it was rather clever - the scotch plate has a "spade" underneath, which is forced into the ground as the vehicle is driven over it until the chain is taut.

As you say Keith it must have been a very late mod, because they're extremely rare to find. Here's one on a wrecked chassis I came across a while back.

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

That is a very late production modification, I've only seen a couple like that here in Australia. I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Does yours also have a different to standard gearbox cross member? One of those I saw with that type of spring hangar also had a F15 type cross member rather than the one where the gearbox bolts into it.

The hooks are for winching. Page 31in driver's handbook for chevrolet 1945 describes the scotching methods. My father in law said they worked well until the winching became dificult and if you didn't stop in time you snaped the U bolts on the scotched axle.