Ford CMP F60L restoration

[Jos Hamminga]

Hi all,

After 5 years it's time to start with the restoration of a surviving Ford F60L. Aquired in 2021 but still busy with an early Slat Grill jeep at that time, it was parked somewhere in the back of the barn.

First pics are from pickup and unloading.

Cheers,

Jos

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hello Jos,

Interesting to see one of those cabs modified for civilian use.

Are you going to restore it back to military specification or will you keep it civilian?

Good luck with the project!

[Jos Hamminga]

As clearly can be seen the Cab 13 has been heavily modified, at some point in time it was modified as a wrecker.

In the past there were some pictures from the CMP at Huisman Onstwedde on the internet but I can't find them anymore.

The V8 runs smooth and the brakes work. We've started to take the Cab off. It looks to be in reasonable state for the lower half, but as said the upper half has been modified heavily.

Additional windows in the back were added for more visibility and the windscreen which originally leans a bit forward now leans backwards instead. The doors are not even close to original. Heavily modified with wooden inserts :-).

The frame has some reinforcement steel added to withstand the force of the hoist.

The instrument cluster is certainly not original to the vehicle I believe. Can't find a serial number right now but it is titled as a 1944. Any thoughts on where to find a serial number? I would like to know if I can reuse the currently installed instrument cluster or need the later one (as of 1944 I believe) with the separate round instruments.

Will add more pics soon.

Cheers,

Jos

[Jos Hamminga]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Jos,

Interesting to see one of those cabs modified for civilian use.

Are you going to restore it back to military specification or will you keep it civilian?

Good luck with the project!

Hi Hanno,

We've planned to restore the cab back to original. So I need doors at least and a lot of sheet metal :-).

Cheers,

Jos

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jos Hamminga

In the past there were some pictures from the CMP at Huisman Onstwedde on the internet but I can't find them anymore.

Hello Jos, I can only find two references to CMPs at Huisman at Onstwedde, and only on MLU, but neither one is your truck:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...714#post226714

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...232#post286232

Will get back on your other subjects later.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jos Hamminga

We've planned to restore the cab back to original. So I need doors at least and a lot of sheet metal :-).

Hello Jos,

Have you seen this advert?

https://www.generaaltjes.nl/Adverten...ord-canada-cmp

[Jos Hamminga]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Jos,

Have you seen this advert?

https://www.generaaltjes.nl/Adverten...ord-canada-cmp

Hanno,

Yes I did. About a year ago I bought another Cab 13, but I believe that is a Chevrolet Cabine. Not sure though. How do I make sure what I've got?

Cheers,

Jos

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jos Hamminga

About a year ago I bought another Cab 13, but I believe that is a Chevrolet Cabine. Not sure though. How do I make sure what I've got?

Easiest way to identify it, is to post some photos here or send them via email

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jos Hamminga

The instrument cluster is certainly not original to the vehicle I believe. Can't find a serial number right now but it is titled as a 1944. Any thoughts on where to find a serial number? I would like to know if I can reuse the currently installed instrument cluster or need the later one (as of 1944 I believe) with the separate round instruments.

Hello Jos,

From what I can see this is an F60L built in 1942-1943. From 1944 (I don't know which month) onwards, they got late features like the military gauges, lifting slings on the hubs and "FORD" and later "FORD CANADA" pressings under the headlights. These features are all missing on your truck.

The chassis serial number was only stamped on the data plate at the factory, but when registered for road use in the Netherlands, it should have the number (VIN) stamped on one of the chassis rails. Have you checked somewhere near the left front spring hangers, for example?

[Jos Hamminga]

Before I'm starting to collect missing parts and restore existing parts 'as is', I'd like to know more about the identity of the vehicle.

It was titled back in the 50's in The Netherlands, but I doubt it is all correct. For example the Serial Number and the year it was built.

Any thoughts about this?

Thanks,

Jos

[Jos Hamminga]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Jos,

From what I can see this is an F60L built in 1942-1943. From 1944 (I don't know which month) onwards, they got late features like the military gauges, lifting slings on the hubs and "FORD" and later "FORD CANADA" pressings under the headlights. These features are all missing on your truck.

The chassis serial number was only stamped on the data plate at the factory, but when registered for road use in the Netherlands, it should have the number (VIN) stamped on one of the chassis rails. Have you checked somewhere near the left front spring hangers, for example?

Hanno,

Yes I did check the frame for a serial nr. However, according to the VIN it looks like the number from the front left Spring Hanger was taken for the serial number. At least, that is what I suppose.

Can you confirm if C010-5339 is the Part Number for the front left Spring Hanger?

The Instrument Cluster is at least partial not original. The speedometer is different from others I've seen so far. So the complete dash or parts of it could be exchanged somewhere in time?

Do you have a picture of the lifting slings on the Hubs? Can't find any on the internet, not sure what to look for.

The Engine has a number cast in it. No number found on the Bell Housing yet. This is a picture of a number I found at the backside of the engine, near the Bell Housing. G24??3 and a faint X8 on the right side I think.

What does it tell me?

Thanks,

Jos

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jos Hamminga

Yes I did check the frame for a serial nr. However, according to the VIN it looks like the number from the front left Spring Hanger was taken for the serial number. At least, that is what I suppose.

Can you confirm if C010-5339 is the Part Number for the front left Spring Hanger?

I think this an engineering drawing or casting number. I have not (yet) found a corresponding part number.

C010‑5339 could be an engineering drawing or casting number for the spring‑hanger forging, in which "C" represents Canadian design. At this moment, I cannot find a match to a Ford part number (eg. at https://www.henryspartsdepot.com), but will keep my eyes peeled.

This is a picture of a number I found at the backside of the engine, near the Bell Housing. G24??3 and a faint X8 on the right side I think.

My understanding is that all Canadian-built Ford engines in CMP trucks are prefixed with *G (where * would be 3 for 1943 model year, etc.) and suffixed with "F" (for right hand drive).

See this thread http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...607#post115607 for some examples: 3G31287F and 4G5678F

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jos Hamminga

Do you have a picture of the lifting slings on the Hubs? Can't find any on the internet, not sure what to look for.

Jos, see this thread http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...421#post283421 for photos of a 1944-1945 Ford.

The most obvious "late" features are lifting slings on the hubs, "FORD CANADA" pressing under the headlights, military round gauge dashboard.

[rob love]

In my experience a Dec-41 thru 1942 truck would have had the reflectors holes in the front bumper and starting sometime early 43 would have the script Ford on the front cowl. Very late 43 and all 44 onwards had the round gauges and the lifting sling hub caps.
While the serial number could be found under the left doorway near the spring hanger on the Cab11 and I assume the cab12, I believe it may be found on the rear right just forward of the spring mount on the cab13, but not always.
The wildcard in all of this is that over 80 years have passed. Engines, transmissions, cowls and cabs, etc have been replaced or exchanged, or even data plates have migrated over from other trucks. A rough source of dating are the back of the spring for the hitch will often have a date, and on the fords, a plate above the fan on the radiator will have a date. But again, a lot of years have passed, and those parts can be missing or exchanged.

[Jos Hamminga]

Originally Posted by rob love

In my experience a Dec-41 thru 1942 truck would have had the reflectors holes in the front bumper and starting sometime early 43 would have the script Ford on the front cowl. Very late 43 and all 44 onwards had the round gauges and the lifting sling hub caps.
While the serial number could be found under the left doorway near the spring hanger on the Cab11 and I assume the cab12, I believe it may be found on the rear right just forward of the spring mount on the cab13, but not always.
The wildcard in all of this is that over 80 years have passed. Engines, transmissions, cowls and cabs, etc have been replaced or exchanged, or even data plates have migrated over from other trucks. A rough source of dating are the back of the spring for the hitch will often have a date, and on the fords, a plate above the fan on the radiator will have a date. But again, a lot of years have passed, and those parts can be missing or exchanged.

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your input. A quick scan confirmed my front bumper has the reflector holes. The bumper looks original to the vehicle.
Had a look at the rear right to find a serial number without luck. Should it be close to the front or rear spring hanger?
Your statement about the wildcard is very true. With 80 years passed most of the vehicle has been gone through at least once.
The sad thing is all dataplates are missing, the serial on the VIN turns out to be the Part Number for the left front Spring Hanger/Bracket (Confirmed, it is C01Q-5339 as per the Parts Manual).

As disassembly continues and some sand blasting ahead we may be lucky to reveal some traces of the identity of the vehicle.

Thanks,

Jos

[Jos Hamminga]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Jos, I can only find two references to CMPs at Huisman at Onstwedde, and only on MLU, but neither one is your truck:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...714#post226714

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...232#post286232

Will get back on your other subjects later.

Hanno,

While looking at a link in one of your previous posts I stumbled over this one:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...&postcount=255

Guess what? That is my truck on the forum :-). Funny! I bought it January 2020 in Heerde. That man bought it from Huisman in Onstwedde. Shortly after I aquired the truck I paid Huisman a visit. Back than he had another Ford F60L frame including axles laying around which had suffered badly from a former life as a Wrecker. I'm curious if he still has it.

Thanks,

Jos