Fordson wot 3 tructor

[A CORBIN]

Have just got a TRUCTOR that will need complete restoration Their does not seam much information on them .Can anybody help.? T CORBIN

[lynx42]

Thats a newy to me. Never seen anything like it or reference to it either. What's the story?
By the way welcome to MLU. What is your first name so we can talk as friends,
Regards Rick.

[Ryan]

30-cwt 4x2, Fordson WOT3. 85hp v8.
Vanderveen book has a pic of a workshop model but states the GS type was most common.
Is this what you have?
Indian army was supplied with open cab models.
Weight is 2 tons 18cwt.

[The Bedford Boys]

Full retoration?? Looks like it just needs a tart up to me!! Throw a bit of paint at it and she'll be a minter!! Look forward to seeing more if this, looks a tasty bit of kit.

[A CORBIN]

Converted from WOT 3 . Used for delivering aircraft from the docks to the nearest airfield for assembly . Also for general towing duties on RAF airfields.
(Its about 3ft shorter than a WOT 3D Fitted vacuum brakes for trailer Poss the only one left that is complete)
Will Post all serial No when resteration starts next week.
TONY CORBIN

[Anthony Main]

Nice Truck!
The Wot 3 trucktor has two gearbox's between the engine and torque tube.
ford 4 speed & a second gearbox Made by The Warford corporrtion
New york city.

[Radek]

This is first picture of the original rear ww2 lorry light for me.

Your lorry loks as in great orinal shape, nice.

[Noel Burgess]

Here's a picture of them doing their thing - well OK you can't see much of the Tructors - moving lend lease aircraft from Liverpool docks to wherever they were finally assembled.
Noel

[A CORBIN]

I have taken the back to pieces. And having some new wood sections made before assembly Started to take the cab skin off to find more wood that needs replacing T CORBIN

[A CORBIN]

Has anybody split the V8 & gear box from the low range box . Wont move on the rear gear box to cross section. Or do you disassemble the low range box first ?? T CORBIN

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by A CORBIN

Wont move on the rear gear box to cross section. Or do you disassemble the low range box first ??

Tony,

Have not seen this combination before, must be unique to the Tructor?

It looks like the forward frame cross member is bolted in? In that case you might have to remove as a complete "power pack" and then split it once the complete assembly is out of the chassis?

HTH

[A CORBIN]

Has been striped down frame sent to sand blasters . Started to clean up all other parts T CORBIN

[A CORBIN]

Going back together .Nice to work with clean parts .Hope i can remember where they all go . T CORBIN

[A CORBIN]

Up date on FORDSON TRUCTOR T CORBIN

[cliff]

very nice work. What color have you used on the chassis?

[A CORBIN]

All most finished . One of the hardest I have restored T CORBIN

[cliff]

good job mate.

[Larry Hayward]

Tony,

Did you find traces of RAF blue paint when you were restoring this vehicle? I seem to recall it was built around summer of 1941

[A CORBIN]

Yes it was painted RAF BLUE over red oxyacid .Pictured in the wings before blasting .(some more pictures} T CORBIN

[Allan L]

Well done!

[Larry Hayward]

Dear Tony,

Thanks for the photos

Have you got an idea of when in 1941 your Fordson was made? I'm interested in RAF camo and wonder if it was made after August 1941. Also seeing as you are painting it in camo colours was there evidence that it was repainted in camo in service, as I understand many delivered in RAF Blue were.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Dear Tony,

Thanks for the photos

Have you got an idea of when in 1941 your Fordson was made? I'm interested in RAF camo and wonder if it was made after August 1941. Also seeing as you are painting it in camo colours was there evidence that it was repainted in camo in service, as I understand many delivered in RAF Blue were.

As the original photo is of the same vehicle, looking closely you can see the camouflage pattern in places.

[Larry Hayward]

Richard, I assumed the camo was applied in more recent years by a previous owner, as I'm sure I saw this vehicle at Thruxton in the 1980s.

If the camo is original after the RAF Blue then I'd be interested to know from Tony what shades were used as it hard to tell from photos.

Also the build date if known.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Larry Hayward

Richard, I assumed the camo was applied in more recent years by a previous owner, as I'm sure I saw this vehicle at Thruxton in the 1980s.

Larry,
What I meant was the b&w photo of the WOT towing an aircraft through Liverpool is the very same number as Tony's, and you can make out a camo pattern on it.

[Larry Hayward]

Richard you have better eyes than me!

Obviously Tony's Fordson is not the one I photographed at Thruxton, which was pretending to be an Army vehicle. Where is it now I wonder?

[A CORBIN]

The one in yhe picture at Thruxton is mine .Can just see reg No WOT 3 .It was their in RAF BLUE late 70s . I may be wrong .But I think it came out of the ford factory mid 1941 in RAF blue . Went 5 MT LIVERPOOL & was then painter the same camerflarge as the aircraft. Then would look the same as the picture coming out of the tunnel & would been in brown/ green .That's wot I think may be wrong ???? It had lots coats of paint on it & GERMAN cross on both doors so might have been in a film at some time ? T CORBIN

[David Dunlop]

What are the odds finding a vehicle postwar and then actual pictures of it in wartime service!


David

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Dave

You asked "What are the odds finding a vehicle postwar and then actual pictures of it in wartime service?" well it does happen and when it does it is just plain dumb luck.

I found film of my HUP.

Cheers Phil

[Larry Hayward]

I might be a good subject for a separate thread, as some people think that all the WW2 vehicles still around today were the ones held in store that never saw action!

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Larry

Agree it would make an interesting separate thread.

I think that special vehicles like the WOT Tractor, stood a better chance of having seen actual service and survived the war, than a front line cargo carrier or combat vehicle. The WOT service use to move aircraft being important would likely have been better maintenance with a lower risk of damage to have survived in some cases from the early days of war through the war and into peace time use. From some of the photos that Tony Corbin share with me years ago these WOT Tractors and other tow vehicles were moving fragile aircraft through very congested areas where hitting a tunnel wall with a wing tip would caused a lot of damage. So these trucks were likely very carefully driven. The driver who hit something with a wing tip would likely find him/herself as a walking wing guide next day.

Also I sort of suspect that year of the vehicle with early war years vs those built in 1945 would see that the early years that have survived stand a better chance of having seen active military use than those rolling out of the plant in spring 1945.

Cheers Phil