C8 progress in Texas

[Phil Waterman]

My Pat 12 had a mixture of pan head and hex head screws for engine compartment and sheet metal. Last time I looked for the screws large pan head slotted head I got them through Fastenal http://www.fastenal.com/web/home.ex I'll try and find the part number. Long and the short of it was bags of 100 cost what hardware store charges for 20-30.

Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Bob and Phil for the info!
Not trying to become a "bolt Nazi" on this truck,(my brother and his GPW Jeep can take that honor), just want to come close to original when choosing new fasteners.
Got the grille and guard repaired, painted and back on this weekend. The guard kept warping when tightened to the bumper, but I won in the end after several hours. Was there supposed to be wood blocks between the bumper and the inner guard brace?
Repaired the front liscense plate holder also.
It's about time to get it wired and running before I put any more stuff on.
Thanks, David

[Bob Carriere]

Hi David.....

You need some steel tube spacers on those bumper bracket bolt to keep them tight without distorting the upright. We made ours of suitable thick wall tubing cut to proper size. Original I have seen are made of rolled steel.... and typically rusted.

You are doing super job.......

I had my rolling chassis for a spin in the back field today and tried to climb a large 12 foot pile of wood chips...... at least 45 degree angle. Just using the fast idle, from a dead stop, in low gear got me to the top without even spinning..... chickened out trying to reach the flat top... and backdown..... it felt like I was going to turn over backwards....but what a rush..... next time will use a video.

Bob

[Alex van de Wetering]

Repaired the front liscense plate holder also.

So, that's what it is! My C8 has the remains of one as well and I couldn't figure out what it was.

Excellent work again David....the cab looks nice and straight.

Alex

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Hi David.....

You need some steel tube spacers on those bumper bracket bolt to keep them tight without distorting the upright. We made ours of suitable thick wall tubing cut to proper size. Original I have seen are made of rolled steel.... and typically rusted.

You are doing super job.......


Bob

To repeat Bobs works you are doing a supper job.

The bumper brush guard spacers seem to be one of those things that did not change from 11, 12, 13 Pattern. Being of the same design from my 1941 to 1945 picture below is of my HUP bumper and spacers but is the same being just lengths of pipe with and ID just large enough for the bolts and length so that they provide a solid block straight across the edges of the bumper.



Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Bob and Phil for the spacer information. I knew something wasn't right there.
Decided it was time to start on the Duple rear body. After one costly attempt at guesstimating the correct dimensions,(one partially built rear body in the scrap bin), Mike Kelly kindly sent me his plans for the Morris version. Many thanks again to you, Mike!
Will still have to figure out how to form the upper sides. My sheetmetal guy says the body sides must have been originally die-stamped, and he was unable to bend the tops. Will think of something...
Anyone have suggestions on how I can replicate rivets? There are many rivets used on this body, and both sides of them will show.
Thanks, David

[Bob Carriere]

Hi David

I never had the opportunity to examine closely a cargo box like yours....but I can tell you that the 2B1 box is simply flat stock bent in a pan/box brake. Everything is either 45 or 90 degree bends...... except the head board of the cargo box and the tail gate..... noting is any wider than 40 inches.... all the bits and pieces where the welded or bolted (depending on the model) to create a final assembly.

During the war period a number of small local/back yard shops were making subassemblies by the barrell full....(referred to by economist as cottage industry)... they would receive the raw material... which they would bend, fold, drill and partly assembled as sub components.

Even uniforms were created in subassemblies..... my grandmother would do pockets for pants or coats in OD cotton.... but her specialty was sowing braids..... she would get rolls of braids used by Lance corporal, corporal and sergeant.... she would cut them to size and sow them on a wollen felt backing..... by the thousand using an old home threadle type Singer machine.
For years into the fifties all our wool blankets were hemmed in Corporal stripes either Green or airforce blue....

Back to your box...... try making a mock up using light cardboard..... figure out where and how the bends have to be done..... a certain sequence is required to be able to reach into tight bends.....

I intend to repro my rusted 2B1....plans are to precut everything with the plasma cutter and have a local fabricator do the bends as the sheet metal is 12 gauge and 14 gauge...... then we will adjust with grinders and weld....

Rivets are rivets and maybe hard to duplicate with out actually riviting if both sides are visible..... but you could use aluminium and air powered hammers...make sure your friends are heavy enough to hold the bucking bar...

Bob

[David DeWeese]

Hi Bob,
The problem is in bending up the top area with the small curve, along with all the other bends, to make one complete body side. In fact, my sheetmetal guy can't make the top piece at all because of the tight roll and such small dimensions.
Maybe I need a new sheetmetal guy.... Plans courtesy of Mike Kelly.
Thanks, David