Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

previous owner/s had done some bodgy work by modifying the rear 14in of each rail.............by turning them into a fully enclosed bux section for that length. The pointless mod included adding a piece of steel plate on outside of each rail, at rear. This piece of plate extends roughly 12in, and is brought to a taper towards the front of the piece. In fact the taper looks like a boats bow.

It's only a wild guess, but maybe the original F60L chassis got bent like my old one (see pics) so they chopped it off at that point and butt welded a new length of channel on, then reinforced it with plate on the inside (making it box section) and welded a "band aid" patch over the join on the outside. Then, at some later date, a subsequent owner chopped it off at the join and shortened the wheelbase.

I'm told the tapered "band aid" patch is the correct way to reinforce a join, because it distributes the stresses more evenly. The RAAF used a boat shaped band aid patch on their lengthened F60L chassis.

That's about the only explanation I can think of for there being reinforcement on both the outside and the inside.

Whatever the case, they've certainly made a lot of extra work for you!