Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

The speedo in my grey CMP gathers speed data by a magnet on the tailshaft, apparently. This has proven to vary wildly, and I do not trust it. Adjustment may make it better, but I still don't trust it.

I went searching for alternatives. Non-standard alternatives. Came across this gauge supplier http://www.speedhut.com They sell a wide range of instruments, and prices not extortionary. Of interest to me, is their selection of GPS driven speedos, which do not require ANY speed calibration data and arithmetic to obtain extremely close speed tolerences. Naturally, if in an underground carpark or tunnel, your speedo goes dead until you resurface again.

The thing I found REALLY cool with this supplier, is that you can custom make instruments to your own design. I had a little play, and came up with this design with an 'aged' invasion star logo. There are sooooo many areas which can be customised, including dial colors, number font, speed marker lines, speedo needle, bezel color, etc.......
IMG_20150505_212626.jpg

[Private_collector]

Has anyone bought worm gear or sector shaft parts for the small steering box, as in the Ford 2x4 CMPs? If so, where were they bought from?

I'm not certain yet, but am giving serious thought to rebuilding the box in my grey truck. It does drive easily and safely, now that I'm accustomed to the small, but frequent, corrections with steering wheel. It would be an ideal vehicle for someone with Parkinsons disease! Or perhaps....Peter Garret!

Have been looking through the Macs Auto catalogue, and will order from them if no better option arises, but they can be sloppy with answering questions for specific dimensions. A couple of years ago, one goose there asked what vehicle I was requiring parts for, then said "sorry, we don't carry parts for your application". Naturally I enlightened him that they actually DO have many parts that suit, they just didn't know they do! I also suggested he left the final decisions to me and just concentrated on answering the technical questions which were posed.

[Tony Mathers]

Have you tried Ross Prince?

[Private_collector]

No, Tony.

This is one occasion I won't be wanting NOS.
If available new, they will probably be cheaper, if they sell a fair quantity. Assuming the parts are compatible with other Ford vehicles of the time. NOS seems to be viewed as gold, due to being 'genuine'. If I need to, I will go for that option, but the price would no doubt be much more.

I have bought NOS leather seals from a number of sources in distantmpast, and found when about to use some of them that they are all dried then cracked. When touched, bits came off.

I'll try for new, if possible.

[Keith Webb]

I bought one from Macs years ago thinking it was the right one but I was wrong. The last genuine ones I saw were at the now defunct Hughes Auto Spares around 1976. That steering box was used in CMPs up to 3-tonners and was woefully inadequate which is why it is hard to find a good one these days.
Good luck, I hope someone else comes up with a source!

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Has anyone bought worm gear or sector shaft parts for the small steering box, as in the Ford 2x4 CMPs? If so, where were they bought from?

I'm not certain yet, but am giving serious thought to rebuilding the box in my grey truck. It does drive easily and safely, now that I'm accustomed to the small, but frequent, corrections with steering wheel. It would be an ideal vehicle for someone with Parkinsons disease! Or perhaps....Peter Garret!

Have been looking through the Macs Auto catalogue, and will order from them if no better option arises, but they can be sloppy with answering questions for specific dimensions. A couple of years ago, one goose there asked what vehicle I was requiring parts for, then said "sorry, we don't carry parts for your application". Naturally I enlightened him that they actually DO have many parts that suit, they just didn't know they do! I also suggested he left the final decisions to me and just concentrated on answering the technical questions which were posed.

[T Creighton]

Have you had a look at look at
http://www.fordv8parts.com/
They may have something to suit you but be very sure of the correct prefix on the part number if you order anything.
Terry

[Bob Carriere]

I actually went to the Mac Auto counter one day and asked so see a number of parts so I could match with the CMP parts I had. They got very annoyed....first you need to know the catalogue number..... which they send out back by computer.... then a bin shows up with the parts..... the individual at the counter was very annoyed when I took one out of five item and ask to see some more parts....... the proverbial question "What year Ford are you working on??? " I even tried to show them pictures of my truck..... the only interested parties where two older gentleman buying Model T parts.

It is a shame that they do not realize that not everyone is rebuilding a Ford as per the Ford manual.

I concluded that you buy and take your chance...... we are such a small segment of their client base that they can afford to ignore us.

I have had similar experience when ordering Chev parts from other suppliers..... when asked for dimensions the response from the polite person at the other end said....." I am only filling out an order form and I do not even have access to the real parts which is in a different warehouse somewhere."

....and most local auto store when you tell them the year of the vehicle.....Oh we do not go back that far in our computer....

It is getting to the point that you need to cannibalize another vehicle for some of the parts.

Cheers

[Private_collector]

Terry, that's a great idea! I had forgotten about AJs.

Bob, you hit the nail squarely. I find businesses run by enthusiasts are far superior in customer service than those run for profit alone. Maybe they started as enthusiast run, but eventually succumb to capitalism. Right Comrades? (I can say that, now that Senator McCarthy is dead)

Very frustrating. I see why NOS becomes attractive. Pity those parts are often highly priced. Still, that's supply and demand at play. Sometimes wish I had chosen to restore Jeeps or Land Rovers, though i would imagine WW2 Jeeps parts will creap up over time too, despite remanufacture of a range of bits. All adds to the fun, or the frustration. I'm forever getting those two things mixed up. What starts as one, often ends up being the other!

I drove the grey truck into town yesterday. Went to do a couple ot things for my elderly (89yo) Mother, then went to several businesses afterwards. Was pleased how well the truck went, and am certainly accustomed to the steering, to the point it doesn't bother me now. I still keep both hands on the wheel at all times though, just in case it decided to have a little wander. Not surprising, with the standard of our roads up here. Not quite the Red Ball Highway, but not brilliant either. I'm convinced our tarmac repair crews wait for a one hundred foot stretch of pot holes to join together, before they apply a shovel full of entirely unproductive cold mixed black gravel they refer to as bitumen. As we would fully expect, it does remain in the hole for a period of not longer than 20 minutes (or one dual trailer semi, whichever comes first). Of course, by the time the material gets squished out of the shallow grave it was put in, the repair crew have moved on to the next ineffective abortion of a repair. Makes interesting driving, that's a certainty, and you're never bored driving the roads of Queensland. Very hard to be bored when you have so much to concentrate on! Unfortunately, such concentration is not conducive to scanning the fields and farms for rotting CMP carrion.

[David Dunlop]

Tony.

From your description, I am now convinced your highway crews work up in these parts in their off season. Same techniques. Same results.

David

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Sometimes wish I had chosen to restore Jeeps or Land Rovers.