CMP Roof Hatches

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some hatch pictures courtesy of Keith Webb:

Close up of a Canadian hatch on a Ford F15A:
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Australian roof hatch as fitted to Ford cab 13 CMPs, although this double hatches next to each other was unique to the FGT No9:
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For comparison here is the Australian Chevrolet hatch as made by Holden, similar to the Canadian one but again a bit different. It has a harder rubber surround which was formed in one piece. This one is on a Wireless Signals van:
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[Mike Cecil]

The Aust Chev hatch was also only suitable for an Aust GMH Chev roof - there was a flat pressed into the roof to take the hatch, which was bolted in position.

The Cdn hatches had a curved wood filler piece between the hatch and the curved cab roof, with no pressed flat, and was the same for both Fd and Chev.

The Aust Ford hatch attached to a pressed metal coaming that was welded into the roof.

Mike

[Keith Webb]

The Australian Holden made hatch had a formed rubber seal which fitted over the roof opening, while the Australian Ford used four strips of slightly spongy rubber glued to the inside of the hatch.

[Mike Cecil]

Keith,

I've always found it interesting that the two companies achieved the same end (well, sort of!) using very different methods.

I suspect the GMH Chev seal was the more durable (just like their hatch design - as you pointed out before, the Ford hatch was prone to rusting out from the inside of the two-piece 'sandwich'.)

I also liked the Chev single-piece grab handle, rather than the Ford top-hat section fitted with two standard 'hardware' handles. In all, the Aust Chev hatch, hatch aperture and locking system seemed to be a much better design than the Aust Ford. What do you think?

Mike

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I also liked the Chev single-piece grab handle, rather than the Ford top-hat section fitted with two standard 'hardware' handles. In all, the Aust Chev hatch, hatch aperture and locking system seemed to be a much better design than the Aust Ford. What do you think?

Mike

Couldn't agree more... the Holden design is superior in almost every respect - even the less fussy catch to stop them bouncing when open, to the proper door style lock rather than a flimsy spring loaded hardware store type catch on the Ford.
The GM-H hatch is also a simpler roof fitting compared with the Canadian type.
It's interesting the Kiwis decided to go a different way and designed a sliding hatch as can be seen in post #17 by Hanno in this thread.

[m606paz]

AEDB Volume 5 Pic
Hip Ring
Hard cover instead Canvas cover?
Prototype?

5-27dg.jpg