How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[David Dunlop]

Do you have any reference photos of the installed ready rack door you can post, Darryl?

That and some photos of your actual door set up might help us visualize what you are dealing with a bit better.

Also wondering how much gap is actually behind the ready rack for the shell heads to clear the sponson wall?

David

[Big D]

Hi David

Thanks for the reply.

There is plenty of room for the shell heads when they are fitted into the ready rack. The rack seems to 'sit' in place just fine, but I figured it must be secured using this front mounts somehow.

I've attached a couple of pictures of other setups. You can see that the rotating door latch locks under the front lip of the radio tray. With my setup, if I fit the radio tray on the mounting tabs with the existing mounting holes lined up, there is about a 40mm gap between the front lip of the shelf and the top of the ready rack. There is a smaller gap at the rear.

If I pull the shelf forward so that it sits above the ready rack in a position so that the door can latch to the front lip, the gap at the rear is about 60mm. I would have thought that is quite wide, but then I don't really know. Looking at these other photos, they seem to have similar gaps.

What do you think?

[David Dunlop]

Darryl.

There seems to be two versions of the tray here that are factory stamped and possibly one repro. One factory version has the two short cross channels stamped completely through the two longitudinal ones. On your version, the two short channels terminate at the rear longitudinal channel.

If we ignore the possible (completely flat) repro for the moment, the remaining two, including yours, have a few common features.

The forward edge lip is continuous and un-notched.
They both have to align at the front of the ready rack for the ready rack door to work.
When in that forward position, there is a large gap at the rear sponson wall.
The hole patterns and photo indicate that whatever radio mount is installed, it is done so at the rear portion of the tray, not the forward portion.

This would suggest the gap at the rear of the tray is there for some reason, related to either the ammo storage or the radio set. It is likely a valid 'feature'.

The rearward mounting of the radio would provide some form of limited workspace for the radio operator and perhaps help prevent radio cabling from snagging in the ready rack door. It would also help prevent the radio from getting bumped and the dials being knocked off frequency.

Just a late thought. Maybe the gap at the rear has something to do with where and how some of the radio cables were routed?

David

[Big D]

Hi David

Good spotting. I didn't immediately pick up the fact that my shelf and the other stamped shelf were slightly different. I agree that the last photo shows what is probably a repro shelf.

I've attached a few pictures of my shelf when I first got it. It still had the FT237 radio tray attached and shows that spacing at the front.

You make a good point about the cabling at the rear. That could well be a pointer. I guess I could fit the radio tray again and set the shelf up in the very forward position again over the ready rack and see how it looked.

[David Dunlop]

Darryl.

Check your last photo of the bottom view of the radio mount. Notice how the rear most channel of the mount overhangs the rear gap in the sponson?

On the upper side view, there are what seem to be two quick connect electrical plugs, each with a set of guide pins, on that channel for a couple of pieces of radio gear.

On the underside, is here anything suggesting where the power feed cable for those two connection plugs would run. Maybe a big fat power cable drops out of that channel and uses some of that gap to head off either left or right to meet up with some batteries.

David

[Big D]

Hi David,

Yes, I think the overhang of the FT237 over the back of the radio shelf would account for the gap of 30mm or so with the shelf in the normal position, as I have it sitting in my photos. I think I now need to fit the FT237 and put the radio shelf back in, but bring it right to the front of the sponson so that the door can latch onto it. Then I can check the gap at the back in when it is in that position.

There is no guarantee I will have an FT237 on that particular shelf. My intention was to put the FT237 and the radio set up on the other side. The M8's often had two radios so dependent on how it looks with the FT237 in the same side as the ready rack, I might look to get a second FT237 and radio set up and set that lot up over the ready rack.

Out of curiousity, I've asked a couple of contacts who have M8's about their shelf and the gap at the back and I will see what they come back with as well.

Thanks for your assistance. It helps to have someone else to discuss the problem with and bounce a few ideas around!

[Big D]

Hi all,

More on what I’ve done on the M8 over the last few days.

I’ve done some more work on the sponson shelf and the 37mm ready rack. I’ll post pictures of these once I’m done. I’ve also modified the engine mounts but will leave finalising them until I’m in a position to put the engine block in and make sure everything lines up.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m working on getting the engine cover mounting plate fabricated. Does anyone have a picture of the underside of this? I can see there are folded sections on each side on the underside which form part of the mounting for it. I figure the folded pieces are just 90 degree pieces stitch welded to the edge of the engine cover hinge mounting plate, much the same as the fuel tank cover setup (as shown in the photo) I’d like to confirm this if I can though with a photograph of the underside of this.

I’ve drawn up a rough sketch based on what dimensions I’ve worked out so far.

The engine covers are one of my next jobs while I am sorting out the engine cover mounting plate. These both have some bullet damage. I may just clean the holes up a little and leave them as is. I will need to get some new hinges rolled up for one cover, and the other piece of the hinges for the mounting plate. What do the locking tabs on the locking arms look like? Does anyone have a photo of this please?

I have acquired the other front shock absorber mount (thanks Willy). I’ve also got a repro jerry can holder for the driver’s seat (thanks Sylvain) which I am putting together.

The fuel tank supports are straightened and ready to fit. The throttle slave cylinder has been refurbished and is ready to paint. I sourced what I think is a French made Dodge WC brake master cylinder which will become the clutch master cylinder. I’ve had a stainless steel sleeve put into this as well and that is also ready to paint.