Ford GP (series 1) slow build

[Mike Cecil]

My progress on the Ford GP is at a leisurely pace. A couple of views of where it is up to.

The GP hangs from the overhead crane as I had to dismantle part of the front suspension to take examples of the bush and pin to the machinist to have a few sets made for a friend in the UK, and a set of bushes for another GP restorer who lives nearby. Like me, he had purchased a set of pins & bushes from Australia, and now finds the bushes don't fit - the outer diameter is too large for the suspension hangers and the inside diameter is much too sloppy on the pins. The ones I have had made locally are a 'push fit' with a couple of thou clearance. They are nice and tight upon assembly. This time I'll have an extra pin and bush made to keep as the reference, for the next time a friend wants a set made.

I'm sure we have all been down this path: you know you purchased an item, and now it is time to install it, it cannot be found! I have a carbie air horn, which is a casting on the GP, somewhere nice and safe. Too safe, as I don't seem to be able to locate it! I'm sure it will turn up, probably after I buy another to replace it.

The lighting system worked fine when I installed it, but the light switch seems to have developed a fault so has to come out. Two steps forward, one step back!

Mike

[Peter Duggan]

Mike,

Nice looking jeep. Had to comment, I can can well relate to your comment "one step forward, one step back". It's become my personal motto.

Peter

[Mike Cecil]

The Ford GP serial 8920 reached another milestone last evening when I took it for a short drive along our nice quiet street. Krystii made a couple of videos with her i-pad, but they are way too large to post here, so you'll just have to see the stills instead.

Not a perfect job, and a long way to go yet with many small details to be attended to (fitting nomenclature plates, bleeding& adjusting brakes, tucking up and securing wiring, etc etc - you all know the drill!). The hood/bonnet & windshield/windscreen assembly are headed to Indianapolis, Indiana for some restorative work. I don't expect to see those again until next year. The canvas set is by Beachwood Canvas - Dan's team does an excellent job and worth the money. The set I have on the Willys MB (in the background) is also great - the canopy does not 'flap' at 45 mph.

The big red switch visible on the left of the engine bay is a temp battery isolating switch - always use one in a handy position during the resto, then move it to a more discreet/less accessible position upon completion.

And the carbie air horn I mentioned in the previous post .... I purchased another, still cannot find the first one!! Fits nicely on the (repro) Holley 847D carbie.

Mike

[jack neville]

What did you do with the original body Mike?

[Mike Cecil]

Jack,

The two bodies I had, plus a spare chassis and sundry other parts, went to the Netherlands.

Mike

[Mike K]

That is looking nice

Just last week, I had a lookover a GP being restored just Nth of Melbourne . The chassis nr. is the 6th one made. The tub was rebuilt by Simon A , and it looks a million dollars . Interesting , I discovered the GP that was in Melbourne in the early/mid 70's now lives up near Tumut in NSW , its had a resto of sorts .

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Mike. The hood and windscreen are not due back until May 2020, so nothing much will change visually between now and then, but I have lots of the less obvious still to do.

8506? Is that owned by JH? Do you have any images?

There are some really odd little differences between the earliest ones, and those built later, such as the route of the radiator overflow.

The first GP built is (8501) owned by a friend of mine, and another has 8546: both exhibit little differences. Mine, 8920, is well into the series 1 production of 1500, so is more 'standardised'.

Mike