T-16 S/N 5399 T.D. 97377 Restoration

[horsa]

Never could source any original bomb carriers for the 4.2" rounds so ended up fabricating my own. The T-16s that were used in the mortar platoons could have 48 bombs in bins over the tracks but the variations I'm building will only have them over one track behind the gunner. Have a single 2" and 4.2" round laid out for size reference.



Shot shows the bomb bins with twelve carriers installed (24 rounds) while doing the test fitting. Still need to build the divider panel from the engine compartment at the rear which allows for carriage of twelve PIAT rounds in four smaller carriers.



This picture shows the angle iron rail that was used in place of the side skirts. Allowed easy access to the tracks without having to be removed and provided a continuous place to stand so bombs could be quickly and easily loaded and unloaded.



And this last shot shows the bins from the rear along with the wood trim along the edge of the armor which is finally installed.

[carrierbarry]

Hi David
Your T16 looks fantastic well done.

I have a question about the sender units in the fuel tanks.
I have the same looking sender units on my fuel tanks but there are two wires coming off.
One to the center the same as in the picture and a second one attached to the 6 outer attaching screws.
I don't understand why two wires?
Are your sender units new?
If so, where or what are they off.

Regards

Barry

[horsa]

Hey Barry,

I have NOS fuel tank senders in my reproduction tanks. Rod Shaver has them available for sale for the T-16 but I don't know for sure if they would work accurately in other universal carriers due to fuel tank size differences and the T-16 being a 12-volt system.

The second wire on your sender is probably a dedicated ground. The screws used to connect the sender to the tank normally do the job but corrosion, paint or loose connections can mess with the ground and cause the gauge to read off or not work at all. I know people with jeeps often solder a second wire onto the sender to guarentee a good ground.

[RichardT10829]

David, you are a testiment to any restoration, surely this vehicle is worthy of a magazine feature ! i cant get over how perfect it is ! when mine finally arrives i only hope she turns out a fraction as good as your T16 the attention to every detail and clearly you are a perfectionist, if there was a concours class for MV's i reckon this one would set the bench mark

i love reading this thead

well done matey you truelly are an inspiration to us all !


Richie

[horsa]

Appreciate the compliments Richard but the restoration is far from perfect. The hull had a lot of pitting which is still present and will remain so. It was a less than ideal specimen to start with for a restoration but the trade and cash price for the rusty bucket was the best I could afford on my meger budget. I'd been looking at carriers since the mid-80's and much nicer examples could have been had for less money back then but I had too many other projects and interests to branch into armor at the time.

I'm happy with the outcome so far considering what I started with. Being cheap, I don't mind putting in long hours on the project to save money. You'll soon learn all sorts of new skills once you get your hands on the carrier you recently bought in Canada. I'm now an expert at lots of things I'll likley never need to do again. Its been a good experience, one I'd highly recommend to others.

[horsa]

Got that last ammunition bin divider finished and installed into the rear gunner side of the hull. It was for twelve PIAT bombs in four carriers and the extra space was where other assorted gear like the field cooker was kept.



Wireless Number 19 Set is installed on the driver side. Still have a lot of testing to do with it but initially it seems to want to play. Power supply spins up fine and the power indicator light comes on. The light on the control box will light up if I switch it and the one up front with the driver to the "B" set so that is functioning properly. It was to alert the wireless operator that nobody was monitoring the "A" set. The control unit in the front has two dongles for the driver and gunner headsets. A third control unit is behind the gunner armour with two more dongles as there are two seats wedged in between the mortar bombs and the engine. It's one of the "Call Commander" types so they can only listen to intercom in theory or push the panic button which should create a tone in the other headsets.



And these last two shots show the armoured wing installed with temporary bolts and some of the toys in the racks. First shot you can see three mortar aiming rods stored behind the Bren. Another Bren is on the opposite outer hull wall but it isn't visible here.



Rifles, PIAT and fire extinguisher are on this side of the armoured wing. Sure would be tough getting to the extinguisher in an emergency.

[tankbarrell]

Tis a thing of beauty! Well done on a fantastic restoration.
Do you have a source for the catches on your rear bin? They are the same as used in Sherman internal stowage and I am in need of some.

Adrian