Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Now back from holiday, and willing the rain to cease. Nothing useful achieved with workshop construction. Wet weather has stopped the site from being levelled. I can go get a trailer load of bits of my recent purchase of F60, but the parts will need to stay on the trailer until shed is completed. Covered with tarpaulin of course.

Our time in Hawaii was wonderful, and I didn't want to come back. Locals were so easy going and friendly. Took massive amount of raw video footage from USS Arizona memorial and USS Missouri. Both sets have now been cut into a DVD of 60min duration. I have posted a few photos below. Photo quality is average, as video camera has ability to take stills, but with reduced quality.

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The last photo shows the minute damage sustained from a Japanese kamikaze attack. The airecraft hit the side rail first and then broke up before it hit the ships deck. They left the damage unrepaired. Pilot was given military burial at sea.

[Private_collector]

Returned home with a box trailer full of Ford Blitz parts. Can't do anything with them just yet, but brought em home.

It never ceases to amaze me how ingenious/rough as guts, some people are. Eg: One of the side steps I just got has one 'made' bracket of box steel welded to the part that bolts onto the chassis. Unfortunately, as it is not the regular curve of correct part, the other (good) bracket has had a block of 2x4 added above it so they are approaching the same (incorrect) height. When I first saw that it really cracked me up! Suddenly I don't feel bad about my standards any more.

Among the bits I got today are two usable seats, but they don't have any of those little twisty 'eyelet' things that the canvas work attaches to. Can anyone enlighten me as to the correct name of these fasteners, please? I want to order them, but don't know what to ask for.

Also looking for a canvas supplier, to obtain correct thickness for seats and side curtains.

[Private_collector]

Just received two Trico wiper motors from U.K.
These are NOS, having never been opened until the seller released one from its 68 year tomb to be photographed for sale. I am reasonably sure they are suitable for Blitz. They certainly are Ford, and part number is C-01-Q-17505.

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Is anyone able to confirm these are correct type, as per original?

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Is it just me, or is there a certain kind of beauty in 1940's military packaging!



P.S: Anyone able to tell me what the correct wiper arms are, or have a photo I can see?

[Euan McDonald]

Hi Tony,
Give Ross Prince a try as I have got a couple of sets of arms from him with the nuts and blades.

[Bob Carriere]

http://www.perfectfit.com/15334/Comm...Fasteners.html

Pretty unimaginative name for a little twistie doomajig..... is this what you are looking for...... boat cover suppliers should be able to help you out...

Bob

[Private_collector]

Bought a fairly nice copy of 'Special Pattern Vehicles' for $41.00.
Late nights trolling for goodies pays off eventually.

Special Pattern Book Cover.jpg SPV page a.jpg SPV page b.jpg

Don't have one of these trucks yet, but you never know when I might be posting that I just found one and bought it.........

The new shed has arrived!
Not built mind you, but arrived. Concretor went away for 2 weeks as of last Monday. Typical. Slab won't be started until week after next...at earliest.

I did get the slab base flattened and built up ready for slab. But, and there's always a 'BUT', when the earthmoving fellow had gone I measured the size........and yep......it was the right size for shed....BUT didn't allow enough extra space around for the shed builders to put their ladders on. Last weekend was spent carting blue metal roadbase and extending size by roughly 3 feet. If you want something done properly, FORGET IT, and expect the worst. Never disappointed that way.

[Private_collector]

Finally back on track after long period of silence.

Workshop was completed weeks ago, and now stores majority of the spares on two sets of pallet racking. Bought two bays of 3m each, and this keeps everything quite neat and easy to access when needed. Now looking for another two uprights and two 3m spans, to make a work bench. Unfortunately, my source has run out, and at $150 for a complete set with 4 cross pieces it is hardly surprising!

I have been keeping busy restoring/rebuilding small items such as fuel pumps, intake manifolds, air filters ect. The long awaited arrival of rolling chassis is yet to occur. Ground too wet where it is coming from to have it towed to a location where tilt tray can load it. The ground there was quite like a peat bog last time I was there, around 3-4 weeks ago.

There have been several incidents over past 2 months that have had things come to a halt. Several bouts of ill health (with short stay in hospital once), work commitments, and a couple of trips away for sourcing parts. Also had nasty computer virus which kept me busy for aroud 2 weeks until I finally remedied the situation. As a result of that, I suspect there may have been emails sent to me around that time which I did not get. If any of you have emailed and not been responded to, PLEASE re-send!

A gentleman I met following a parts purchase on ebay some time ago, tipped me off that he was travelling to a rural town approx 90min from me, and I met him there to pick up a rear axle and two 20" wheels with old tyres. The tyres were rock hard yet crumbly on outside. When I attempted removal, these tyres just laughed at sledge hammer and crowbar. I even resorted to trying to cut a hole with an angle grinder, with result of worst rubber smell that I have experienced since Dad made two rubber 'swans' from car tyres when I was a child. Incidently, the grinder wheel wore out well before desired result, and I had to concede defeat. Took the wheels/tyres to a local truck tyre service centre. It cost me $20 each but was well worth it. They told me it took around 45min for each removal and they were the hardest removals they had EVER experienced. I don't doubt that. The bloody axle is STILL ON THE TRAILER (retrieved it 4 weeks ago++). It was loaded onto trailer by the farmers excavator....but.....I don't have an excavator to get the damn thing off. I have been taking that bloody thing with me everywhere I had to use the trailer since then. But, ha ha, I will have the last laugh. I am nearing completion of a gantry crane outside the workshop entrance. Figured the axle problem was a 'sign' of future needs for hoisting heavy stuff.

Remember the engine I once failed to get out of a cab11? Once crane is finished and proved itself, I will be going back to get it ASAP. The guy I mentioned earlier also gave me a treasure map to a farm that has a 'good' flathead v8, and he feels I may get this for a song. He had declined to take it while taking other more substantial parts. The farm is less than 1/2hr from my place, classic! Proves you just have to know which rocks to turn over, to find the gold.

Will post some workshop photos etc, this weekend.

Tony

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Took massive amount of raw video footage from USS Arizona memorial and USS Missouri.
Attachment 39109 Attachment 39110 Attachment 39111

Attachment 39112 Attachment 39113

While in Tassie in 1991? I made a drive down to Hobart to see the Missouri. It was on it's way home from the first gulf war. US sailors were see around Hobart, most of them looked about 18 years old. Not sure if that was before the terrible accident when the turret exploded.

Mike

[young man emu]

I have been doing my C15 for year now .
But its all good fun.

[Private_collector]

Mike,

That would have been the last time it was in our waters, i believe.
I used the footage I shot to make a 70 min DVD, covering Arizona memorial, Missouri and the Ford island museum of flight. Oh....nearly forgot....ARSE....GIRLS....FECK!

Bob,

I have already made decision to put two stays on the frame. Picking up the tubes this weekend, and my father in law is going to weld brackets. He doesn't know yet though! The box steel for the uprights are sleeved for added strength and are set 700mm into concrete base.

Y.M.E,

Nice truck! Everything i'm doing right now is just filling in time until I get a F60 rolling chassis back home from Brisbane. That's the one I want to start on.

[Private_collector]

Today I made the last trip to my Ford chassis, in readyness for the trip home via tilt-tray, later in the week. Former owner got it to front of his property, and the rope he had used to 'hold' rear axle on reportedly snapped in transit, so he re-roped the axle.

I'm not quite as brave ??? as he is, so I removed rope and chained all together. It only has to last one load/unload on the truck transporting it home, so I am confident it will be OK.

I'm begining to have second thoughts about using this particular chassis, due to former owners efforts in shortening the length. I'm not at all convinced that all the cross members can be reinstalled for a satisfactory appearance. Time will tell and I will take a better look once home.

I may try to find a better chassis, so if anyone knows of a suitable substitute for sale in south east QLD, let me know!

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Could you imagine a couple of bits of rope holding the rear axle in place? Neither could I. I must give credit to Matt Baker from Ipswich, QLD, who educated me on use of a "dog" for securing chains tightly in place. First truck I bought was from him & Suzann, and the day I arrived to trailer it home, he asked me if I had any 'dogs. I thought it was a bit odd that he would want to know about our chocolate Labrador! Now know better.

Truck expected to be home here by the end of the week.

P.S Anyone wanting a rather heavy boat anchor, I can provide you with a VERY rusty & buggered Ford flathead block. You'll see what I mean if you look closely at the pics with this posting :-) I appologise for image size. Not yet got hang of resizing images to upload.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Mike,

Oh....nearly forgot....ARSE....GIRLS....FECK!


.

YOU FORGOT ..DRINK DRINK DRINK

[Private_collector]

The chassis is finally in it's new home. Under cover for the first time in over 15 years. This is the day I have been waiting for 8 months to see.

I was going to use a particular tilt-tray hire company, costing me $385.00 for a journey of approx 250km. Considering I had quotes for up to $900.00, that's quite reasonable, I think. They were to do the job tomorrow, BUT another company I had enquired of phoned me this morning and said they could retrieve the truck for me today, and I gave them the go-ahead. The cost was $350.00 only. Let me tell you, it's not often that things fall into place to my financial advantage.

The money wasn't an issue, as I have enough $$$ to last the rest of my life......provided i'm dead by Monday lunchtime!

I met a very nice gentleman at Hervey Bay yesterday, who specialises in WWII vehicle parts. I wasn't expected, and just dropped in on way back from somewhere else. Despite lack of notice, he was very gracious and showed me some of his stock. My god, what an inventory he has. In one location, while looking for windscreen frames, he walked past a number of tyres standing in a row. Amongst other sizes, he had five 11.00 x 20" and they were for sale at $250.00 each. These are exactly what I need, and I have since phoned him to say I will arrive tomorrow and take all five. They are not brand new but not very far from it!

I have named the Blitz "P.O.B", which is for "Poor Old B@#$@%D".

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See anything wrong with this wheel?
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Just one example of bodging, I will need to undo.
I couldn't resist trying the wheel nuts (not split rim ones), and only two wouldn't turn with simple knock to unstick. They are holding fast, despite heating with the gas. A good lick of diesel over coming days, and further gas should do the trick. Wonder what a breaker bar is worth!

[gjamo]

Tony read this before you fire up the gas axe.
http://www.mirmgate.com/index.php?pa...&tyregateId=44
Graeme