Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

What color do I paint the ends of these wheel bolts? Are they red like the nuts, or green

Erm, Tony, I really think you are doing a great job, but maybe you are taking it a little over the top? This is a military truck, which was assembled from parts, sometimes in various colours (green, sand, brown), and then spray painted a uniform shade at end of the line. Painting red wheel nuts or applying camouflage colours was done with spray guns or brushes by the military users with available paints. They were not too concerned about scratches on wheel nuts, or any other parts for that matter.

Keep up the good work, but don't overdo it. My €0,02 worth anyway.

Regards,
Hanno

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Erm, Tony, I really think you are doing a great job, but maybe you are taking it a little over the top? This is a military truck, which was assembled from parts, sometimes in various colours (green, sand, brown), and then spray painted a uniform shade at end of the line. Painting red wheel nuts or applying camouflage colours was done with spray guns or brushes by the military users with available paints. They were not too concerned about scratches on wheel nuts, or any other parts for that matter.

Keep up the good work, but don't overdo it. My €0,02 worth anyway.

Regards,
Hanno

Hanno,

Now, Now. Plenty of time for scratches later. When my enthusiasm wanes. As my dear old Dad used to say, Perfection will be adequate. I'm not quite that bad though. Still, you should see my chook house
P8090047.jpg

P.S: All jokes aside, by the time I finish this truck, these bits now will be well worn. Trust me.

[Andy Cusworth]

Hey tony,

seats look good, maybe wrinkles will go with wear as the material gives.

Regarding colouring your nuts I'd say the thread head is green so that if a nut was not put on you notice instantly the absence of red prior to inflating tyre or if you lost one of that makes sense ?

Thats a posh Chook House .... i bet you have the manual for it too

[Keith Webb]

Hi Tony

If you keep searching you may be able to find a pair of original seat cushions to repair and use. They are sprung and until you try them you don't realise what an integral part of the truck's suspension they form.

Here's a pic of a very good original so you can see how thick it is. They are also reversible which is why they have two sets of tags.



You can see the difference:

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Now, Now. Plenty of time for scratches later. When my enthusiasm wanes. As my dear old Dad used to say, Perfection will be adequate. I'm not quite that bad though. Still, you should see my chook house

Tony,

Perfection is great, but when you come to a point where perfection is not defined one should make choices. Anyway, I will anser your question: the ends of the wheel studs most likely were red, as the nuts were painted red by the military using a brush.

Unless one of your ancestors was a soldier and a perfectionist like you. He would have removed the wheel nuts and spaypainted them red, thus leaving the wheel studs green - that is, if they had any paint on them to begin with. . . .

Keep up the good work!

Hanno

[Andy Cusworth]

hope this does'nt drive you Nuts Tony

Hanno, I know what you are saying and likewise any vehicles coming out of the British Army used to have up to 15 layers of paint literally slapped on as they deployed to different theatres or for squaddies on jankers but Tony is an ex painter and with high professional standards it would be hard to let those high standards go ... I however have no such qualms about low standards and will upset the rivet counters being at the other end of the scale... only joking !

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Tony,

Perfection is great, but when you come to a point where perfection is not defined one should make choices. Anyway, I will anser your question: the ends of the wheel studs most likely were red, as the nuts were painted red by the military using a brush.

Unless one of your ancestors was a soldier and was a perfectionist like you. He would have removed the wheel nuts and spaypainted them red, thus leaving the wheel studs green - that is, if they had any paint on them to begin with. . . .

Keep up the good work!

Hanno

Cheers for the info. Red they will be!

Funny you should jest about soldier ancestors, because my Father was WW2 veteran, and was trained as driver / mechanic on Blitz's! I'm no perfectionist, not by long way, but Dad really was. I know he thought very fondly of both the Ford & Chevrolet CMPs. If his stories were an indication, I do believe he fancied the Chevs over Fords. I'm not sure how he tolerated the jungle mud on his trucks without going insane! When Dad left the army in 1946 he started a new career as a builder. THAT'S where his perfectionism really paid off. Any close look at my restoration work will show nothing is perfect, some things nowhere near it!. With these trucks I am working on the premice that everything deteriorates the moment you finish working on it, so I try to start high. I do appreciate your comments and input.

Terry, I do believe you are right! I'll order a few bits in coming couple of weeks anyway. Might as well stick these onto that list. In meantime will keep my eyes open for nearer source. There was a swap meet at Gympie last weekend & I had asked 2 suppliers but didn't have a sample with me for them to look at. May photograph & email to them just out of curiosity.

Keith, Those seat bases look nice & chunky. I have only seen the spring frames without the padding or covering. I have plans for manufacturing some seat pads & canvas one day, but thats a while off yet. I will need to learn upholstery before I attempt that. The two sets of tabs was a great idea, but i'm don't know why they didn't just attach one set half way up the side. Then they would still be reversable but use less material. That secone pair of tabs just hanging out there would annoy me.

P.S: Keith, i'm still needing a set of F60 data tags. General hint!!

Andy, You cheeky bugger! No manual for chook house. That one came from inside my head. Your logic about the nuts makes sense too, but i'm lazy & am gonna make a hex shaped template to fit over the nut and spray the whole thing red.


There probably won't be any progress this weekend. With the recent rain & temperatures going up, it's mowing time.............yayyyyyy! Bloody grass, taking my truck time away from me.

[Andy Cusworth]

I still prefer green centres

The dip stuff for tool handles is also marketed as a do it yourself wiring connections sealer and is stocked at i think BCF and Supercheap, it comes with a small brush attached to the lid and i think its about 20 bucks.

Look on the bright side, once the truck is done you can attach a gang mover to the back and impress the neighbours with your giant green mower !

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Andy Cusworth

I still prefer green centres

The dip stuff for tool handles is also marketed as a do it yourself wiring connections sealer and is stocked at i think BCF and Supercheap, it comes with a small brush attached to the lid and i think its about 20 bucks.

Look on the bright side, once the truck is done you can attach a gang mover to the back and impress the neighbours with your giant green mover !

Andy, whats a gang mover??

I will look for the tool handle stuff tomorrow afternoon. Also going to truck tyre place to order some new tubes & wheel liners.

[Andy Cusworth]

3 or 5 gang mowers used for cutting grass, were popular for towing behind Grey Fergies etc.. A lot of cricket grounds and councils still use them in England.