Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Tac bracket.jpg TAC finished 1.jpg Tac finished 2.jpg
I'm sick of talking about these, so here's the photos. Whoopdy do!
Engine hatch 6.jpg
Would you have a look at the color difference between the two parts of engine cover! They are from same paint can, and painted on same day with same pot full of paint. Only difference is the variation of finish. Lower part was previously painted and only got an additional 'final' coat when painted second time (with large part). You can't actually SEE any variation with your own eyes, but the camera makes it look completely different color. Matt VS 'lustreless' finish is the culprit. With that in mind, I tried an experiment with the TAC plate bracket I made today. I used some of the 'old' paint I had from the painting of nose panel, which I had kept for brushing onto new bolts and scratches. It was getting a bit 'cheesy' but OK for this little project. Sprayed it REALLY dry on final coat, and YEP, have a look at the color when photographed. Looks nothing like that with the eye. Bloody smart arse digital cameras.

I also found that there is a slight difference between the catches of bonnet and engine cover. Engine cover has a slightly longer travel length. I found this when attempting to install the catches I thought were for bonnet, and found I had painted the wrong ones. Ran out of day for rectifying this...........and apathy took hold .

I have been offered a Sunshine Roof for virtually nothing, and would like to install this on my vehicle. The big question is..........did Ford CMPs have these originally?

P.S: The plate bracket isn't finished yet. You won't see it from in front when it's done. I just wanted to get some paint on it today.

[Euan McDonald]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

I have been offered a Sunshine Roof for virtually nothing, and would like to install this on my vehicle. The big question is..........did Ford CMPs have these originally?

Yes Ford and Holden did sunshine roofs, the difference between the two is the lashing points on a Holden one are folded sheet metal with a brass eyelet and the ford one has a heavier flat bar with formed eyelet. Pic is of a Ford type.

[Private_collector]

Euan,

Thanks for the information and the photo.

I will take a good look at the one I have my eye one, when I make the trip up to sellers / givers property. Hopefully that will be this Saturday afternoon. I do like the look of those roofs (rooves?).

An added advantage of the sunshine roof would be not having to do a major rebuild on the roof hatch. I have two that I could make one out of, I guess, but both have rested corners on hinge side. If all corners are the same, that would not be a problem.

This afternoon my Wife tells me the credit card is filling up again, so it stands to reason that my upholsterer would phone only minutes after, to tell me the canvas side curtains will be ready for me some time this week. Thats OK by me though. I really want to get em home and see how they look in place. No point in being the richest one in the cemetary!!!!!

[Private_collector]

Front air duct 1.jpg Front air duct 2.jpg Front air duct 3.jpg
I forgot to mention yesterday, that when I looked over the three radiator ducts I have, they were all less than ideal. With some reluctance, I have come to the conclusion that I will have to make one good one out of two (possibly the three).
Front air duct 4.jpg
This is the side I will be replacing. Someone has had a thorough go at repairing this once before......but failed with the welding. I used to weld like that, sometimes still do

Two of the three remaining sides are not too bad and should be repairable without too much surgery. The third side I did some panel beating on last Sunday. It should be OK with a little skim of plastic filler.

God I hate panelbeating

[Euan McDonald]

Tony,
The sunshine roof would be correct for the F15 but not a F60s. The only truck other than a swb I have seen fitted with a sunshine roof is a #6 gun tractor.

[Private_collector]

While my chassis has been shortened, it's not as short as F15, so I guess that stuffs that! Unless I find someone with a good F15 chassis. It would save me from cross member work on this one too.

I met a guy several weeks ago who said he has a rear cross member I can have but I lost his number somehow.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi

Where was your chassis shortened between the wheels or off the back end?

Cheers Phil

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

While my chassis has been shortened, it's not as short as F15, so I guess that stuffs that! Unless I find someone with a good F15 chassis. It would save me from cross member work on this one too.

Hi Tony,
I've only joined MLU recently but I've been greatly enjoying your posts, and finding much useful information in your detailed reports of this very fine resto job. Keep up the good work! I'm looking forward to many more hours of enjoyment following your progress!

I've gotten about half way through this thread so I'm not fully conversant with your plans, but one thing I've been wondering about is the chassis. To my mind the F60L chassis is not up to your standards - having been butchered pretty badly towards the rear, and missing what looks to be two crossmembers, as well as all four spring hangers. Those chains give new meaning to the term "fully floating rear axle"!

Also, in using that chassis, you'd need to choose a wheelbase, which for the sake of originality I imagine you'd want to keep standard, ie. medium or SWB. Eventually you may want to put an original body on it, which means sticking to a standard blitz wheelbase. But even then, it would always be something of a "mongrel" chassis, due to the incorrect taper at the rear.

I'm sure you've considered all this so I hope you don't feel I'm insulting your intelligence! It's just that I'm curious about the next installment in the story!

You mention finding someone with a good F15 chassis, which I agree would be ideal. However, judging by the pics in your very first post, the original F15 chassis looks pretty good to me. The rear crossmember appears to be intact (difficult to tell from the pic) with only the rear chassis rails having been docked. A new pair of ends wouldn't be too hard to fabricate, along with the missing gusset plates, as seen in the pic below. You'd probably want to reinforce the weld joint internally, so you could fit a pintle hook and tow stuff without seeing it overtake you on the highway!

One query though...I'm not that familiar with F15 chassis, but is it missing the gearbox mount crossmember? If so, perhaps the one off the F60L would fit.

I can't quite discern the front axle in the pics, which looks to be original F15, but with 6 stud hubs fitted. Very weird! Almost looks like F8, which would be extremely unlikely.

Of course, you could always get hold of an F15A chassis and go 4WD! Depends what you want to do with it I guess. I'm told the F15 is much lighter to steer, and I've certainly seen Keith throw one around corners!

As you mention, an F15 chassis would allow you to use the sunshine roof and still keep it original (as would an F15A chassis, like Euan says). Personally I'd go with the sunshine roof, I reckon they're a good Aussie feature, quite handy in hot weather I imagine. Besides, you've already Australianized the floor, so why not the roof as well!

Anyway, looking forward to the next exciting episode....

Cheers,
Tony

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Euan McDonald

Tony,
The sunshine roof would be correct for the F15 but not a F60s. The only truck other than a swb I have seen fitted with a sunshine roof is a #6 gun tractor.

And that was a prototype.

[cliff]

I have seen one Chev. Australian Pattern Ambulance with what appears to be a Sunshine roof and this photo is one which I modeled my 1/35 scale model on.