Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

Private_collector · #1 07-07-12, 14:47

I recall someone saying he was not far from where I am.

His name is Ron Laycock, if I remember correctly.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gocatters/4445705485/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-hEyybOUsw

Private_collector · #2 08-07-12, 12:46

Still working on the chassis. Nothing worthy of photographing today. All photos shown now are old ones.

I Removed the front cross member....carefully, and made the 'new' one ready to go on.

rear chassis box 3.jpg rear chassis box 1.jpg
Then tidied one of the chassis rails at the very back , where previous owner/s had done some bodgy work by modifying the rear 14in of each rail.............by turning them into a fully enclosed bux section for that length. Couldn't tell you why. I'm absolutely stumped. Why would someone vandalise a perfectly good truck chassis by doing this to it!

It took several hours of very careful, almost surgical grinding (contradiction of terms?) to undo all that shanagans! Next weekend I buy another bunch of cutting & grinding wheels, and do the other side. Better buy a set of ear muffs too. I presently have a ringing in the ears that resembles the old ABC TV test panel. The sound that was left when they switched off transmission late at night. Ah, the good old days!
rear chassis box 2.jpg
The pointless mod included adding a piece of steel plate on outside of each rail, at rear. This piece of plate extends roughly 12in, and is brought to a taper towards the front of the piece. In fact the taper looks like a boats bow. I would understand doing this if there was some diabolical damage to the rails that needed drastic work to repair, but far from damaged, the rails are PERFECT. At least at that part anyway. There is some VERY minor repair work needed to the passenger side rail, where there is a crack on the underside, eminating from a bolt hole. This had already been 'fixed' but I will grind the weld out of the area and the engineers will fix this properly!

As a parting gesture, nearly a gallon of degreaser was sprayed on the front 3/4 of the chassis, in several applications, with a hearty water blasting between the coats. Now very little grime buildup anywhere on the chassis. The sandblaster (Shane) will be very greatful for this, as will I, because the more I get off, the better the blasting job will be.

You don't make a friend if you send something for blasting coated in excess (or any) grease, oil, rust scale or caked on and time hardened dirt. They won't put in the extra hours needed to remove this with the grit, so you will get the part back beautifully primed.........

............with the gunk still in places that were too hard to reach thoroughly.

Alternatively, you will get an immaculate part back, with a $$$ bill that would send you broke in one foul swoop!

Tony Wheeler · #3 08-07-12, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private_collector

previous owner/s had done some bodgy work by modifying the rear 14in of each rail.............by turning them into a fully enclosed bux section for that length. The pointless mod included adding a piece of steel plate on outside of each rail, at rear. This piece of plate extends roughly 12in, and is brought to a taper towards the front of the piece. In fact the taper looks like a boats bow.

It's only a wild guess, but maybe the original F60L chassis got bent like my old one (see pics) so they chopped it off at that point and butt welded a new length of channel on, then reinforced it with plate on the inside (making it box section) and welded a "band aid" patch over the join on the outside. Then, at some later date, a subsequent owner chopped it off at the join and shortened the wheelbase.

I'm told the tapered "band aid" patch is the correct way to reinforce a join, because it distributes the stresses more evenly. The RAAF used a boat shaped band aid patch on their lengthened F60L chassis.

That's about the only explanation I can think of for there being reinforcement on both the outside and the inside.

Whatever the case, they've certainly made a lot of extra work for you!

Private_collector · #4 08-07-12, 22:22

Tony,

I don't mind the extra chassis repair work. It's half done now, and will be finished next weekend, as always, weather permitting.

The patches had to come off, or I wouldn't have been able to fit the pintle system correctly. The added plates on outside of the rails would have resulted in pintle attachment brackets sitting too far apart, and I think the spring bit would have been able to slop from side to side.

The only real handicap this remedy has inflicted is the cost of the cutting & grinding discs. And even thats just a tener!

Tony Wheeler · #5 09-07-12, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Tony, I don't mind the extra chassis repair work.

Yes I'm a bit the same myself. I loathe panel repair work but I enjoy structural repair work. I'm quite looking forward to the rear chassis work on my FGT. Likewise this F15A chassis which also has some rear chassis damage.

Private_collector · #6 11-07-12, 12:06

Looks like you need a rear cross member too.

Won't you want a set of those plates you sent me, for this truck?

Tony Wheeler · #7 11-07-12, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Won't you want a set of those plates you sent me, for this truck?

The FGT chassis doesn't use those plates so if I convert this damaged F15A chassis to a FGT then I won't need any. However I'm hoping to buy this pristine F15A chassis to convert to FGT (see pic) in which case I can use the chassis plates off it to repair the damaged F15A chassis. Complicated isn't it!