Ford GP (series 1) slow build

[Mike Cecil]

Now prior to migrating to the USA, I disposed of all my vehicles and vehicle related 'stuff' - the Yass boys were happy recipients of a reasonable chunk of it - and I said to myself my hands-on restoration days were over, and that I'd concentrate on research and writing (which I have).

But my will power was broken yesterday when I was offered a first series Ford GP (No, I haven't left off the 'W'), reasonably complete and with some spares. It will need a ground-up restoration. Ok, Ok, I know it's not a CMP, but I couldn't resist ....oh well, now to re-equip a workshop!!

So: anyone with some info on/images of first series Ford GPs they are willing to share, please contact me by PM or post on this thread. This is a whole new vehicle to me: haven't done anymore than take a 4-wheel steer version (5th series GP?) for a quick drive, and know little about GPs otherwise. At least I already have a manual (TM10-1101) to start me off!

Mike C

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

But my will power was broken yesterday when I was offered a first series Ford GP (No, I haven't left off the 'W'), reasonably complete and with some spares. It will need a ground-up restoration. Ok, Ok, I know it's not a CMP, but I couldn't resist ....oh well, now to re-equip a workshop!!

Well done Mike,
That will keep you busy

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks, Richard.

It will be a slow process - have a couple of writing projects that have to take priority, but I'll be looking for the missing bits during that time, so a low priority is possibly a good thing.

Mike C

[lynx42]

Well done Mike, We will look forward to an ongoing thread about the restoration.

Are the 'GoJacks' yours? I find that they are almost unbeatable for shifting vehicles and other stuff (engines, diffs and gearboxes etc )around the workshop.

Regards Rick.

[Little Jo]

Hi Mike

It must be a good feeling to get back to using the hands working on a vehicle again, wow and a Jeep too. I don't see much on MLU these days on Jeep Restorations since I completed my restoration. I love the wheel Dollies I would not have been able to do my restoration due to restricted work space in my garage. I look very much forward to following your project and please lot's of photos. GO JEEP.

Cheers

Tony

[Lynn Eades]

Tony, I think that's "Go GP!"
Mike, I look forward to learning about a GP. Educate us!

[Mike Cecil]

Rick,

No, they belong to the seller: I'm yet to collect the vehicle, which is quite a drive away from here. The AWM use those, so I'm quite familiar with the concept, though I've always had enough working room not to need them - well, at least thus far. Might have to revise that once the GP arrives home.

Tony: yes, it will be good to get my hands dirty again, especially on such a rare vehicle.

Lynn: I'm doing a crash course on GPs, as they are a mystery to me at this stage! I've a lot of catching up to do, but MVPA convention is coming up in Portland in July, so I'm hoping to tap into a few of the GP 'brains' while there.

Thanks, Gents: will keep you posted.

Mike C

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Tony, I think that's "Go GP!"
Mike, I look forward to learning about a GP. Educate us!

Hi Lynn

Sorry mate I forgot myself when I got all excited, Ah hell it's still a generic Jeep to the uninitiated. Anyway Lynn how do you like Kalgoorlie, you must miss the green fields of home.

Good Luck Mike.

Cheers

Tony

[Keith Webb]

Well done Mike! I was wondering if and when you would crack!

[Lynn Eades]

It does look a bit unfinished here with no grassed road frontages, but definitely not missing the cold and rain happening at home. (we'll see how summer goes)
It is another of life's little adventures, and soon I could be too old to do it, so here we are, looking to enjoy the Australian lifestyle for a while.
Chris and I spent a few nice relaxing days, as spoilt guests of Colin and Simone, in Adelaide, before taking the train across the Nullabor. We are pleased to have done it that way, adding to our previous experiences of a month up the Gibb river road, and our 6 week trip through the Canning stock route, 3 years ago.

[Little Jo]

Hi Lynn

I always wondered what the attraction of the WA outback has, I have a younger brother who is drawn there every year and spends 4 months in the bush with his metal detector, though I suggested to him many times the only big lump he will find is the one he trips over. He is currently somewhere north of you around Leonora. The only deal I have is with him to keep me updated with his co- ordinates weekly so if I don't hear from him I know where to send the authorities to start looking. Last year he was bitten by a snake and was crook for a while. Anyway Good to hear you have been seeing a lot of our beautiful outback I know it gets into your blood.

Cheers

Tony

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to Jeep world! She looks like a good project to start off with, well done!

While i dont want to draw you away from MLU, might i suggest you spend some time checking out www.g503.com/forums, in particular the BRC MA GP prototypes forum- http://g503.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=9.

While parts are hard to find, there are a few guys reproducing parts as well as what i pick up from speaking to guys, a few sources of NOS parts floating around- there are some similarities with pre and war time cars/trucks, but not many (mostly mechanical).

They should be a great source of info on g503.com as well as the guys here on MLU.

Cheers,
Ian.

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks, Ian,

I'm onto it.....

Best regards

Mike C

[ozm29c]

Hi Mike,
Great find. It might be worth an email to Richard Sanders in the near future as he was doing some nice repo parts for the GP. I am not sure what he has left in stock though;
http://www.richardmilitaryparts.com.au/FGP.html
Cheers
John W.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Mike - an image of the above would be nice.

Bob

[Mike Cecil]

Look at the start of the thread, Bob: there is an image of the GP there.

Mike C

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Mike - you did not read my post properly. I would like to see an image of the instruments.

Bob

[Mike Cecil]

Oh NOW I see what you are after. Duh.....

A restored dash comes with it. I have no image of the 'above' at this time. So, to use your phrase, 'watch this space'.....

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Reached a milestone this morning: top-coated the bare chassis in olive drab (early WW2 version, from Rapco).

The dis-assembly process has taken quite a while, as the chassis needed sundry chunks of steel removed that had been welded on over the years, including an incredibly heavy duty tow bar welded the full width of the rear cross member. The front dumb-irons also needed replacing, and then the suspension hangers, bumper gussets and front bumper riveted to the new chassis ends. Also been gathering many parts, and refurbishing parts removed during the dis-assembly, so now I'm in a good position to make some progress with the re-assembly.

Once the chassis is returned to the workshop tomorrow morning, it will be time to start bolting bits back on.

Mike

[Dale Jordan]

Hi Mike . Nice to see an update on your GP . We all will look forward to next up date . Tell us about your paint is it stain or flat is it and enamel etc ? also what colour primer are you using I think some of the early builds used black . Dale

[lynx42]

Well Mike, that is a good start. Keep us in the know with the rest of the assembly.

Regards Rick.

[Mike K]

I believe the diffs are off set the opposite way around to the standard Jeep

Tractor engine ?

There was a GP up at Yea in Victoria, in the early 1970's . A few of the Jeep VMVC guys went to look at it, nobody wanted it as it looked "different "

The GP's here in Aust. now , are nearly all recent imports .

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks, Gents. Yes, Mike: I remember the stories about the 'odd' jeep - if only we could go back in time! The engine is a 9N tractor engine, a per-war tractor engine, but modified slightly for the GP, and the diffs and T/case are offset to the opposite side to a GPW and MB.

I have record of only one GP being imported to Australia, by direct purchase in late 1941. As you said, the ones there now are mostly recent imports.

It is quite a challenge, and I suppose that's what was part of the attraction when it was offered to me (I purchased it from Edmonton, Canada). I did a GPW many years ago, and now you can almost build one from repro parts there is so much on the market, so a GPW is mostly a matter of $$$ and time. The GP, however, is a whole new ball game: the standard Ford parts are reasonably easy to acquire - the dash assembly is standard commercial, for example, as are engine mounts. But the parts peculiar to GP are really difficult, and comparatively expensive when (if?) you do find them. The situation is improving, however, as a guy in the UK is producing some really nice quality stuff for GP, GPW/MB and GPA: I met up with him at the convention in Topeka a few weeks ago.

Paint: I've used Rustoleum red oxide enamel as the primer, and Rapco industrial enamel as the top-coat. I chose the Rapco early war Olive Drab 'semi-flat' because it is readily available and instantly 'repeatable' if in need of a touch-up or partial repaint. The colour is a shade lighter than the original GP's supposedly came from the Ford factory, according to the GP Oracles (mine is chassis 8920 - March 1941) but after some use, who could tell the difference anyway?

More later.....

Mike

[Mike K]

I think there were or are GP repro parts being made here , in South Aust. ? The guy concerned runs a family owned engineering business . I think I've seen a few of his posts on the G503 forum .

There is also the guy from Albury , seen at Corowa with his very nice almost mint GP .

And, a certain VMVC member has been playing with GP's , don't know what became of the GP's he had , he may have sold them on as I recall seeing one for sale . I did see the axle assemblies from one of these GP's being rebuilt at one time, at Upper Beac. Mike

[Mike Cecil]

The chassis is now back in the workshop, and the first part assembled to it was the suspension pin bushes. The originals were a typical Ford steel-rubber-central pin arrangement, which don't survive well. So I purchased a set of MD-Nylon bushes and steel pins from Australia, which were supposed to fit the GP. How wrong I was! They turned out to be about 1/6 inch oversize in the OD and the pins were far too sloppy in the ID, so I had a new set made to far tighter tolerance, as well as an 'installing button' tool.

The image shows the gear puller - turned bush-pusher inserting the first bush into the suspension hanger. Sitting on the chassis is, left to right, an MD-Nylon bush, another 'button tool' and the suspension pin. They are a force-fit and slide smoothly into place using the gear puller.

These should last a long time.

Progress, already slow, will be even slower over the next few months as we add a 14 x 32 foot area, 11 foot ceiling heated workshop to the back of the garage, with a 12 foot wide x 9 foot high entryway from the current 3-car heated garage. Should be able to pick up the pace next winter.

Mike

[lynx42]

Are you putting in a hoist, Mike? It was by far the best investment I ever made. Mine is an American built Bend Pak 5.5 tons (non of that metric tonnes stuff), 4 poster with a 2 ton movable scissor lift to get to the front and rear axles, brakes, etc. I can lift the White Scout Car easily.

A two poster is no good for my gear but might be for your GP.

How often do we get the wrong parts sent because the description is incorrect.

In Melbourne now for tomorrows op.

Regards Rick.

[Mike Cecil]

Hope the op went well, Rick.

Some small progress today with what my wife is calling the 'mail order jeep' , as so many parts seem to arrive by mail or UPS! The complete wiring harness manufactured by Vintage Wiring of Maine arrived via the UPS man about an hour ago. Looks good. Comes 'bagged and tagged' so should be a straight-forward installation job as each item is required during the build. Nice job, thanks Mike @ VWM!

Also did some bolting on - the rear bumperettes and the transmission guard support cross member - and 'nut & bolt recovery' ready for future use, while the spring leaves are away being sandblasted. Also some prep work in the yard for the the new workshop build.

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

So long ago since I posted on this topic, I can't easily find the thread. Not to worry!

Lots done since the last post: a new workshop added to the rear of the existing garage, fitted out and now functional. The GP work has included refitting the springs, bushes and pins; rebuilding and installing both diffs; installing new brakes; rebuilding and installing the steering box; stripping the engine; lots of parts preparation (caustic bath followed by sand blast, prime and paint), and so on.

I decided to dispose of the two bodies and spare chassis - they are now on their way to the Netherlands - and get a repro body from the UK. That arrives in September. The front fenders/mudguards are presently being restored along with the grill, in Indiana.

Drums arrived back yesterday from being turned, and the park brake band has been relined. Now have to blast, prime, paint, and install new cones to complete the two axle assemblies. Wheels have been sand blasted, primed, painted and have the tyres mounted, so ready to install onto the axles.

Enjoying the process immensely - isn't that why we do all this 'stuff'??

First image is of the chassis in March during the install of the suspension; Image 2 is the front axle in early June with the brakes being installed; 3rd is the rear at the same time; 4th is the engine during strip-down, and the last is the clutch arm mount showing the original paint on the underside - nice to see some original paint and a crisp 'GP' number occassionaly.

Mike

[Lionelgee]

G'day Mike,

What was lost has now been found!

Try this ... Accessed 23rd of June 2016 The first thread started in 2013 http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...801#post180801

There is a second thread http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...662#post211662

Maybe a very kind moderator could link it all back together?

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Mike K]

Are you sourcing engine parts from Ford 9N ? tractor people. Is the engine much different to the tractor engine ? I guess you are a regular watcher of the G503 GP club .