Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Terry, that's a great idea! I had forgotten about AJs.

Bob, you hit the nail squarely. I find businesses run by enthusiasts are far superior in customer service than those run for profit alone. Maybe they started as enthusiast run, but eventually succumb to capitalism. Right Comrades? (I can say that, now that Senator McCarthy is dead)

Very frustrating. I see why NOS becomes attractive. Pity those parts are often highly priced. Still, that's supply and demand at play. Sometimes wish I had chosen to restore Jeeps or Land Rovers, though i would imagine WW2 Jeeps parts will creap up over time too, despite remanufacture of a range of bits. All adds to the fun, or the frustration. I'm forever getting those two things mixed up. What starts as one, often ends up being the other!

I drove the grey truck into town yesterday. Went to do a couple ot things for my elderly (89yo) Mother, then went to several businesses afterwards. Was pleased how well the truck went, and am certainly accustomed to the steering, to the point it doesn't bother me now. I still keep both hands on the wheel at all times though, just in case it decided to have a little wander. Not surprising, with the standard of our roads up here. Not quite the Red Ball Highway, but not brilliant either. I'm convinced our tarmac repair crews wait for a one hundred foot stretch of pot holes to join together, before they apply a shovel full of entirely unproductive cold mixed black gravel they refer to as bitumen. As we would fully expect, it does remain in the hole for a period of not longer than 20 minutes (or one dual trailer semi, whichever comes first). Of course, by the time the material gets squished out of the shallow grave it was put in, the repair crew have moved on to the next ineffective abortion of a repair. Makes interesting driving, that's a certainty, and you're never bored driving the roads of Queensland. Very hard to be bored when you have so much to concentrate on! Unfortunately, such concentration is not conducive to scanning the fields and farms for rotting CMP carrion.

[David Dunlop]

Tony.

From your description, I am now convinced your highway crews work up in these parts in their off season. Same techniques. Same results.

David

[Private_collector]

Yes, David, I fear that may be the case. Always amazes me, how many men are required to hold up shovels! The one remaining fellow fills the hole.

In my view, the one and only good thing to come from hitlers Germany was the desire to build astonishing infrastructures, including their highways. Pity he then went all cocky and tried to take over the world. Shame those roads were used to drive Panzers along, on their way to the rest of Europe. I have driven (well, actually BEEN driven) on Germanys major and minor roads, and I don't think there would be much argument that they are among the very best in the world. That has never been said of roads in my part of Australia. Not by anyone of sound mind, anyway. I wish more of our roads were constructed of concrete, instead of the sun weakened bitumin/tar. In summer, the road surface can get so heated that you can actually see a sheen on the surface, which is the tar coming out to the surface, helped by weight of countless trucks & cars. Only reason we wear thongs is to avoid standing in superheated butumin. Well, that's not technically true, but you get the idea. By the way, I know some countries wear thongs on their bums. We wear em on the feet. Go figure!?!?

I have no doubt there are some very dedicated, hard working, and productive road repair crews. I think they get jobs in the southern states. I have seen their work down there, while on holidays.

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Sometimes wish I had chosen to restore Jeeps or Land Rovers.

[Private_collector]

Oh, settle down, GT. The thought passes soon enough.

[Ganmain Tony]

I thought I was going to have to defibrillate...

[Private_collector]

I'm starting to get excited! The weather is finally cooling down.
Won't be long before I can come out of my summer hibernation, and get some damn work done.
dsc_0860-resized-960.jpg dsc_0866-resized-960.jpg dsc_0867-resized-960.jpg
With all the discussion of spraypainting in recent week or so, I thought it would be a good time to finally get the fuel storage tank painted. It's not finished yet. The legs, ladder, and tank underside still need to be painted. I had a nice big Shell sign to put on, but because I had bought it many months ago, and it's been sitting in the shed, it went on all wrinkly and I took it off again. Used a much smaller one instead. Guess it doesn't look overly diminutive, but I would have preferred the big one. Lifes full of disappointments, eh.

dsc_0870-resized-960.jpg
Also repainted a Bridge Plate I bought a week ago. The original paint was in poor condition, and could not be saved. The number for this plate should arrive during the coming week. This plate is for the grey truck. It's about the only thing that will not require repainting later on. When I get the RAEME history book I have ordered, it may give me the epiphany I'm hoping for, so I can then start on a WW2 correct AEME TAC sign.

[David Dunlop]

Just a thought, Tony, but are any of the potholes out your way big enough to make it worthwhile investing in a Land Rover? I'm thinking that the smaller LR might just fit in the back of a Blitz. You come up to a big pothole, back the LR down into it, drive safely over it with the Blitz and pull the LR back out and Bob's your Uncle!

Just a thought...


David

[motto]

Don't know about QLD pot holes but on some sections of the Gunbarrel Highway the corrugations are that deep the kangaroos lay in the shade in the bottom of them.
Oops, seem to have wandered off topic again.
Speaking of parts persons that started out as enthusiasts and know their stuff, that is Ross Prince's story. Few people would know WW2 vehicle parts better than him.

David