Ford GP (series 1) slow build

[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

[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 .

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Lionel .... it has been a long time since I first got the vehicle, hasn't it? Still, making progress at a pace I enjoy, so no problem.

Mike, yes, the GP has what is in effect a 9N tractor engine but with some important differences. The 9N is a sleeved engine, whereas the GP is not. But the bore is 3-1/16 which you'll remember is the same as the 85bhp V8 sidevalve, so 9T pistons and rings, available up to 60thou o/s, fit nicely. The block is capable of being bored out to 60 thou o/s, and those 4 ring pistons and ring sets are available. When I pulled the engine down, that's what I found: 9T, 4 ring pistons had been fitted (and I have been recently told, were listed as a change to the GP parts list in 1943, via a respondent on the G503 forum). Other than that, main & big ends, cam shaft bearings, valves, gaskets etc are all 9N and readily available. It has those horrible Ford split valve guides and little horse-shoe keepers, and was originally equipped with non-adjustable tappets, but adjustable tappets are available.

The peripherals are also different: the tractor engine has a front mounted distributor/coil combination with no vacuum advance, whereas the GP has a right angle drive and conventional distributor (the coil is mounted on the firewall). The exhaust/inlet manifold is a downdraught, whereas the tractor is updraught, and the carbie is a Holley. So like the GP in general, some parts are easy to get, and some parts are very difficult and others are outrageously expensive: an original Holley carbie has sold for over $8,000 US!!

Mike

[Mike K]

So you will be looking for eight Johnson adjustable valve lifters ?

So a tractor engine block will not change over... annoying for GP restorers !

[Mike Cecil]

I think the block will change over, but it will be sleeved and won't have that magic 'GP' cast into the block.

It's the peripherals that make the difference: you can't just take a 9N from a tractor, you have to transfer all the peripherals to make it into a GP engine.

The valve guides are available as part of an overhaul kit from David Tractor at a pretty reasonable price: http://store.ford8n.net/product.php?xProd=6315

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by 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?

Lionel.

Done!

Hanno

[Mike Cecil]

Resulted in this 1944 MB joining the GP in the garage/workshop. Starts, runs, drives, stops, so will do 'as is' for now.

2,000 miles in 32 hours driving time over 4 days: rain, rain and even some snow for most of the way.

Mike

[Mike K]

The paint on the GP chassis . Can you tell us its origin ? Looks to be a matt finish . Enamel ?

is it the Gillespie stuff ? Have you painted the body with the same paint ?

[Mike Cecil]

The undercoat was Rustoleum for rusty metal. Despite being sandblasted, there is always a delay in getting the undercoat on and oxidation starts, hence the choice of the 'for rusty metal' finish. It is a very durable coating.

The top coat is the early war US green from RAPCO, who I believe source their paint from Gillespie. Comes in either 1 gallon cans or very handy spray cans for doing smaller parts. The finish is more like a satin than a true matt finish, which makes maintenance that much easier.

The white and gold used for the instrument panel were also Rustoleum, and the red was a modeler's enamel paint by Testors.

All are enamel coatings.

Mike