Chrysler Forward control amphibious

[Jack Innes]

Thank you Gordon, There is still much to do to the truck, tires & painting the wheels being a major item. The top needs to be painted before refitting it. I also want to try the vehicle in the water but not with the top in place. There is not an escape hatch in the present top!! I am in Southern Ontario & it does get very cold & wet here in the winter.
A video will take some outside assistance but may happen.
Jack

[Jack Innes]

Tires: It always seems to be a mystery in fitting mv tires. I have been through the M37 - CMP differences in the past but now am learning that there are similar variations in more modern tires. It seems there are 2 types of rims in use with regards to the bead area, the Industrial rims are most common but the MPT rims are around as well. I have attached pictures showing the difference. The narrower vertical bead lip is the MPT type, the wider one is the Industrial type. I may be wrong but from trying to digest many discussions on this, the MPT tire/rim assembly is designed to run at varying pressure while the Industrial setup is meant to run at a set, usually high, pressure.
The MPT tires often are odd sizes 12.5R20, 14.5R20 for example. Metric sizes are less obvious; 365/80R20 is the same as 14.5R20 I am told.
The RAM truck has MPT rims & hopefully the set of MPT 14.5R20s in the pickup will fit. They are about 3" larger in diameter & slightly narrower than the original 16.00X20s.

[Jack Innes]

Update on RAM progress; New-ish tires now installed & conservation painting done. The graphics were barely visible but readable - the new stencils were cut to be an exact duplicate of the originals.

[rob love]

Gorgeous. That vehicle has been on my must have list since I was a young Private in Borden.

[charlie fitton]

I also want to try the vehicle in the water but not with the top in place. There is not an escape hatch in the present top!!


Let us know when this happens...I'd make the trip

f

[rob love]

This is an older thread, but with some new development. Last night, after dark and in a rainstorm, a clandestine delivery was made to my property here in Manitoba. There were two pieces, one for me and one for my neighbor, but the one for me is something I wave wanted for over 40 years.

RAM serial 3 is now part of my collection, and I want to thank Jack for his stewardship on the truck. I aim to give the same stewardship towards this piece. Once a few minor details are rectified, I aim to make the bows and tarpaulin for both the cargo area and the cab. I have also sourced some new 16.00-20 tires to replace the michelins that are on it now, but that may wait a few months for me to recover from the expenses involved up to this point. I have to head outside soon to see, in the daylight, what I have received.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Waited for over 40 years? Must be your first true love…

Congrats on the acquisition, Rob. It is a fine piece of Canadian engineering and should have become the “Son of CMP”.

[rob love]

Not my first love, but certainly my longest yearning. I was 19 when I drove my m38 jeep the 1200 miles to Borden in March when I transferred to the regular army as an army mechanic. Prior to that, I drove a dodge m37 to high school for a couple of years. I was already well hooked on military vehicles when I visited the museum in Borden, but something about this truck attracted me. The heart wants what the heart wants as they say.

[rob love]

So with a little more knowledge under my belt, I can offer the following rationalization on these 6 trucks.

Serial no 1: retained by Chrysler and used after the trials ended. Fate unknown
Serial no 2: Borden museum.
Serial no 3: currently with me.
Serial no 4: likely the one destroyed in testing by LETE
Serial no 5: converted to Cummins diesel and for sale out of Calgary. Tan in colour.
Serial no 6: swords and Ploughshares collection

[Wayne Hingley]

That summary really puts it in perspective, Rob. Truly a rare vehicle. Fortunately it has been looked after and preserved in good condition by Jack and others over the years. It certainly continues to remain in good hands.