Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

Thankyou Gentlemen, for the information. It sounds promising to contemplate putting cab on prior to getting the engine in. I have no issue with removing the nose panel for engine installation. Got it on once, can do it again.

I'm yet to hear back from my fellow at the tyre shop. He was to get information for me, with regards to alternative tyres. I'll go see him when I get the chance. When I woke up this morning (0350hrs), I had what I hope is a good idea. I'm VERY reluctant to 'have at' one of my truck tyres with a grinder/sander to the unwanted portion of the bead, but may have a solution. Those tyres are same as ones on my gun carriage axle, and that doesn't carry very much weight, by comparison. I can attack one tyre, hoping to get a suitable result, and if not confident I can swap that one with an unmolested tyre from the gun. That will be my last resort, if all other avenues fail. No rush on that front. Got enough to do now, anyway. I'm heading into town this morning, to buy a small can of body filler for the sunshine roof, and to get another piece of perspex to place more sign cutting examples on.

It was very windy and overcast yesterday, so I didn't get any sunshine onto my green truck chassis. Maybe better fortune today. At least the wind had died away.

Once again, my gratitude to the guys that gave me testimonials on engine installation. Phil, I liked your video! Made me go scrambling for my digital camera, to check if it has a time lapse ability....which unfortunately it doesn't. I assume it IS time lapse that we were seeing on the video. If not, Phil, please consider switching to decaf!

[Private_collector]

With the weather still very windy but no sign of rain, I hitched the restoration chassis to my other truck and pulled it outside for a good dusting off and a thorough check over.
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While I had the luxury of some extra working space, I installed the passenger side fuel cell and the hand/emergency brake band. Spiked my damn finger on a sharp bit of copper or whatever the hell is in the brake band! Rotten sod.
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This was not only the first time EVER that the rolling chassis has been out of my workshop, it was also the first time I used the winch on front of the grey truck. In fact, it's the first winch I have ever used. Has rather good power on it too. I was tempted to reenact a scene from the sequel to The Gods Must Be Crazy, where the driver of a land rover winches it out of a river by anchoring it half way up a tree. Lord only knows WHY he chooses anything other than the base of the tree, but it certainly made good comedy seeing a LR heading heavenward. I suspect my vehicle would just pull the tree down instead.

I believe I will proceed with putting the cabin on my green truck before the engine is in place. I'll leave the nose panel on the cab until it must come off for engine in. It will look more impressive as the workshop door rolls up.

[Jason Linders]

That's really looking good Tony well done

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Tony

Always good to be able look over a project out in the sun, find stuff you can not see in shop light. How did you get it back in the the shop? Push or do you have a winch point in the shop?

The truck looks great, all the detail work shows.

Cheers Phil

[Private_collector]

It went back in fairly easily, Phil. For most of the distance it's down hill, so I just let the winch out slowly, and the last little bit, Mrs B and I grabbed a chunk of bar tread each and coaxed it into place.

[David Dunlop]

Nice looking work, Tony! Will it be out under it's own power next time???


David

[Private_collector]

Probably yes, David!
It has taken 3 years + to get to this stage, so another 3 should see that done. ☺!