Wapiti...2
So this vehicle was one of 3 prototypes authorized for development on Nov. 3 1947 by the Canadian military(AEPC). It is a 2.5 ton oversnow vehicle and was approved along with a similar 3/4 ton version (3 prototypes also) called the BEAVER Does anyone have pics of the Beaver?
Planning and construction began at General Motors in Set. 1948 with an initial allotment of $120,000 in funds. By July 1949 the contract with GM was terminated with only about 10% of the project being completed. This was done because GM was not seen as being very cooperative in this project,on a number of fronts including the fact that GM refused to deal with outside suppliers seeing them as competitors.This meant only GM parts would be used in the project which was not an acceptable option. In August 1949 the contract was awarded to the Ford Motor Company who built the machines at cost but with a 7.5% fee attached as their profit margin.
The vehicles has a 194 HP Fageol bus motor but unlike bus engines these were cast of aluminium. Cost per motor $6000 each. A variety of standard transmission were tried but the final version is one supplied from England, a Wilson preselect (semi automatic) transmission of the type used in buses.
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22-03-16, 00:42
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