New to the Shilo Museum:WW1 Cadillac Ambulance

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by rob love

I am attaching some photos of the MT section in Camp Hughes, and their conversions. It would appear they liked to use model T cab and chassis. There are some vehicles in the background, including one ambulance that seems to have the hood of a Cadillac.

These photos came from Grant Tyler, who has been part of the Camp Hughes Conservation group for as long as I can remember.

Hi Rob, not a Model 'T' to be seen in any of the 3 photos. I am not sure what the chassis are, but hazarding a guess, I would say that they are the Hudson 1/2 ton chassis based on the Hudson Super Six. That chassis was used for passenger cars, ambulances and as troop carriers carrying up to 8 troops.

Regards Rick.

[rob love]

Thanks for the information Rick. These older vehicles are way outside of my normal scope of interest, so I have a lot to learn.

[rob love]

As promised, here are some photos of the progress dis-assembling the box. I had to chisel two 1/4 square nuts to open them up a bit as the flat head bolts (I think they are called step bolts?) were turning in the wood, but in the end the step bolts themselves are fine.

Shrinkage on each side was about 1/2"so none of the holes are going to line up with the metal.

Now working on removing the backs. Some success but the nuts on the carriage botls underneath are a little snug. I have wire brushed them and oiled the threads....they will come.

Measuring the rear door and it is nowhere near square...considerably wider at the top. There is a shim on one side and not the other which may have contributed to that state. I also note they installed a wedge shaped spacer on the door jamb to make up for the extra width. So the question comes: do you rebuild with the flaw, or correct it. I think I know the answer....it doesn't sit well with me but it's not my job to change their 100 year old build.

Wood screws are generally a problem on this one. They were unplated, so some will turn, most won't, and some are the thickness of a finishing nail now. Photo below shows two that are in different states yet only 5" apart.

It is a tough call on whether to replace the wood or not. For instance the floor boards are simple 3/4" x 5" wide tongue and groove flooring pieces which I could buy off the shelf at the local home depot store. The ones in the truck now will likely not support the weight of a person on them, and some are missing. But to replace them will destroy the patina and the heritage. And if I replace the floor boards (I could distress them a bit I suppose) then what about the other boards? None of them will really support a screw as they stand.

I wish the whole truck could be as easy as the wheels were.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by lynx42

Hi Rob, not a Model 'T' to be seen in any of the 3 photos. I am not sure what the chassis are, but hazarding a guess, I would say that they are the Hudson 1/2 ton chassis based on the Hudson Super Six. That chassis was used for passenger cars, ambulances and as troop carriers carrying up to 8 troops.

Regards Rick.

Was just looking at 1916 Hudsons on google and the radiator does not seem the same. In the one photo you can see a partially assembled truck where it looks like the military is actually building the cowl. It will make it much harder to identify the vehicle if that's the case.

If there is an old car guy who wants to take a stab at IDing the vehicles, I can email a higher resolution photo that can be increased in size to help identify.

IDing those trucks is a bit of a red-herring in all this, but since camp Hughes is only a half hour from here it will still be good to know.

[rob love]

Just a short update: the truck has been stripped as far as it is going to be this time around. Niel Yeo has been popping in this week to help out......nice to have a young back around.

Some of the sheet metal has been painted already, same goes for the front axle assembly. The front half of the frame is being hand stripped of paint and grease, and will be given a coat of POR-15, then olive semi gloss applied to those areas that had the olive in the first place.

There is quite a frame patch on the right frame rail, and signs of previous cracking. Not the neatest of jobs, but it is part of the car's history so I will leave it as is.

Jack was telling me there is nothing for a rear main seal on these motors, and there should have been some shielding to direct the oil to the roadway. This car does not have it, and the wood shows it. Some of it is rotten from the oil soaking.

Wood is on order for the rear cargo box and it will be the original tongue and groove format. I am only replacing the outsides, and two planks over the wheels which support the outsides. The present wood will no longer support a screw with any amount of strength. I have ordered in all slot drive non-plated wood screws...there wasn't and won't be any Phillips or Robertson on this vehicle. However, for the actual Cadillac portion, I am going to cheat and install some furniture grade oak plywood for things like the firewall and the running boards. They get painted over or covered over with linoleum for the most part, and boards the original size (up to 18" width) just aren't available. I tried to buy some beautiful rosewood plywood, but when the guy heard I was going to paint 80% of it (under the hood would have remained stained) he refused to sell it to me.

All the original woods will be crated in prep for proper preservation and conservation measures to be taken over the next period. That is a little out of my field, so it will be a learning curve.

Some photos to see it as far as it is going this time around:

[maple_leaf_eh]

Why does the last photo make me hum the theme music from, "The Beverly Hillbillies"?

[rob love]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Why does the last photo make me hum the theme music from, "The Beverly Hillbillies"?

Blasphemy!!!

Actually, I have hear that a lot. Once the wood is back on it, and the tarpaulin manufactured and in place, it is going to really look like something. The tarpaulin and canopy over the driver give the WW1 trucks a real personality.

[rob love]

So have made some progress thanks to 12+ hour days. Just about to wrap up a 14 hour day now. Still have two days to go before I have to drag it over to the main museum for a display on the Somme. Just about all the woodwork is done, I still have to assemble the bows for the cab along with the header bow. Also still have to make a tie rod between the two headlamps so I can hang the 1912 license plate (which of course would never have made it to the Somme, mind you neither did this truck).

That should leave me a whopping full 24 hour period (who needs sleep after all) to manufacture a tarpaulin. I have a brand new Juki waiting in the textile room, along with a great selection of "common sense" turnbutton fasteners. But I have to admit time is getting tight. Of course, the bosses want to see the upholstery done too, but unless they invent a day between Wednesday and Thursday it isn't likely going to happen.

Anyhoo, here are some shots. It will get a final paint to even up all the touch ups in the morning, so hopefully the smell of fresh paint will be gone by the Friday opening, although it may well be masked by the excellent smell of new canvas.

By the way, I did take a shortcut by making the back door out of oak plywood, as is the firewall. The sides are all tongue and groove, as are the front doors, but the rear door was made up of about 8 pieces, and I am just too exhausted.

[cliff]

fantastic work.