Cab11 C8 Bush Find

[RichCam]

All going well, I will retrieve the C8 on Thursday. I'll post pictures of the extraction, no snow yet here so it will be (hopefully) straightforward.

Alex, do you have any pictures of what a Cab11 would look like with the dash hooks holding the doors open? I will check the centre console light while I'm there.

I did more research on the 1A1 body, the superstructure looks original along with the 2 seats, fender and locker box. The fuel tank looks like it was repositioned. Drive to Victory pg. 216 indicates that there were 89 Chev and 245 Ford vehicles built but it also states that this vehicle was not used by Canada in any active theatre.

Cheers!

[Alex van de Wetering]

I will retrieve the C8 on Thursday

goodie, goodie!

Attached is a picture of Nick Bullock's C8 with the hooks on the dash....as well as the dash light near the centre pillar of the windscreen. Not all Cab 11's had the dash light....and the hooks were supposed to be cab12, but I actually think they might have been added late 1940 to cab11 production already.

That canvas frame is definately rare! I think Dave was lucky enough to find one years ago, but it's rare to find an original.

Tanks have definately been repositioned....probably in order to fit a larger bed/body. At first I thought it was one of the 8cwts with one of those lengtened 1A1/A2 bodies....but that wouldn't make sence as the canvas frame seems to be unaltered.


Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

Be sure to check if the original body is hiding in any of the sheds, as well as the big locker and spare wheel carrier that go between cab and body.....if the owner saved the canvas frame....than who knows...maybe he the box and other parts as well.

2 seats

.It seems the seat backs have been altered....but they do seem like the original seats for the rear body.

good luck tomorrow!

Alex

I wonder what postage of the canvas frame to Holland would be....

[Bob Carriere]

It seems that early C8 and C15 and even some C15a with 11 cabs were not equipped with the hooks at the factory but some were retro fitted......

Also noticed that this cab 11 has NO rubber marker light on the front fenders but relied on the extra second bulb inside the main headlight for a marker light.

My cab 11 C15a does not have the dash hooks, no fender marker lights and no rear axle black out light............ and was probably never outside Canada so little need for blackout rear axle light.......my production ser. No xxxxx03158

Quite the find Rick

Cheers

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

goodie, goodie!

Attached is a picture of Nick Bullock's C8 with the hooks on the dash

Alex

Ah Nick and the C8. That C8 has been through a few owners , the previous owner before Nick, he had a new tailgate made and he threw away the original tailgate

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by RichCam

Drive to Victory pg. 216 indicates that there were 89 Chev and 245 Ford vehicles built
Cheers!

One of Gregg's books has the production figures listed for each chassis type , I think the end production of C8/F8 was just under 10,000 with about an equal split for Ford/Chev.

I have been wanting to fabricate the canvas framework for some time, I have asked around but nobody local has the correct pipe bending mandrels. They used heavy gauge plumbers pipe for some reason. I will make up a bender myself , the thin walled gal. pipe seems the best option. 2mm walls . The heavier walled pipe 3mm is available but this would require more power ,

[RichCam]

Well, it was quite the day. The rain held off and the temperature was 10C. Most of the leaves have fallen off of the trees which actually helped with the extraction. The right rear wheel was seized so it slid on the leaves and the grass. The owner of the property had his Kabota tractor there and we had jacks, cables, chains, shovels, blocks and bars. It took some ingenuity but we were able to pull it up onto the trailer. We tried putting some air in the tires but as soon as they weighted up, a front sidewall blew out. At least the C-8's are lighter than the C-15A's.
My F250 is a long wheel base and I have a 14ft. trailer so getting around the corner on the bush road presented a problem.
The ride back to the shop was uneventful and the truck is now inside the warehouse.
The top bows look original. It is made from a heavy wall pipe and it weighs a ton! It also has 4 loops for straps on the underside. I did not see anything else in the out buildings or around the truck. It did have both original fenders, a centre console light, no rings for the door hooks and a funny looking metal box structure with a wooden interior frame. I kept it and will post pictures tomorrow.

[RichCam]

Ok, I stopped and took some pictures but if I bring one more home.....I doomed. So, it sits in the field and I might look at it next year.

[Mike K]

The background scenery is certainly different. I think I see birch trees but not sure . No signs of habitation .

Can you do something for me ? Measure the diameter of the pipe in that frame .
The best method is to use vernier calipers. A ruler is no much good for measuring diameters.

The pipe in that frame appears to be a odd "in between" size . The sizes available here are nominal 27 mm and 33 mm diameter.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Well done Richard!

OK, so no door hooks....that could confirm Bob's comment that some were retro-fitted.

@ Bob; I wonder if we can narrow down some of those early Cab11/12 details to when and where they were done....factory or retro-fit....for overseas service or not....British or Canadian.....door hooks, marker lights, cutouts in rear cab wall for seat backs, door straps (for British if I remember correctly) etc.
I do believe we have seen pictures of Cab11's in Canadian service in the UK without marker lights on the front fenders.


Alex

[RichCam]

Hello Mike,

Measured with vernier calipers - tube outer diameter - 26.9mm - so I would say it is 27mm.
Upon closer inspection, other than being a bit bent, it is an authentic superstructure.

Let me know if there is anything else that you need.

Regards, Richard

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Can you do something for me ? Measure the diameter of the pipe in that frame .
The best method is to use vernier calipers. A ruler is no much good for measuring diameters.

The pipe in that frame appears to be a odd "in between" size . The sizes available here are nominal 27 mm and 33 mm diameter.

[RichCam]

I'm going to be spending a bit of time this winter on just the mechanicals of the C8 so I'm going to be hard pressed to do a full restoration of the 1A2 body. How about if I did it up as a bolted wood body 2A1 and mounted the fuel tanks up on top of the frame like in the picture of the Ford F8 Pg 216 of Drive to Victory? That way, I could utilize the superstructure properly and I would have good ground clearance. Thoughts and comments always welcome!
Regards,

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by RichCam

Hello Mike,

Measured with vernier calipers - tube outer diameter - 26.9mm - so I would say it is 27mm.
Upon closer inspection, other than being a bit bent, it is an authentic superstructure.

Let me know if there is anything else that you need.

Regards, Richard

Many thanks . That is good news , I can buy 26.9mm gal pipe here , it is a standard size . These days gal. fittings are becoming a little scarce , the plumbers seem to use a lot of plastic pipes and fittings .

Some details. My C8 as found had the parking lights inside the main headlights , a small bulb in the reflector shell. And, a glass rear window in the cab top.

I would like to find out how a Canadian bodied Cab 11 C8 ended up here in Aust. Maybe it was a pattern vehicle for a possible Aust. version ? Would it have been shipped direct from Canada ? I believe they shipped out a single 15 cwt Canadian wireless house type vehicle as a pattern for the Aust. wireless van