How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

The turret is back and looking quite nice, complete with that old battle/range damage. I had to clean up a couple of lumpy parts on the top of the bearing face, where the hold down roller bearings would run, that I had missed pre blasting and painting. I have fitted the 37mm gun mount and recoil system. The gun mount sits on two heavy pins, one at the top and one at the bottom, each secured by a 3/8” screw. It was a bit of a handful fitting the assembly on my own, but I got there. The barrel has been straightened and I will likely fit this along with the damaged breach while I await the arrival of a replacement 37mm gun which is in better shape.

I picked up some of the other parts which had been painted and fitted the inner front guards. I left a lot of the imperfections in them but the new paint has freshened them up nicely. Just fitting these inner guards changes the appearance of the vehicle again.

I have continued tidying up a whole lot of other little jobs. The data plate that needed to be trimmed to fit has been done and glued into place. I received the 11/16” hydraulic fitting I needed for the throttle slave cylinder (thanks Taylor) so that hydraulic line is in place now. I still need another tapered fitting for the master cylinder which is on the way. The back panel is now fitted in place. I have also fitted the master switch box and battery cable as well as the interphone boxes for the commander and gunner. I will wire up the interphone boxes over the weekend and give them a test.

I spoke to the engine reconditioner and unfortunately the bores on the engine block were too pitted for even a bore out to 0.020 pistons. I might have got away with 0.040” oversize but I didn’t have any pistons that size, so I have decided to make use of the 0.060” pistons I have here and we are boring the cylinders out to fit those. Does anyone have any 0.060” rings they want to part with?

I have located the gearbox parts I need and I’ll have those parts on the way to me shortly.

That’s about it for the moment….