How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[m606paz]

Hi Jacques!
GM H pics belong to oldcmp.net
https://web.archive.org/web/20061212...t:80/c15a.html
Regards

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Jacques,

According to MGO Equipment Order LV6/GEN/MT13/4 issued 11 December 1944, the following sizes apply to the Ford and Chev canopy frame:

Width of main vehicle body: 6 feet 10-1/4 inches (not overall width)

Width of canopy frame centre to centre of frame pipes: 7 feet 2 inches for Aust No.2, 7 feet 1/4 inch for Aust No.1.

Overall height: 3 feet 7 inches
Corner radius 6 inches

Didn't know you were looking for this info.

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Mike and Mariano,

Thanks for that info. The 6-11" is the actual measurement taken off my body at the pads where the frames rest against. Pads are 1/4" thick steel so pretty close to Equipment order dimensions when added to width of vehicle body. My centre to centre equals 6-11" + 1.315 (one x pipe OD) = 7' 5/16"!

If I deduct 1/2" from the centre height and the side height I pretty well have nailed it!

Thanks Mariano for supplying the source of the photo also. I owe you one too Keith. Looked at that site long ago but didn't remember that photo.

Cheers,

[Mike Cecil]

Bingo! well done, that man!
Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Thanks Mike again for your help.

I have attached a revised drawing for anyone who want to use it.
Took off the 1/2"s at the middle and sides.

As an old draughtsman I should have realized they don't like using fractions if they don't need them!

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

I posted these drawings I made a few years ago, recently on the MLU Facebook page. Thought it might be useful to those who are not on FB.

The logbook holder, from which I took the measurements, was on an Australian assembled F-15 built in 1944 based on the data plate. Whether it was the same as other holders fitted to trucks built in Canada I cannot say. The lower rear of the cabin where it attaches was definitely Australian built as was most of the cabin sheet metal.

I did this drawing "Old School" with T square and triangles before I found the Paint.net app. I found it great for drafting. The ability to have separate layers for the object, dimensions, notes, etc make it easy to make corrections and move lines and shapes around. You don't erase things either you don't want erased by having components of the drawing on different layers.

I mentioned on MLU FB I have been a bit quiet lately on MLU. My only brother passed away suddenly 2 months ago. He lived 1200 km away and had no partner or kids, so I have been trying to settle the estate from a long way away. It is doable but time consuming and stressful. Trying to get back to the things I enjoy now so perhaps you will hear more of me in the future.

Hanno, for some reason I can post images again. Don't know what caused the problem but looks OK now.

Cheers,

[Jacques Reed]

Good Day,

I have been a bit quiet on here but still plodding away at my passion. I've had problems uploading photos to MLU for a long time. I deleted my saved password in Edge and that may have fixed the problem.

I addressed something this past week that has annoyed me for years.
A previous owner of my truck attached the GS body to the chassis with long bolts and drilled steel bars top and bottom. I had noticed years ago that the bottom flanges of the chassis rails at the mounting points had been bent slightly upwards about 3/16" by the bolts on the inside of the rail. There was never any crush blocks fitted to back up the bottom flange of the rail so any overtightening of the bolt would bend the flange.
I knew this was not original but kept it as a temporary solution. To me, there are too many bits to move and work loose by this method of attachment.

About 4 months ago I took measurements and had 5/8" diameter U-bolts fabricated as per original method of mounting the body.
First up I had to straighten the bottom rail. That was done as shown with a small button jack and scrap I had laying around to back up the top flange. The channel was an offcut from a retainer wall and the 1" threaded rod and nuts came with some other junk I acquired and kept "just in case".
A bit of pumping and checking and rechecking got it back to shape.

I have seen wooden crush blocks here on MLU and they looked like they were one piece and had the groove routed out. Not having a router, I decided, however, to fabricate them by laminating three pieces of hardwood with glue and screws. Of note, is that to have full contact with the bottom flange, the blocks have to have a taper of 1:16 at the bottom and have to be mirror images. I set my circular saw on 3.5 degrees which is 1:16 slope to cut the bottom of the blocks. I cut the top of the blocks square and about 1mm larger, then test fitted and adjusted by sanding so that they were a tight fit between the chassis rails.

Maybe not 100% original but ten times better than what I had before.

Hope this is of some interest.

Cheers,