Chev & Ford Cab11 -15A

[RichCam]

I kind of said that I was trying to thin the herd but I purchased this truck before I made that statement and I was able to pick it up today. What is interesting about it is that it looks to be a Cab11 style, branded as a FORD and powered with a flathead 8. BUT it has a Chev frame plus front and rear Chev axles. Has anyone ever heard of a a "combo" F & C-15A?

I thought only Cab13 versions were available as a mix & match after the war, purchased as a kit that was assembled from the mountain of CMP parts that must have existed, at one time in the past.

Comments welcome!

[Peter Duggan]

Richard,

CMPs are a highly addictive species and rarely cureable. Nice find. Looking forward to hearing about it's history.
Enjoy, Peter

[rob love]

A lot of early F15A cab11s had Chevy axles under them. The frame should be Ford though.

My first CMP was serial F10616 if I recall correctly, and it had the Chev differentials.

[cletrac (RIP)]

I've seen a Cab 12 Ford with Chev axles. Your air vents are Ford. Chev vents were round.

[Niels V]

I have a Chevy rear axle on my Cab 11 F15a

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

A shortage of Ford axles in the early part of the war meant a good number of 11 cab Fords were built with Chev axles.

[RichCam]

Thanks for all your comments. I guess I can safely call it an F-15A - hood badge is Ford, interior decals are Ford and it is a flathead 8. I was after it primarily for the steel body on the back but we will see how the engine. It looks like a Cab12 rather than a Cab11 from the front bonnet. I will check and see if the front window has a hinge on it.
Cheers, Richard

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Bruce Parker

A shortage of Ford axles in the early part of the war meant a good number of 11 cab Fords were built with Chev axles.

Correct, there even is a list of the trucks which were fitted with Chevrolet axles in the Ford manual, so one can look up if the truck in question was originally fitted with these axles.

H.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by RichCam

It looks like a Cab12 rather than a Cab11 from the front bonnet. I will check and see if the front window has a hinge on it.
Cheers, Richard

In the photo that shows two trucks, the front one is a cab11, and the back one is likely a cab12. Cab 11 only has the smallish opening on the hood which was bolted closed. The cab 12 had a hinged hood....just one of the improvements to improve access to do minor maintenance as opposed to removing the entire cab as the British envisioned.

[Keith Webb]

From what I can see of the chassis it looks to be a Ford one, but with the Chevrolet axles as mentioned.

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Correct, there even is a list of the trucks which were fitted with Chevrolet axles in the Ford manual, so one can look up if the truck in question was originally fitted with these axles.

Hi Hanno,

Where can I find that listing? Here is a photo of my 1940 Cab 11, F30S with Chev axles when I found it. Due to my ongoing ill health it is for sale if anyone wants one.

Regards Rick.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

Where can I find that listing? Here is a photo of my 1940 Cab 11, F30S with Chev axles when I found it.

Hello Rick,

Had a long search for a photo of the page from the parts book which lists serial numbers (motor) of Ford 15A trucks that were built with Ford type front axles and G.M. type rear axles. I thought I had posted it on MLU years ago, but could not find it. What I could find was the list as typed out by Lynn in the Timken and Banjo thread.

I have no idea if the parts lists for the other truck types have these listed too.

HTH,
Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

Due to my ongoing ill health it is for sale if anyone wants one.

Hi Rick,

Very sorry to hear about your health!

Do you want me to move that photo to the for sale section?

Regards,
Hanno

[lynx42]

Thanks Hanno, Not yet, I will send more recent photos with an advert to the For Sale section. It looks like my Cab 12 F60L is sold and leaving here next Friday.

Regards Rick.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Richard

There were two different GM axles used on the early Ford....... some where the HD GM cast axle which DID NOT have a bolted differential cover....front and rear....... have only seen them on very early FAT gun tractors...... one was Angus' the other also a FAT at the Kars museum....... rear axle looks like a HUP rear axle on steroids and the front one has extra cast webbing reinforcement.
Also seen a 42 F15a with the HD cast front axle..... as well I also had Parts cab 13 C15a that had the HD cast axle......
\
Any pictures of your front axle Richard???

Cheers

[lynx42]

This one Bob?

[Bob Carriere]

Note...... I was under the impression that the response was from RichCam.
But do appreciate your response Rick.......just to many tricky Rickies around!!!!!!


...standard GM CMP front axle...... and no D rings as per early model!!!.....PS RichCam's Ford has at least "one" D-ring....!!!!!

Both the cab 12 and the cab 11 are precious finds....... is the cargo box repairable or will you use it has a model to build one????

I have 3 early cab 11 2B1 boxes but sadly all are rusted beyond repair and I am getting ready to repro a box as accurately as possible. If you need measurements for the drop sides let me know. Having said that, I expect to encounter the same problems as Jordan Baker..... today's metal fabricators are not equipped with the necessary offset dies for the brakes to produce the deep 1 inch wide channels for the top of the boxes or the drop sides. I am sure that I will have to weld in those sections separately..... more work but not an impossible task.

I am somewhat intimidated by the cost of the steel and the bending. Grant is currently reproducing the cargo box for a 20 CWT trailer and the 3 sides, floor and tail gate are well over a $1000. .... and that does not include the hours spent fitting and welding it or cleaning up/restoring the frame.

A major part of the $$$$ is the minimum cost charged for the tool brake set up for doing one part only.

Love those pictures.

Cheers

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Had a long search,...... but could not find it.

HTH,
Hanno

Is this a first????

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Is this a first????

Erm.... I did find useful tids and bits!

[Alex van de Wetering]

Nice find Richard!

From what I can see of the chassis it looks to be a Ford one

I agree with Keith; chassis appears to be Ford....or someone made the Ford shocks fit the Chev chassis.

Alex

[RichCam]

Alex,
I saw your question so I went out and took some pictures of the underside of the Cab11. To me, it looks like Chev axles front and rear, Chev dampeners and a Chev frame........what do you guys think? If so, how old do you think this truck is?
Cheers, Richard

[Keith Webb]

Hi Richard

It's definitely a Ford chassis with Chevrolet axles as normal for that vehicle type.Front shock absorbers (dampers) are Ford, rears look to be Chevrolet. I'd be thinking it's a 1940 build.

[lynx42]

I agree with Keith, A Ford and probably came down the assembly line at the same time as my F30S seen in posts 11 & 16 above.

Regards Rick.

[Bob Carriere]

Rich

In the 4 th photo we can see the builders tag on the side of the cargo box..... have you been able to decipher what information it contains????


One more Ford clue on the underside picture......NO cross member for the winch....

Thanks

Bob C