Choices: 1942 F15 vs 1942 C15

[Doug Lavoie]

I am a newbie to the CMP world. I am trying to get started in the CMP collecting/rebuild. I have been given a choice of CPM`s to pick from. They are both in good shape overall. Both have alot of the origional parts on them. They have not been "played" with much at this point.
What is the most desired of the two? The Ford or Chev, and why? I am going into this without much knowledge or biases. So, need some help here please? Which one is the hardest to get spare parts and manuals for?

Here is some data plate info. on each unit.

Ford
F154xx - MPERS-2
Chassis - F154xx-M
Cab -13
Date of Manufature - April 30/42

Chev
C154xx-H-CABL-2
Chassis - C-154xx-M
Cab-13
Order # LV 316
Date of Manufacture - May11/42

Thanks,
Doug

[Bob McNeill]

who told you, you had to choose take BOTH then decide once you,ve driven both you WILL know, have fun this forum is the place to find anything you need.

[Lang]

Doug,

I am going to risk a reply on a topic which will probably generate a lot of partisan and subjective opinion. I have owned both types of vehicle.

If you are just getting started I would go for the Chevrolet every time. There is nothing between them for most of the truck (body, chassis and axles are pretty much the same to work on). Parts and books are equally available.

Power is within a few horsepower when you compare the two. Fuel consumption is equally poor.

My reasons for choosing the Chevrolet are firstly the gearbox. Both are quite reliable but the GM box is a delight to use compared to the clunky Ford box.

Chevrolet steering, although just slightly less responsive than a formula one Ferrari, is at least better than a Ford. I think GM ads said "If it drives like a truck it is not a Chevrolet!"

The main reason is the engine. The Chev 6 is probably quite a bit cheaper than the Ford to do a full rebuild on and I suspect parts are more readily available, but there is no shortage of either. No matter what Ford enthusiasts claim, the flat V8 is a more unreliable engine in the scheme of things (I know, there will be people coming back with stories of 2 million trouble free miles).

It is just there are more things to go wrong - the major ones being the water pumps and distributor system, plus two heads. Because they are bigger across and their V shape they are an absolute pain to work on in the truck compared to the Chev which can be almost fully accessed with ease.

You also only have to buy 6 of everything instead of 8 any time you are rebuilding, replacing plugs etc

Anyhow that's my input, I will await outraged Ford enthusiasts' responses.

Lang

[gordon]

I'd agree with Lang.

Having owned both the straight 6 and V8, but in slightly different applications, I'd go for the 6 every time for simplicity, ease of access, etc, etc. The guy who designed that V8 and put water pump bolts through the housing, then decided to use water pumps as engine mounts - will never get a Christmas card from me.

That said, check both to see if they have original engines. Many of the sixes were replaced with later versions of the same thing, or Bedford engines, or whatever. Happened to the V8's as well, so best bet would be to go for the balance of most original truck offered and best price.

If everything else was absolutely equal - straight 6 every time for simplicity, access, maintenance, and costs.

Gordon

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Doug

Welcome to the crazy world of CMP collection, while personally I have Chevy CMPs and would agree that they are insome ways easier to work with my first question is where you are located?

The reason for asking this question is so our far flung members can give you an idea of parts availablity. From looking through the Forum you can get and idea of who is working on what where.


CMPs both Chev and Ford share a fair number of parts with civi trucks of the period which means that engine, transmission parts and brake parts can be found other than off another CMP. You will also find that CMPs also share some parts back and forth with Ford and Chevy.

Cheers Phil

[Doug Lavoie]

Phil,
I live in Northern Alberta, Canada. Thank you to all who have replied to my request. It is great to be apart of the CMP world.
I started out helping a friend and now have the bug!It also helps now being retired.
Thanks,
Doug

[sth65pac]

Personal choice is Chev,

Easier to get the engine out, cheaper to fix, & diffs are easier to work on. Oh & Chevs share commons with their truck counterparts.

I have a Ford, but that is just the way things go. the Chev is calling me...

Ian

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by sth65pac

Personal choice is Chev,

Easier to get the engine out, cheaper to fix, & diffs are easier to work on. Oh & Chevs share commons with their truck counterparts.

I have a Ford, but that is just the way things go. the Chev is calling me...

My personal choice is Ford. All this talk from Chev owners about changing engines, eh? Pft, a non-issue for us Ford owners

Seriously Doug, if you're living in Canada, finding parts for a Chevrolet or Ford requires the same effort. Depending on condition of both trucks you've been offered, it's up to personal choice, really. You are lucky to be able to choose between two trucks!

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Unfortunatley the straight 6 Chev will never sound as good as the V8 Ford, but as this sound is best experienced from outside the truck, its probably a moot point.
May I say that it was a pleasure to see a Ford vs Chev question so impartially, still, plenty of time left....
Bob had the right answer, grab both. Unwritten law somewhere that you can not own only ONE Cmp. I tried to beat it and lost
Enjoy whichever you choose.
Rich

[Ken Hughes]

Doug,i own a ford and have driven a ca8x quite a lot,i prefer the ford,but i think you would be better to own both till you decide, if ever.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Doug, I see from your manual thread that you've decided on the Chev. Could you post some pix so we can see what you've got? Did you get a box with it? A Cable 2 from early 42 would have a 2B1 box on it.
When you say you're from northern Alberta, how far north? I'm in SW Sask so that's not really that far if you need a few parts.

[Doug Lavoie]

Dave,
Thanks for the reply. The next time I go out to the CMP, I will take some pictures.This maybe a while, as I am going into the second bought with the hospital. It is nice to know that there are so many people in this worldly club. I am just blown away. I thought that when I was flying, I was a part of a special group. It feels like it here!
Doug

[Mike Kelly]

hi Doug

I've owned both, refurbished them and driven them around a bit ..the Ford wasn't a CMP, but a 11D ex army 3/4 ton .

Something nobody has mentioned yet is: The Fords are far less forgiving in terms of the cooling system .. your radiator and water pumps have to be in top condition .. the Ford motor has little leeway or forgiveness..the design of the block is such that it's a 'warm motor' always running on the edge .. ask anyone from tropical Queensland who drove one as a everyday vehicle ...days above 90 F will test things. Why did the LRDG throw away their Fords I wonder - all chevies for them, Hmm....

The recirculating ball steering box used by GM is so much better than Fords crude offering... the Chev S/box has a very good stable affect on the road..you feel more relaxed with it ..driving is a pleasure , not an ordeal. Nothing worse than wandering around on the road . Poorly designed steering boxes are more the norm with older vehicles ... My Holden HR ute steering box was massive compared to a car from the 1930's or 40's ...

The Ford gearbox ..not really an issue .... just practice .

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's a little history on the Ford heating problems. Henry Ford was disappointed at how the heaters worked in any of the earlier cars so he had his engineers run the exhaust ports through the block to heat the engine up more and make the heater work better. The only thing was it worked too good. If Henry had of lived in California we wouldn't have those heating problems today.

[m606paz]

Sorry to relive this post, but I found the opinions of all of you interesting.
I have been repairing and driving an F15A.
Accessing all engine parts is hard work compared to chevrolet easy access.
But once you get used to working with a Ford, we start to grow fond of it.
And the sound of its 8 cylinders is very nice.
What else can be added about the differences between these two engines?

[rob love]

When I saw this resurrected thread, I though "How did I miss this, and not reply to it back in 2008? Then I realized I was in a tent in Afghanistan and likely did not have internet at that point.

Ford, and only Ford. The engines are a work of art, and the trucks can attain highway speed. As part of my job I do work on chevs as well.

You may not find flathead parts in the outlying parts of the world, but the internet will find you anything you need for those motors.

There was a reason why in 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis, Dodge and GM both had to take government bailouts, while
Ford continued it's production with it's long term slogan "quality is job 1".

[Tony Smith]

And as far as the Chev Engine, I would say that all the ease of rebuilding comments would apply to the post-war 235 (aka Blue Flame) engines with full oiling and insert bearings. The wartime 216 as fitted to CMPs with babbit bearings and dipper oiling takes someone with Old-School knowledge to rebuild and set up for reliable long life.

Wartime Ford and Chev engines both have more than their fair share of quirks that can confuse the modern mechanic, but they can be equally reliable with knowledgeable maintenance and support.

I would suggest that these days there is far more specialist Ford Flathead aftermarket support than there is for the Chev Stovebolt, but only because I have been looking in the right places.

[m606paz]

Hi Boys
Here in Argentina, it is still easy to get spare parts from Flathead, the problem is finding rectification workshops that want to take an old flathead to repair and old school mechanics.

[m606paz]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Why did the LRDG throw away their Fords I wonder - all chevies for them, Hmm....

Hi Mike
The LRDG used the F30s for general cargo and not for short sorties. As I have read, the temperature problem was more for the driver who was next to the engine and not so much for the engine itself. The complaint of the Fords was the fuel consumption compared to the Chevrolet 1533

What is the fuel consumption between the CMP Stovebolt and Flatheads?

Regards