Ford WOT 8

[jack neville]

Jake, Chris Collins and I recently attended an open day at John Belfields Tank Museum with a view of seeing what was available given he is open to disposing of vehicles in his collection. Amongst the ruins of the back paddock was a Ford WOT 6 is very poor condition. What appealed to us was the faded sign on the door which said Australian Comfort Funds. The vehicle was listed as a WOT 6, of which 30,000 were made. On checking Bart Vanderveens Historic Vehicle Directory we found the vehicle to be a much rarer WOT 8 of which there were only 2500 made. A deal was made and we picked it up today.

[jack neville]

There was a bit of stuff to move around to access the truck as anyone who has been in John's back yard would know.

[jack neville]

Fortunately the drive train moves freely

[jack neville]

Loaded on a trailer and headed home.

[jack neville]

Back in Jakes back yard the first job was to clean out all the dead blackberry branches. an improvised seat form a block of wood and see if his 6'6" frame would fit.

[jack neville]

Initial inspection shows the drive train to be intact and turning freely. The V8 engine is stuffed and will probably need a replacement as it has sat for a long time with no heads or manifolds on it. The chassis is badly rusted in places but is repairable. The cabin is in very poor condition but as these WOT cabs are simply constructed with limited panel pressings they can be easily dissected and new panels made. Sort of.

[jack neville]

The roof has an interesting double skin with a vent that allows air to pass through the front and out the back. A sort of tropical roof I guess to assist in cooling the cab. Hopefully the top skin can be salvaged and repaired.

[jack neville]

Cant get these last photos to load straight.

[jack neville]

One concern is a damaged transfer case which has been roughly repaired with bronze. It appears to be functioning however but unsightly.

[jack neville]

It will be a while before we get started on this truck but we would like any contact or assistance with other owners to determine what is missing in and around the cab. Particularly the seats, engine cover, gauges and fuel tank and spare wheel carrier.

[Mike Kelly]

We first laid eyes on that vehicle many years ago. The VMVC had a couple of XMAS trips to the previous yard at Lysterfield , along Wellington road. Would have been 1976 the first one. Anyway Ash Wednesday burnt out the Lysterfield yard , John nearly lost the whole collection , he moved to the new spot only a short time before the massive bush fire.

A couple of us were hoping we could restore it as a club project but that idea never got past the initial thoughts. It was in better condition back then , the ACF logo was not so faded. Andrew B has a pic or two of it somewhere .

Good luck with it

[jack neville]

We are thinking of restoring it as depicted here with the ACF livery. Would love to find a photo of this truck during the war.

[Ian Mastin]

Well done guys! look forward to it see it when I get home from Malta�� I see it looks a bit cold and wet were you guys are�� well it’s 31dec here great beer and red wine drinking weather ����. Cheers from sunny Malta Ian

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by jack neville

It will be a while before we get started on this truck but we would like any contact or assistance with other owners to determine what is missing in and around the cab. Particularly the seats, engine cover, gauges and fuel tank and spare wheel carrier.

Hi Jack,
I did some work on a WOT6 3 tonner some 11 years ago and here are a few photos that might be of help. Sending photos in several posts.

[Richard Farrant]

Two more of the WOT6, another two to follow. Hopefully there might be details to help you in them. Top photo, I was in the process of rewiring, hence the cables all over the engine.
Be wary of the gearbox as water can get into the box around the gear lever as it is outside of the cab. When I drained the box on the WOT6 it was full to brim with water, all the oil had floated out. Got away with the gears, but changed all the bearings.

regards, Richard

[Richard Farrant]

These are in no particular order as you can see.

[jack neville]

Thanks Richard. They appear to share quite a few common parts with other Fordson WOT trucks as expected. Interesting that the cab on the 6 you worked on has a seperate top half. Jakes is solid.
Any more photos will be appreciated.

[David Herbert]

I can't wait to see the restoration of this truck. I would have regarded it as too far gone but having seen the Tilly and Dodge ambulance threads I can see that it is just a matter of a vast number of man hours and we will see a new one for the first time in preservation.

I have been seriously interested in military vehicles for 50 years and have never seen a WOT8 in any condition at all. There should be a WOT6 in equaly dreadfull condition somewhere that could donate its transfer box which I assume would be the same. I wonder if there is a parts list out there somewhere? Does anyone know which units were originally issued with WOT8s and what bodies were fitted to them? Low volume trucks like this tended to be put to more specialist uses as that made parts supply simpler.

David

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

I can't wait to see the restoration of this truck. I would have regarded it as too far gone but having seen the Tilly and Dodge ambulance threads I can see that it is just a matter of a vast number of man hours and we will see a new one for the first time in preservation.

I have been seriously interested in military vehicles for 50 years and have never seen a WOT8 in any condition at all. There should be a WOT6 in equaly dreadfull condition somewhere that could donate its transfer box which I assume would be the same. I wonder if there is a parts list out there somewhere? Does anyone know which units were originally issued with WOT8s and what bodies were fitted to them? Low volume trucks like this tended to be put to more specialist uses as that made parts supply simpler.

David

Hi David,
There is a restored WOT8 in Kent, it has been around the area for some years. The WOT8 is a 30cwt truck and like the Bedford OXD 30cwt GS, they had a short production span as the government decided that producing 30cwt trucks they could buy a 3 tonner version for very little extra and one truck doing the work of 2. If I remember correctly they were produced around 1941. I think all the WOT8 trucks were GS Cargo bodies.

Richard

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by jack neville

Thanks Richard. They appear to share quite a few common parts with other Fordson WOT trucks as expected. Interesting that the cab on the 6 you worked on has a seperate top half. Jakes is solid.
Any more photos will be appreciated.

Hi Jack,
Here is another shot of the cab. The seat cushion is not original but the canvas backs may well be.

The cab roof has to come off to remove the engine and gearbox, they will not come through the front aperture, so guess the earlier models had to have the cab lifted to change an engine or for a simple job like a clutch. There was a lot of commonality with parts in those days, same with Bedford as well.

regards, Richard

[jack neville]

The seat appears to be the same as the WOT2 H I have. I have two spare seats but two other WOT ‘s that need them. Another 2H and a 2D. I might have to go down the same path I took with the Tilly seats.

So initially it appears that a WOT 8 is a very rare vehicle. Information from Bart Vanderveens Directory indicates only 2500 produced, and at this stage only one restored example mentioned on this forum. Surely there must be more than that still in existence.

[Mike Kelly]

Just in case you don't know, there is or was a WOT6 attending a few events in QLD years ago. Don't know what became of it but I think somebody in the MJCQ owned it.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Jack,
Further to my private message, here is the scan from the workshop manual showing the WOT8 GS in comparison to the WOT6 GS.

regards, Richard

[Dusonn]

Hi Jack,

congratulation to this acquisition. I only know of 3 WOT8 survivors including yours so far! One of them belongs to my friend in Czech Republic and it is in good running order. We think it was supplied by UNNRA to Czechoslovakia after the war. Many of these WOT8s were used by the Czechoslovak army in Great Britain during WWII and there are period pictures of them.

[mark gillatt]

Hi Jack
There is one more wot 8 near Newark UK, it is very complete with its rear body, fuel tank etc but was left outside for a long time so the cab as suffered quite badly. It is now in a shed and has been for quite some time now.
The owner will sell it and does not want a lot of money for it. If you are interested I can pass is number onto you.
mark.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

WOT8 in the UK, formerly owned by Andrew Morgan. Pictures courtesy of Les Freaty.



Quote from Andrew Morgan:

yup, it is the only one in the Uk, and the only ww2 british built 30cwt 4x4 truck. used to be mine, had hoped to use it to recreate this wartime shot...211 Fld Amb, Normandy

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8596...1011134301684/

[jack neville]

We have had some very strong winds in Geelong yesterday and the poor old WOT's roof decided to depart.
We didn't realize when we brought the truck home that the roof had virtually rusted off. Luckily we had a strap over the roof to hold the doors shut otherwise it would have become a 'frisbee' on the Princes Highway.
Anyway it opens up the top and reveals how the 'tropical roof' (?) is constructed on the 8's.
It will require considerable repair but the turret is redeemable. (I think). At least the timber will be ok.

[Haridimos]

Hi Jack, Do not be disappointed with these little mishaps. You have a long way to go!

So, this is a WOT 8 depicted in the picture..?
(Greek Army reserve soldiers in front of a Fordson, winter 1949)

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Haridimos

Hi Jack, Do not be disappointed with these little mishaps. You have a long way to go!

So, this is a WOT 8 depicted in the picture..?
(Greek Army reserve soldiers in front of a Fordson, winter 1949)

Attachment 101136

The WOT8 did not have a roof hatch (cupola), so it leads me to think this is a late build WOT6 ..... unless of course the cupola is a modification!

[jack neville]

A WOT 6 is my guess too Richard.
I’m not sure whether the WOT 6 had the vented roof either. I haven’t seen enough photos to determine any consistency there yet but I imagine putting a cupola in the vented roof might be difficult.
And was the vented roof a feature of other British vehicles?