Alberta Land Rover Enthusiasts Club Forum
General => Non Technical Discussion => Topic started by: jybella on November 27, 2016, 07:15 PM
I thought I would post my long running project here, winter is long and perhaps others would find it interesting not LR, but certainly military.
I have been working on the project for a couple of winters now, I bought a parts truck a couple of years ago and finally brought it in and decide to see if I could get it started.
Here was the result today.
The truck was sitting for 30 plus years. It was modified to be a tow truck.
https://youtu.be/lD6AKC6ghD0
Cool. The CMP is about as simple as they come. Hope you do a nice resto on it.
GREAT JOB JIM!!!!!! Nothing like hearing a bit of history roaring to life ;)
Please keep the updates coming!!!!!!!
Looks like a great project. Keep the posts coming, it'll be nice to see this one come together!
If I recall, this one has no synchro on any gears? Double clutching all of them? There was a fellow on this forum from Wainwright who was chasing a CMP project also.
I don't remember what exactly it was but here was an old WW11 army truck outside the Museum in Norman Wells. May have been there since the canol road days :D
Very cool project. I think all of us on here would be interested in following this restoration.
This was the first truck i bought, I went all the way to Port Coquitlam for it. It was somewhat complete the previous owner had done a lot of work to it. The motor looked to be in good shape with a rebuild tag from 1942. It had new tires and the cab looked fair. That's Mount Robson in the background on the second pic.
what kind of axles are they using....1 ton or greater? ???
The axels are huge. Probably equivalent to a 5 ton truck now, it was rated as a 1500wt which would be 3/4 ton.
Last winter i took the cab off off the tow truck one, and brought it in, it was amazliy original. Lots of little pieces in the proper spots. I disassembled the first cab and blasted and painted it and the started the reassembly of the cab using the best parts from both.
More progress of the cab.
There are just so many things I could say about these in relation to Land Rovers, but I will leave that alone. Kudos, and how-about that: it started after 30 years!
You must have a lot in common with a friend of mine who just bought a 1952 GMC grain truck to convert into a truck and homemade camper - like your's it is a "1500" but could probably support a train-car.
Anyone struck by the resemblance in that last picture to Darth Vader's helmut?? ;D
Regardless, when this thing is rolling, I wouldn't want to meet it on a dark road!
These trucks had a lot of different configurations for the war, from tow trucks, cargo, water trucks, to machinery trucks and everything in between. This one was a MACH designation which would mean it would have a welder on the deck. The welders were interesting they were a Lincoln welder powered by a Ford Flathead V8. I managed to find a replacement that was a used to defrost frozen underground pipes, it is a big DC generator powered by a Ford V8 flathead not quite the same but will make a good copy.
Great follow up pics Jim!!!!
Here's a couple more. Small scale not mine but an amazing model.
I wonder how well the grill guard worked? I've seen that style on some of the older LR in the Outback of Australia. I guess the idea is if anything big enough hits it, the spring will flex then straighten back, pushing the deer (or kangaroo as the case may be), away from the front end. I'd like to see a demonstration before I build one for the front of my Defender. ;D
Yeah, that would be a "Roo Bar" back in Auzzieland. Very common, but I don't think all that functional.
I thought I would include a couple of pics of the unit that will be used as a replacement for the original welder that would be mounted on the deck. It is powered by another Flathead, so the truck will have dual V8 Flatheads!!
wow....great job keeping this old stuff alive ;)
When I was welding on barges in Churchill, the other welders always saved the big old welder for gouging. They figured the older machines were built tough and could stand up to hard use. It burned a lot of gas but you couldn't kill it. They preferred to newer machines for welding as had a smoother arc.
Before trying to start the motor I thought it would be a good idea to drop the oil pan and inspect the bottom end. These motors never ran a remote oil filter, just a course screen on the pump, i dropped the pan and there was a good 3/8" of sludge on the bottom of the pan. To drop the pan i had to remove the exhaust, of course the studs on the manifold were seized, so the i had to remove the manifolds from the block, the one came off in two pieces. Lucky the guys at the radiator shop blazed it back togeather which is a lost skill now. I will add a muffler to the exhaust so it does not sound like a rat rod to move it around, that's tomorrows project.
;D
Worked on the spare truck this weekend, I really wanted to get this unit running under its own power so I can move it around. The motor had zero compression on 2 cylinders with stuck valves, managed to get the valves unstuck and the motor was running amazingly smooth.
Also found a interesting tag on the motor, it had gone thru the RCEME shops in 1953. The other chassis has a Ford rebuild tag from 1943 on its motor.
Now that it can move under its own power I can get the deck off of it and move forward with getting the truck together.
https://youtu.be/5XYaeiizQZ4
Yup, this is worth watching ;D
Progress.
I wanted to get the truck deck sandblasted and painted however the original deck was modified by the PO for the tow truck rigging. They had cut the wheelwell and lowered them down for a flat deck. They really did not waste anything as they used the original wheelwell material, this gave me an original pattern to work from.
I cut the wheelwell out from the deck and then took them to make a new ones. This weekends job is to weld them in.
I also took a compression test on the motor I am planning on using. It was pretty consistent so I was very happy with the results.
I like the temporary drivers seat 8)
This is great fun to read there Jim! keep it coming ;)
Progress
New tool boxes, was able to use the original as a pattern. The new ones have a bottom!!!
Progress pictures
Set the cab on the frame over xmas, now all the small details.
Great Job Jim!!!!
Far too much progress going on here. Are you not aware that you are just supposed to bring it inside, take it to bits and let it mature for at least three years?
Seriously though, you are making remarkable progress. Well done, it's looking great!
A couple more pics of the dash, I redid the speedo unit a while back, now installed.
Holy canoli there Jim.....you're going to have that thing done in another two weeks ahhahahah Great Job!!!!
That is one very cool old instrument panel
Progress, slow but progress!!
Changed direction on the box portion of the truck I will be completing it as a general service truck with the regular cargo box.
Like this.
Transferred all the original configuration intake, generator and fan assemblies from the original motor to the motor that i will be using. This motor has a 1943 rebuild tag on it.
Majority of pieces are sandblasted and painted now.
This weekends goal is to get it mobile again and get the cab and chassis to the painter for touch ups and then final assembly right after.
Jim
what a treat to see...... ;)
Engine running today, you tube link.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MQymWPg1nG0
Jim
wow.....smooooooth. Looking forward to seeing this in real life some day Jim!! ;D
Getting closer
Everything painted
Final assesembly, mounted tool box and tire carrier. Need to get some custom pieces made up, coming along!!
WOW...so much accomplished in such a short time! WELL DONE!!!!! ;D
Thought I would update my project.
Participated in the St Albert Rememerence day ceremonies on Saturday.
Very nice!
Very nice indeed!
Wow! Looks fantastic!
That project really turned out looking great. Well done!