Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car U.S Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi Sly

Thanks for the link. There are some fantastic restorations there and that is a lovely M20.

So the circuit breakers are an orange/red colour with a white centre?

[Big D]

Hi all,

I’ve been doing some work on the turret seating frame on the M8. My one is the one in red oxide primer and as you can see it is quite twisted and knocked around so I am working on straightening it all out.

I don’t have the cast ‘U’ shaped mount at the front of the frame that bolts to the turret top, so I am hoping that I can pick up this part at some point.

I've seen some variations on this front mount. As per the pictures, some seem to have a straight piece of tube from the cover over the firing pedals to the point where it meets the cast mount; others seem to have that tube made up of several pieces before it joins with the cast mount.

Can anyone give me the length of the tube where it meets this cast U shaped mount piece, along with the overall length of the tube and the cast mount please? I'll look to at least tidy this tube up while I hunt around for the rest of the mount.

[sly22]

Hi


I can give you far, can you show me a picture on the length you want.

Personally I advise you to wait until the floor of the M8 is done. it goes to a few millimeters from the bottom of the vehicle and if it's not good and it's going to rub squeezed redone.

moreover, all the M8 does not have the same height floor so it's not sure my basket go in yours, for example.

[Big D]

Hi Sly,

On reflection, yes, you make a good point and I will wait until the floor is done. The hull is being moved into the workshop next month to get set up for the welding together, so the floor replacement is still some time away.

In the meantime,if on the remote chance you happen to see that mount in your travels in Europe, can you keep me in mind please?

[sly22]

Okay

I am going to watch . I see other photos on other pieces.

you can take pictures of all the songs you have to do it again ?

[dgrev]

I think Sly is using an online translator (like I have to do for French and German). They aren't by any means perfect.

I sometimes back check, by getting the resultant French or German and then running that back through
to see what comes out in English. Sometimes it makes sense, often it is worse than a Dr Seuss book.

I wonder what "songs" really means - "parts" perhaps?

Regards
Doug

Okay

I am going to watch . I see other photos on other pieces.

you can take pictures of all the songs you have to do it again ?

[Fabrizio]

Hi, I think "songs" was "morceaux", which would be "bits"

Sly, "song" is "chansons".

Regards,
Fabrizio

[sly22]

ah ah merci

faut croire que le traducteur automatique ne comprend rien à la mécanique ... lol

Okay

I am going to watch . I see other photos on other pieces.

you can take pictures of all the parts you have to do it again ?

[Big D]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies, although I am not sure what to make of that! Sly - what did you want to see?

I've done a few small jobs to keep me busy while I wait for work on the hull. Not my greatest effort on the steering wheel but it will do.

[sly22]

Hi

I wanted to see the pictures in different pieces of your turret basket .

and I will explain how to do it again.

you have the pieces that hold the seats.


very nice parts.

[flakrabbit]

Hi Darryl

Looks like a fun project.

Thanks
Steve

[Big D]

Hi Steve,

Yes, a fun project alright. Like a big jigsaw puzzle, albeit with some of the pieces being a bit battered!

Hi Sly and others - here are the turret seats. I started stripping them down yesterday. They are not in too bad a shape. Both will need a new piece of box channel cut for the back and new rollers on the seats. There is enough left of the mount at the bottom for a template to make two new ones up. I’ve ordered some new springs from Brent Mullins and I’ll make up some retainers for the bottom to hold the springs in.

How does the locking piece on the seat work to lock the seat at a certain height? There must be a pin that goes through the square cutout in the channel and I’m thinking there is a lever underneath the seat to activate this.

Sly/Doug – do you or anyone else have a picture of this locking arrangement on yours please?

[sly22]

Hi

you have most of the pieces to redo pretty .

1 : make the floor of the M8
2nd : measure the height available .
3rd : make the seat supports to the right length . they may have been wrapped for an armored floor.
4th : ask the turret on a support and fix the seat supports .
5th: fix the front support
6th to the horizontal tubes shook the angle defined by the fund.
7th connecting the front support and the horizontal tubes . calles feet fix the front plate and the rest .

do you have a Facebook account ?

[Big D]

Thanks Sly. That makes sense.

I don't use Facebook, sorry.

[sly22]

it's willy's job ...