P Marriott

Home at last!!! Well done Tony,another fine vehicle added to the collection. You just need the 40ft trailer now!

Hi there PM me your email address and I will sort it out for you atthe weekend Regards Paul

Excellant work there good to see another nut and bolt restoration. I must really pull my finger out and get the Chevy M6 done and if NOS gets his finished that would be three Chevy's on the circuit in Suffolk. Keep up the good work.

You say 100 is for sergaent. Well I guess I had better get the beers in!!

Looking good as usual Howard. Excellant work and will make a welcome addition to the show circuit, especially when it's raining and you have the kettle on!!! Keep up the good work!

Check out this advert for fabricated 270 exhaust manifold, rather than a cast one. http://www.milweb.net/dealers/trader/dave_roe_halftrack_parts/

Well done Howard another very sexy GMC. Far better with a hard cab, don't worry about getting too hot in the cab we never have much of a summer anyway! Does this now mean the living trailer will be fiited out ready for next years show season???

Have you checked the fuel pump diaphragm ?? Maybe you still have the original one rather than one that is compatible with modern fuels. Also try putting decent petrol, i.e Shell, in rather than supermarket rubbish. I ran my Dodge WC-51 the 90+ miles to W&P on Shell no problems. Filled up with Co-op fuel for the return trip, got almost home and stuck in town traffic and the engine started to cough and splutter badly. I managed to get home just as the engine died on the drive and would not re-start. Left it to cool down for a couple of hours and started fine. I then went straight out and filled up with Shell, no problems since!!

Hi Howard Work is just pilling up at the moment!! So you took the plunge, great looking trailer. Is this to be a luxury camping trailer? Cheers Paul

Yes it certainly is a nice project and as for the workshop it is very well equipped and plenty of space, unfortunately it isn't mine it's Howards!!! Hence the reason the M6 is here and not at mine. I only have a large double garage which is already filled with a Clark tractor in bits, a Hercules WXLC-3 engine in bits, two Cletrac tracks and the wifes new kitchen awaiting fitting!! So what did we find on stripdown, well all transfer case oil seals need replacing as do the axle ones and the shaft hub seals. The steering box will get stripped down and rebuilt as will the gearbox as the selector rails were seized when purchased. I have since freed these off to confirm all gears are there and working, interestingly the gearbox has had a small compressor mounted where the PTO drive would be, a useful addition which will stay. New rear engine mounting rubbers will be needed as these are missing, the front engine mount is in good shape through. The steel brake pipes appear to be in good shape and should be reusable after cleaning. The main item requiring attention on the chassis is the rear end as it is missing. As this truck was used as a breakdown truck postwar it was at sometime modified and the rear tow pintle mount was cut out. Someone has tried to rebuild it using RSJ and sheet steel, however it is not correct and would buckle if I was to tow the M5 trailer. So this will be another job for Adrian to fabricate the new section and probably rivet it in for me. This is what should be at the rear end. Over the weekend I did manage to stripdown the windscreen frame and break out the old glass which had badly delaminated. All the nuts and bolts were seized and sheared off, so will need to be replaced. The glass was propably the original and Motor Products Coporation could still be made out on the sealing strip. Now I have a windscreen frame in component form!!

Looking good Howard. I see you have opted for quality flexiable hosing, it looks familiar!!! Regards Paul

Some of you may remember that this time last year I was offered a friends M6 bomb service truck and M5 tri-cycle bomb trailer, money changed hands and the deal was done. I was very pleased to say the least with my purchase if only the wife felt the same. She thought she was getting a new kitchen!! Below is a picture of the M6 as purchased after removing all the covers and it seeing the light of day for the first time in six years. If anyone wonders no I haven't aged in the last year the bloke is David Tuthill who I bought it off. Since purchasing the project I have been busy collecting the missing parts that are needed for the vehicle. All the brake cylinders and master cylinder have been resleeved in stainless and rebuilt by Past Parts of Bury. I have stripped down the series one hydrovac which is ready for rebuild once Rex finds the small stop pin that is missing, Rex had the required piston seals for the series one hydrovac on the shelf! NOS side door straps were purchased, along with a few bargain eBay purchases such as NOS dash mounted load controller for £5. Adrian Barrell very kindly found a NOS fuel pump rebuild kit and governer, neither of which had even been opened until I got my grubby mits on them. Well the time finally arrived last Wednesday to transport the M6 from storage at Debach airfield and transport it to Howards, at Great Finborough to begin the epic restoration. Howard was right on time arriving bang on 8AM, we collectted the trailer on loan courtesy of Richard Taylor. We deceided to remove the rear bomb crane in the interest of saving weight and loaded the M6 ready for the short journey, Howard used every ratchet strap he could find determined to ensure the load arrived safely! Here it is in the lean to ready to comemnce stripdown. First things first we had a nice cake and a cup of coffee!! Next off with all the front end sheet metal, which is all in quite good condition, it also has the correct lights, front grill and horn (mounted on the fender as with all M6's). Interesttingly all the sheet metal was held on with M8 nuts and bolts!! We decided that we had better run the engine and make a decision on what to do with it as it has a frost crack in the block that has been badly welded and still weeps slightly. Once fuel was up a few cup fulls down the carb and away she went. The engine is a 1940's Chevy 235, but not the correct military contract BV1001 engine. I was fortunate enough to purchase two other 235's from eBay last year one of which is also frost cracked but the other is supposed to be a good runing 235 with full pressure oiling rather than splash fed oilling used on early 235's. These engines are currently at Adrians awaiting the move to Howards. Thanks Adrian!!! Next the rear bed was removed and then the cab. The wood on the rear bed will be replaced with oak or ash and painted OD, the current wood is mahogany and straight cut rather than tongue and grooved. I am lucky that I was given an original plank off an M6 so can get the new wood machined as per the original plank. The cab is OK condition but has rot at the base of the scuttle and also at the rear of the floor pan. It also looks as though the floor pan may have been replaced at sometime, due to the excessive welding, will know more after blasting. Not bad progress for day one! A couple of weeks ago when Clive and Tony were over at Jaaps yard they very kindly brought home for me a chassis mounted fuel tank for the M6 (different to a standard Chevy). I was very pleased with it as it had the original mounting frame and straps still on it, along with a fuel sender! It fits perfectly on the chassis with all bolt holes lining up, what a result! Next I removed all brake lines, shock absorbers, wiring, rear lights and various other bits and bobs. Next the gearbox was dropped and then the engine removed. A few more odds and sods were removed and the chassis was bare! Two days of good work and the chassis and axles are ready for blasting and paint. Over to you Howard!

Cheers Tony Just had an email back form Jaap he has them at 50 Euros each. So I have put my name on one as well as a fueltank for the Chevy M6!!

Hi Matt Cletrac hose by any chance??? How long is the hose length you require?? I use Wlaker rubber just up the road from me and could easily get you a price if needed and then stick it in the post. Just let me know. Cheers Paul

You could well be right Tony. As I can never make a decision I better start looking for a YES, NO, MAYBE switch!!

Hi all I am in need of a Warner electric brake switch for my M5 bomb trailer. These switches were used on any elctrically braked trailer, such as the bomb trailers, directors trailer etc... If anyone has one let me know how much you want for it. Here is a picture of the part I need. Warner brakes part number 4704. Before any smart a%$e says why do I need one when I have just posted a picture of one, well I have borrowed/stolen it off Clives directors trailer!!! Cheers Paul

Very sorry to hear the news that another warbird, especially a heavy bomber, has been lost. At least on a positive point it did make a sucessfull emergency landing and all onboard where able to walk away. We can only imagine how the Liberty Foundation must be feeling and I for one spent much of lastnight, thinking how very privaliged I was to fly in her back in 2008 over Suffolk and wondering how I can pay them back for that once in a lifetime flight. Perhaps once the dust has settled and the Liberty Foundation has made a decision on whether to rebuild or not then I for one will be making a donation towards there cause.

Hi Howard You certainly don't hang around!! All looking good, as usual. Will be interesting to see how you get on with getting the paint matched, as that is the same colour I plan for you to use on the Chevy. Yet to find any spare time to start stripping the Chevy, but hopefully the end of this week should see a start made. Keep up the good work. Cheers Paul

Hi Jimmy Was planning on leaving Sunday sometime from Ipswich so depending on what sort of time you were thinking of leaving I could easily meet up at the top of the A12. Sally and William will be in the car, unless they have gone down earlier. The last two years I have taken the Dodge down on my own, but obviously there is safety in numbers! Cheers Paul

By the end of the year fuel will be the most exspensive item!

Taking my Dodge out after the winter lay up, I also have a slightly spongey brake pedal !! No obivious leaks but am intending to further investigate next week. I am guessing leaky master cylinder, as the wheel cylinders where checked a couple of years ago and were fine. Where did you get your new master cylinder and seal kits ??? I have recently had the Chevy M6 wheel and master cylinder lined in stainless by Past Parts and may go down this route with the Dodge if there is signs of corrosion. Good luck on sorting the brakes!!

Congratulations Matt, you beat me to it!!! No surprise there as my enigine is in bits!! It would be great if there was a chance of a video being posted on youtube??? Don't ask me how to do it. I have just received, today, two of the starter switches. I have however beaten you to a rear mounted compressor! Just had a PM to say it is in the country ready for collection!! Will post some pics when I get it. The next one I find is yours!

Hey Clive Isn't that exactly what Steve, Kevin and myself suggestted two years ago!!!!

That is an amazing process Adrian. I see what you mean about using the copper as a sort of mould!! Your just too damn clever!! I guess this means I can pick the hoops up next Thursday or Friday?? I had better find some other items to repro that may tax your ability!!

My parts book is currently on loan to Bill Kemball to help his restoration so I can not get the Stewart Warner part number at this moment in time. Hopefully next week I will be able to get over to Bill's and retrieve the parts manual. The case on mine is shot but the internal guts are all working even though most of the numbers have come off. I'll dig it out and send you a few photo's, I seem to remember it only had under 1000 miles on it. Probably most of them were from civillian use on the farm until the track broke!