Blitzs

We discovered this abandoned Blitz on a private property and noticed that it had "Ford of Canada" on the body and a chev badge on the grill. the grill looked as though it was add on to protect the bottom of the radiator.
I used to call them chevy blitzes...looks like I was wrong.
It is fitted with a holden six and the rims look like they are from something else.

Blitzs ( or CMP Canadian Military Pattern) trucks were made by both General Motors and Ford during WW11. The end result looked much the same but each company used their own engines, transmissions and axles. It is possible this one is a "bitsa" made up from two or more different trucks. The Chev engine looks much the same as a Holden 6, is it definitely a Holden motor ?

She is a real bitza.

Wheels off something else.

If it has a 6 cylinder, most likely Chev. The cab is a Ford (interchangeable with Chev cabs, with a bodgie roof. The Ford grille is the woven wire and they have stolen a Chev grille, expanded wire, to probably give a bit of grass seed protection.

Other people can probably give more info.

Lang

thanks for the info, definitely has a red holden six fitted.

The yellow circle on the front tells me that its ex military .
You grabed it didnt you ? Otherwise it WILL become scrap if you leave it there .

Here is what your truck looked like new. Also the equivilent Ford. The trucks were built to the same British order by the Canadians and had the same basic design with many interchangeable parts but many technical differences.

Many Blitz were shipped complete from Canada but as Australian industry built capacity local components were found more and more including cabs, bodies, engines and numerous other parts.

Fords had a 85hp V8 while the Chevs had the 90hp 216 straight 6. Arguments continue to this day about which was best but there is no argument that the Chevs were much easier to work on and probably more reliable without the atrocious crab distributors and dual water pumps.

Chev had banjo axles Ford had split. The smooth Chev gearbox was superior from a driver's point of view to the clunky Ford in operation but probably no more reliable (neither gave much trouble) etc etc. The discs on the end of the axles are to put wire rope slings around to lift the trucks onto a ship etc.

The yellow circle was a bridge rating and had the number to the next highest ton of the loaded weight of the vehicle painted on it. All vehicles were supposed to carry this but you see photos of many without it. They were ALL military - no civilian Blitz was made but they all finished up in civilian hands.

Lang

...thanks for all the info Lang...very interesting stuff mate....cheers

I happen to have a maintenance manual for the canadian blitz ,if you want to know something.

Did anyone get some Photos of the Blitz Prime mover & Bogie Trailer (in really clean Unrestored Condition) , that was on Haulin' the Hume???

My dad drove blitz's in New Guinea and he always said the Chev was better just because there was more leg room in the cab next to the longer engine.
I've driven a Ford blitz but never a Chev, can anyone tell me how much difference there was?

Cheers Bruce.