Ford G917T double cabin - case report

Achtung!! Achtung!!

      Well, Gents...This weekend was long in Brazil, because of Carnival ...I took advantage of the free time to tackle a project that has been tempting me for a long time since I found this photo on the Internet:

Notice the Ford G917 with double cabin, parking ...

      Why I like so much of the rare things?? I was only seeing this picture ...and the ideas began to simmer in my mind ...First of all, a drawing: I try to put this drawing in 1/35 scale: You can try to print and check the wheelbase measurement. Use the "real-size" print resolution.

Ford History:

      The history of the Ford Company is mixed with the history of the Automobile Industry. Henry Ford, with its capacity for innovation, had built an empire in the 30s, with manufacturing facilities in the United States (Dearborn MI), Britain (Dagenham), Canada (Windsor), Australia (Melboume), South Africa (Port Elizabeth), New Zealand (Lower Hutt), France (Poissy and Asnieres), Holland (Amsterdam), Belgium (Antwerp), Romania (Bucharest), Germany (Cologne) and Soviet Union (Gorki). Ford vehicles always have been characterized by the ruggedness and standardization, and the products from these various factories usually exchanged among themselves parts and technology.

Henry Ford

Poster from the British Ford, in the 30's

       With the advent of World War II, during the Nazi expansionism, the Germans used Ford vehicles and found Fords in almost all theaters of war, which greatly facilitated its maintenance and operation. The Mechanical Companies and soldiers were accustomed to models and mechanical peculiarities of these vehicles. An example is the use of vehicles manufactured by the Germans and captured in Belgium, Holland, France and those manufactured by allied Romania. The Russians not only used the Fords (known as GAZ), but the factory Gorki was nothing more than the old industrial plant that existed in Berlin-Plotzensee, in 1925-1931. The whole factory was sold and moved to Gorki, in the 30s.

Ford Koln pin

      In Germany, the Ford Motor Company AG was founded in Berlin in 1925, for the assembly of American products. In the 30's, as cited before, this plant was sold to the Russians and in 1931, the factory in Niehl-Cologne was inaugurated.

Ford Koln - 1931

      At the beginning, the Ford AG was building only the Ford AA Truck with parts produced in the United States. These trucks were more produced in  the GAZ factory in Gorki, Russia.

Ford AA truck, 1931 - Made in Germany

      In 1935 the Ford AG started producing products suited for the German market, with some independence of American headquarters. The first "Germans" models of trucks produced by the Ford AG were the Ford BB, 1.5 and 2.5 tonnes, produced from 1932 to 1939. These vehicles were extremely robust, with a 4-cylinder engine derived from the famous Ford Model T, with 52 hp.

A crashed Ford BB truck , 2.5 ton - 1937 - Still used byLuftwaffe, in 1940

Ford BB truck -1937. Notice the Ford v8-51 in the background

      The Ford BB truck was followed in the production line by the Commercial V8-51, from 1936. The v8-51 truck was more robust, with a great v8 engine with 85 hp, while keeping the same typical transverse leaf springs of Ford, in the front axle.

Ford v8-51 Commercial truck - Afrika Korps

Ford v8-51 truck with open cabin

      In 1939, the factory was renamed Ford Werke AG, with its production being completely diverted to the war effort. At this time, the standard truck was the Ford G917, 3 tons, v8 engine with 91 horsepower. It was produced until 1942.

Ford G917T  - Transporting fuel to Luftwaffe

 Ford G917 with gasogen device

Ford G917T stucked

Ford G917T truck

Ford G917T from Wermacht

      At the end of 1942, the G917 was succeeded by Ford V3000 also 3 tons but with a front suspension more robust and simpler fabrication. This model remained in production in the final period of the war and was the standard model of the postwar period.

Ford V3000S - early production . Notice the rounded front fenders

Ford V3000S - mid production . Notice the rounded cabin with flat front fenders

Ford V3000S - mid production truck restored

Ford V3000S - late production . Notice the wood cabin with flat front fenders

Specs:

Ford V3000S 4x2 - Standard version
Type	Medium 4x2 3 ton. truck
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1941 - 1945
Used by	Germany - all armed forces
Production history
Designed	1940 - USA
Produced	1941- German
Number built	+25.000
Specifications
Weight Weight load max	3310 Kg 5830 Kg
Length	6.390 mm
Width	front axle: 1650 mm rear axle; 1652 mm
Height (cab)	2.175 mm
Crew	driver
Engine	Ford V8-3,9 liter 95 HP - gasoline
Engine disp.	80.95mm x 95.25mm - 3922 cm3
Brakes	Oil hydraulic brakes in all wheels
Transmission	manual - 4 foward + 1 reverse
Suspensions Wheels Wheels size Tires Wheelbase Fuel tank	Front: half-spring long. Rear; half-spring long+auxiliary Disc wheels with flat base rim 20x6 (front and rear) 190x20 (front and rear) 4013mm 110 liters
Operational range	500 km
Speed max.	85 km/h

The kit project:
       After that, let's "cut" an ICM kit to make this project:

Ford G917T standard, from ICM

      Tally ho!!!

Cutting the rear  roof...

Surgery done...

The doors will be installed in place to give rigidity to the cabin ...

The profile in scale helps a lot ...

Squareness in the rear portion of the cabin

The rear panel is too narrow!!!!

Compare with the profile...

After surgery in the rear panel, testing the new roof...

Making the curves....The green material in the roof is dental acrylic...

Big girl...

Starting the sanding work...

The rain channel was made with Plastruct. Rear doors in plasticard

Well...almost ready for primer !!!

      After the work in the cabin in plastic, my friend Fabio cast one cabin in resin to me:

The cab in resin. Notice the details in plastic, from ICM kit...

The ICM Ford G917 chassi: very good stuff!!!!

The double bench of the  truck. Green parts are in resin...

The cab's interior painted and ready for assemble...

The truck in progress...the upper part of cargo bay will be eliminated...

Side view. I'm not exactly replicate the truck in photo, but something similar

Front view. The chassi is perfectly aligned...

       As I say before, I'll do something similar to the photo. The roof rack will make with a larger area

The cab rack: cooper wire and Plastruct

Rack in the top of the truck.
Notice the cargo bay trimmed with arcs for the canvas

Plastic details...Again, similar to the pic...

Toolbox, rack for jerrycan and other details...

Rear view...

Ready for painting;;;

Panzergray from Lifecolor...

Notice the metal reinforcement inside the cargo-bay (red arrow)
The reason is that we caught the model in this region.
The canvas will hide this reinforcement ...

Tarp time: tracing paper with white glue(PVA) plus water...

Starting the process...Brushing the glue+water solution in the paper...

applying the in the cargo-bay of the truck ...

almost dry...

Painting the canvas with Vallejo khaky

The colors are good...in my opinion...

       In Missing-Lynx, Javier de Luelmo suggests that the truck would be of Norwegian origin...and I agree with his opinion. About the long footboard linking the front fender to the rear, I opted to not do. This footboard was strange and illogical .... As my vehicle is not a reproduction and apparently, there was no standardization in these bodies (see the topic ML), my truck got this way ...

      Thanks to all colleagues who participated in the discussion, especially Romsits Adam and Javier de Luelmo.

      My truck will be from Sanitary Company, operating in the transport of medical supplies and drugs. Belonged to 163rd Infantry Division, 2nd Sanitary Company, in Norway, April -1941. The badge of 163rd ID is the "Trabender Elch" (Moose troting):

 Badge of 163rd ID is the "Trabender Elch" (Moose troting)

      The decals, after printed by my Laserjet Color...

Applying the white backgrounds decals with Future

and the decals with colors... rear view...

Ford G917T double cab
163rd Infantry Division, 2nd Sanitary Company
Norway, April - 1941

Tyres paited...

Next stage: weathering....

      Good morning...In my last post about this truck, Claus Nielsen ask to me: " How do you fit glass in the windows after painting?"

      Well, Claus...Typically, I use overhead transparencies for presentations. It is a very thin acetate ... I cut with scissors (very carefully) and set with PVA glue. In this particular case, I used the transparency of the kit. I refining the outline of acrylic with a scalpel (scraping), decreasing its outskirts ... When it fits perfectly, I glue the windshield with PVA glue. See the steps:

Scraping the edges of the transparency with the blade of the scalpel.
Angling the edges of the transparency...

In close-up. Notice the diagram....

Adapting the windshield in the cockpit.Notice the fitting of transparency:
the angle of the edges prevents the "dropping" of the glass for the inside of the cabin

"Sewing" the glass with PVA glue...

In place...  and the glue is drying ...

   Oops..I forgot the load on the cab roof: made ​​with styrofoam.

Sculpted styrofoam...

And with tarps painted and tied in place...

Hmmm... This volume in the cabin's top It was not the way I wanted ....

The ropes...

Rear view...

        Really I did not like the load on the top roof of the cabin. I will replace the styrofoam by Value Gear accessories.

New stuff in the cabin: Value Gear Details.

Much better. Notice the reinforcements in the cargo bed canvas...

      The Ford G917 double cab was done !!! Another oddball for my collection:

Ford G917T double cab from 163rd Infantry Division,

2nd Sanitary Company - Norway, April -1941

Ford G917T double cab from 163rd Infantry Division,

2nd Sanitary Company - Norway, April -1941

Ford G917T double cab with Kojak and

Rover, the dog.

Rover is a bit displayed lately ...

Ford G917T double cab from 163rd Infantry Division,

2nd Sanitary Company - Norway, April -1941

Bye for now, Lads !!