Lohner Restoration

[12th Air Force]

Hello Brian,

my pleasure - I hope they might be a help. Otherwise is Stefan Legat in Austria the perfect source for spares and infos on those vehicles. He has minimum two customers with such vehicles (I have been in contact with him because one of them was for sale last year).

By the way - you do a great job with your friends. It's allways interesting to see the progress of your different projects on the pictures.

Greetings to downunder,

Joakim

[BrianT]

Well so much for my good intentions to keep this blog regularly updated.
The first news is the sad and sudden loss of another of our team, Peter Moritz, who among other things owned the unit that we work in. Peter is on the right of the team in front of the Pinzgauer earlier in the blog.We have been helping Jack's widow to dispose of his gear and finish the Model T. Peter has left a lot more for us to arrange -7 vehicles in all. This has delayed the work on the Lohner as you could expect.

Here is a photo of the completed Model T as served in the 1st Australian Light Car Patrol in Palestine and Syria 1917-18. It now participates in veteran's parades and displays.


Here are a few photos of progress on the Lohner.


A very messy and full workshop.

Motor on the way.

Chassis eagerly awaiting motor.

Motor in.


Scuttle on rotisserie.
Finally a video of the motor firing:
http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/Brian ... 4.mp4.html

Work done to date is all on Dodge components - the Lohner bits come later:
Diffs and axles rebuilt
Brake and fuel lines run
Transmission rebuilt-new main shaft and gears (the latter recovered from Ford Blitz transmission - they have the same Borg Warner internals as the Dodge)
Transfer Case rebuilt
Steering Box cleaned and reassembled
Radiator stripped, rodded and re-assembled, only to find the core badly cracked after the clean - commercial re-core- very expensive!
Working on the fuel tank and will spray remainder of power train this Wednesday prior to installing.

Finally, a wishful owner!


Cheers,

[Gordon_M]

Sorry to hear about Peter, it's been a rough year for you.

[12th Air Force]

Hello Brian,
great projects - but sad to read that Peter has passed away!
- To see it that way: it's good to read that you support his widow and that you finish his projects and proceed with the thing's he started. That's what real friends are for!
So keep us updated and hopefully with better news,

Joakim

PS: The T is a great thing. Never seen that version up to now.
PPS: You have the same blue&orange pallet-rack that we now use in our new Garage.

[Blacktom]

Hello Brian,

Camo has got a Lohner Dodge for sale at the moment. On two pictures You can see the Rifle Racks. Take a Look!

http://www.camo.co.at/showimage.aspx?Ty ... ARTID=4107


Greetings Tom

[BrianT]

Thanks Tom, photos have a couple of details that I was missing.

Cheers

[12th Air Force]

Hello Lohner-Body friends,

a picture of a nice one from Austria can be found here:

http://www.pbase.com/erichmangl/image/143731657

Keep 'em Rolling,

Joakim

[BrianT]

Hi Joakim, thanks for that. I already have that one but always on the lookout for Lohner news. Please keep them coming.
Last update before Christmas and New Year - where did the year go?
Power train is complete. Couple of questions will only be resolved when we test run it.(What will fall off!)







Fuel lines finally terminated.
Fuel tank opened up, cleaned, panel beaten and resealed - no leaks!
Door sill brackets made and installed on scuttle. Door sill still to be fabricated.
And finally, getting to work on the Lohner components. Stripping and prepping the radio cab body for serious work whilst the weather is dry but not too hot. Aim to be working on it next winter.



Major tasks for next few months - wiring and panel work on the scuttle.

I would like to thank my technical advisor Hans from Linz in Austria and all members who have provided answers to my sometimes very dumb questions during the year. Your input is appreciated.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a less rusty 2015!

Cheers

[12th Air Force]

Congratulations Brian!
Great job that you do "down under" - allway's impressive to see how this XL puzzle comes back to life.
- I liked esp. the video on firing up that old beast.

Have a relaxed and peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year,

Joakim

[BrianT]

Hi guys, thought it was about time to update on progress.
First, in January had an ambulance ride to hospital, another artery blockage - 13 stents now. That put activity on hold for a bit!
Second, I posted on another topic the finalised layout of the vehicle's dashboard from the research I had done. I thought I should just include the results in this topic.



We have been working on a range of items:
Panel beating the scuttle (or driver's cab)

Stripping the radio cab to get it indoors with as little muck before the rains start.


This entailed a bit of creativity in the absence of serious lifting aids and the chassis' first journey to clear a path.

Perentie, dodgy trolleys and too many Chiefs and not enough Indians!

Structural milk crates

The closest the components have been together for a couple of years

Cleared innards



Cheers,

[Blacktom]

Hey Brian!

It seems that there is a great team at work down under !


Greetings

Tom

[BrianT]

Well, it's only 3 months since the last update.
Work being done:
Wiring completed on the scuttle
Removing the endless layers of paint on the radio cabin
Rust cut out of the same
Removing paint and sanding the Masonite lining of the radio cabin

Yesterday was a red letter day as we mounted the scuttle on to the chassis and assembled the radiator housing and guards (what a jigsaw!)

All the while working on a range of other vehicles with issues!

Some Photos:




















Quality of some of the photos is not brilliant, poor light, forgotten camera, very ordinary phone camera, ???operator!

It's actually starting to look like a Dodge, if not quite a Lohner Dodge yet.

Cheers

[12th Air Force]

Hi Brian,

it seem's that the "final mile" of your Lohner project is coming closer?

It's great to see your progress and the nice results.

Have a relaxed weekend,

Joakim

[BrianT]

Another long delay in posting an update.
Thanks to everyone who has responded to my requests for help on the myriad of items during this restoration. A lot of work has been done but often it doesn't seem evident in the progress of the truck as bits go on for fitting and are then removed for panel beating/paint/wiring etc.

As usual there has been a stream of other vehicles through the workshop to divert our attention.

Progress is best shown in photos.

A wishful owner - will it ever get finished?


Some sheet metal being processed


Hood painted


Taking flight


Much work required on the Front fenders particularly in the usually rusted out rear reinforcement


Fitting Front Fenders


Instrument Panel still missing Data Plates. We have to fabricate and weld front pillars outside of the normal windscreen frame to support the driver's cab roof.


Emergency Brake to be adjusted and floor panels inserted.


LHS of motor with remote Brake M/C Reservoir. I have gone with an alternator rather than a generator as I have not been able to source one in Australia. Will wait until one turns up.


RHS of motor.


Stripped down internals LHS


Stripped internals RHS. The floor is about to be assembled. Just needing to recess the Rear Body Mounting Washers into the timber.

Big paint run this week will see the Front fenders, Running Boards, Rear Cab Floor hardware and a large range of other parts turn Olive Brown.

[Phil H]

Great work on a rare truck, keep the pictures coming.