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M4A1 Handcart


ChrisNZ
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I've always wanted a handcart, living in New Zealand has made that a difficult task as shipping one over would not have been cheap so when one showed up on a local auction site I had to have it, I will be restoring it to the best of my ability as I can afford.

 

Its dated 1940

 

Any reference photos of M4A1's would be appreciated.

 

The whole tongue and drawbar are home made so I'll be contacting Ed for replicas, lost of modern bolts where there shouldn't be, looks like someone did a half-arsed restoration job on it, I'll be getting some ribbed tyres but am in need of hub caps as I've been told no one makes a repro so if anyone has a spare set let me know, It also appears that I only have one set of the wheel retaining nuts so one side has the nut and the other has the threaded felt retainer assembly holding the wheel on.

 

here are a few reference snaps I took yesterday afternoon after collecting it from the shipping firm.

 

 

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craig johnson

Even with the missing parts it will be a really nice Cart when you are done. I might have a source for the nut you need.

 

Here are a couple photos I have.

 

M4A1

 

57323687_Jkvw2-L.jpg

 

 

M4A1

 

315474536_4b9Bb-L.jpg

 

M4A1

 

617385674_i2h2M-L.jpg

 

Im pretty sure the serial number is 1098 Dated 1939

 

384877710_ravLw-L.jpg

 

 

185369113_vdT3v-L.jpg

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Thanks Craig, you are a cart legend, now I need to find myself a 1917,

 

I'll pull the wheels apart tomorrow and take pictures of what parts are there, I'm going to visit some agricultural tyre sellers tomorrow to see if I can get a good ribbed tire, I've printed 90thidpg.us http://90thidpg.us/Equipment/Weapons/M3A4/Tires/index.html restoration info for reference.

 

Quick question on wheel colour, a lot of restored ones I've seen have OD rims, is this correct, mine are black and don't appear to have any other paint under the black, would black have been the original colour or would all of the original paint have worn off and been re painted at some stage.

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Johan Willaert

Nice project!

 

Do you have a copy of the parts list ( SNL ) ?

http://www.scribd.com/mobile/documents/729...c50gkczrmxaoxve

 

From what I see on the pictures I think the bracket with the tongue could be the original one, although mounted too far forward, probably because the tongue was cut.

 

I can send you a detailed drawing of the U-clip holding the tongue on the forward edge of the box

Just send me an email if you want that...

 

I have a friend who has mounted the firestone 400-12 tires from www.coker.com fitted to his cart and they are not bad... A bit expensive though...

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craig johnson

I think you should see some green paint when the tires are removed. Seem to remember not much paint left on my aluminum rims either

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Johan Willaert

Here is a picture of the alu cart in original condition in the new Bastogne Museum

Look at the tongue and how the originalpaint has worn off the alu parts...
IMO rims were painted OD too

post-92-0-10809800-1399537541.jpg

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craig johnson

Your 5 channels that are bolted on to the Cart body look to be replacements. Appears that they used the originals as patterns. There should be holes drilled in them for the 50 Cal and Mortar brackets. One of my channels has a piece mark B150991.

 

123463214_dtiEL-M.jpg

 

I looked at some more photos and I guess mine did have more green than I thought.

 

680965772_a7kTo-M.jpg

 

 

Rick Larson has a 1940 Dated M4A1, Robin B. has a 1939 Dated M4A1 and I have a 1938 dated M4 (it has 18" motorcycle wheels) Maybe Rick and Robin could take a look at their Carts and see what the Tongue material is made out of. Mine is aluminum so Im sure theirs are also. M3A4 Carts are made of steel.

 

36183250_6fDCG-L.jpg

 

 

The nut size you need for your axle is 3/4-24

 

I just wrote this girl to find out what size her nuts are. :rolleyes:

 

For the future her EBAY name is watertowngrl

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HARLEY-SIDECAR-WHE...r#ht_990wt_1335

 

 

 

 

Johan do you happen to know the data plate information on the Cart at the Bastogne Museum. I dont think you mind if I use the photo.

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craig johnson

More M4A1 Carts

 

img540-L.jpg

 

img541-L.jpg

 

img542-L.jpg

 

138916656_VgNT5-XL.jpg

 

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599139914_H4fis-XL.jpg

 

FM 23-55 BROWNING MACHINE GUN CALIBER 30 M1917

 

281933071_2LUZL-L-2.jpg

 

M3A4

 

5270241_4wGY9-O.jpg

 

10050197_Fazfx-O.jpg

 

Parts

 

5270228_6PNm2-L.jpg

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Thanks Craig, those are some great reference photos, i'm sure that all the channels are replacements, they appear to be cut from box sections of aluminium, the underside edge where they have been cut are rough, looks as if it was done with a hack saw, what is the length outside diameter and inside diameter of the tongue? I will see if I can source some aluminium tubing locally if I can, the other thing I may have trouble with is replicating the rivets, is there away of replicating the originals?

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Thats a nice cart you have there Robin, thanks for the reference picture.

 

Here are all the axle parts I have, a bit missing

 

IMG_3850.jpg

 

I've noticed that one of my wheels has a grease nipple, the other has a closed of nut.

 

IMG_3852.jpg

IMG_3851.jpg

 

Here's another photo of the data plate with the surface sanded, seems like most of the original pictures have it like this.

 

IMG_3854.jpg

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Johan Willaert
Johan do you happen to know the data plate information on the Cart at the Bastogne Museum. I dont think you mind if I use the photo.

 

IIRC it's a 1940 RIA... Will have to check...

 

Send me an email and I'll get you some high res pictures of that cart

 

Johan

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craig johnson

Chris

I'm sure there is somebody who sells the rivets somewhere, but I was getting tired of looking for them. Most rivet companies I contacted never replied or said they didn't have them. Decided to make my own. The rivets are strange. They are a flush rivet with a bucktail that has a rounded head. Looked in quit a few old aircraft books and was unable to find the name of the bucktail.

 

The diameter of the larger rivet is .330.

 

I have to replace a missing strap from the back of my Cart so I needed to make six rivets. Just finished them today.

 

123463189_b7kiS-M.jpg

 

Dec-2011-218-M.jpg

 

Dec-2011-221-M.jpg

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Excellent job Craig, can you please take a couple of photos once you have installed them, I was going to hit a couple of local places on friday to see what i could find.

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  • 1 month later...

All put back together, I am pleased with the result, all I need now is to track down or get some hubs made, if anyone has any for sale please let me know

 

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Johan Willaert

Looks great Chris.... What tyres did you use?

 

I have a spare hub cap, not for sale though, but maybe I could get it out and send you details, drawings and dimensions?

 

Johan

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Thanks Johan, the tyres are the ones it had when I bought it, the guy said they came from a nifty fifty, I took all the markings off them as they had made in Taiwan on them, I will replace them when I get a chance, I have some good photos of the hub cap I got from Craig's gallery, all I really need to know is the hight of the dome as I can get the rest of the measurements from the wheel, If you ever think of parting with your spare please let me know.

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