This Ford Blitz crane was purchased by my Dad some time in the 2000’s (can’t remember what year exactly) from a fellow grape grower in Cardross. The previous owner had supposedly rebuilt the motor a few years before, then only used it for another season or two before retiring it (parking it under a big tree).
It had been used to load wine bins onto semi’s during harvest.
My Dad heard about the crane and was really only interested in it for the rebuilt flathead ford V8 in it, with the view of putting it in his 35 Ford sedan that is still waiting restoration........ But after having a drive and a play we realised it’s actually a pretty handy thing to have and it has certainly grown on us.
The V8 is healthy and provides plenty of power and the cable operated crane is in good order and has been used plenty of times. Most recently it was used to load our WWII flathead powered power unit onto the 52 Ford truck for the local inaugural TRACS show in Mildura.
Previous to its life in the Sunraysia region, this crane (obviously) came from Adelaide as the "Churchill’s of Parafield" signage on the crane indicates.
A search for this business name has resulted in no information so if there is anybody out there that can shed some light on the business that would be greatly appreciated.
The truck has 70’s era Victorian plates on it still, as well as its earlier and original 6 digit South Australian plate on the front.
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HiPo63
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Fordblitz
Rusty, your blitz overhead crane conversion was carried out by Adelaide engineering company Fewings of Findon circa 1950. A number of identical survivors exist today in SA and VIC and further examples are seen in old photographs dating back to the 1950's. I have a lot of information on these vehicles which may be of interest so I shall try to contact you through this site. Cheers, Tony.
mambo111
Rusty by name, and rusty blitz. Keep it original rusty it will be mooore valuable. Have fun ....Steve
Rusty54
Thanks for the comment Mabo. If we were going to start restoring or fixing the Blitz I don't know where we'd start??
Better to leave it how it is i think, maybe replace that cracked windscreen someday and fit a passenger seat, bit rough riding on the sheet floor.......
mambo111
Rusty My dad had a blitz in the back yard years ago, if I remember had a chev 6...The More things change the more they stay the same. Modern cars same body mixed mechanicals. Those old side valve v8,s had a lot of grunt for there time. Hard job if you have to do a valve job.should have fun with it.....Steve.PS if you have to make some panels, You can just cut them out of flat steel.