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Hello guys;

My name is davy; i live in belgium and i recently bought myself a WC-51 '43...which was a dream coming true

Since i am completly new to restoring the WC-51 im looking for as much info as i can get ....

some history of the dodge :

VIN : 81779000

went to france army after the war (southern france more precise)

still need to get my build card from the dodge museum....


What has already been done by previoous owner :

-new main brakecilinder
-new brakelines
-new brakecilinders
-chassis sandblasted + painted +anti rust treathment
-complete drivetrain had an overhaul

engine runs great !
12V electrical system

Here are some pics of it :












So what do you guys think of it ?
Should you guys spot things on the photo's wich aren't original;let me know

i believe the gauges and carburator aren't original...seats ???

The first things i am gonna do is search a solution for this :

It seems this is a common problem with these dodges...anybody got suggestions ?
I was thinking of welding a new one in place from a scrap chassis

second thing wil be a new fueltank...since the tank is missing

thanks in advance guys

Looking very nice! Welcome to the wonderful world of owning a Dodge WC51.

"VIN : 81779000" . That is probably a VERY late model. VIN no: 81777902 is a WC51 that was built on June 1 1945

The build card will give you the right information.

Goran N

Congratulations! Looks like you have a great project there.

Hello to Belgium and welcome here from my side.

Your crossmember of the frame is very typical - due to the fact that it is a closed profile without any ventilation holes. - A simple construction error that causes a lot of fun after 65 years or more...

Its hard to access the crossmember with the backbody in place - but you can be lucky that you have a Dodge with only two of those closed corrosion targets (Land Rovers have a complete boxed frame with this problem!).

If the bottom of the crossmember looks like that you will have similar problems at the outer end of the profile, where it meets the railside of the frame. So the ends need additional work in most cases.

From my point of view you have two options: try to take out the bottom panel of the profile only in "slight cases" of corrosion the easy way to fix it...
...or the complete crossmember if the ends are badly rotten too (I would bet a beer on it that they are).
Case "a" is quite easy and similar to "b": B should be used only if the ends are badly damaged too and if you have lifted off the backbody for better access to the frame.

Try then to get the crossmember section out in one piece as good as you can and try to recycle it: cut of the heads of the bolts, drill out the center of the bolt pins and then take of the rotten bottom part and sandblast the remaining profile part. Afterwards cut out of sheet metal - about 1,2 - 1,6 mm thick -in a long stripe and bend it with welding clamps and support of a light hammer over the old profile.
Then you can fix it with screws instead of bolts or via Mig/Mag welding in place.
Then replace the left and right outer ends of the profile that are mostly missing because of corrosion damage.
Then fix the repaired crossmember back to it's original place and fix it there via screws or welding.

Afterwards drill on the deepest points large ventilation holes and spray anti corrosive paint via compressor and a spraygun as used for injection of wax into door sills into the profile. Let the paint that is too much drop out of it some days and inject after some weeks a anti corrosive wax into it.
-Sounds easy - but you will hate it to work "over your head" - I'll promise!

Joakim

For offers for a new fuel tank you can contact the following dealers (compare prices!!!):

http://www.armyparts.nl

http://www.milweb.net/go/rietveld/

http://www.jeepest.com

http://www.wildenbergparts.nl/dodge

http://www.willys.cc/ms/kata.htm

Hey guys;

thx a lot for all the response !

@ Goran : the carte de gris (french registration) says it's from '43...but then again papers can say what they want ... im gonna try to retrieve the buildcard annyway

@Joakim : Thanks for the tip... i had something in mind like you suggested...will remove the back cab in a few weeks and give it a closer inspection

keep you updated guys...

greetz,
Davy

hey guys,

Thanks for all the repliies

@ Goran : the "carte de gris" (french papers) say it's from '43...but hey papers can say what they want
gonna try to retrieve the buildcard anyway

@ Joakim : thanks for the tips !...i am thinking in that direction also...gonna remove the backcab in a few days and see what the status is....

keep you guys updated

greetz,
Davy

looks like an early june of 45 production truck

Congratulations on your new vehicle and welcome to the board.


Looks like you got some work ahead. Are you skilled in this? If not you will be! (my story ).

Johan

Well, all the mechanical and electrical stuff shouldn't be a problem

i'm only not good at welding etc... ... but we will fix her up

greetz,

It is a late truck but with a lot of early features. Mine was just the reverse, It was titled and bought as a 45 WC-52 with all of the correct late equipment. It was a French vet, rebuilt in the 60's and bought by Sarafan and brought back home. Boy was I surprised when I received the build card and it really was a 43 Here is a link to my 45 restoration. It has got a lot of information.
http://s1106.photobucket.com/albums/h372/rgus48/WC-52/

Well i was a bit dissapointed to hear it was a "late" 45' build...really was looking for an earlier one which had more "war" time

But hey...she is in good condition and we will make her look more "wartime"

is see that a lot of WC's have does 2 vertical lines in the front of the cornerbeds...do they all have that ? mine definetly doesn't have does


nice truck by the way

greetz,
davy

Hi Davy,

Yes, my Dodge have the pressings as well.

I too thought that I bought an earlier WC51 than I actually did. I looked at the rear bed, when I was at the auction where I bought it, and it came all the way to the spare tire, and thus was a mid war body. Turns out after I bought it that the Norwegian army had added a piece to the body so they could mount an extra antennae holder on the left side beside the driver. My WC51 had two separate antennae holders, one MP 48 and one field made, so my Dodge was definitely used as a radio truck. It was also 12 volt.

My 1943-ish Dodge WC51 turned out to be a 12 February 1945 one. My Dodge may however appear in a famous photograph of a WC51 ambulance, crossing the Siegfried Line in Germany during the spring of 1945. My frame number corresponds with the hood number (2255904) of that Dodge. I still haven't found definite proof that my Dodge in fact had that hood number, but it would be great if it was.


Good luck,

Goran N

Hey Goran;

So the pressings are standard on every backcab? if yes, well than mine had some serious fix up,because i don't have em.

I may be asking a lot of question;but im gonna dissasemble the back in a few weeks and bring them to someone who can fix it back to original;so i just wan't everything as authentic as possible

about the photo...always cool to (possibly) know where your truck has been in the war ! nice one

greetz,
Davy

Davy,

You must have an early bed. My metal bed 42/43 doesn't have them.