WC - 3 Tarp Bows

[dashtp40]

I haven't posted on here for several years although I do read the forum almost daily, certainly enjoy reading what other members are working on. I have had my WC-3 running for several years and am in the process of installing a canvas top, I don't have the top yet. I'm using metal bow corners and am curious what the correct height would be for the bows. I have measured off of photographs and it looks like it would measure 54.5 inches from the bed floor to the top of the bows, that makes it about 8 inches above the top of the windshield header. Is this close?
Thanks
Steve

[wc 9 and 12 owner]

I picked up an original set of early top bows at tower park in September that I can measure. These are for the VC and wc 1 -11 I have been told and are shorter than the ones Midwest sells and I can get dimensions. I know they originally had steam bent only

[dashtp40]

I would certainly appreciate the measurements when you have time. I knew MWM had the steamed bows but decided to go this route as I can do it cheaper. In David Doyle's 2 volumn Dodge books there is a picture of one WC closed cab with steel bow corners, and as you say all of the open cab models appear to have steamed bows. Thanks for the reply.
Steve

[brian]

well if you accidentally read the master parts manual youll see both were used on half tons. like everything else. thers a late and an early. I cant speak for johnny Bs repops but the steam bent are 4feet high at the center. which means
your canvass is roughly 12 feet. minus the seams.
further if you study half ton pics, it becomes fairly obvious that the later ones were a lot shorter.

BB

[brian]

if your going to use composite bows, you should at least use composite measurements, so your at least half right.

[dashtp40]

Brian,
Thanks for the reply, that's the dimension I was curios about. I would like to get the height some what close to correct. To me all the half ton bows look too tall since the bed is narrow compared to the WC 51/52 s. We're planning on making our own top, we have done that kind of work in the past. I thought the tarp would be about 12 feet across.
Steve

[Dave in Reno]

I have a couple of originals "I think", they have metal corners and the end curtains held on with upholstery tacks "some farmer". I'll get some measurements and photos and see if the jive?

[dashtp40]

Dave in Reno,
I would appreciate your measurements also. Tacks holding the end curtains, ha, that's funny.
Steve

[Dave in Reno]

Here we go, this is the length of the wood only, end bows vertical 40 1/4, center bow vertical 36 1/8, horizontal pieces 39 5/8.
I don't have the long top piece to connect all three together.
I did notice that it looks like there was horizontal pieces seat backs on the sides and the catches to hold up the longitudinal seats when not in use
the more I look at the tacks they have been there a long time all the way around on the front and across the top on the rear bow
I pulled these out of the rafters of a barn years ago, then put the phone box on my WC so these are just setting in storage.
Here are some links to photos I can't seem to figure out how to post them

https://imgur.com/niIWoHM
https://imgur.com/ZbHfEX8
https://imgur.com/9tDpa4g
https://imgur.com/N9SQzlj
https://imgur.com/OntuoRo
https://imgur.com/QC845qL

[dashtp40]

Dave in Reno,
Thanks so much for the measurements and the photos. The measurements I had figured for the length of the wood are very close to the dimensions you sent. The pictures also show me a lot of detail for the end curtains which I wasn't sure of, eyelet location and number, etc. From your photo as you say the tacks look to have been there a long time. Maybe when it was in service? The tacks would sure hold the curtain in place, whoever installed them did a neat job. I don't think I will attach mine like that, but it would sure work. My WC-3 has transverse seats in the bed so I won't need to reproduce the seat latches on the bows. I new the ridge pole had some hat section brackets that held it in place and that shows that detail. Thanks again for the help, I can forge ahead!
Steve

[Dave in Reno]

Great Steve, if there are any other photos needed let me know before I put these back up in to storage. Maybe someday I'll have a use for them.I'll get you some other photos of the end curtains. There are two different styles. The one in the front location is a little longer and the window is lower than the other two. As for the tacks, If I remember correctly the WC-1 was the only model to use the longitudinal seats, that being said the WC-1 being a closed cab, there would not be a need to open the front curtain, so tacks all around??

[dashtp40]

Dave,
Your photos have shown me a lot more detail than I had at hand, I think I'm good to go with the information I have now thanks to these forum postings, thanks again for your help. Tacking the front curtain to the bow would be a good idea for a WC-1. With our WC-3 we haul people in the bed quit often, with the top on my thought for loading and unloading folks would be to flip the right seat forward and let them go over the front of the bed, step into the tool compartment and out onto the running board, either that or carry a step ladder to load them in the rear of the bed.Tacking the curtains across the top would work, if someone pointed out that the tacks weren't
correct I could tell them I know where there are some originals that are tacked on ha. I think I will go with the rope method.As I understand it also the closed cab trucks had longitudinal seats while the open cabs had transverse seats. The original wood is still on the bed of our WC-3, I reproduced the seats to fit in the bed from an article a fellow MVPA member wrote in Army Motors several years ago, the article included plans he drew up working off of some original seats he had. Just a note on our truck. My Dad bought this truck in 1946 as military surplus and used it around the farm until the late 1960's. It has always been kept inside, never been cut or chopped on just used alot. I acquired it and stored it for several years then spent about 3 years off and on working on it as time and money allowed. Had to do the usual things, engine rebuild, bearings seals etc. Got the build card, it still has the original engine, build date is Dec. 1940 DOD Dec. 1940. The serial number places it about the middle of the first contract for the WC-3's. We stripped it to the frame cleaned and repainted quit a bit except the outer body panels, they still have the original markings so we wanted to preserve those, we wipe it sown with WD40 every once in a while to keep the color original looking.
Thanks
Steve