1941 WC-1

[gpw_42]

This post is to touch the very basics of what the truck looks like - will post some more tomorrow with details/closeups and the Good/Bad/Ugly perspective. Part of the truck's front end was sandblasted about 10 years ago, but never painted, so will have to be re-blasted. The interior is generally a mess; the exterior is surprisingly straight (though not perfect), with only 1 Bondo application, above the driver's door; latch on that door is NMC (non-mission capable), but should be good with a new spring. I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of original OD which still lurks below the other layers - too bad there's not enought to justify leaving it!

VIN is 86583xx; the truck still has a 1955(!) Texas Farm Truck license plate on it!

Return trip was much quicker and smoother than anticipated, but I'm sure glad to be home!

Right side:


Front view:


Rear view:

Happy Easter!
Steve

[wc 9 and 12 owner]

Steve Wc half ton trucks didn't have hood stars but roof stars. Are you gonna be at tower I might have a few parts you need

[Johan WC52]

Nice find. I really like the look of the first WCs, but given they were unique to mainland USA, right?, I won't try to get one. Sure parts can be shipped worldwide easily nowadays, but...

/Johan

[Ken J]

NIIIICE!

Good luck on it! Looks much more complete than the one I bought (never do THAT again!).

-Ken

[gpw_42]

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to make the Tower Park event, but I would sure love to; work is such a 4 letter word!:) However, I'm hoping to make the fall event. Now, hope not being a method, perhaps I need to submit the vacation time now. I'm not sure what size pistons I'll need, as I haven't had the head off yet, much less any work done.

Johan, I think you're right about the 1/2 tons staying Stateside, except perhaps a few in N. Africa (and I haven't researched that!).

Eric, I received your message, and will call you later this afternoon.

Now, The Good!
New tires all the way around:


It's currently sitting on the dry-rotted tires that were on it, which remarkably held air...but the tires are kaput! Hopefully they'll hold together long enough to get it restored enough to put the new ones on. Desert weather is rough on tires, so I'm trying to protect the new ones as much as possible. Also note there's a WC tailgate in the foreground of this picture; some knucklehead cut out a nice square patch from it, though.

Gas tank MIGHT be salvageable.


Somebody had the good sense to remove the plug (or outlet line?) in the middle of the bottom, though I don't have a pic of that angle. Filler neck is present, but again, no pic.

Grill is complete, with only 1 minor bend:


The original honeycomb radiator is there, and looks like it will hold coolant. I'm assuming it'll need re-cored; hopefully that assumption will save me any disappointments:)

All the subfloor wood and hardware is present; see pic in Post 1, above.

I just like this view:


Splashguards for around the engine are present, and detached. A small detail, which I'm not sure yet if I'll reinstall. At least there won't be a need to buy them!

Front bumper will give me a chance to learn how to use a press and weld a little - am hoping that's not too difficult a repair. It's relatively straight, but needs some attention; I shot the bolts with WD-40 last night.

Driveline is complete...more to follow with the Bad and the Ugly.

I need to write out this list of "Good" points and hang it in the garage, for when the downer days start to come. All in all, I'm pleased with the overall condition. There are a few minor dents in the fenders which don't show up well in these pics, but I figure that's just part of it.

Steve

[Gordon_M]

Left the USA in considerable numbers.

There were bunches in north Africa and the middle east, many of which survived the run up through Italy.

A good few more came to the UK with the earliest lots of US troops, though not known how many went across the channel on or after D-Day.

That's before you get to the trucks that were made specifically for UK and Commonwealth forces, like the WC 42.

[AKcruiserfreak]

Very nice! I'm in the process of re-working our 1941 PW. It's about in the same condition as yours. Keep us updated.

TK

[old57XLA]

You may be feeling a little "buyer's remorse", but that truck sure looks good to me, especially as I am up in 'the rust belt' of new England! Be happy. It looks like a really good start to a really nice truck! Hal

[gpw_42]

Mercifully, no buyer's remorse...I've been drooling over that truck for better than 12 years, since Milburn pulled it out of some farmer's field. Unfortunately, he let it sit in the weather after obtaining it, which is the same place I have it right now:( I've just been feeling fatigued after driving from CA to TX round trip in 3.5 days, and regret that yesterday I didn't get any scraping done on the frame to prep for sandblasting. I was pleased yesterday to find that a bunch of ugly rust on the fan blades was just surface stuff, and spent some time setting up bench tools in the garage.

I think the truck is in remarkble condition, all things considered - I wouldn't be surprised if it's been sitting in the weather for 25 years. There were a couple of cedar trees growing under it (of which I DO have pics!) Friday morning when we pulled it out of Milburn's backlot. Maybe I'll post one of them with the Bad stuff when I get around to it.

Right now, my plan is to work from the rear to the front...idea being that getting the rear half of the truck restored will be fairly quick, so I've got some significantly visible improvements made in "short order" (short being a relative term!), and restoring the bed will also give me another work surface in my small garage. So, I think the first step will be getting the gas tank pulled and evaluated for repair or replacement. The complicating/slowing fact is that I'd like to take the tank and radiator in at the same time, so I won't focus quite as exclusively as I'd like on the rear. We'll see.

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!
Steve

[Gordon_M]

Dismantle the bed, take all the detachable sheet metal off the cab and front end, and leave it sitting as a rolling chassis with cab frame.

That gives you the best balance of access and mobility that you can get, especially in a restricted workspace.

You can get the bed blasted, primed and painted, and wood cut, then build it back in place in a day or so when you are finished with the chassis and rear end. Lifting the cab or rolling it back on the frame will damage it if you dont have height and tools, far better to let it sit and work round it, as when all the other sheetmetal is pulled there's nothing you cant get to.

[Ken J]

You may consider acquiring a set of very used radials street tires for the restoration period; I had the rims restored and radials with tubes mounted about 4 years before I bought the NDT's. They were lower profile, which gave more overhead space (top of truck to garage roof rafters).

I would also suggest putting the new NDT's in large trash bags to keep them clean and keep ozone away from them.

Best,
-Ken

[morrisguy]

Quite a few 1/2 tonners served in the South West Pacific region and in Australia, from 42 on . When the Yanks arrived here in huge numbers in early 42 they were equiped with 1/2 tonners and used them in training here. Typically also used in New Guinea and Solomons in large numbers.

The Govt. here recieved a batch of Wc 21's and many of these have turned up , with Australian army reg numbers in the 129XXX series . One I purchased in 1978 was 129166 ..converted to RHD with a civilian cab fitted . Most of them are found in QLD where the 'action' was and thats where they were didposed of after the war. The other models are very uncommon with less than 5 command cars being found and 2 carryalls.

The AWM pics of Mt Gravatt vehicle park in Brisbane show lines of brand new WC 21's awaiting release.
Mike

[morrisguy]

BRISBANE, QLD. 1943-11-05. HALF TON UNITED STATES ARMY WEAPON CARRIERS LINED UP AT THE 4TH AUSTRALIAN ORDNANCE VEHICLE PARK, MOUNT GRAVATT, AWAITING DISTRIBUTION TO UNITS.

[morrisguy]

BRISBANE, QLD. 1943-11-05. A SHIPMENT OF HALF-TON UNITED STATES ARMY TRUCKS LINED UP, PENDING MOVEMENT INSTRUCTIONS, AT THE 4TH AUSTRALIAN ORDNANCE VEHICLE PARK, MOUNT GRAVATT.

These have already got their Australian army numbers on the bonnet ( hood) some are very close to the 129166 truck I found back in 79.... many others in the series have turned up in Queensland .

[morrisguy]

This is one of the Gravatt Dodges in the AWM pics , I found it in 1979 .. still LHD .

Mike