ww2dodge.com Forum

.

Who's got one then? feel the need to talk about them as I can't afford my own.

Here in the UK Michael Hansen at Clitheroe has the best known M26, and I think he has an M15A1 trailer on it and at least one other M26 in the works.





Rex Cadman had three, two M26s and one M26A1, and I believe he just has one M26 left...

http://www.warandpeaceshow.co.uk/compon ... ,show_ad/

Army Cars in Holland had a couple, and Kevin Kronlund at Army Cars USA has restored an M26A1 and trailer recently...

http://www.armycarsusa.com/M26%20Pacific.htm


Some discussion about a cheap one recently grabbed on the steelsoldiers site too;

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php? ... 4&start=20

So who bought the M26A1 from Rex then?

Gordon, these pictures bring back memories, loaded tanks on and off these back at Ft Bragg, NC during 1952 and 54, then look great Bob

You need to lose the trailer and rear duals to run them on the road here, otherwise over-width.

With fuel at £6 / $10 per gallon you're not going to run one long enough to wear it out either, but that Hall-Scott 440 engine at 1090 cu in is something to behold.

If the lottery kicked in some cash I'd buy one or two just as an ornament. You can get the tractor in poor but complete condition for the price of a Command Car or Carryall, and that's a lot of metal for the money.

I'm not sure I'd want to buy a set of 11 tyres for the tractor or 8 / 9 for the trailer at current prices either...

http://www.mooresminiatureworld.co.uk/M ... hicle.html

there in the process of restoring one at liberty auto.
http://www.libertyar.com/Content/Home.aspx

as a matter of fact thay just got the winch unit from jaap

did you see the training film on real military flix?

http://www.realmilitaryflix.com/public/378.cfm

BB

I have seen the film, unfortunately it's a bit small to do the truck justice I think.

It's unfortunate that they are cheap enough to tempt the unwary. If you've watched the film you can see that virtually nothing on these things can be done by one person except turning the steering wheel, and that's just normal operation - not restoration.

Worth noting that the majority of those left in Europe were original armoured, but most now in the US were either built as soft skin or converted later (M26A2 maybe?)

I'm going to buy another lottery ticket, and maybe shares in a few oil companies. Can you imagine how much grief you would be taking on buying one of these if you didn't have $$$$ ££££ and facilities?

About a month ago I saw about 20 of the new US Military Tank Transporters in the Desert just north of the town of Barstow, Ca. Not sure if they were USMC from Yermo or US Army from Fort Irwin. I wanted to stop and take a photo but couldn't find a place to stop off the Freeway.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that they are very similar to the M-26. Big, cab-over, 10 wheeled tractor with a lowboy, multi-wheel goose-neck trailer. They didn't have that armored look though.

I've tried to do a search but can't find them pictured anywhere.

Incidentally Gordon, around 1972, I saw a M-26 tractor driving towards Dover on the M2. Unfortunately I was driving towards Canterbury!!

Jaques Littlefield has one also

Last active one I saw was ar Ft Drum in 1968. It was an M-26A1. I may still have Head Gaskets for one.
Russ Jones has one at Ft. Economy.

In 1972 while in Taiwan in a large fenced in yard near the pier we were moored to was at least a dozen M26A1s parked , I can't remember if it was Kaioshung or Keelung.
Anyway they have probably been returned to us as Kazoos by now



B

I drove by an M25a1 tractor and an M15a1 trailer sitting out behind a house moving company for years and years. They were both very complete. A few years back, I found out the owner had recently passed away. I contacted the family, to see if they were available, as an acquaintence was interested...

They were willing to sell, and the tractor and trailer now belong to Kevin Kronlund. Someday soon I hope to see his restoration work in person, rather than just the photos I've seen so far.

Well done Kirk,

I've been following those photos on Kevin's site - very impressive.

The only thing I can see missing is the gun ring - and I understand these were often taken off trucks used exclusively inside the US.

I'd love to find one here, but currently buying an extra house (to work from) so no money spare. I was told there were a hundred in a field in the south of England after the war - ten were bought by a heavy haulage company (Wynns) and the rest ended up melted down, though the trailers found a home.

There is one plain armoured M26 still for sale here, not that expensive, but I prefer the A1 / A2 soft skin.

Gordon

It uses the M-49C Ring mit continuous flange.

Gordon_M wrote: There is one plain armoured M26 still for sale here, not that expensive, but I prefer the A1 / A2 soft skin.

Gordon

Gordon,

I'll never forget being a little disappointed when you said somewhere that you prefer the hard topped Diamond T over the soft top. I think it had something to do with smashing your thumb in the door. ....So it's good to read you like the A1/A2.

I always think of Nick Nolte in "48 Hours" when he says to Eddie Murphy, "I've always been a Rag-Top Man". Pretty much sums me up!

I'm not that averse to rag tops, my favourite was my Command Car.

Here in the wet / frozen north you get 360 days a year that you can use a hard cab truck, and maybe 5 you can put the lid down on a ragtop, so pretty much just numbers. If I lived in the south of France or the north of Italy it would be a rag top every time.

I did slice my right thumb joint quite noticeably on the door aperture of my friend's T convertible wrecker - had just replaced the cutout sheetmetal and hadn't put a rolled edge on it - my fault.

Of course the A1 / A2 Pacific isn't really hard or soft top. With hard screen, top frame, and cab sides, but canvas cover and windows it's pretty much in the middle. Round here you'd need the canvas in place most of the year, but that big six cylinder heater would keep you warm.

I don't have even one chassis number, but they only made (was it 1372 - I forget?) Probably 2/3rd started as M26 and the last third was M26A1, but chances are both M26 and M26A1 were used to rework into M26A2's. I've got no handle on the production split to confirm if any M26's were soft-cabbed to make M26A2 at all.

I don't see any M15 trailers either. I think most, if not every one, were converted to M15A1 spec or later. Note that the M26 at the top of this thread is towing an M15A1 or later, easily identifiable by oval side frame cutouts and mounted spare wheel actually on the trailer.

back to dreaming.

Gordon_M wrote:I'm not that averse to rag tops, my favourite was my Command Car.

Here in the wet / frozen north you get 360 days a year that you can use a hard cab truck, and maybe 5 you can put the lid down on a ragtop, so pretty much just numbers. If I lived in the south of France or the north of Italy it would be a rag top every time.

back to dreaming.

I empathise with you Gordon having spent my 16th and 17th year riding a variety of Beezer's and Nortons around the Country to the South of you.

But ya know, it's not all Peaches and Cream living here in Paradise. We have to wear Sunscreen when we go out and all that hot ,dry air can give you some really bad "Hair-Days" if ya know what I mean. When it's 110 +, driving at 40 mph doesn't give you much relief either.