WC55 Question

[Ugg]

Dan:

Sweet truck.

Mark:

I thought the same about the Beast. Now they're everywhere I look. There are already quite a few regisrty's out there. If ya want, I'll see if I can find the one for WC's.

Later

[Airborne Bob]

There were 5,380 WC-55 produced between April 1942 and Oct 1942, along came the M-8 to replace them and they were reworked to be WC-52's. Looking aat the pictures of the body, I believe that it is a WC -52 body(looking at the one of the left front corne there is a lazy back chain attached, the boxes are that like the ones on my WC-52. Bob

[b17goinmyway]

Mark, Ugg, Bob, and others. thanks for the information you have provided. Mark I do not know about my truck being in better shape than yours. From the photos at your website your WC55 looks better before and after. Looks like it is coming along very nice. I think mine is in pretty decent shape but will need alot of work to put it back to original which is what I plan to due as I go along. You might notice that someone in the past had cut out the front ammo boxes on the each side of the bed. Not sure why they would have done that. The truck is complete enough that I am going to try and get it started hopefully in the next couple of weeks. I was told by a gentleman who apparently has a fully restored and gun mounted WC55 in Calif. that the Marine Corps only took 100 WC55's after the army converted them back to WC52's I have found what looks like Marine Corps green on my truck. Might end up being one of the Marine WC55's I plan to do some more investigation by checking for hood numbers but there is evidence of this truck being sandblased in its past so there may not be any numbers or Marine Corps Green to confirm. I was thinking about going with the Marine Corps theme as my Dad was in the Marines. Here is another photos. I like to look at pictures. Later Dan Bever

[img][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p308 ... IM3043.jpg[/img][/img]

[ordnance]

Add me to the growing list of WC-55 owners in this thread. Hey Dan, how about a close up photo of that right front tire on your truck? It sure looks like an original 9.00-16 chevron directional tread combat tire.



Also, any more info on that truck in California that is complete with the gun and mount? I don't know of a correctly outfitted (with proper cannon) WC-55 ANYWHERE ON EARTH, let alone next door in California. Would love to hear any details. Thanks

Rick Larson
Oregon

[Bert]

I've seen one over here in Holland about ten years ago. Complete with gun. Wish I had made some pictures back then. Maybe one of the other Dutch members has more info on this vehicle?

[ordnance]

Bert,

I am aware of the truck in Holland as I believe it was the one featured on the cover of Wheels and Tracks with several other photos inside. The problem with that truck is in the details. The owner went to a lot of trouble to make the mount, armor shield, ration and ammo boxes, etc. but almost all of the pieces are incorrect. I haven't looked at the photos for a long time but I think I came to the conclusion that the gun was a British 2-pdr, not the correct U.S. M3 37mm. Similarly, the armor shield, ration box, and other features are "close" but just not made correctly.

There is another WC-55 in Southern France, or at least was there at the time of the D-Day 50th anniversary celebrations in 1994 (or might have been the 40th in 1984). It was photographed by a friend and looked pretty complete with the gun, mount, and most accessories. Again a close inspection showed a lot of irregularities, most of which were tactfully hidden by camo nets.

Examples of most of the bolt on accessories exist in collector's hands so good patterns for pioneer tool brackets and ammo and ration boxes survive. But in many years of searching, I have never found a surviving example of the gun mount and shield. Many leads to follow but none have been productive to date. The other parts I've never seen are the cleaning staff brackets for the tailgate and the bucket bracket from the right front fender. The most complete and original truck I know of is in San Diego, CA, and was found with the ration box and all four original ammunition boxes. Still no gun, though.

I hate to come off as too picky, but frankly, I am a bit of a stickler for technical details. To me there is nothing worse than a 98 point restored GPW topped off with a PVC plastic pedestal mount and almost-to-scale plastic "thing" that sort of resembles a .50 BMG. It all should pass the 20 foot test, and for me, a replica of anything needs to pass the one foot test. Of course, any restored WC-55 is better than mine because it's still an unrestored project truck. But I just can't stand seeing a huge amount of effort applied to a restoration, only to be mostly incorrect when finished.

[b17goinmyway]

Hi Rick, I will take a photo of the tire and post it tomorrow. Got in late tonight. I believe that it is the tire that you speak of as some else at Iola had taken a liking to it. I looked to see if I could find the guys name who I am sure was from California but had no luck. I thought sure he had given me a card but maybe he did not. I remember him because he stoped by my tent and looked theWC55 over. He spent some 20 miniutes or so going over it with me and showing me alot of thing that were unique to the 55. You would think I would have been smart enough to perserve his name and number. You might check with John Bizal as I bet he might know of someone in Calif. with a restored WC55. I thought that I remember this guy telling me that he had a gun or at least a replica gun mounted in his truck but I can not swear to it. Posted below was my setup at Iola this past August. May be some of you might have stopped by and spoke with me or my boy. Dan


[img][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p308 ... Iola06.jpg[/img][/img]

[b17goinmyway]

Rick, BTW the tire on the right in your photo looks brand new. Can you still by these tires? Dan

[ordnance]

Dan,

Thanks in advance for a closer photo of the tire. The image is a little lighter on the computer at work and I can see the tire is worn to about the same point mine is. When you get around to dismounting it off the rim you will be really impressed at the weight and sidewall thickness. There's a good reason WC-55s didn't have a spare tire. They were truly a run-flat design and I'm convinced you could put 8 rounds of AP .30-06 from your M1 through one and still drive it 50 miles home.

The tire on the right in my photo is a Denman 10.50-16 and is "technically" an available type. They are still a catalog item but nobody seems to have had them in stock for the last 5 or 10 years. A number of people have spoken to Wallace Wade and others about doing a run of them but nobody has ever pooled enough interest to get it done. I bought mine about 15 years ago and they were priced at about $180 each at that time. So they definitely won't be cheap in 2007 dollars. In my opinion, though, they are the closest tire available to the original chevron combat tires for the WC-55.

[b17goinmyway]

Rick, here are some photos I took this evening of the Chevron tire on my WC55. It is made by Goodyear and is 9.00 x 16. Tire is in pretty sad condtion. But will still hold air. Dan

[img][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p308 ... C00425.jpg[/img][/img]

[img][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p308 ... C00426.jpg[/img][/img]

[img][img]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p308 ... C00423.jpg[/img][/img]

[Ugg]

Guys:

Alliance sells them, but unfortunately, ya can't get em in the US. They're 10 ply tires too.

Later