Gordon_M

Ta, just what I'm needing, duly saved. thanks again, Gordon

I've been rebuilding the two original headlights on my 1939 Dodge pickup, and starting to get them back together. They are both in excellent order, but the silvering on the reflectors is very poor. No corrosion or damage, it has just worn off with repeated cleaning attempts I think. Anyone have a source for getting two 8" reflectors re-silvered without breaking the bank? I have two NOS headlights I want to keep for the next project, so i would rather get these two replated somehow if I can get the right price. Gordon

You are thinking about the Canadian M211 ( I think ) with slush box and auto overrun sprag drive to the front axle? Never heard of anyone retro-fitting to a CCKW. The basic CCKW modification seems to be to replace the 270 with a slightly later 302, which has various advantages and seems to be a drop-in replacement as it is basically the same engine.

I'll add my congratulations, and nice to see that the video camera in the last vid was actually picking up the ignition clicks from the plugs....

Great stuff, I'll forgive you for being one forum page early :-D Waiting for details

Hmmm. Unlike everyone else, I think you should take up the rest of this thread page with a general status and a few comments, saving the big moment for page 100 of this thread :angel:

Engineering plastic, in black or brown. You can get chunks of the harder stuff like PEEK which will turn down no problem, and if you just drop in for a visit and scrounge you might get an offcut cheap...

Yup, Kingstown, ask for Mark or Alan and tell them Gordon sent you. :blush: (They'll probably say "Gordon who ?" )

Here's a more modern equivalent then; That's a 1.5 ton Dodge cabover, 1941-45, with Evans Auto-Railer gear on for carrying nitroglycerine VERY CAREFULLY :cool2:

These trailers were made in two batches, 1944 and 1950, and I have two of the 1950 covers here. You could make a cover for it, and one chap in the US, I forget who, did a complete restoration of an M19 including the original type cover, like this one; ( the unpainted bits are and original "SX-1", and top right an ORDNANCE Flaming Bomb sign.. Let me give you a cover description, so you understand the complexity. M19 cover are double canvas, white outside, green inside - reversible, and quilted for insulation. Apart from the front and rear flaps which are permanently attached there are two windows in each side, permanently attached flaps, with hook / rope covers. Because they are reversible, all the little flaps and so on have to work both ways, and the metal flange sewn into the roof for the exhaust pipe ( did I mention they have metal flanges sewn in ? no ? ) have to suit reversible locations too. All the tie-down hardware only seems to appear on the M19 cover and no other trailer. For a trailer the same size as a Ben Hur, and with a similar load rating (though 1/3rd the weight ) there is probably as much work in making the cover as there would be in making the rest of the trailer. I have rebuilt a copule of M19s, and made one cover up out of straight canvas just to cover one, but would never attempt to make an original type cover, although, as I said, one guy in the US did. A non-original cover, like for an ordianry Ben Hur, would be your best bet I think Gordon

One for the daily driver, which cost about £20 from E-Pay, and one set on this; It has the additional advantage that if someone really does do something silly in front of you then you can drive right over the mess. Gordon

Well, as someone who has no time at all for Japanese cars, I would still get you to consider those Subaru 4 x 4 car / estate things. I've seen a lot of people in situations like yours that found them - useful, and not too tractor-like. Gordon

You can get 45 and 90 degree adaptors, and varying lengths of straights, which should solve this. I always managed to get them to fit, but them I'm using the earlier half and one ton Budd disc wheels and not the half ton WC ones. Gordon

Absolutely irrelevant, of course, but all the way back there on the first couple of pages you mention this truck is mid to late 1918, which makes it 92-ish, and you now have more pages in this thread than the truck has years - well done. Gordon ( beat the Dodge horn to a pulp this morning, it works perfectly now, but had to replace the original 1939 horn button with a new-fangled WW2 one from 1941 - only I would notice the difference but there is no surround trim on the later one as there was on the original - sigh )

.. and when you take the truck to a show, some pillock is going to say; lucky it had the original carb with it, and in such nice condition too. Gordon ( off to play pre-WW2 Dodge steering column ... ... later, column played with, result - a draw, horn button still needs work)

Hmm, see what you mean. If only the other Stirling was photographed at the old Grangemouth Airfield it might even be the same trailer.....

Can't help at all with dimensions or info, but if you did happen to want another trailer I have one sitting spare near Stirling. Mostly intact, but less towing eye and I think it has been shortened. On the other hand you can have it for the scrap value if it is going to a good home. You'll know already how heavy they are, but since this one was shortened it'll go on a standard car trailer I think. Gordon

Well, what to say, you lot are really into your spanners. My spanner collection is a real mixed bag of WW2 originals up to Halfords stuff. I'd better suggest some other stuff. Individual essentials that get used again and again; Thread file - essential for restoring threads on impossible-to-replace special fasteners, even the odd thread comb for female threads like the inside of hubcaps. A range of welders - arc welder, mig welder, and spot welder. If I only had one it would be the mig, but the spot welder is also invaluable for some jobs and can be adapted to stud weld and hot rivet. Garage crane - mine is 2 tonne, but you need solid and with adequate capacity for your vehicle type, same for axle stands and jacks. Air hammer - my little Draper air hammer gets more use with the needle gun attachment than anything else, but I have also adapted it to cold rivet up to about 1/4" rivets. Screw extractor - and big enough for the job. Any Dodge owner with headless bolts will know why. Sockets - once you are around 1" nut size you should go to hexagon sockets rather than bi-hex type. Gordon

You jelly mould is a Dodge T202 VC 1 Command Car from around Easter - August 1940. There are a lot of nice Dodges in there, but you need to go and have a look at 311 - 321 which is the Marmon-Herrington prototype for the order that eventually went to Dodge for the VC truck series. The M-H will be a one off, and worth a bundle more than anything else there, and that includes the GPA and the Dodge VC 6 Carryall, of which there are three known survivors. G

I have several Dodges that have reasonably good steering wheels, but with the usual spoke cracks detracting from otherwise nice wheels. I need to find a repair / material / procedure that I can carry out on the vehicle ( as opposed to sending off for repair - if you had ever pulled a Dodge steering wheel you would know why ...) Anyone have any suggestions as to proprietary materials and procedures to use? Gordon

Rex had an M26A1 soft skin unit there which he sold, so that might be the one in bits. I have ALWAYS wanted one of these, but would prefer the soft skin as it takes ten tons off the over weight and reduces the likelyhood of front axle breakage, which apperently was a big thing with them. All the Pacifics you see have the M15A1 trailer, with the slightly wider deck and over-the-wheel ramps. Apparently all the early M15 trailers were upgraded, which is a pity as they would be correct for the M26 as originally introduced, wheras the M15A1 trailer.was original equipment behind the M26A1. I'm collecting a full set of original manuals against the day when the lottery kicks in and I can afford the truck. I need to get one more original, the 1767-A engine manual if anyone has one spare? Gordon

Thanks Tony. I'll wait to see what else is suggested and then pass it on in one chunk to the current owner, who isn't online. Gordon.

A Dodge which I imported and sold on. At the time HMRC issued a C384 and C21 forms for it as they considered it to be incomplete enough for a C386. Import duty has been paid on the value of the shipment and duly recorded. The current owner has finished it off, had it MVT-verified, and even had it MOT'd against the chassis number, but DVLA are refusing point blank to issue an age-related mark without a C386 form. I've suggested trying the HMRC office that handled the original import paperwork, and the MVT legal boffins, but can't think of anything else? Current owner is keen to avoid a a Q-Plate and get an appropriate age-related mark. Gordon

I have three words to add here - HOCKEY BINDING TAPE - a friend in Canada put me onto this stuff. I generally buy in trucks and strip the wiring looms to salvage usable wire, cutting and re-terminating where I have to so I can keep under-dash and under-hood looking like they should on the rebuilt vehicles. Problem was that I had to use ordinary insulating tape and heat shrink, which was fine technically, but just didn't look right. Enter the hockey binding tape - it is very like the original wrapping tape that was used on many WW2 truck looms, so now when I re-insulate and terminate a lead, I just wrap the end in the hockey tape and it looks just like the original. I had to buy mine from E-Pay, but it wasn't expensive; http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hockey-Adhesive-Tape-BLACK-25mm-x-50m-/170508254465?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Skateboarding_Skating_ET&hash=item27b3157d01 It would probably work as a straight substitute for insulating tape, but I tend to use either insulating tape or heat shrink and then just cover it in hockey tape. Heat shrink is normally that bit neater as a finished product.

I got Civilian Conservation Corps license plates painted up and fitted to the Dodge and trailer. Dodge has been making progress too, although difficult to see under five years of dust. Trailer still needs the taillight wiring when I decide to go with military or civilian pattern. I still have to do about half the wiring on the Dodge, and a couple of small plumbing jobs ( fuel tank drain plug, HEAT guage ) plus fan belt, wiper motor, etc. Looks like one of the original screen glass panes has started to de-laminate too so that will need changing.