David Robertson

Hi Vulture, looking at the parts book, it would appear that the lower steel pipe is slightly short and the flexi' looks to be correct. That leaves the upper steel pipe. I would shorten it to suit the off-the-shelf flexi'.

Someone else may have a better suggestion, remember these trucks will all have been modified at some time by various countries. My own cckw has slightly different lengths of steel pipe from standard. It is ex-Dutch.

I have recently seen some modern photo's of a Hillman tilly 814AKT which used to belong to my father in the 1960's. He saved this from the scrapman and then used it as our family transport for about 6 years including bringing me home from hospital as a newborn baby. My parents are now in there 80,s and were really surprised it is still about. They still have some photo's and lots of history about the van which the present owner might like. I looked it up on the DVLA site which say's it was exported in 1999, It would be great to exchange new and old history about the van with the present owner. Can anyone give me any information which might help me trace it. Thanks

 

I believe this Hillman Utility is now in Holland.

If you contact the Tilly Register they may be able to pass on contact details to the present owner.

If you need any help please PM and i will see what i can do.

Regards David.

The hold up was the pantone colors for the orange, red and yellow. The printer wouldn't accept anything other than a pantone number... which I understand because when I used to work as an adjuster making envelopes a customer could reject an entire shipment if the color is not exactly what they specified. There are no local printers that would help and a pantone color guide starts at $75. Not worth the expense.

 

So we are mailing samples back and forth (they are in CA, I am in PA) and I am mailing back the approved color samples this week.

 

Mail takes a week to get there, then they have to look it over, and mail it back etc etc etc.

 

The end is in sight... I should have a final proof set (full approved color) in a week or so.

 

They said they are used to this... they are one of the last shops to do lacquer based water slip decals.

 

Hi deadline, how are the engine decals progressing ?

I have been told that as few as 10 years ago open cab doors were still plentiful. But recently all you can find are rusted steel frames with rags covering them.

 

I have a set which I do plan to repro. But the biggest drawback is that covering them is so expensive. $350+USD per pair. Which means each set would be over $500.

 

I've looked at the doors and can't see $350 worth of materials.

 

As for your great effort, there are PLENTY of pics of just about everything used to seal up an open cab. Wood, steel, blankets. You may want to run some 1x1 stiffeners across the top and the sides.

 

Doors are available with early or late style windows in the UK for around £170.

If you would like contact information or photo's of the set i bought please ask.

 

David.

Sorry for the delay in posting pictures of the Gmc data plates from Poland (camera problems).

Here they are now. The left column contains the new plates and the right has one from my spares truck and below that a brass one from a march '42 hardcab, then a reconditioning plate also from the spares truck and lastly a poor reproduction to show what not to buy, it is just a frisbee !

thanks for all the help guys

I think ive got it wired up right, i just need to change the voltage setting on the DY88. its currently set to 24v, how do i change it down to 12v?

 

The jeeps not supressed (yet), but i'll work on that when i strip her down for the winter.

Im never actually going to use it, its just nice to have it all working

Hi Rich,

Take the front off the DY-88 and you will find a linkage that will change the voltage, you want the middle setting for 12volts, watch the indicator window.

 

TM11-230C covers the radio set but not the DY-88 which is post war.

I have a copy of this and can help you with photocopies if you need them

 

Hope this helps.

 

David.

if only they were easy to find but never seen one in the flesh so to speak

Hi Gary,

Have a look on the SMVG website, Robin Watson in Forres had one for sale but this is an old advert.

Hope this helps.

David.

Thanks deadline, you have dealt with the issue of the hood bow corners but what about the corners without holes ?

In an earlier post you thought they were wartime, is this still the case ?

 

Regards David Robertson.

Hi,

 

Mine are coming from Robert in Poland. As you say NOS he does not have any in his ebay shop. I bought a winch plate in zinc first to check quality, It looks good.

I then sent him some details and a scan of a plate for my Hillman Utility, he emailed me a proof, it also looks good, at the same time i enquired about late model (zinc) plates for my cckw dump and we will see what arrives.

I will post pictures of all the plates when they arrive.

I also plan to email deadline my chassis numbers, yes numbers, i have different numbers on front and rear chassis (Airborne Truck) and see what he can dig up. The different numbers have always been a puzzle ?

 

Thanks, regards David.

Hi deadline,

 

Thanks for the information. The engine is out of a '58 pickup and should already be about 130hp, this may be enough power for a cckw. I am not looking for more speed just a bit more guts on hills and possibly slightly more mpg.

What are your thoughts on this ?

 

I didn't know about the the M series hood bow metal corners. I saw quite a few for sale at Beltring this year but i didn't pay much attention to them, as i have a full set + some spare, i will next year.

 

What hood bow corners have the other Gmc/Chevy owners on their trucks ? Waiting to hear.

 

Regards David Robertson.

Care to elaborate? I know for the later M SERIES the are are two types (the standard and a quick detach for the M35A2C drop side model).

 

A quick check of several TMs,Army Motors and the 43 cargo bed assembly instructions never mention any possible secondary corners.

 

Do you have pics or a part number?

Hi deadline, i knew you would ask for more information. These corner sections will have been produced post-war as replacements for the French, Dutch, Norwegian and other armies. I think rear bodies were made in Germany ? There are no identifying marks on them.

You may be able to help me : I have bought a 270cu Jimmy engine in the USA, it will be rebuilt, i wonder if you could recommend a supplier of mild tuning parts ? I don't know of any in the UK.

Thankyou, regards David Robertson.

Hi shopnut,

 

I have got a set of plates for a Gmc cckw "Tipper" being delivered sometime in the next week or so.

They are coming from Poland, i will let you know what they are like when they arrive.

 

Regards David Robertson.

Hi Jonny,

 

There are at least 2 types of metal corners for Gmc, they are slightly different in size.

So the best advice i can give you is, fit all the bows and measure from centre of each bow to the bed floor.

Set them all to 1550mm or 5'1".

That is how i set mine to suit a Worthing canvas.

Hope this helps, regards David.

Hi,

 

Just wondered if anybody out there had first hand experience of fitting the later '50s or '60s Gmc 270cu into a cckw ?

Looking forward to any comments, regards David.

Before I assemble the big ends I will give them a measure with some plastigauge to check clearances, on the subject of oil pressure what are other CCKW users getting on their gauges on the dash ( I am aware these will vary due to age and quality just to get some idea ) before I stripped down my engine I got 45psi cold at any rpm and once hot it only dropped a little at idle to 40psi.

 

Starting from cold i get 50 psi at idle but when hot only 30 psi. As the rev's rise the psi goes back to 45/50.

Hope this helps, good luck with the rebuild, regards David.

There was definately some badge engineering post war ; but I have always understood if a plate says Luton it was produced there. They definately did vans at Luton but how many and/or what models were a rebadge of a very similar product in he Midlands I don't know. Also no idea of dating by plate numbers. Unfortunately my Dad passed away in 93, he would have been able top answer many of our questions.

TED

Thanks for all your help Ted, i think i have hogged this tread long enough and may start another one dealing with the Hillman / Commer connection, regards David Robertson.

Hi Ted, were Commer vans produced before, during and after the war ?

Is there a list anywhere that will date my chassis plate ? Any photo's of Commer vans ? Regards David Robertson.

Sorry, mistake, i meant to ask were Commer vans produced at Luton before, during and after the war.

Hi David see attached, this is a post war advert. Harpenden is, (i used to cycle there as a kid) sorry was a tiny village just south of Luton. So with your plate detail they appear to be a Luton product not just badge engineering from the Midlands. the second attachment shows 4 Hillman Tillies taken at RAF Middleton St Geaorge now better known as Teeside airport.

 

regards TED from sunny Fife

Hi Ted, were Commer vans produced before, during and after the war ?

Is there a list anywhere that will date my chassis plate ? Any photo's of Commer vans ? Regards David Robertson.

So David's Commer could well be an ex RN as opposed to ex RAF ??? that would fit ther bill .

 

TED

Hi Ted, it could also be post-war because the early post-war vans looked very similar to pre-war and wartime models. I think it was 1948 that the lights went into the wings. Chassis plate reads : Commer Cars Ltd, Luton, number 7750561. Thanks for the input, this has rekindled my interest !! Regards David Robertson.

Yes they were all badged Hillman, based on the Minx 10hp.. Initially there was the Utility (tilly) then the convertible Van ( Estate Car) as in the 2 pictures above with the ATA pilot, then a Ladder Van for the aerofrome lighting teams. By january 1944 the AIR MINISTRY had received a total of 5410 utilities and vans, 693 of these were Ladder Vans .

 

TED

Hi Ted, this is all very interesting, i have been looking for information about Hillman utilities on the internet for the past couple of years but have drawn a blank. I have a Hillman "Tilly" and also a similar rolling chassis cab badged Commer. The Commer i was told served with the RAF as a van and had seats in the rear. I know my Commer was first registered in '47 (information supplied by Inverness archive centre) but i also have an old style logbook for a Commer registered '46 logbook marked previously used by the military. I have searched for a website to allow me to date my Commer because i have no way of knowing if it was new at registration, any ideas ?

Regards David Robertson.

Can't remember where these two came from, either Ted or Hendon. Trendy attire eh?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46436[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]46437[/ATTACH]

Hi No Signals,

 

These are very interesting photo's, i have heard of the vans supplied to the RAF and believe there was only a handfull made but i have never seen photo's of them. Do you know if these vans were badged Hillman or Commer ? Do you have any more pic's of them ?

 

Thanks, regards David Robertson.

Lovely looking car, with a lot of hard work gone into it.

 

Does anybody know how many were made '39-'45 for the military ?

How many still exist ?

What sort of value ?

 

Regards David Robertson.

Gmc cckw 353.

Comprehensive cover including UK and European breakdown provided by Premium Choice (Roadsure) £199.00. Renewed Aug' 2011.

 

There is also, with a little paperwork, an agreed value for the truck.

 

The other vehicles i run are all on one policy with Footman James. A cheaper option but they do not supply breakdown cover.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Regards David Robertson.

Hi Deadline,

 

The air cleaner came off a mid 1944 cckw B1 that i bought for spares in 2005. Chassis number 379104. The truck was ex Norway brought into this country in 1994. The dealer brought in 13 in total. So far i have owned 3 of them and i know the location of a further 2 (maybe one day ?)

The same aircleaner came with but not fitted to one of my other trucks.

This may be a Norwegian conversion ? I can post more pictures of the carb' mount if you want.

 

Regards David.

Hi Deadline,

 

I can't find your air cleaner thread so i've posted here, hope this helps'

 

Regards David.

Most of the oil filter decal into is here:

 

http://www.tm9-801.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=488

 

The first round of proofs from the artist are also posted... couple of errors, should be an easy fix.

 

I have started an air cleaner thread also.

 

The last one is the deep sump oil pan warning decal. I have the text, but no images.

 

My plan is to have a section detailing the decals (a separate web page with all the pertinent data).

 

I can't thank the good folks on this site enough. Truly a helpful bunch of people.