lightweight Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Whilst sanding down the back of my cab for painting, I've noticed 6 small holes around the rear window. Are they supposed to be there? They don't look to be for drainage and I can't think of anything that's missing - so should I plug them up? Will put up a photo later when I get back to 'puter - am posting this with my phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Whilst sanding down the back of my cab for painting, I've noticed 6 small holes around the rear window. Are they supposed to be there? They don't look to be for drainage and I can't think of anything that's missing - so should I plug them up? Will put up a photo later when I get back to 'puter - am posting this with my phone Probably was fitted with a wire mesh screen to protect the glass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 It does look like that but I've never seen it done.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadline Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 A steel mesh glass protector was installed over the rear cab glass. I'm not sure if the rubber insert for the rear glass is available.. or if its just a flat rubber strip like used on a jeep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Hi I can confirm that the six holes are for a wire guard to protect the window, I recently got one for my tractor unit project. I also fitted a new rubber, you can buy this on ebay for £1.49 per foot, item No 190649138185.It did the job great but i would recommend that you buy the tool for putting in the rubber insert it makes fitting alot easier. Hope this all helps. Howard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Thanks guys, don't need the rubber - but I'm intrigued by the wire mesh! Photo anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 There you go, Martin! Since this photo, I've repaired, blasted, painted, and fitted it. I will try to remember to get a current photo tomorrow for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Strewth! It's a barbie grill! Gotta get me one of them - thanks Mark, to the rescue as ever:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Strewth! It's a barbie grill! Gotta get me one of them - thanks Mark, to the rescue as ever:D No worries! Might be worth speaking to 'Vehicles of Victory' in the States; at one time they had quite a few Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadline Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I can think of one person in the states that might have one. He's in California. PM me for his email address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Thanks chaps, although I dont think that I need one enough to pay the postage from the States! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpu121265 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Thanks chaps, although I dont think that I need one enough to pay the postage from the States! Send me the spacings for the mounting bolt holes and the size of the screen you are looking for and you might not have to, I have a couple of these in different sizes. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) Martin, picture from today, hope this helps! I had to make all six brackets as the originals were rotten, hopefully they're fairly accurate Edited March 10, 2012 by G506 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 11, 2012 Author Share Posted March 11, 2012 Send me the spacings for the mounting bolt holes and the size of the screen you are looking for and you might not have to,I have a couple of these in different sizes. Ken Thanks Ken, very good of you. Will be in touch as soon as I have the dimensions. Mark has very kindly offered to measure his, but neither he or I have our trucks parked near home.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Went up and put a first coat on the truck today - still forgot to measure the damn window again though:n00b: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Martin, I was with my Chev last night, forgot to measure the hole spacing, Sorry! Will try again next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 Martin,I was with my Chev last night, forgot to measure the hole spacing, Sorry! Will try again next time No worries Mark, I put the second coat on mine yesterday and forgot to measure the back window. Anyway, here's a 'so far' photo... Needs another coat on the tailgate and the grille, then the stencilling begins. Trying to decide whether to whiten the bumper ends or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) Incidentally, I have a few questions about the markings. I know the subjects been chewed over several times but as usual, there is so much on the 'search' function that I can't find what I'm looking for, so if someone wouldn't mind.... Prior to the paint job, the bonnet number was W-302805. I was planning to re-use the number (it seems about right) but what does the W denote? I had thought I might mark it up as a USAAF truck, but should it say USAAF on the bonnet and not USA? I don't know why I think it should be, it's an idea I have stuck in my head but I don't know where it came from... Would anybody care to suggest a set of unit markings for the bumpers? I have no idea what they should be so I'm not too bothered what squadron they should denote - something based in England in '42 would be good. Cancel all that, just found a thread which answers all those questions - even though its referring to jeeps the theory is the same! Should have looked a little harder! Still interested in the W though Edited March 24, 2012 by lightweight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 OK, can someone just confirm I have this right. If I were to mark my truck up as belonging to, say, the Memphis Belle's squadron, the front bumper would read... 8*324BG 91 7 ...and the rears Left 8* 324BG Right 91 7 That being the 8th Air Force, the 324th Bomb Group, 91st Bomb squadron, vehicle number 7. I'm not saying that I'm going to - just getting the theory straight in my mind:nut: Many thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P Bellamy Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) 91st Bomb Group, 324th Bomb Squadron: 8 ★ 91BG 324SQ ...and the rears Left 8 ★ 91BG Right 324SQ 8AF airfield-based vehicles don't often seem to have had individual numbers most of the time for some reason. However, a radio-equipped jeep assigned to the 323rd Bomb Squadron at Bassingbourne had the following bumper marking: 8 ★ - 91BG - 323 - 16 For more Bassingbourn-based 8AF units: 8 ★ 1 SCS (1st Station Compliment Squadron, responsible for operating the airfield itself) 8 ★ 39 SV 364 SQ (39th Service Group, 364th Service Squadron) 8 ★ 441 SD (441st Sub-Depot, formerly the 39th Service Group and it's squadrons) 8 ★ ASC 441SD (a valid variant of the above, showing the 441st correctly as a unit of the VIII Air Service Command) 8 ★ 1204Q (1204th Quartermaster Company) 8 ★ 1696-O (1696th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company) All the best, PB Edited March 24, 2012 by P Bellamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Somewhere I have a photo of a 388th BG garbage truck - now wouldn't this Chev look the business with a load of galvanised bins in the back? :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Somewhere I have a photo of a 388th BG garbage truck - now wouldn't this Chev look the business with a load of galvanised bins in the back? :cool2: I'm not sure what you're suggesting! Many thanks Mr. B - I had that completely the wrong way round! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) You'll be mighty relieved to learn that despite a thorough search I cannot find that garbage truck photo, so you'll just have to label her up as something else :red: As for white bumper ends front and white bumperettes back, I think they look really good - sort of give the truck a defined edge, and are very effective as a safety measure too. Some bases painted the entire front bumper which I don't like - too much white. Not all vehicles on any one base were painted the same either. Here is a 388th BG Chev I posted on the appalling stencil thread, showing that anything goes really. Instead of 388Bg it has 136STA (Station 136, the base designation). Note the MacChevrolet burger logo where the 8 should be, also lack of white bumper ends unlike most 388th trucks, but with small white sections on wing tips. I think that's the nice thing about USAAF finish - it can be whatever you fancy! Edited March 25, 2012 by N.O.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P Bellamy Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Now THAT's a bizzare set of markings on many levels... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Looking at the very weathered white on that truck, you can just make out the inner edge of the white bumper ends (if you want to find them that is......). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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