DODGE WC 51, UK OWNERS PLEASE HELP

[Adrian Barrell]

It would seem that someone has registered this vehicle with a higher gross weight so as to take advantage of the MOT exception.

 

 

Exactly! You used to see this a lot a few years ago when the plating exemption was pre- 1940. Several GMC's were registered as 1939.......... :whistle:

[Ben Rippingham]

gareth can't really tell from thumbnail but that looks like my ole FBT 105 which i pretty much nut n bolted about 6 years back!?

[bumper]

Hi Ben, yes you are correct, tell me more

[commander]

Ben , did you give him that big Wedgwood vase you won with the Dodge

for best in show

Commander

[Ben Rippingham]

A'ha commander bond how's tricks? nah i didn't give him my prized 'green lady' you presented to me, after all it was me that did all the spannering at the time! seems along time ago we were at Trentham. I see your cashing in your dodge! how's the GPA coming on?

Gareth i spent more money on that dodge than i care to remember when i did a full 'down to da chassis' rebuild in 2001. On the bumper were original 90x- hq5 markings i think under many layers of paint which i did put back on but Phil painted over :dunno: those markings meant the dodge served with 90th infantry div at some stage which have a pretty cool history during its eto action. hopefully a pic enclosed prior to resto' the only welding done on it was a tad on the lower chassis by the exhaust other than she was a completely solid with no rot!!!

[Ben Rippingham]

another one i hope

[Ben Rippingham]

and again

[bumper]

Many thanks Ben, do you have any photos showing the original markings? Are they still on the vehicle or did you remove them?.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you aquire this vehicle and what do you know of it's previous history prior to your aquisition?, Regards, Gareth.

[Ben Rippingham]

The original markings got the needle gun sadly, but thats restoration for you. This dodge came from an old boy derby-way i think who had owned it ten years or so and had realised he was never going to do it. Obviously from its american use it was LL'ed to the British as underneath the wings you'll notice where the british butler sidelights have been. Also that brown long books shows quite typically its 1947 demod from british use, hence that authentic 47 reg number which separates this dodge from most you'll see. Other than the logbook which admittedly was the selling point of when i bought it and that the old boy who bought it from Budge? i know nothing else of its history.

[Guest matt]

Hi Guys,

 

There are ways of finding further history. Gareth my WC-52 has a similar history to yours,built October 1943 and served with the engineering section of the 854th Bomb Squadron-491st Bomb Group Eighth Air Force at Metfield,Suffolk. After WWII it was sold and registered to a farmer in Worcestershire in 1947,it stayed with him until 2002 when it was sold in an auction at the farm,I bought it from the collector who got it in the sale.

 

I contacted the Worcestershire records office and they supplied me with a copy of the entry in the original registration log,I also got the build sheet from Chrysler. I was only to discover the trucks WWII history because it still has it's original markings intact. It also has signs of British military use with WD headlamps,WD marked tires and a max speed stencil on the body which would appear to be British,so it was probably in British service from 1945 to 1946.

 

Gareth do you intend to re-apply the original markings to yours?

 

Matt.