Autocar U-8144 K-31 RADIO VAN TRUCK

[TooTallMike]

We unloaded the Autocar from the beavertail today. Fortunately the movement of its transportation had freed off the locked rear wheel which made everything a lot easier. Nick pulled it with his tractor while I controlled its descent with a Tirfor.

[TooTallMike]

We swapped the beavertail and the tractor and I became the first person in many years to 'drive' the Autocar, albeit backwards and on the end of a straight bar, into its new home alongside the WLF.

[TooTallMike]

Now the most important bit of news:

 

This is not a 5-tonne Pontoon tractor. That would have been exciting enough as there are only three known of in the world. This is in fact a 5-ton K31 radio van. Almost certainly one of only... one in the world :-D :-D :-D

 

There was some debate about it as the Tankograd book states that the radio vans were not equipped with a front winch, but this winch is original. Other clues as to its true identity are that there is a chassis-mounted tool box, the remains of the radio body floor, crossmembers, side members, wheel arches and vertical front end, including a 1943 York Hoover data plate, brass earthing strips along the chassis and under the old body, and today we found the data plate in the cab giving the relevant TM numbers for this vehicle - the radio van TMs!

 

Now waiting for the TMs from Portrayal Press.

[TooTallMike]

The rear end of the chassis has been shortened by some 5' to accomodate the crane, but the original rear crossmembers have been re-used which is very handy! They had also used the front end of the original body to make a tool box similar to that found on the pontoon tractors. It looks very much like the paint on the rear of the cab and front of the box is the original grey.

 

Interestingly, whoever converted it to a wrecker didn't install a pto for the crane so it must have been operated manually :shake:

[Mark]

Rare one then :-o

[NuttyNick]

A couple more pics from yesterday.

 

We were very fortunate that the rear axle had freed itself and so unloading went from what could have been a bit of a nightmare to a simple winch/pull off the beavertail.

 

After taking a few photos and eventually finding the chassis number (after a while of rubbing down) we pushed the (unique!) Autocar with the tractor into her temporary home. Mike was most likely the first person to be in the cab whist it was moving for a good 30-40 years. As we went over each bump a bit more of the of the old girl fell off!

 

Can't wait for the TM's to come from over the pond. Two of these are being specially reproduced for us!

 

All I've got to do now is build a new shed to house it, the WLF and the other green things that I seem to have aquired and have in storage for others lying around the farm under tarps!

 

[Great War truck]

Fantastic. What a thing to have. Will you try to recreate the radio body for it?

 

Tim (too)

[TooTallMike]

'If' I were to keep it, I'd get hold of the box body off a GMC or M series workshop truck or trailer and convert that to represent the original. The dimensions and profiles are similar enough and it would save a huge amount of work.

[Snapper]

There's no question it is a serious restoration project and you may not wish to do it yourselves. But what a find! Amazing. If you don't keep it, let's hope it stays in the UK. Does anyone have a snap of a contemporary vehicle to show us how they looked?

[NuttyNick]

Hopefully the picture will attach!

 

Whilst the truck is not mine it will stay on the farm for as long as necessary. It can either be restored on the farm or taken away by its owner to be restored elsewhere. I certainly don't want it to be taken out of this country.

 

I think that both Mike and myself have become rather attached to it and its history!

[NuttyNick]

Note the slight differences between "our" truck and the one in the photo. Ours is a soft cab and has a winch fitted.

 

I think it still looks better with the crane on the back though!

[TooTallMike]

Cranes are much more useful than big boxes anyway. And if you want to sleep on it you just swing the booms apart and sling a hammock in between. 8-) :sleep:

 

It certainly is a big project but I wouldn't be daunted by the physical side of doing it: it's well within the capacity of my mechanical and bodywork skills - in fact I'd love to take it on. The problem is the strip-down and rebuild would have to be done in a shed, which I don't have, and would occupy that shed for maybe 2 or 3 years. :-(

 

Doing a chassis up rebuild outdoors would be a nightmare - I know, I've been involved in comparable projects and it's two steps forward and one back. A project of this magnitude would have to be done in the dry or it would never get done. :roll:

[mcspool]

Excellent find! I hope it gets restored to it's former glory in due course.

 

Hanno

 

[Jack]

Wow this is a great thread - Mike you have something really special here, one hell of a find, well done you.

 

You have us all hooked in now so keep giving us the fix of news........please!

[Skint George]

Hi Mike, have you seen " The unstoppable jeep" film from the History channel.

It shows a Autocar tractor unit on the Red Ball Express. It wasn't on for long but it was a soft top showing lots of detail.

George

[brian in denver]

WOW, nice find, you probably know that the HEM museum has the only surviving SCR-270 array.

well guess what theres another chasis here in denver. actually its for sale in supply line. but its missing its box also.

dont know if its a K-30, K-31, or K-62,, I think its a 43, wich makes me think its a K-62 but who knows.

theres some good pics on the fort gorden website.

BB

[TooTallMike]

In the last 2 weeks I have also learned about what is likely to be another chassis cab here in the UK. We will be going to look at this in due course.

 

Brian - many thanks for the link but at first glance I cannot find any photos, only lots of data. Could you point me in the right direction?

 

Also, I don't get Supply Line, is there any chance you could scan and email me the advert? tootallmike[at]hotmail.com

 

I'll update this thread properly in the next few days as there is a lot to report...

 

- MG

[brian in denver]

what I do is go to wikipedia and look up scr-270

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCR-270

 

than scroll to the bottom for the links.

I dont have a subscription to supply line right now either.

I herd about it through the local club. http://mvcconline.org/

fred laperier is an old fart who doesent answer e-mail

but i think i have his phone number.

heres the hem museum.

http://www.hem-usa.org/

 

it would require a real international effort with lots of do-ray-me to put the unit back togeather again.

I'v talked to the guys at the museum, and there a shoestring opperation, it just kills me that the antenna is being used for a pigon crapper.

is this your thread on the cckw forum?

http://cckw.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2472&p=12469&hilit=autocar#p12469

 

BB

Edited February 24, 2010 by brian in denver

[TooTallMike]

Thanks Brian,

 

Your links have given me a 400% increase in photos of these trucks, i am very grateful to you! Do you think they were only used in conjunction with the SCR-270 radar system or were they also a more general radio truck as well? The reason I ask is that until now I had only seen reference to them as USAAF 'radio' vans. Reading some of your links could lead one to believe this was a cover for their true purpose, but even the truck TMs only refer to 'radio' equipment rather than anything more sophisticated.

 

The thread on the CCKW forum was by my kind friend on whose land the truck is currently parked. I have almost cleared my workshop of other projects so that there will soon be space for the Autocar to come home and then work can begin.

 

I bought a large quantity of spares from Beke including the missing chassis section. I also bought the cab which someone on here mentioned was for sale in Rouen.

[brian in denver]

if you go to the K-list I posted on wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._Signal_Corps_vehicles

 

and scroll down to the V-list, look at V-12. I think after the SCR-270 became obsolete thay may have gutted the vans, and reused them for a parts truck for the AN/MPN radar. other than that I think thay were only used for the scr -270.

gene helecksons mobile radar web site, has most of the SCR-270 configurations listed.

http://www.mobileradar.org/radar_descptn_2.html

http://www.mobileradar.org/gallery_index.html

 

one thing i noticed , some vans have a square wheel well, and some have a round one. also I cant quite tell if the section above the wheel well opens up or not.

 

BB

Edited March 2, 2010 by brian in denver

[brian in denver]

as far as production numbers go, I found this list of hood numbers. that was published for black out lights.

http://books.google.com/books?id=K5-_RMzKdMQC&pg=PA214&dq=k-18+gmc+truck#v=onepage&q=&f=false

 

I used it to find numbers for the K-18 truck.

maybe if you can find the book or a copy of the complete list, it would have somthing.

BB

[TooTallMike]

Hi Brian,

 

Those photos are superb. Many thanks for the links.

 

Regarding your observation about the shape of the rear wheelarches: I think in fact the photos may show two different types of truck, presumably with bodies that had the same designations. The trucks with the square wheelarches are Chevrolets while the rounded ones are Autocars. In silhouette the hard cab versions of each are very similar.

 

- MG

[brian in denver]

in reasearching the K-list, I learned more about radars than I ever wanted to know. now I imagine your going to get to be the wolds formost expert on the SCR-270 :-D weather you want to be or not.

it would be interesting to find out how many of those made it to GB.

I would imagine a trailer mfgr. could build you a body for 20,000 G. or so. especcally if you could find an old flatbed to salvage for the floor.

BB

[brian in denver]

found some more pics on footnotes

http://www.footnote.com/image/#126946458

 

BB

[Snapper]

Good stuff, Brian. Great service - just what this forum is all about. Thanks.