Command Car 1/2 ton

[HWade]

I had a half ton command car arrive on friday. I have only had a quick look over but noticed on the distributor, that the clips that hold on the Distributor cap had extension clips on the clips. After removing the cap there was then another bakelite cap that inside has two brushes there was quite a heavy wire going to this with 3 wires. The shaft on the distributor was longer to take all this, the points were also still there. Was this an early form of electronic ignition or some form of suppression. The neg wire that normally comes from the coil to the distributor was not connected to the distributor. Ive seen nothing like this before has any body else come across it. few pics. Howard

[Gordon_M]

It's a Radio Truck - congratulations

 

Other side have a split running board and a damn great battery box perchance ? Voltmeter in the dash, or a hole where one has been taken out ?

 

What you have there is a standard half ton radio suppression setup, which normally only appeared on the WC-42 Radio Panel and the following three Radio Body trucks;

 

T207, WC-8, 212 off

T211, WC-16, 1284 off

T215, WC-25, 650 off

 

I think that is a total of 2146 trucks.

 

If I'm right, everything is 'the same but different' to a normal Command Car, probably negative earth, big battery setup with ( I think ) 8 volt tapping, shielded or screened electrical everything. As a restoration just treat is as a Command Car but assume there will be differences with everything electrical.

 

There is a chance that it is a 'normal' Command Car that has been outfitted with radio-type electrics, of course ( hedging my bets )

Edited August 25, 2015 by Gordon_M

[Tony B]

Whatever! That will be an elegant beast to ride about in.

[HWade]

Thats interesting stuff, the battery on this is under the front floor panel, no big battery box. Yes tony its going to be a nice vehicle when done, sadly not mine but I do get the enjoyment out of restoring them and bring them back to life, the problem I have, I am so busy doing other peoples vehicles I have no time to do one for my self. Are get there one day, and do one. Howard

[Gordon_M]

Ah well, wrong again, but someone has mixed in some Radio Truck components such as that distributor.

 

You might want to double check everything electrical on it as the Radio Trucks were negative earth I remember, and the ordinary Command Cars positive earth, so there might be a mismatch on things like regulator polarity and the like.

 

Any other odd bits? shielding on wiring harness bits or stuff like that.

[HWade]

Hi Gordon

 

the old wiring is a right off, i know that the fuel sender on these half tons have two wires going to them, regards the wiring when it comes to doing this, its having an alternator fitted along with one of jolly engineering electronic ignition kits. The owner wants modern electrics. So should be fairly bullet proof.

[Gordon_M]

Oh those fuel gauges are a pain.

 

They are all 6 volt, 12 volt trucks used a dropper resistor. They depend on having two complete circuits back to the gauge, and a good earth on both gauge and sender. The gauge actually reads out the difference between both circuits rather than the value of a single circuit - it is a great system when it works.

 

If it still has the original two terminal sender and three terminal gauge I'd encourage you to use it with a dropper. You can adapt a newer single terminal sender unit but never done it myself - can look up how if you need it. Nothing else on the truck will give you much grief.

[HWade]

Hello Gordon

 

Thanks for that, I will take that into account, when it comes to the witing and fitting the gauges. I am not a great lover of voltage droppers. Howard