Attention GTB Series Owners

[rgus]

The ones built under navy contract were pained ocean grey at the factory.

[jzimm]

Part 2 of Sunderlin's Army Motors article on GTBs says the Navy ones were Ocean grey except the late production ones which were OD. I have yet to see a GTB with factory grey paint. I'm sure they may exsist, but I also know OD factory Navy contract trucks exsist. I question if the archives reflect reality in this case.

Doesn't matter as they look nice with either color.

[Bill Scott]

I too question that statement. I don't keep all of the documentation I have researched in the past, but I believe that all of them left the factory in O.D. You might try asking Tom Wohlbolt about it. He has an extreme amount of documentation on them.

[Bodger Baz]

i have a spare windscreen frame that is grey and Tony Corbin has a parts truck that is also grey underneath the other layers of paint.

[Ben Dover]

I had some NOS Gray Canvas GTB Doors that I found folded up in the GTB Passenger seats that I sold.

[Bill Scott]

Well, we all have a chance to be wrong. I've just never read anything about factory grey.

[Tom Wolboldt]

Hello Group,

I can only address what happened at the Ford assembly plant.

The 203?86 Navy number found by David was given to this truck by the Navy after they received it used from the Army. The original hood number should have been in the 3126xxx through 3127xxx range.

All GTB cargo trucks left the assembly plant plainted OD with 2" tall blue drab registration numbers.

Now the details begin. Not all GTB looking cargo trucks are model GTBs. Only the first 6000 ( which Davids truck is one of ) are model GTB. All of this model were made on an Army Contract.

The other GTB looking cargo truck is model GTBA. This model was made on a Navy Contract. This model started out painted Ocean Grey at Ford and then in late 43 was changed to being painted and delivered from Ford in OD through the rest of the contract ending in late Oct. '44..

I hope this is of some help.

[Bill Scott]

Thanks Tom. I guess we're all right in some form.

[acmack]

Thanks Tom for sorting out my GTB's interesting history.
As a reason for my GTB's service change, I'm thinking that since the GTB's in all 3 branches seemed to have been assigned primarily to airfield duty hauling ordnance that once the Air Force was created in 47', the Army had it's bombers and tactical fixed wings reassigned to the Air Force thus eliminating it's GTB's primary role. And since the Navy was already using the GTBA for the same role it folded the Army GTB's into it's existing fleet.

BTW, what was the first GTB chassis number and date of delivery?

David

[jzimm]

So it's safe to say GTB's came form the factory either OD or grey. My question is what were they painted in the field? I want to show mine as an example of what would be found in the Pacific theater of WW2. Were Navy GTB's in the field(not stateside) left OD or repainted grey? I have yet to find a color picture.

I understand the assertion that the Navy repainted them grey due to having that paint on hand, but was that done in all areas of operation or just at major bases.

[Ben Dover]

Do not eliminate yellow as consideration for the GTB, many were painted yellow.

[Bodger Baz]

mine was yellow at some point, on top of the OD, i have been told that it was for vehicle used by the government for road building projects after the war?

[acmack]

I thought the High-Viz/yellow paint was a post war application.

I had a early 42' Federal tractor 94x36 that had a base color of OD, then sky blue then yellow. Each layer had unit markings so I believe these all to be service colors. David

[Ben Dover]

Yellow was used on many airfield vehicles prior to end of WWII.

[rgus]

Is this yellow or just faded out OD?