New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

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wc56daveyboy
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New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:11 am

I have been posting a number of requests for parts as of late.

All because of the newly arrived project, my 1941 dodge WC12. I thought I would start a new thread recording the progress.

So, it was picked up in AL on the 19th of June, arriving here in TX on a Sunday, June 21st.

Truck is dated 8-7-41

Immediatly upon arrival and after a quick assessment of what I purchased, I began dismantling.

this is how the truck looked upon arrival.

Look pretty good, dont it?

Well, looks can be decieving! Under that innocent, subdued look lies a cracked, non stock 251, mated to a who knows what transmission.. perhaps a PW 4 speed?

However, to give the old gal credit, her body is pretty nice for a 74 year old lady.. in fact, really nice! not a spec of rot in the cab corners, rear floor, etc, where they all seem to want to rust away. just surface rust...nice..doors are the same, solid.. All glass is good, except for the drivers side door. and the door glass was missing its surround (which I found already) windshield frame excellent.
door mechanisms all need attention. glass felts and runners will be replaced along with the rest of the door related parts.
fenders all good. running boards all nice and straight. bed sides straight as an arrow. rear fenders very nice, slight crease in drivers side rear fender, thats about it.

Tailgate seen better days, lots of damage and dents. Front bed panel salvageable with a lot of tweeking.

The bed was covered with a piece of sheet steel, covering the old rotting wood, infested with MILLIONS of small red sugar ants that are now residents of TX. They wouldnt have lived in the trucks wood much longer as they pretty much got all the meals out of that wood they were going to get! most of the wood just crumbled in my hands!

luckily, however, the bed wood sub frame is all there and still solid enough to use for a pattern to make new rails from..

the wood being so eaten up over time, someone had welded a sort of steel support across the back of the bed sides to keep it all ridgid. All will need to go

Aside from that, the dash is a mess of many modifications. So many that it made more sense to just remove the old dash completly and replace with another from a donor truck. That I am going to do. In fact, I am going with a later model dash with round military guages :D

Another terrible modification done over the years was someone added power steering and some un-known steering box and column.. all that has to get cut off and discarded in favor of a stock setup again.

The rear bumperetts have been modified with a big round cutout in each to reveal the non stock tail light added.. go figure. a lot of torch work was required to do this when simply adding a bracket and these lights somwhere else would have been easier. No matter, the truck came with what looks like NOS rear bumperetes to replace these modified ones.

One nice thing is that the trucks previous owner did install a brand new headliner and recovered seat springs with padding... nice start. I also received a butt load of new parts, original master parts manual and TM manual, etc. even a NOS or very nicely rebuild transfer case..and.. all five brand new 9:00-16 NDT tires. Well, not new, about 8 years old now, but still very soft and pliable, no cracks, etc.. all good!

anyway, see the truck pic upon arrival. Stay tuned for the progress of this rebuild!
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:23 am

teardown begins.

Since its arrival two weeks ago, I have been tearing down the truck to the basic frame and running gear, getting it ready for the sand blaster. with the help of my mechanic/bodyman freind, we got a lot of serious work done in a short time. thanks David!

everything I can un-bolt will come off.. I am nearly there. Interior is gutted. Doors are gutted.. All fenders, running boards, brackets, bed, etc are off.

Engine and transmission have been removed. Mounts, radiator, fenders, firewall items all off and neatly piled up.

All of the brake lines, rusty fuel lines, and whatever was left of the wiring harness has been removed and discarded.. nothing there salvagable but the brake T unions and connections.. all lines junk.

The old power steering conversion had to be torched off of the frame.. luckily none of the frame sections were cut for this conversion... but it still left a mess of brackets to cut and grind off. thanksfully David is a pro with the torch :)

all thats left at this point is the cab on the frame with tires and wheels.. all else will come out as well

Take a look at the photos.. the entire interior dash has been removed.. have a completly new dash ready to go in in near perfect shape.. dash has the round gauges, not the civilian ones.

anyway, with any luck it will get to the sandblaster this week..

Note that the frame looks extremely rusty.. it is not.. its surface rust, no pitting at all that I can see.. the sandblasting will reveal all I suppose but I am very optimistic that the frame is in excellent, solid shape.
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:38 am

note how I left the cutout dash OUT at this point, allowing the sandblaster to get at the interior, underneath. after it comes back home all blasted and primered, the dash will be welded in.. this way I got about as much access for the blaster to hit, as well as get good primer coverage all over.

Also note that the firewall has a good sized hole in it where a heater was. that will be addressed. Luckily I have the entire front section of a donor truck with the dash and firewall where I can get peices to graft in.
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:47 am

One interesting note: observed upon disassembly was lots of add on sirens and horns.. hugh???

AND... a lot of the exterior items were chromed.. like the headlight buckets! yup.. chromed. Add to that I can see a number of placed where red paint shows thru.

Perhaps this was a fire departments show/parade truck at one time? The history I do know of the truck is that it came from the west coast, California. about 8 years ago, landing in Alabama where it resided until I got it. thats about it.. I suppose the previous owner could shed more light on it. I beleive he DID know the base from which it was originally surplused out of in CA after the war.

So no telling the entire history, but the chrome on variuos parts plus the red paint leads me to think this was a fire department rig at one time.. probably why the sheet metal is so solid?
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by tractor12 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 6:49 am

If you need the right dash I have spares
WC12 Wc 27 2 K38s Mz2 ambulance jeep 2 M3a4s M1a1 Chemical Mortar cart T4e1 usmc cart convertible

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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:06 am

thanks Tractor.. But I got the dash covered.

you got other 1/2 ton spares? My tailgate is shot.

I am looking for the 4 bolts that hold the steering gear box to the frame.

need the bolts and washers and nuts, to keep it original I guess :wink:

got them?

Might need other things as I go, but I think I got most covered with parts I have available to me locally. of course, who knows what I might need and be missing. will know as time goes on.
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by tractor12 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:20 pm

I have the bolts but not sure if I can pull from frame they are on. I have a spare rear window trim piece. I do have a spare bed but civilian and no tailgate
WC12 Wc 27 2 K38s Mz2 ambulance jeep 2 M3a4s M1a1 Chemical Mortar cart T4e1 usmc cart convertible

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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Sat Jul 11, 2015 6:16 am

at the sandblaster!

boy there are a LOT of loose peices to blast..

note the inside of the open drivers door.... its red.. like a lot of parts I have seen.

add to that, I took off the hood side "DODGE" emblems and they too were CHROMED....

Fire engine company parade truck I am thinking at one time.
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:31 am

truck history..

As I have found out from the previuos owner, he purchased the truck from a collector in CA about 10 years ago.

Prior to this, that collector purchased from a local (CA) fire department where it was in fact its "command truck" or parade vehicle I guess. that's where the red paint and chrome "upgrades" came in I suppose :P

And prior to that, it came from an airforce base. At the time, the base was known as Muroc Army Air Field..or I have been told, Muroc dry lake airfield?

Today, its known as Edwards Airforce base.

This truck was there when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947 :)

see the blue paint on the rear chuck and frame? air force blue.

So, its history:

Delivered to Muroc Air Force Base sometime after its build date
Sold as Surplus in 1962 out of Muroc Air Force Base, to some California fire department (department location and name unknown)
Sold to a MV collector in 2002.
Sold to the previuos owner in 2005 (or there abouts, where it was in his possesion until I purchased it in June of 2015

when the non-stock 251 was installed, or the power steering, or the non-stock 4 speed I do not know.

What I DO know is its going back to its former glory while in my hands
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by Fred Coldwell » Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:53 pm

wc56daveyboy wrote: . . . when the non-stock 251 was installed . . . I do not know. What I DO know is its going back to its former glory while in my hands . . .
.
wc56daveyboy:

I don't know if by "former glory" you mean you will toss the 251 engine in favor of a 217 or 230 cu. in engine. But because your cab has a wonderful indentation centered in its firewall, a 251 cu. in. Dodge 6 cylinder engine snuggles right into a WC 1/2-ton 4x4 engine compartment as if bespoken. Most people will not suspect the 2 inch longer block isn't original; and it will give that little half-tonner a jolt of "git up 'n go" which will make it a pleasure to drive. I've ridden in a WC 1/2 ton closed cab that had a 251 engine installed and that little puppy had a lot of energy and spunk going down the highway. And everything looked period-correct under the hood. So if I were you, I'd keep that 251 cu. in. block and outfit it (and the rest of the engine compartment) with correct Dodge WW II accessories: Purolater Military Jr. oil filter, correct carburetor, military fuel pump with hand primer, etc., etc. But keep that "big block" to nicely motivate your half-ton WC 4x4. Have fun!
Happy Jeep Trails,

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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by tractor12 » Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:23 pm

Fred a 251 will not fit without modification to the frame and radiator support. My wc 12 also has a 251 in it currently. I bought it that way. The front engine mount has to be pushed 2 inches further and the radiator gets moved to the front of the mount instead of the rear. I will be going back with a t 211 block as soon as I get it rebuilt in mine. I will be repairing the 2 holes the previous owner cut into the frame to put the bolts in for the motor mount he pushed 2 inches further out. Also replacing the radiator mount that has a bunch of holes drilled in it for the radiators new location.
WC12 Wc 27 2 K38s Mz2 ambulance jeep 2 M3a4s M1a1 Chemical Mortar cart T4e1 usmc cart convertible

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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Thu Jul 23, 2015 9:19 am

Hi Fred. Well to answer you both at the same time. The truck DID come with a 251 in it, installed rather poorly, where as the fan was "monkeid up" to make work with very little clearance to the radiator.

To do this, they hacked off the two frame mounted, riveted front engine mount brackets that hold the 218/230 mount and drilled a few holes for the 251 mount into the cross member. they also runined the front radiator support to mount the radiator. welded some crap to it, plus a bunch of holes when I could see how it could have been made easier... and to top it off, the radior was positioned so high it "puckered" the hood where the radiator cap hit.. stupid.

thanksfully they did NOT torch the cab to fit.

Now, had this trucks 251 spitfire been a running, non-cracked block. I might have very well left it alone, and made it work by making some improvements. but it was cracked, and in addition, there was also a previuos weld in a water jacket near the back that looked pretty bad... it was fixed probably years ago with JB weld or something.

Yea. I too have driven in a wc12 with a 251 and for sure, its got more pickup and go!

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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Thu Jul 23, 2015 9:27 am

Just got a call from the sandblaster.. All done.. all blasted and primer coated.

Now this guy and his crew do a fantastic job! I have been using this outfit for 15 years or more on various projects. good clean work, undamaged panels and parts, and the primer job, using heavy industrial red oxide is the best!

Love it.

however, its been years since I did an entire truck.. last few times was just front end sheet metal, and a few loose panels and such..

This entire price tag this time around made me cringe a little: $1850... !! :o

that said, its ALL done and right.. these guys dont cut corners...took off all four wheels and blasted completley.. lifter the frame to get underneath. lifted the cab to get under to blast and once again at primer paint time..

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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by wc56daveyboy » Sat Jul 25, 2015 4:59 pm

picked up the truck today from sandblaster
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Re: New 1/2 ton Dodge WC-12 project

Post by zepher11 » Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:35 pm

Looks nice. Did they sandblast and prime with the leafs and axles attached? Just sandblasting my axle housings, after spending time trying to seal it from the blasting media, never worked for me as the sand always gets in there somehow! Of course, I'm not a professional. I really need to figure out a better way.

You are well on your way. Thank for posting photos. 8)
Zeph

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