New To Me G506 Cargo 12/42 What Do I Have?

[signsup]

Picked this up from a military museum in Michigan this past week. It will be next spring before I can get into this project, so plenty of time to do research and stock up on needed parts like the gas tank. Would be nice to know from the real woorld guys what I have as a starting point, what is correct, what is Bubba and what is flat out wrong.
Will not be factory class restoration. Motor pool at best, but probably parade/reenactor quality for my first truck.

non winch cargo 12/42 assembled in Oakland, CA The bed is from another G506 and the engine is post war.

h

front.JPG (185.5 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

anks in advance. I'll try to show the photos in some sort of order. Bite off as much as you want to chew.

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passenger side.JPG (196.02 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

front.JPG (185.5 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

drivers side.JPG (211.02 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

rear.JPG (182.49 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

chevrolet logo.JPG (177.22 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

registration number.JPG (191.77 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

bg ground strap.JPG (202.21 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

[signsup]

As I mentioned, post war Chevy engine. correct size, I believe. no idea what carb is on it, no ID that I can find. Will need air cleaner for this carb, or install correct carb and air cleaner. 12v with alternator. Undecided to leave as 12v or go back to original 5v. I'm presuming gauges are original and 6v so gas gauge will not work correctly and there is an aftermarket, but vintage heater with the glove box removed that may or may not be 12v or 6v or dead duck. Also turn signal switch on column that may or may not be voltage regulated or will work with both 5v and 12v.

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carb 1.JPG (238.18 KiB) Viewed 1378 times

voltage regulator 2.JPG (227.32 KiB) Viewed 1378 times

[signsup]

Some interior pics. Glove box door and latch, no glove box. Firestone heater mounted under glove box area that looks like a type that uses hot air from the engine compartment, not water. Switch runs to ash tray panel along with Bubba toggle ignition switch. Turn signal indicator on steering wheel column, but no added lights on exterior. 4 spoke wood steering wheel. all data plates present but masonite type headliner is going. Interior dor panels with all hardware. One windshield glass is good, one shot. One door glass is good, one shot. rear glass good, but no screen. Some cut outs in floor pan that look like a pto lever or something else might have been installed. This was a Willow Run Airport vehicle at one point in time. Crash truck? Snow plow? Who knows . . .

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data plate.JPG (224.41 KiB) Viewed 1376 times

dash 2.JPG (245.51 KiB) Viewed 1376 times

dash 1.JPG (227.24 KiB) Viewed 1376 times

cab roof.JPG (181.02 KiB) Viewed 1376 times

[signsup]

Bed is what I understand to be a composite type. wood boards underneath metal skin bed bottom. stake pockets aren't to bad and tailgate is at least there but rough. No holes in bed. some mud flap braces are still present and some wood braces are still good and bed wood is god. All U bolts for mounting bed are present but wood "spacers" or blocks or boards between bed and frame are gone. Bed is sitting loose on two boards sitting on top of the frame rails. Gas filler tube, but no tank. battery box, but no hold down. Spare tire carrier is present, but loos as is hydrovac unit for brakes. external drum hand brake on the transfter case is present and working.

Havent' tried to start it yet, but will do so prior toteardown this winter/spring.

I thinks it's worth a shade tree restoration. What do you guys think?

gas fill tube 2.JPG (198.75 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

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spare tire carrier.JPG (197.9 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

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tow hook 2.JPG (191.47 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

turn signal.JPG (210.31 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

mud flap brace.JPG (203.07 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

hand brake.JPG (215.5 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

brake vac.JPG (179.58 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

block number.JPG (213.26 KiB) Viewed 1370 times

[forestry4evr]

Robert,

Looks like a nice project. Congratulations on your new find.

Yes it looks like a great candidate for a shade tree restoration. It looks like you have a late 1942 truck with a 1943 bed. Visually from the outside, the bed matches the truck perfectly. I think you may have a civilian car engine, at least the carburetor looks like a Rochester that could have been originally found in a car. There are some casting numbers behind the starter that will reveal the date, and a casting number on the right side near the draft tube that will indicate the engine type. It is a common/decent 235 or 261 engine for the truck as most of the splash oiled 235 engines died decades ago.

Here are some old discussions from my trucks. Although they are not the same year exactly, the images should provide you a better idea as to what things "should" look like.
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=214745&hilit=g4112
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=207766&hilit=1941+g4112
http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f= ... 6#p1669363

Enjoy!

Paul

[42cargo]

If I'm reading the head casting code correctly as 3836848, this would then be a 235 dating from 1956 to 1962, according to this chart: http://1954advance-design.com/Stovebolt ... mbers.html

The casting number on the block will determine if it's a truck or car engine. Also, the date code on the later blocks might be down by the distributor: http://www.1954advance-design.com/Web%2 ... -nums.html

Sincerely,

John

[philbrinson]

Lots of nice things like the serpentine grill and the "Chevrolet" side panels.

You'll have a good time. Lots of mechanical parts out there because its a Chevy! Try James Carter Truck Parts for parts also and eBay for interior panels for good deals. Lots of them out there! You can always put a resistor on the gas gauge to convert a 6 Volt.

Phil

[D.R.H.]

Good job on saving the Chevy. I had one of those carburetors you have. The one I had did not have the choke though. It is a GM Rochester, 1952 through ?? They work well for the engine you have. By reading your post, you'll have plenty of time to decide which way you want to go in regards to power plant. Nice photos btw.

[newc]

Wow all the way there and back with that load! Nice neighborhood for that truck. The 848 head is the best! Highest comp ect. A 261 will have "captains bars" casting marks right above the starter on the block. Looks like a 12V truck there. Lots of work needed, but a good start. My FREE gas tank is always available here in Oregon. Newc

[kelley]

Wasn't that the truck listed on Ebay from Michigan? I remember thinking what great deal it was. Although I didn't bid on it, I did go so far as to mapquest it, but knew I would be unable to sell my wife on another truck and a mad dash to Michigan. Congatulations on the new project, she's a beauty!

[signsup]

Yes, this one was the eBay purchase, which reminds me, I have to leave positive feedback for them. Chris and his Dad were great in helping us hand winch this thing on the trailer with chains and come alongs. Better shape than I expected and really look forward to start getting into this thing. My personal feeling is that once I start getting into the project, I'll want to stay on it and get it on the road, so I'm leaning towards keeping the power train and 12v system as it is. I've got the rest of it's life to make it correct or let the next guy do it if that is it's fate. If I take three years to make it "perfect", it may never get done and passed on as an incomplete project and I haven't had to do that yet.

So it may make the "truck police" upset, but it's got a story to tell and I want to start tellin it to as many people as I can while I still can. I'll be making a power point presentation to my MVPA club in January about the G506 in general and the "before" part of this restoration project. My wife will start a Facebook page for it so folks can folllow along.

Any tips along the road greatly appreciated. Looking for gas tank and air cleaner for this carb to start.

[johnwaz]

From some of the research I've done the "848" cylinder head is the "best of the bunch". What I found on my truck is that they had put that head on a 261 block, which ups the C/R to about 9.0 to 1. The other good thing is that Chevy "Stovebolt" parts are available everywhere, so getting it going shouldn't be too bad. Good Luck on getting it roadworthy again.

[signsup]

I don't have the numbers in front of me, but my son confirmed that it is a truck block. So the truck block with this head should give a good running combination from what I'm hearing. The rochester 1 bl carb has the electric choke, which I may replace to connect the choke knob and cable. Since it will be spring/summer before I can really get into this, I may take some time this winter and at least get it started and driving. Then I may do some MVPA event in the spring/summer and show the general public what a "before" project looks like. We have discussed this subject in the past with our local affiliate and we all like to show off our museum quality vehicles. But sometimes, I think the general public thinks they came this way right out of our $50 crate from Popular Mechanics.

[gentrysgarage]

Nice save!
You do have a later heater, probably still 6V though, if you look inside it will have coils inside the outer housing wall in a circular fashion.

If you plan to drive it regularly my vote would be staying with 12V and change gauges and leaving the late model pressure oiled 6 in it.

Keep the pictures coming we love pics!

[1943Willysgpw]

How cool. Congrats on getting the G506. If I had not picked up the GTB, I would have been on the prowl for one. Keep the progress pictures coming.