Dodge WC16 Radio Command Car - Project

[napavalleyartillery]

Bank on it.
Unless there's an exceptional cannon to be bought or shot somewhere else...

[zepher11]

I took my windshield back to the glass shop today. They immediately leapt to the conclusion that I broke the glass. I figured as much. They don't believe it just cracked sitting there. I screw up a lot of things, and I have no problem claiming it if I did so. Time to find a new glass shop I think.

[Ernie Baals]

glass can break that way. I have a speedo face in my WC4 that cracked about 2 weeks after installing it. and the passenger side glass in my carryall windshield, and this was an nos installed 35 years ago crack over last winter sitting in the garage.....

[zepher11]

glass can break that way. I have a speedo face in my WC4 that cracked about 2 weeks after installing it. and the passenger side glass in my carryall windshield, and this was an nos installed 35 years ago crack over last winter sitting in the garage.....

Hi Ernie,

Yep, just a bummer as it is all glued up in there. Looks like a real drag to remove now...said I would have to pay for the extensive removal now as well as the new glass and installalation. Probably be $300-$400. They really did a nice job on the install, so if they could stop it from creeping, I guess I could live with it for a while. Either way it will cost me eventually. I was supposed to get a call from their "expert" today, but doesn't look like that's going to happen. Probably cheaper to buy another frame, new glass and have it installed.

[zepher11]

Bought a lifetime supply of data plate rivets in different sizes for a couple bucks. Now there's a 99.9% chance I will never have a need for one in the future after installing these plates. I finally have all of the radio suppression stuff installed now that I have attached the data plates:











Also made the trip to the DMV to see what it will take to get registered and add 1941 California plates. Looks like it is in the hands of Sacramento now. Should learn in a few months if I can get a title and have the plates:

[napavalleyartillery]

Are you saying the glass shop both cut and then installed the glass into the frame?
If so, and they are denying responsibility, hark thee to the nearest small claims court.
I am unaware of any way that crack could have been started by your action once it was installed in the frame.

As you may recall I have several frames, with greater or lesser degrees of rot. Inasmuch as your options may be limited by circumstance, I'll be happy to bring some down to Petaluma and you can pick one out.

[zepher11]

Are you saying the glass shop both cut and then installed the glass into the frame?
If so, and they are denying responsibility, hark thee to the nearest small claims court.
I am unaware of any way that crack could have been started by your action once it was installed in the frame.

As you may recall I have several frames, with greater or lesser degrees of rot. Inasmuch as your options may be limited by circumstance, I'll be happy to bring some down to Petaluma and you can pick one out.

Yes, they cut the glass and installed into the frame for me. All I had to do was install the seal and attach it to the windshield pillars over three months ago. I was only able to talk with the front counter staff when I dropped it off yesterday, so waiting for the expert to call me back on a final determination. Not sure how much the front counter staff knows. I should learn more next week, and I'll report back then.

[zepher11]

Took a shot at fitting the doors to the radio chest. It took me quite awhile to get everything to fit properly and keep both doors in alignment and not rattle when installed. I notched the three angle iron uprights like I have seen in the vintage photos. I also added the tab for the right side of the larger left hand door:



I used some extra angle iron to make the internal tabs that will insert into the notches cut in the angle iron and slide down to hold the doors on. Of course, I'm winging all this as I have no idea how the originals were made. I cut the one side of the little sections of angle iron to the with of the angle iron to weld on to the rear of the doors:



Tabs welded on the rear of the doors. I also tried to weld blocks at the bottom of the inside of the doors to help in aligning the doors. Actually worked pretty good. A little difficult to get them in the exact positions, but I think I have it now:



Doors installed:



Now that I finally found some hasp latches that have the slot running left to right, I found some eye bolts that will fit through the slot. I'm not too happy with the hasp mounting plate as it is designed backwards to what I want to use if for. I might see if I can heat the hinge up and reverse it. This would really make it look better and allow a better rivet base. I may use my round head rivets on these as I like the look. We'll see:



I also punched some holes in the rear of the cabinet to allow for the wiring/connectors as well as for the antenna wire.

[zepher11]

Made up some license plate frames today. I found a couple locations where I could use existing bolts and not have to drill anything. No real good location for the rear plate. I was going to attach it to the bottom of the pioneer rack, but it is too low and the plate will not fit there. It would hit when the door came down. If I only had installed it about an inch higher! Anyway, ended up using the pintle hitch bolts. Used some 3/4" angle iron for the frames and some sheet metal for some protection for the back of the plates:











When it stops raining I'll blast them, prime and paint OD.

[timsresort]

Zeph, nice frames, but could the rear frame be too low? Don't want to see those nice YOM plates get scratched.

[zepher11]

Zeph, nice frames, but could the rear frame be too low? Don't want to see those nice YOM plates get scratched.

It's still pretty high, but not the ideal location. Made it so I can move it somewhere else if I can find a spot that would work. I like where your rear plate is located, but my pioneer rack is too low to use that location. I considered the top of the pioneer rack as well, but looks odd all the way up there. Might take a look at bolting it to the pioneer rack lower rail with a bracket that would raise it and put it in front of the tools which doesn't look good either.

Something to think about whilst going to bed at night...

[Price B W]

Zepher,
Your Command Car looks amazing!!! What a long way its come from when i saw it that day in Mr. Johnson yard up in Mt Shasta when i bought my WC-6 from him. I remember seeing it and thinking who is going to buy that pile of parts lol. Then I was blown away when i saw it at the national convention and it just keeps getting better!!

[zepher11]

Zepher,
Your Command Car looks amazing!!! What a long way its come from when i saw it that day in Mr. Johnson yard up in Mt Shasta when i bought my WC-6 from him. I remember seeing it and thinking who is going to buy that pile of parts lol. Then I was blown away when i saw it at the national convention and it just keeps getting better!!

It has come a long way that's for sure as it was a tad rusty! However, I think I've knocked most of the rust off of it now.

Are you going to bring the WC6 to Petaluma? There should be a good representation of 1/2 ton command cars at the event. May be a good group photo op.

Hopefully, we'll see you down there!

[zepher11]

Well, I couldn't sleep all week, so came home this afternoon and actually performed some rare weekday work on the command car. Had to reconfigure the rear license plate location. Decided to install it on the top of the pioneer rack and see how that works out. I'm sure I'll rip it off the first time I go to shut the deck lid:

[Mark in Tucson]

Does Cali require a license plate light?
To get my stuff thru DMV here in AZ, I had to have one.