CCKW questions

[Matt]

I was just wondering what is the earliest surviving CCKW? most in Europe have been rebuilt at least twice in their lives so the early features have to a large extent been removed,in which case only the chassis number will tell for sure.

Maybe a thread to record surviving WW2 GMC data could be started? there must be some of the rarer versions surviving out there.

I know CCKW's were the most mass produced truck of WW2 but there were rarities such as the rail mounted CCKW's used in the ETO and the really early contract vehicles.

Just because it's got a cargo body it dosen't mean it started life as a cargo...

[bobc]

Hi Matt, The CCKWX that I have is # 4997, it is a very original vehicle,as far as I have been able to determine so far,unfortunatly the body is extremely rusted at the belt mouldings. I think the vehicles of victory site has started a data base for these trucks. Bob.

[joel gopan]

Manny Rogers sold a Clean Norwegian LWB CCKWX 353 a couple years ago with all the original features intact, the 1574 Cab with early instruments, ash tray, etc, and the mechanical Brake Booster, the engine had the early Oil Pan.
Joel

[armydriver]

I would think that most of the very early models stayed in the U.S. , with exception of Lend lease and of course the Pacific. I know that there were CCKW's in China when the Flying Tigers were there as there are photos of them on the airfield at Kunming. They arrived there in the early summer of 41.

[Matt]

Hi Bob
I think your truck is the earliest so far.there are a lot of very early CCKW's,including some CCKWX,in Norway.for some reason the rest of Europe had later trucks Norway got all the really early stuff.a lot of Dodge WC-55's turned up there as well.

A friend of mine goes out to Norway a lot and he finds trucks to bring back to the UK.another chap I know brought a 1942 CCKW353 from Norway which had been in storage,on stripping the thick layer of post war Norwegian paint off he found the original markings,the truck belonged to the Service companey,116th Infantry Regiment,29th Infantry Division.under the seat he found the remains of the watherproofing notice with the US flag on one side and the waterproofing instructions on the other.I know there are many BS stories of trucks that went ashore on D-Day but this one did.

[joel gopan]

My CCKW was made in May 41, and it was returned from Denmark by me in 1983, I have a photo of the Maine National Guard loading very early CCKWS (USA# and grills, Mirror brackets confirm it) onto Gondola Cars in March 1952, along with some MBT trailers. These were headed to Europe, and the Maine Army Gusrd in turn got Dodge 6X6 WCs to use until the first M-135 GMCs arrived in 1953. There are many war time photos of early CCKWS overseas in the many books published with CCKW photos in action. This Website shows early SWB CCLWs towing Artillery, the photo is overseas. Remember the ALCAN Highway, and AVG, there is evidence of the Early 1941/42 CCKWs. The War did not wait for late trucks, they were shipped as fast as they were produced. Look at the Slat Grill Jeeps that served overseas. One has to open a few books on WWII Transportation, and the proof is there. There are pictires of Lend Lease Early CCKWs parked in Iran, on the way to Russia. I hope we do not get into the ruts that Jeep experts have fantacized, in, they are true believers that Jeeps have to be color coordinated, have all matching Goodyear NDTs(They never heard of worn out or blown tires and replacements) a water busket, all dark or light OD canvas, and period tools, tire pumps, etc., before the chariot dashes into war. Hey it has been only 60 years, and there are still some of us historians that still know the difference.
Joel

[dr deuce]

I have a 41 CCKWX serial number 76xx for a while. It had been used as a well driller. The Pounder type. And Pounded it was...

I junked it. Sold it to a duy that made a 2 axle log frontender loader out of it that is still running!

Steve AKA Dr Deuce

PS: I still have the complete mechanical brake set up it anyone needs it.

[armydriver]

I hope to get an early CCKWX someday. While we are on the subject remember that there were CCKW's in Hawaii on Dec. 7th. So many of the trucks shipped to Norway were done so after WWII, as Joel said ,as part of the developement of NATO.

[42cckw]

I have a ex norwegian 353 cargo that was mfg january 1942.I bought it from manny rogers, who over the years had some of the best trucks you could buy,and he is a honest guy!. with the help of joel gopan i have been making it a better truck, thanks joel !! how about a survey question for you all, of all the trucks to come back from europe, witch country had the best trucks and why? my vote is norway.

JIM 42CCKW

[armydriver]

I believe that Norway will be the best supplier of CCKW's back to the good old US of A.. My truck never left the states. It was delivered to Kelly Field, in San Antonio in 1943 and has remained here since then. Being sold into surplus in 1964 to Kelly Materials Company then to me. No combat experience in my trucks history, however three wars service. WWII, Korea and Viet Nam all with the Air Force.

[Corne Lauwerijssen]

Ive seen around 50 unrestored cckws together, about 10 or a bit more where Greece, a pair where Dutch and the rest came from Norway.

Those from Greece where rottend, but restorable. Dutch trucks had
very good paint and where running only they have some modifications done in the electrics, but still 6 volts. The removed all noise surpressing
parts, changed taillights, reflectors,dataplates and some more.

The trucks from Norway had almost none modifications, only some
other dataplates, but not all in some trucks. All stuff you normally
miss was there, really amazingly. There where around 10 352cckws, half or so with early brake system. These where also running and in good
paint.

I choose for a Dutch one, because it was in the best condition and
complete except for those modifications.

Corné

[joel gopan]

We brought back a few from the Netherlands in the 70s-80s that had the original Open and Closed cabs replaced with ones totally made of wood.
Joel

[Matt]

I agree with Joel to a point that some Jeep owners take things too far and end up producing a vehicle that dosen't really look like it would have in WW2 BUT on the other hand I do feel that some GMC guys,here in the UK at least,wouldn't know a CCKWX from a CCKW. it is importent to search for and preserve the early and rarer trucks and I for one enjoy finding the differences between early and late vehicles.

It's a case of striking a balance between being too nit picky or being too blase.I can go out and buy a late war CCKW open cab any time but try finding a fuel tanker,fire truck,engineer shop truck,chemical decontamination truck,ACKWX,CCKWX or any of the more unusual versions and it's another story.

In truth there are probably more of the rarer trucks about than we think but after 60 years of post war life the only way to tell could be the chassis number and any extra holes,brackets etc.

[Drew Ballard]

My dad and I bought our truck (that was just shipped from Norway) in 2000. So it was probably one of the last surplused. It had brackets bolted in the bed for some sort of gun, turns signals, a radiator cover on a cord that reach into the cab so you could raise or lower it from there, two extra holes on the dash, a european temp gauge, and a bosch coil. It is sn 348XX so it should be the very end of the first series. It still had the marker lights, no bo drive, original USGI seats. That's all they did to it. With my buddy, a welder, it was a very easy resto.
An interesting side note- both fenders were slightly wrinkled, and two bars of the grill were originally broken and welded. Some sort of front end mishap. (and it's a winch model so they must have really hit something) When we tore the cab apart we found all sorts of European beer caps under the seat. We always joked that Sven was liquored up and hit a herd of yaks or reindeer.

[Matt]

Hi Drew
Sounds like a nice truck! is it a 352 or 353? does it have the ring in the cab roof for the gun mount? could the fittings in the back have been for a WW2 Maxon turret? I know a guy here who has an ex Norway 353 hard cab which had the mounting holes in the bed for a Maxon,he refitted a complete turret...

I wonder how many early trucks are still in Norway waiting to be restored?

[arthur.m]

Many Norwegians bought several trucks from surplus auctions. The guy I bought mine from had had four of them. There must still be hundreds of them out there.

My '44 tipper is pretty original, with one or two Bosch electrical components and Norwegian Viking M+S tires. I think it is a low mileage truck, the engine, however, has been swapped and has a '87 rebuilt plate. The guy who sold the truck told me that during the last few years the Norwegian Army didn't bother repair even a blown head gasget, they had hundreds of rebuilt engines so a rebuilt one was dropped in and the old one thrown away.

Arthur