Hood Numbers

[John D]

I was wondering what size you all used for marking the USA registration numbers on your hoods. I'm doing a CCKW as it would have been marked in Italy in WW2.

Would it be more correct to use the USA over the number, or just one long line? I see pictures of both.

I assume I should be doing them in white.

John

[Bill_Wolf]

On this page you will find pdf's of the official information about lettering and numbering. It is AR-850-5, dated Aug. 6, 1942

Hope it helps

http://www.cckw.org/tm9-850.htm


Bill

[retro-roco]

I think one of the "coolest" things about this TM is the illustration on page 28, which clearly shows the mythical "unicorn" of our hobby, namely the "open cab" 1-1/2 ton, 4 by 4 (looks like a Chevy??)

[joel gopan]

Up to sometime in 42, the CCKW left the factory with 4" Registrations, and it was then reduced to 2" after that. Blue Drab was the color til late war. Once they got "in theater" especially ETO, they were redone as can be seen in many styles of hand cut stencils, usually in 4" but 3" can be found. Sometimes it was necessary to reposition the Registrations due to interference with the Star, and surround. I prefer factory style, and am going to return to the 1941 4"style that my CCKW left the factory with. I will use a paint mask and spray it on. I have a gentleman that can reproduce the original style at his sign shop. I tried using 4" Helvetica 15 years ago, but it got distorted when I tried to reproduce it in the original space, we can get around that now.
Joel

[armydriver]

The hood registration numbers on my old Betty Boop are the original Air Force numbers that were still visible in black on the faded flight line yellow paint. They were on the drivers side, the passanger side was too faded to read.

[joel gopan]

You have to consider that those were USAAF applied, chances are the truck left GM on 319 OD. Were they 2" or 3" was ithe prefix USA or USAF?
Joel

[John D]

I'm confused. AR-850 says they should be 2" high numbers on the hood. I did my 43 jeep that way in blue drab and it looks correct.

I tried the same on my CCKW and the 2" letters looked too small.

Is it possible a later bulletin on markings came out in 1943 and the letter size changed? I have pictures of cckw's in Italy(43-44) and they appear to have the larger markings on the side of the hood. I thought they were white, but I may be mistaken as they are black and white photos.

John

[joel gopan]

There is no way to prove the year of the trucks in your picture, except to research the USA Numbers in a book such as GMC Trucks at War. There are many pictures to confirm 2" Registrations on CCKWS, we had a 45 that was sold New at Boston Army Base at end of WWII USA 4819485 it had 2" markings.(All CCKWs that have a 7 Digit USA Number starting with 484 or 485 were produced in 1945) If you could post the pictures of the overseas trucks, I will try to help you figure what you saw. 2" will appear too small, but they were factual.
Joel

[John D]

Joel-Sorry, I've been trying to figure out how to use my scanner for the last hour and cannot get the pictures scanned in a small enough manner to send them. One of the trucks is at Anzio(feb-may 1944) and has the hood number 4216743, it is an open cab. The other is on the road to Rome in June 44, closed cab, hood number 4158924. I don't know if that info helps.

Both seem to have numbers larger than 2", but I cannot tell the color-blue or white.

John

[joel gopan]

Just a passing guess(I hace a Carpebter and Plumber that I am assisting here) is that those numbers are 1942, and may have been before the change. Many times the numbers were enlarged in theater. I would have to see the font in order to tell.
Joel

[armydriver]

3" numbers with U.S.A. above the numbers. The 319 color paint was beneath the yellow as I began to strip her down.

[Bill_Wolf]

In searching my manuals I have found a subsequent release of AR 850-5 with Change orders dated February 25, 1945.

I will try and scan and post it to the lettering web page tonight. http://www.cckw.org/tm9-850.htm

Basically it talks about Numbers should be white, "S" should be added if it is equipped with radio supression and that number height on the hood can be 1, 2, 3, or 4 inches high depending upon what will fit.

Below is a photo of the hood of my Chevy Fire Truck. Numbers are 3" high with a 20" MTO invasion star.



Bill

[John D]

Guys-Here's a pic of my first attempt at the hood numbers. I haven't put the circle around the star yet and I wasn't pleased with my 2" numbers so I resprayed over the registration numbers and I'm going to try again with the 4".

My new canvas is on it's way, as are the tires. Once that's done and I install my new wiring harness, I'll be on the road!





John

[armydriver]

Hey, looking good there John. Just rememberl,. you decorate the truck to suit yourself and no one else. That old truck should be an extension of your own perosnality.