Chevrolet MS4409

[Leigh J]

Hi to all,

I'm fairly new here, a long time lurker and first time poster!
I've been busy restoring my CDLV-242 Willys MB, but now I have a bigger shed I'm starting to look at the other vehicle projects I have...
Next in line, a 1942 Chevrolet MS.

Does anyone have any photos of this type of Chevrolet 4x2 truck in service with a wooden body?
I am about to start restoring one that was passed down to me by my late father, but I'm not sure exactly how its supposed to look.

Some details about the truck,
Its a 1942 Chevrolet MS4409, 1 ½ ton, long wheelbase and 4x2.
From what I can gather its an Australian assembled truck (right hand drive).
Dad had part way restored it (has deteriorated somewhat now) to look ex-factory I think, just cab and chassis, the cab painted a light gray inside and out with the chassis a gloss black.
It has stenciled on the LH side of the chassis 'Contract W-398-QM' and also a 'O/Haul S56-NII-34'.

I am wondering if i should restore it in the configuration its in now, or an 'in service' look as it would have been used in a war time scenario?


Leigh
New Zealand

[Ganmain Tony]

Is this the sort of truck you're refering to ?

You'll get a lot of help leigh from all the guys on here. You'll probably get even more if we can have a look at a few photo's of your beast.

[Eduard Sorokin]

Dear Leigh !

I seem, I have some information for You.

1) If You want to see military style wooden body - see this image:



I seem, this is all-wood body. I have read, model "3116" was the same model "4409", but with short wheel base (134 1/2 inches). What wheel base have Your truck - 160 inches, maybe ?

Below is the model "3116" with such body in service - here the Russian infantrymen moves to frontline during World War 2:



"Chevrolet 3116" trucks were supplied to Russia during WW2 under Lend-Lease agreement - about several hundreds (or, probably, even some thousand) trucks were supplied to the USSR in total.

Other "3116" truck with Russian military registration on cab door is below (note same body style):



2) Try this link necessarily:

http://www.46chevytruck.com/

I feel sure, these guys are the experts about such "Chevrolet" trucks - try to ask them about some help. And if their trucks are mostly 1946 models - these models are identical to Wartime models, of course.

There You can see many links to sub-pages;
for example, on page
http://www.46chevytruck.com/FAQ.htm You can find some "Chevrolet" FAQs and even several scanned Manuals (as ".pdf" files) on these trucks - click the Manual's images and download them !

And - WOW! - in "Unit-designed Chevrolet truck bodies" Manual (see first book image on this page) You will find very good detailed photos of different bodies, including wooden bodies. And in "Chevrolet Trucks 1946" book (fourth book image on this page - cover page of this book have "Chevrolet" emblem with word "TRUCKS" within) You will find side view of model "4409" with wooden body and it's dimensions !
In "1946 Chevrolet truck data book" (350 MB, 189 pages in total, second book image on this page), on pages 106 - 107 You will find much better view of model "4409" with wooden body with dimensions and good technical data on this truck. This book contains images of giant amount of "Chevrolet" models and their technical data. Also very useful technical information about engines, springs, cabs, clutches, etc, etc is in this book.

Enjoy !

Note ! In all these books the civilian wooden bodies are shown - they have 34 3/8 inch width openings in left and right sides of body.
But all is simply - with elimination of these openings, we shall have military type body !

[Leigh J]

Wow! What a wealth of information there, it will keep me occupied for hours.

[motto]

Your truck is without doubt the nicest, most original Lend/Lease Chev that I've come across to date Leigh. It is exactly as presented in TM 10-1339 and to have that information painted on the chassis fish plate is a real nice touch. I hope you can find a platform body and stake sides to complete it.

Dave

[Leigh J]

Originally Posted by motto

Your truck is without doubt the nicest, most original Lend/Lease Chev that I've come across to date Leigh. It is exactly as presented in TM 10-1339 and to have that information painted on the chassis fish plate is a real nice touch. I hope you can find a platform body and stake sides to complete it.

Dave

Thank you Dave!

I'm thinking I may have to construct my own wooden tray and stake sides, bit of a daunting task!

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by motto

Your truck is without doubt the nicest, most original Lend/Lease Chev that I've come across to date Leigh, and to have that information painted on the chassis fish plate is a real nice touch.
Dave

It is indeed a nice truck, but do you think that information stencilled on the chassis plate is accurate? While the truck is a General Motors product, it is not a GMC, and although similar to a CC60L in body panels, that is a different truck altogether known as an MCP built to British WD/ Canadian DND specifiactions, not US Lend-Lease specs. C60420-C is similarly the Canadian DND ID code for a CC60L.

Leigh, the truck is US Built, not Aust assembled. Australian trucks had quarter vents in the door windows, and a fold-out vents on the sides of the cowl.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

The misinterpreting GMC as being General Motor Company instead of General Motors of Canada Limited is fairly common I've run into it when registering my trucks I write it out as General Motors of Canada on the form they type it in as GMC which is misread as being General Motor Company.

So the person painting the sign may very well have meant General Motors of Canada Limited but saved paint 25 letters.

Cheers Phil

[Mike K]

These trucks were also made post WW2 so it can be confusing identifying them .

That example does not have a GMH Aust. made cab , but GMH did assemble US made cabs during WW2 , imported as lend lease . GMH manufactured those particular style Chevy cabs from 1939 til 47 .

The military light switch on that truck looks to be a later add on accessory , it is new switch to my eyes .

The plate above the light switch has GAS AUX MAIN on it, implying it is a Nth American built truck . We use petrol not gas , my car runs on gas LPG !

Mike

[Lynn Eades]

As has been stated, This is an american truck built under a U.S. army contract. Your average GMC CCKW 353 etc (a family which boasts about 3/4 of a million trucks built during wwII) has "GAS" written inside its petrol guage.

[jeff]

Hi Leigh, there is another thead about these Lend Lease Chevs that i started back in 2009 http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ht=lease+chevs Hope this link works. I have since found out the following about these trucks.
They were painted civilian colours in America before being shipped. They even had pinstriping around the belt line. Most were green but mine was Bordeaux Maroon and another we have was origionally black.

[jeff]

Woops hit the wrong key and hadn't edited or finished the last post. Other features of Lend Lease Chevs that i found interesting;
The black out lights and switches ( your light switch is original) are olive green and weren't painted over. I noticed the blackout driving light on yours is missing but that original type clutch head screws are filling the mounting holes.
These trucks were manufactured in the USA as right hand drive vehicles, I've never found any Canadian parts on any of our trucks.
The dashboard and cab internal sheet metal is all painted body colour but USA civilian trucks of the same model use a silver hammertone paint on these parts.
The approx build month and year can be found by looking at the window glass markings.
I'm not sure if you have the Maintence Manual TM10-1525, but there are good photos of the original body styles in the manual. (they often come up on ebay)
Your truck has some neat original parts that i have never seen before eg. the auxiluary fuel tank, fuel tank switch and the pintal hook chassis extension
Is the chassis number you quoted the one stamped into the passenger side frame just behind the front tyre? It is quite different to the Australian assembled trucks that i have seen. Maybe its NZ assembled? Anyway its good to see another LL Chev.
Jeff.

[Leigh J]

Thanks Jeff,

Yes that chassis number is stamped into frame, I'm starting to wonder if this is a NZ assembled truck, or maybe overhauled in NZ?
I'm trying to find more info about these trucks in NZ service, but not a lot so far.
My Dad restored this truck approx 25 years ago, it was he that did the stencil on the side of the chassis plate and I'm trying to find some of his original notes that may give me a clue of the trucks history.
I noticed the other day that there is a stencil 'Trentham' on the inside of the front bumper, a connection to the old army camp here in Wellington that later became a GM assembly plant, also that unusual stencil with the three 'Cannon' like shapes on the aux tank and bumper are very intriguing...

[Eduard Sorokin]

I have found interesting Manual on the Net:

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/adela...ual/1013652175

[Leigh J]

Yes that shows the 4409 very nicely, complete with the stake side body.

I now have a similar maintenance manual (TM 10-1339) except this one is specific to the right hand drive contracts, it also depicts those same views of the truck. The manual even shows features that are original on my truck, like the fuel gauge switch with 'GAS' plate and the military push/pull blackout light switch.

I've yet to find a picture of one of these trucks in ANZAC service, the search continues...

[Tim Hunter]

Hi Leigh, I have restored a 1942 Chevrolet Stake side truck in Australia and I have a second tray and sides which I am selling, I listed it on ebay a while ago and it failed to attract a bid (search Tray + stake sides, Military 1942-1946 Chevrolet,Lend lease,Chev,GMC,Ford,Holden in completed listings to view it and see extra info.) I have since dismantled it ready for shipping. I will try to attach some pictures of it to this post.

[motto]

The differences between trucks can be quite bewildering and I'm not convinced that it is all due to post war tampering. The example of the 4403 truck is a case in point where the cargo body is obviously the standardised 12 foot body as used on the GMC CCKW and Studebaker US6. The mud-guards are even still in the original place, spaced to fit on a tandem axle truck so there is no doubt about the origin.
It all seems to have been a matter of mix and match or what was available at the time and one would be a fool to make definitive statements. I presented my truck as a model 4403 because I had a cargo body from a US6 and had an officer attached to the army museum tell me it was a nice truck but had the wrong body on it. I respectfully informed him he was not entirely correct and showed him the photo of exactly that combination in TM 10-1525.
With light or heavy front axle, light or heavy steering box, military or civilian instruments, left or right hand drive, left or right hand fuel filler neck, 20" or 18" wheels, US or Australian cab, civilian parking or military marker lights, with or without aux fuel tank, with or without chassis reinforcing, rhinoceros tusk or standard ordnance pintle, single or two speed diff, variations in paint colour etc the combination is endless so happy Chevings whatever you have.

David.