dodge m56cdn

[mike mckinley]

g'day

one of the vehicles that was on display at cc-5 was a dodge m56cdn, i think a 1953 model. this is a "long wheelbase" m37, with longer box to suit. i have looked through the canadian data sheets, and there is no mention of this truck. i also checked the canadian ordnance stores catalogue with the same results.
in american service, the m56 was supplied as a cab and chassis only, yet this canadian version has the stretched m37 body. my only regret was that somehow, i didn't meet the owner of the truck that day. does anyone have information relating to the m56cdn truck in canadian service, purpose, how many produced, or perhaps a pic of one in service? below is the one seen at cc5

cheers!!
mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by mike mckinley
dodge m56cdn, i think a 1953 model. this is a "long wheelbase" m37, with longer box to suit. i have looked through the canadian data sheets, and there is no mention of this truck. i also checked the canadian ordnance stores catalogue with the same results.
in american service, the m56 was supplied as a cab and chassis only, yet this canadian version has the stretched m37 body.

Mike, as far as I can ascertain, the M56 was only delivered as a chassis-cab as you say, to be bodied by outside specialist contractors into R2 and MB2 Crash Trucks, for example. If you follow the link provided, you´ll note there is at least one M56 owner who removed the utility bed on the back "in anticipation of finding an M37 bed that they could fit". Maybe the owner of the M56 you pictured had the same bright idea?

H.

[mike mckinley]

hi hanno

thanks for that, and you may be right, still a sweet truck to see up close. if this were supplied as a cab and chassis only, it should be in the ordnance stores catalog, like the old m211cdn cab and chassis is? strange

mike

[Robert Dabkowski]

Mike, I was able to take a good look at this truck AND speak with the owner at the Oshawa, Ontario military vehicle show of May'05.

It did indeed start life as an M56 cab and chasis only. The owner had fabricated a new, longer rear box, using a regular M37 box as a pattern. Looks great, very good workmanship but not authentic in Cdn. military use.

Robert in Toronto

[mike mckinley]

hi robert

thank you for that information...and you are correct, he did a great job on the truck.....good enough that the body looks like the factory built it. how many of the m56 cab/chassis combinations did canada purchase? this is the first i have seen.

cheers!!
mike

[Gordon Yeo]

In issue #7 of CMP Magizine there is an article about the Canadian production of the G741 series of trucks it lists 6 M56CDN as being built in Canada. The truck at CC5 is owned and restored by Marshell Manning from near Sarnia Ontario. When Marshell brought it out the first year it was something of a mystery until an old artillery guy said their unit had one with the same long cargo box and loved the extra storage space.

[mike mckinley]

hi gordon

only 6.....a lot rare than i thought, but this may explain why there is no reference to it in the data sheets, or the ordnance catalogue. thank you for the information

mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Gordon Yeo
When Marshell brought it out the first year it was something of a mystery until an old artillery guy said their unit had one with the same long cargo box and loved the extra storage space.

According Fred Crismon's U.S. Military Wheeled Vehicles, the XM283 was tested in 1952. Apparently, the Canadian Army tested a few too. I does not seem to have gone into quantity production.

If the one on display at CC5 is really one of those six built in Canada, it is one heck of a rare truck.

H.

[mike mckinley]

hi hanno

love the prototype pics. notice the rear cargo body....i wonder if it was built by chrylser, brill, or qmc? wish i had a pic, or the info,of the dataplate from the truck at cc-5. 1 of 6 sure would make it a rarity

thanks

mike

[Robi]

I found this thread while searching for contract info on Canadian m37s and variants. I have a website devoted to M37s and need to improve the content on our neighbors use of these trucks.

Can anyone help me with contract numbers and production numbers, etc?

So far I know of five contract numbers;
CDLV290
CDLV704
CDLV817
CDLV822
CDMR511029

All of these trucks s/n start with 9140xxxx.
I am also looking for manuals and documents referencing M37s.

Any help is appreciated,
Robi
www.g741.org

[Rusty]

I am interested to see these longer bed vehicles these must be what the Toyota version is based on. The Toyota is bigger all over while retaining the dodge look and mechanical layout. Heres a side view of my Toyota from the 1950's

[Robi]

Hi Rusty,

Would you mind sending the info from the data plate? I would like to start a section on the Toyota version of the M37 on my site.

I have a manual from US Army Japan on these vehicles but I dont have any info directly from a truck.