Australian Chevrolet WO database

[Keith Webb]

Just done a massive update to the Chevrolet WO numbers database.

Still trying to work out just what all the various WO numbers mean, then there are the R100 series of which I have 2, one of which is a C60X.
Some such as the WO3 (Truck, 6 seat personnel) and WO12 (Wireless Signals) are well known, but on the whole it's still a mystery.

Contract numbers are also there.

The letter M, S, P as part of the vehicle serial denote the Holden plant where they were built.
It's interesting to note Sydney manufactured trucks are mostly undated. The bulk of this list is for Melbourne and Sydney produced trucks, there are also a couple of Perth ones there too.
If you have any to add, please contact me. This is of course for everyone to share.

[Mike K]

An impressive list Keith.

I wonder what the dates on these plates refer to specifically . Is it the day the vehicle was finally built , or left the plant , or the day the army accepted the vehicle ? The Holden body tags ( a plain oval shaped tag usually on the firewall ) also have dates on them and sometimes a body number with a code . A example I have is A0 = Jan 1940 . This from a 1940 Chev ute .

Mike

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Interesting that the only Brisbane-assembled CMP I know of is 38444B00073 ... note that this is NOT the 72nd chassis from Oshawa...each Holden plant started their CKD chassis numbers with # 1. Just to confuse there were Australian-delivered British-paid for chassis that had Oshawa series chasiss numbers!

I have yet to see an Adelaide ['A'] chassis!

[Keith Webb]

How about finding us an A stamped Chev, Bob? Surely there must be one lurking there somewhere...
I'd be interested to have the details from Rick Shearman's CGT vehicles too.
I don't suppose your LP8 had any details with it...

[Rod Diery]

I was touring around WA last weekend and had a return visit to this C60L at the Manjimup Timber Park museum. It still has a data plate attached.
Cab Model WO45
Chassis No 28443P00223
Engine No PR3883068
Date 31-12-43
I hope the pic turns out Ok. it's my first time posting a pic on this forum
Cheers
Rod
PS The original engine is still fitted to this truck. There was also an unreadable Holden cab plate under the left windscreen frame. The other cab grafted onto the rear has no numbers at all

[Rod Diery]

I also have a data plate of a spare cab in my yard here.
Cab Model WO73
Serial No 2842100074
Engine No SR3836145
Cheers
Rod

[Rod Diery]

I got an email via Alex Blair from a bloke called Robert Scott in Canberra about five years ago. He was looking for info on his then newly purchased Blitz.

Chassis Model WO73
Chassis Serial 2842100519S
Engine Serial PR3857844

The 'Holden' plate under the bonnet reveals
Body No 3760
Model WO FRT EN
Series 44 10225

Note the the serial number is consecutive with another WO73 in Keith webb's database. By the way, does anyone know Robert Scott or what has happened to his Blitz

Cheers
Rod

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Rod..
Good to see you posting..If anyone knows CMP s it is you....
Hope you are well and doing what you do best...
CMP's ....
Alex

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I do not know how this is going to work but herewith is a copy of my CMP database, colected from all over the world. I hope it is of interest and I really must thank all of you who have contributed including Keith!!!

http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/...evdatabase.htm

Note that the Holden-assembled chassis varied in their chosen styles! This was the same post-war as well, and the location of the local plant code varied. Also there are no known so far Adelaide plant codes BUT Adelaide may not have used 'A'...thus the absence of the plant code does not mean that Adelaide plant did not assemble any trucks. There were some plates that did not have a code letter, and also some plates had the Oshawa plant serial number and stuck with it. Finally, there are known examples of chasis numbers with the same sequential numbers but different plant codes distinguish.

Note also that NZ and South Africa used their GMOO Plant codes in the X series...India may have done the same if not did do so!

[Keith Webb]

Great work, David
Just a thought on the paint codes... possibly FC 98 was Khaki and 102 may have been light stone (a yellowish desert colour) as that is the colour the CGT was painted when new.

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by rodinkulin
I also have a data plate of a spare cab in my yard here.
Cab Model WO73
Serial No 2842100074
Engine No SR3836145
Cheers
Rod

Thanks for these, Rod - much appreciated.

The database has been updated.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Keith, you reminded me that there were several engine # prefixes used even in one batch at a time...SR, PR and WR..somewhere there must be a listing of what these prefixes mean...must be to do with changes in specs and upgrades.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Keefy

Here is a start from Adelaide. Radio Van in Adelaide.

Chassis Model - 8421
Cab Model - WO73
Chassis Serial - 2842100615M
Engine Serial Number - 8R 3858215
Date Manufacture - 24 3 43

This one has the small oval Holden plate and the body was allegedly manufactured at the Holden plant at Woodville S.Aust.

I'm tracking down the other Chevs as we speak.

Bob

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Hi Keefy

Here is a start from Adelaide. Radio Van in Adelaide.

Chassis Model - 8421
Cab Model - WO73
Chassis Serial - 2842100615M
Engine Serial Number - 8R 3858215
Date Manufacture - 24 3 43

This one has the small oval Holden plate and the body was allegedly manufactured at the Holden plant at Woodville S.Aust.

I'm tracking down the other Chevs as we speak.

Bob

Thanks, Bob
It looks like the data plate is from another C15 - WO73 wasn't a sigvan type - it should (from what I've seen) be WO12...

Looking forward to more!

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The engine # could be PR or SR, but SR sounds more likely. Nice truck!!!

[Rod Diery]

Hello Keith and Co,

These are the details of yet another cab I have in my yard. The pic is of this cab as I found it in a salt lake near Kulin, WA.

Note that it is a WO1. I have anecdotal evidence that the wooden body the cab is in is the original one. Maybe this will fill in another WO gap.

Chassis Serial 2842100116M
Engine Serial SR3781572
Model WO1

ARN 60108

Regards
Rod

[Rod Diery]

Here is a scan of the data plate off the above cab.
This cab also has a severely rusted and unreadable 'Holden" cab plate under the left window frame.

Cheers
Rod

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I take it that the [upside down] cab is from an [ahem!] Australian truck?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Note that this is presumably a blank plate stamped by Holden's Melbourne Plant...the engine prefix is normally in the TRIM section on Oshawa plates, and the MODEL would be 84-21, the paint possibly F.C.92 or 102, and the BODY SERIAL may / may not have a number.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by rodinkulin
I have anedotal evidence that the wooden body the cab is in is the original one.

Hello Rod,

Interesting picture! That's not the wooden body off a "Truck, 15-cwt, G.S. (AUST.), No. 1", is it?

Regards,
Hanno

[cliff]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
I take it that the [upside down] cab is from an [ahem!] Australian truck?

no it is an english truck having trouble adjusting to "down under"

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
The engine # could be PR or SR, but SR sounds more likely. Nice truck!!!

I think you're right with SR, David.
The datbase shows all the trucks so far seen in that batch have SR prefixes and it fits with the series.
It's also possible the plate is off another vehicle as WO73 was for a different body type. It should be WO12.
Another interesting sidelight is it is from a series of three trucks on the database manufactured on the same day, March 24th 1943!
I wonder how many trucks they built on a good day...

Rod, good thing the dataplate was alloy or we'd have no numbers to look up! I also think you could be correct about the wooden tray.

[Keith Webb]

Have updated the database accordingly.

[Rod Diery]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Interesting picture! That's not the wooden body off a "Truck, 15-cwt, G.S. (AUST.), No. 1", is it?

Hi Hanno, Yes it is a No 1 wooden body. I recovered it from the salt lake about 1997. It is in my yard here in Kulin. It has just about fallen apart totally now but all the steel brackets, gussets, etc are in good condition except for those on the tailgate which was open and lying in the salt.

I have made measurements of all the wooden parts and one day will draw them up properly and make them available on the web. "One day" :

The back of the chassis and the rear axle from this truck are in use as a trailer on another farm near to where I recovered the cab and body. I believe that the engine, gearbox, front axle and anything else left were bulldozed into a rubbish pit about 25 years ago.

Cheers
Rod

[Rod Diery]

I went for another prowl around my yard this afternoon and found this data plate on a cab which I acquired from Geraldton WA a few years ago for parts. I also have the rolling chassis and the engine which turns over and appears to be in very good condition.

Chassis Model 8421
Cab Model WO/73
Chassis serial 2/8421/00128P
Engine serial SR3857769

Date of MFG 28/4/43

Note that I have included the forward slashes as they appear on the data plate. Very unusual.

Cheers
Rod

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by rodinkulin
I have made measurements of all the wooden parts and one day will draw them up properly and make them available on the web. "One day" :

Hi Rod, a while ago you told us about your No 1 GS Body, nice to see a pic of it. I'd be very happy with a copy of your sketches/measurements plus detail pictures. Together with Mike Kelly's WW2 British 15 cwt body drawings they must be of great help in reconstructing a body for the Indian Pattern FAT "one day"

Thanks,
Hanno

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Rod, each Holden plant seems to have 'done their own thing' until say 1960...e.g. Plant Code or not, model number in full or partial, location of Plant Code..

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Keefy

Found this one today. Was converted to a crane but is past restoration. Will become sacrificial but I own the plate. There was another one there, also converted to a crane, but sadly no Data Plate.

Chassis Model 8442
Cab Model WO78
Chassis Serial 2844200690M
Engine Serial PR3874479
Date of Mfg 8 9 43

Bob

[Keith Webb]

The page has been duly updated

I notice one other truck in the WO 78 batch is a C60S - was that the wheelbase of your find?

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Keefy

Firstly re. C60S, I'll have to wait until the owner separates the bodies before I can determine its chassis.

Found another plate ex. one of my instrument pillaging trips. Data is a bit sparce on this one & I think some is beside the wrong heading. You'll sort it out. I also own this plate now. Actually this is good fun. I think I'll start a trophy board to see how many Chevs I can eliminate. Only joking (maybe)

Chassis Model WO71
Chassis Serial 2844300414S
Order No PR3843804

Bob