1941 Chevrolet Portee

Rookie · #1 09-10-07, 08:10

Newbie to all this, Jif helped me out in registering, am rebuilding a 1941 Chev Portee ex NZ Army, bit of a mission glas to be on board no doubt I will be screaming for advice at times. Love the site was told about it by Dave Ellery who has just finished his truck

aj.lec · #2 09-10-07, 08:24

hello eric
welcome aboard
good to see another chev man
look forward to seeing youre truck
good luck

Rookie · #3 09-10-07, 08:31

Thanks mate beleive it or not there is a F30 Chev up the road (12 kms) that is on Trademe, last I looked for $12, bids end our sunday

Rookie · #4 09-10-07, 08:43

Just introducing myself as a newbie am rebuilding a 41 Portee
No doubt will be searching for advice ffrom you all

Tony Smith · #5 18-08-08, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rookie

Just introducing myself as a newbie am rebuilding a 41 Portee.

Ready for the road yet, Eric? These might come in handy!

Rookie · #6 19-08-08, 09:14

Tony

Beleive it or not I could have had that plate for $300 when I registered a 1975 Chev Corvette (since turned into a bathroom, kitchen and chev portee). Being smart as I bought the Corvette for my wife for our 25th anniversary I got the plates 25THAN (dumb) as she hated the car as much as the rifle I bought her for her birthday (she bought me a sewing machine).

Still working on it. Its in chassis and engine phase, all going, still learning to weld so I can finish the body, as usual lack of money and the bloody weather have slowed things a lot. Have completed two wheels which were a real bastard getting the tyres off we have now had the problem of lots of trees (big bastards) falling down around us in recent storms. Time is spent on clearing them. Totally unusual as the trees had stood for 30+ years. My neighbours were also hit bad so time off is spent on fixing things.

Appreciate your interest. Have now a camera will try to show progress as at about three months ago

Rookie bugger didnt work

Attilio · #7 04-09-08, 18:08

Hello,

There is any evidence that the Chev NZ portee was used in North Africa Campaign?

I haven't found any photo of this kind of Chev portee with the two ramps for loading and unloading the 2pdr gun in North Africa

Thanks

Attilio

David_Hayward (RIP) · #8 04-09-08, 22:32

If you mean the 2-pounder No. 42 Cab Portee based on the CGT, I have no definitive proof but can say that they were acquired under Demand S/M 2028, and then a large proportion were sent to the Middle Wast. This must have been direct, and involved assembly in Alexandria. From AIF records, we know of L 4623008, L 4623053, L 4623061, L 4623452, L 4623541 being issued to the AIF. In addition thanks to Shane Lovell, we also know of the following AIF 'Portees' that were in the Mid-East undergoing repairs:
L4516072 L14418712 L4516466 L4514359 L4516492 L4413524 L4514782 L4514865 L4514809 L4514803 L4412964 L4412889 L4514860 L4412893 L4516467, although this could of course include trucks converted to carry the 2-pounder en portee.

If the AIF had them, for which they would have subsequently paid the British, then is it reasonable to assume that the NZEF had a quantity issued that they then paid for?

aj.lec · #9 09-10-07, 08:48

c30 for $12 !
If i were you id be having a go at that one .Spares or another truck always come in handy
just had a look -looks a bit rusty and set up as a tipper but appears to still be a lot of useable parts and listed at only $6

David Ellery · #10 09-10-07, 10:06

Gidday Eric, glad you found your way onto this site, alot of collective experience and advice to be found here. You'll have to post some pics when you can. Parcel went in the post this affo.
cheers David....

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #11 09-10-07, 12:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Rookie
Thanks mate beleive it or not there is a F30 Chev up the road (12 kms) that is on Trademe, last I looked for $12, bids end our sunday

G'day Rookie, glad to have you on board!

Y'know, for that money, the old girl's a give-away, quite worth hauling home! Lots of good bits on that, even it is a trifle 'air-conditioned'.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-121404212.htm

Keith Webb · #12 09-10-07, 12:26

Looks like a F60L with winch and an engine transplant.

Alex Blair (RIP) · #13 09-10-07, 13:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Rookie
Just introducing myself as a newbie am rebuilding a 41 Portee
No doubt will be searching for advice ffrom you all

Welcome aboard...
You'll find many a panel beater and CMP nut in NZ so you are not alone..This is the world's premier website for all of us that are afflicted with the rusty old truck(ROTters) disease/.
You'll find all your answers here on MLU forum..and probably lots of smart ass suggestions,all in fun of course..
Welcome aboard..
Alex Blair
(Mr.Manual)

Howard · #14 09-10-07, 13:54

Good to see another 12 cab on line...
Any photos, Rookie??
HH

David_Hayward (RIP) · #15 09-10-07, 19:48

Always after more serial/chassis and engine numbers please for my database! There should be a build plate in tghe cab with the data.

Rookie · #16 09-10-07, 22:38

Dave following numbers (the engine will not be original as Army plonked anyone in as you are aware

NZ23375

passengers gaurd: L4595399

Plate:

Model 84-40X2
Serial: 184409615
Engine: 37 58552

Chassis weight 6235 lbs
Gross 12,680 lbs

Rookie · #17 09-10-07, 22:50

Keith

looked at the advertised truck about 18 months ago, farmer wanted $1,000 for it, its an ex river quarry truck that has been fitted with a tipper, a real mess Have attached early photo of mine, its now a chassis and engine in the male bonding area (my barn)

Rookie
Photo wont go dammit I think one is on restoration forum

David_Hayward (RIP) · #18 09-10-07, 23:18

Amazing info, thanks! The Census Number fits with the Demand (British Ministry of Supply purchase contract) S/M 2028, and now wh have a NZ nuner as well! This was presumably one of the 219 Chevrolet and Morris-Commercial Portees "sold" to the NZ Government as obsolete by 1944.

The Build Plate should read something like:

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA
MADE IN GM CANADA
OSHAWA WALKERVILLE REGINA
MODEL 84-40x2
SERIAL 184409615
ENGINE 3758552 BODY SERIAL _??_
TRIM WR or XR PAINT F.C.98

But the serial number is out-of-sequence with any known (to date) CGT/Portee chassis...could the number be 18440 2 9615? Also the TRIM section should have either "WR" or "XR", with the latter more likely...that's the engine number prefix, with the "R" being right hand drive, and the "W" and "X" being the type of 216 cu in Chevy unit.

The cab is of course the number 42 open derivative of the number 12 cab, but in NZ I wonder if the truck was rebuilt as a G/S 30-cwt or 3-tonner, or continued as a Portee, which would have meant mods to the cab?

Rookie · #19 10-10-07, 00:22

Dave

Boy you are quick off the mark, I will have another look at markings on the plate through the rust and debris, the plate is exactly as you describe in layout. Once I can work out how to post a photo I will!!

Rookie

Keith Webb · #20 10-10-07, 00:40

I have merged both of the 1941 Chev Portee threads.

Keith

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #21 10-10-07, 02:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Rookie
Dave

Boy you are quick off the mark, I will have another look at markings on the plate through the rust and debris, the plate is exactly as you describe in layout. Once I can work out how to post a photo I will!!

Rookie

Hey Rookie, photos are easy... just ensure your scans are no wider than 700 pixels (600px preferred) and no 'heavier' than 120kb; any graphics program can do this for you, even the free ones; the width is governed by 'resize' or 'resample', something like that; the 'heavy' is the compression factor - if it offers medium, use that, or it may say 'web'; either way, you can check in Windows Explorer after you've saved the file.

THEN.... do NOT try to preview the post with pic once you've put it in the attachment box - just do the post.

Give it a shot.

Jif

aj.lec · #22 10-10-07, 03:03

hello
another way if you havent got any graphics programs is pick the photo off your file then email it to yourself .it will ask you if you want to make it smaller -say yes .then right click the photo in the email and save it back to your documents in pictures .then when you post a reply you can browse the file and pick that photo and it is correctly sized for mlu
long way of doing it but saves a program

Rookie · #23 10-10-07, 04:16

Thanks for the advice, I am a computor idiot, what I have are two 1 jpg photos held as a document, I have never had problems attaching them to e mails but when I do the "browse" thing here it comes back that they are too big (but they are small) I can e mail them to any of you if I have an address and maybe they can be posted until I work the system out - hence the newbie title!!

Rookie

Rookie · #24 10-10-07, 06:55

Hi all

free to check for photos or contact e.rooke@xtra.co.nz

Rookie

aj.lec · #25 10-10-07, 08:25

erics portee

aj.lec · #26 10-10-07, 08:34

nice truck eric
looks like you have a great start
Got a few different pieces there but looks like you have the harder to get bits .
good luck
look forward to seeing youre progress

Rookie · #27 10-10-07, 08:53

Andrew

Thanks for your help mate I will try and kep things up to date, funnily bits seem to arrive courtesy of other people that are keen on the trucks getting going, still tossing a coin as to putting the fold up portee deck or the army tray on will have to remake either the tray is munted but is still a pattern although the Ayottolah (the wife) wants it out of the paddock!!

regards

Rookie

aj.lec · #28 10-10-07, 10:38

just surfing through a few threads and discovered you have already rated a mention in another thread titled kiwi chev portee.
another one you might be interested in is chevrolet portee photos
just click on the search and type it in
cant believe your original purchase price and where abouts ,really well done
heres one picture from the latter

Tony Smith · #29 10-10-07, 11:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Rookie
..... still tossing a coin as to putting the fold up portee deck or the army tray on will have to remake either the tray is munted but is still a pattern .......
regards

Rookie

I'd try and keep as much of the body as possible as there very few of the Kiwi GS conversion decks still about in any sort of original condition, although if you do want to convert back to a Portee deck, you will see that the original Portee floor has been incorporated into the GS floor, that explains the patchwork of different steel patterns.

David_Hayward (RIP) · #30 10-10-07, 11:14

Look like 1944 conversions to , well let's say 3-ton at the moment, G/S? Making something useful out of obsolete..nice jobs!
Nice photos thanks!