Chevrolet C8 1940 Cab 11 restoration, The Netherlands

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

The diff on the rear axle didn't show any sign of white paint, nor was I able to find any sign of a diff light ever being fitted. Was a white painted diff normal for an early CMP like mine? Or was this something done later on in the war?

Alex

Alex
The white paint on the rear axle housing was done in the field after the trucks were issued to the units..and painted white so that the drivers could see something when the vehicles were in convoy,or following each other in black out conditions,but could not be seen from above,only directly behind..If the truck was never used in convoy or in a blackout condition it may never have been painted white and an axle light not installed.
You are doing an excellent job on the truck and really look forward to your posts.
Alex Blair
Ottawa

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your reply and kind comments...I am really having fun with the restoration so far!

Your explanation of the white blackout blob sounds plausible. My truck came from Canada about ten years ago, and that is probably the first time it left the country. So....it might not have had the diff painted white originally because it was not necessary to drive it in convoy under blackout conditions in Canada at the time. But.....I do want to restore my truck as a truck that would have seen action in the Western Europe, so that's where the question on the diff comes from.

I can't fully agree on your comment of the white diff and light beng a field mod; If you look at Clive's Factory photos CD you will see that a lot of the Chevs left the factory with a white painted diff....cab 13, but also cab 11 and 12. Unfortunately the C8 pictures show the rear lid in open condition, so there it no way of seeing the diff.... Confusing!

Alex

[Bob Carriere]

... the C8 has a relatively low profile...... rear over hang of the cargo box..... 13 inch wheels..... early war model..... is it possible that it NEVER had a convoy light....... purely from a practical perspective.... the rear diff. might not have been very visible EVEN if painted white......

Most CMP with the rear diff light had some from of switch on the frame....C model had what appears to be a hi-beam floor switch mounted on the driver's side rear frame..... is there any evidence of the large hole flacked by two smaller screw/bolt holes on your frame....?

I agree with you that there is enough factory evidence to support the factory installation of the light and white paint on the diff.

I have been following your progress with much interest and fasination...
One comment on the primer allowing rust to bloom right through the primer.... it has been my experience backed up by some reading that "primer" is indeed very porous and will let in oxygen and water..... primer is not meant to seal but only to prepare the surface for greater adhesion of the eventual top coat....

I have found it much better to treat bare recetnly cleaned metal with phosphoric acid..... called metal prep in body shop store..... in a weak solution diluted with water it will create an iron phosphate.... greyish chalky finish on the clean steel..... ideal micro rough texture for the top coat to adhere to. Properly phosphate metal will withstand rust better than just a primer coat. The ideal, whether you use primer of an acid solution, is to seal the surface with a good top coat ASAP........

Some steel once dry and phosphated will last for weeks..... other steel seems to get a surface rust bloom a lot quicker...... maybe the carbon content.

I have had CMP rims that were phosphated and months later the surface rust bloom was like a fine dust and easily rubbed off using a 3M pad..... and painted right over with excellent results.

I have cab 11 sheet metal that has been sadn blastedm degreased and phospated.....stored inside the barn..... been 2 or 3 years now with no rust on them..... and never painted.....

Keep showing us pictures of your progress.....

Bob C.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Bob,

Thanks for your comments. Especially the Hammond thread and Phil's thread are a great help for my project!

is there any evidence of the large hole flacked by two smaller screw/bolt holes on your frame....?

Come to think of it.....I think I might have seen one bigger hole and two smaller ones next to it on the rear crossmember.....hmm, will check tonight and post a picture.

Thanks for the comments on the primer. My frame was coated in a zinc phosfate primer, which was far better than the primer I used my self on the axle and smaller bits. I will certainly look into the suggestions you gave and yes....the best way is probably not to wait too long with the final coat after applying primer.....but somehow I just want to have the feeling that I have already stopped the rust before moving to the top coat.

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

Could these be the holes for the diff light switch? It's positioned on the rear crossmember just left of the rear body step. I haven't been able to check for possible remains of the light attachment yet.


Alex

[hrpearce]

Alex the hole group Bob was talking about is in the chassis rail near the u bolt in this picture. It was a Hi/Low beam switch mounted there and it directed the power either to the tail lights or convoy light.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Robert,

You are right. It was more matter of wishfull thinking on my behalf. No tell-tale holes in the right rear of the frame......no remains of white paint on the diff or light on one of the crossmembers, so it's pretty save to say that at least my C8 never had a diff light. Thanks for the responces guys! Part of the fun or restoring a CMP!

Alex