Chevrolet photos wanted

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hello Lang,

Always amazed by your intercontinental automotive projects. This panel van is a rare beast, it is hard to find a reference in my library which includes books like Fred W. Crismon's U.S. Military Wheeled Vehicles. But they were a military vehicle, as listed in TM 9-2800 Standard Military Motor Vehicles (1943). See attached pages for details - TM9-2800_G-616.pdf:

TRUCK, PANEL DELIVERY, 3/4-ton, 4x2
Technical Manual: TM 10-1287. Parts List: SNL G-616
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Motor Div. (General Motors Corp.)
Classification: Limited standard
Purpose : To transport light cargo.

TRUCK, PICKUP, 3/4-ton, 4x2
Technical Manuals: TM 10-1163, TM 10-1167, TM 10-1305. Parts List: SNL G-616.
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Motor Div. (General Motors Corp.)
Classification: Limited standard
Purpose: To transport general cargo

A quick search yielded a reference to a manual listing G-616:

Ord 8 SNL G520, G612, G616 Bus 15 Passenger G520, Car 5 Passenger 4 door (G520), Truck 1/2 Ton 4X2 (G612), Truck 3/4 ton 4X2 (G-616) 1944 102 VG $40

The ad dates back to 2017 but maybe the seller still has it, or you snapped it up already?

This is an interesting class of vehicles: while acquired by the military, these are basically civilian vehicles with slight military modifications like matt paint and possibly military black-out lighting. In the government supply systems they are listed as "Limited Standard" military vehicles, typically to be used at home bases or at least non-combat units. Being basic civilian vehicles, they are better to drive long distances than heavy all-wheel drive military trucks.

I think it would look great in US Navy gloss medium gray No. 123 on all exterior metal surfaces with the exception of chrome plating (source). When repainting vehicles, the US Navy would often paint the chassis and underbody with black bituminous paint.

All for now, looking forward to seeing the restoration progressing - and to meeting you again in Normandy!

Regards,
Hanno

[Lang]

Hanno

Thank you for all that info.

The later edition of the US Military standard vehicles book lists the Chevrolet and Dodge 1/2 ton Panel vans as "Standard" . Maybe when they get a certain number in service they become "Standard"?

Here is a photo that might interest you - a gang of Dutchmen sitting on a chrome grille Chevrolet.

[Lang]

Hanno

Reading your info on Navy grey paint instructions I always thought this Chevrolet Pick-up was an over the top restoration.

The instructions say do not paint over chrome so apart from the whitewall tyres this would be correct. But as it is a Recruiting vehicle, they dressed these up so even the whitewalls might be an accurate restoration.

Lang

[Lang]

Sorry Owen was on your link but I missed it. There is one of my Panel trucks (with chrome grille) in this line-up taken 1944. Also a Dodge like Mike o'Sullivan is restoring in the workshop beside my truck in Texas.

Might be a bit different to have a Royal Canadian Air Force vehicle.

What might be the colors? It may just be the light but the left hand group seem different colors to the right hand group in the front row.

If any of the Canadian team can offer a color guess it would be great.

Lang

[Lang]

I just found the official GM production figures for 1941 and 1942.

Vehicles built for commercial sale had different model codes.

Taking the civilian style Suburbans and Panel Delivery vans produced for the US Government of 1/2 and 3/4 ton 4x2 size:

1941

Model Code and number built.
20A 1/2 ton Suburban 600
20D 3/4 ton Panel 4
No 1/2 ton Panel purchased by government.
Total government purchases for 1941 including pick-ups, telephone etc 1,399

1942

Model Code and number built
21K 1/2 ton Suburban 676
21B 1/2 ton Panel 55
21F 3/4 ton Panel 44
Total government purchases for 1942 including pick-ups, telephone etc 1,641

Some conclusions:
My vehicle from the data plate - 20D - is one of only four government order 3/4 ton panel trucks produced in 1941.

There is now no mystery why there are so many Suburban photos with so many produced.

These figures include about 50 RHD Pick-ups and 50 RHD Suburbans - who were the customers?

Lang

[Lang]

Lots of interesting vehicles. A Chevrolet Panel van about 6:22 but I suspect it is an Australian built one with a Holdens body as the rear doors are different.

www.awm.gov.au/collection/F01223/

Lang

[David Herbert]

Regarding the question of the use of chrome grills on military production, I visited someone yesterday who has a number of vehicles (several makes) that were new to the US military and have chrome grills. When I commented on this he pointed out that they were not chromed but were actually pressed from stainless steel. On close inspection I was absolutely satisfied that they were stainless and were original to the vehicles, which were unrestored US imports and very much unmolested.

These sort of components would normally have been manufactured in a very large batch at the start of that model year's production, and in a quantity to suit the anticipated production needs. With each manufacturer moving over to mostly purely military models, the production of light vehicles with more or less civilian front ends would have greatly reduced so the parts stock would have lasted much longer than a normal model year. The choice would be then to either use the stainless ones or to scrap them and make painted ones. As these vehicles were not for front line use they evidently opted to use up stock. The vehicles that I inspected did however have painted parts that on civilian ones would have been chromed so they had discontinued chroming to some degree.

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

Might be a bit different to have a Royal Canadian Air Force vehicle.

What might be the colors? It may just be the light but the left hand group seem different colors to the right hand group in the front row.

If any of the Canadian team can offer a color guess it would be great.

Lang, as far as I know the RCAF basically followed the RAF colour schemes. Pre-1940/1941 that was overall 633 RAF Blue Grey. In the RAF only after WW2 the wings (fenders), chassis and valances were painted semi gloss black.
So I was going to suggest this could be a post-WW2 picture, until I checked Owen's link above an saw it captioned: "RCAF motor Transport Fleet, Rockcliffe, Ontario, 4 July 1944. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583342)".

So the blue-black scheme is definitely an option, though in combat areas air force vehicles were painted in greens and browns like their army counterparts.

What colour was your panel van originally? Could it be a Navy medium gray? You'd look great in a sailor's blue denim working suit and white cap! ;-)

H.

[Lang]

Hanno

I have not seen the Chevrolet in real life yet (bought it on Ebay and Mike just collected it and stored in his shed) As Mike is in Australia for a couple of weeks the shop is presently unattended. I will have him check the color.

The Chevrolet with the musicians could be anything as you say. Can you get a unit from the numbers?

You talk about mind-boggling variety, I don't think it is possible to beat that Canadian Air Force collection. I would put money on most of them being civilian vehicles taken by the government. As they are all just a few years old there probably is no reason they could not have completed the war trouble free in the light use required on a large Air Force base.

The blue with black wings might look good. Skin tight sailor's pants (with the backsides cut out of them and a rainbow sash) really would not look good with my current seniority and belt size.

Lang

[Alastair Thomas]

Running up to his demob from the RAF, as well as his responsibilities as chief technical officer for radar cover from Sfax to Basra and Istanbul to Mombassa, my Father picked up some responsibilities for FBS. He not only saw to the installation of the transmitting and studio equipment but also some of the outside broadcasts. For these he was issued a Chevrolet van, suitably converted and here are some pictures.

Alastair
F60S

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

Here is a photo that might interest you - a gang of Dutchmen sitting on a chrome grille Chevrolet.

Thanks Lang, interesting indeed! They would not happen to be members of No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF, would they?

Hanno

[Lang]

Hanno

It came off an Indonesian site with no caption other than they were Dutch, I suspect it might be 1946.

Lang

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

It came off an Indonesian site with no caption other than they were Dutch, I suspect it might be 1946.

So that would be during the so-called Dutch "policing actions", as they were called back then - now properly named Indonesian war of independence.
During that period the Dutch troops used a mind-boggling mix of ex-Canadian Army vehicles shipped over from dumps in the Netherlands, vehicles taken over in-theatre from British-Indian troops (which first occupied Indonesia after the Japanese capitulation), vehicles captured from the Japanese Army (which were often captured from the pre-war Dutch Army), to civilian vehicles acquired on the open market.
The latter came into play when the Netherlands became isolated in the international community for trying to recapture their former colony, and they were no longer supplied by other governments. So, that Chevrolet in the picture above may well have been a commercial one with gloss paint and chrome trim.

H.