Studebaker WW2 history

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

The US6 was supplied Lend Lease to UK and Russia. The reason there are few left in Europe is that on disposal they were worked to death in civilian use afterwards.
.

That is true but there were many CMPs and CCKWs that were flogged to death as well and restored examples of these trucks seem to be far more numerous attendees at MV rallies in Europe compared to US6 trucks that are rarely seen . I guess that in Europe relatively few US6 were supplied to Allied forces that were outside of the USSR sphere of control.

I believe that Bart V wrote a short piece in W&T, mentioning a US6 that appeared at a European rally but the chaps driving it thought the petrol was too expensive and the truck was not moved from its parking spot ! Think they were from the Czech Republic.

[m606paz]

Argentina buy in 1947 CCKW and US6 trucks
6455055_orig.jpg
http://www.militariarg.com/uploads/4...55055_orig.jpg

Some surviving...
IMG_20482.JPG
http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/data/2083/IMG_20482.JPG

[Mike K]

The US6 on a club trip many years ago, in original condition, not restored, at the time, it was owned by MLU member Dave M . Here in Australia, these US6 were sold at disposals auctions in the early 1970s , some with less than 10,000 miles of use. I recall seeing the US6 that Bert B at Yarra Junction had stored in his shed, it was more or less in new condition, Bert said he purchased it at the Tottenham disposal auctions.

[Mike K]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_xIEWIoYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kA5rymh6_c&t=492s

Red army parade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCWVM5bUZmE

[motto (RIP)]

I believe the US6 came into existence because General Motors could not meet the demand for the CCKW and was unwilling to go into a close relationship with another maker for parallel production of the vehicle as Ford and Willys did with the Jeep.
Many parts were interchangeable between the split diff GMC and the US6 with the biggest difference being the power plant. The US6 using a Hercules JXD 6 cylinder side valve 320 cubic inch engine whilst the GMC used an in-house 6 cylinder overhead valve 270 cubic inch unit.
A total mystery to me is why both trucks used a similar overdrive transmissions which was then cancelled out by an under drive transfer case. A similar result could be achieved using significantly fewer parts with transmission and transfer case straight through in top and high range.

David

[Lang]

Dave

Maybe they already had the 5 speed overdrive in general production for their civilian trucks and did not want to reinvent the wheel.

The transfer case was an add-on bit to a standard rig so why not use that to achieve the desired gear ratios for military use creating the least work and expense..

Lang

[Mike K]

I bought a set of NOS US6 seat covers at Auto Surplus, Mitcham, they had a large amount of US6 stuff. I also got a main wiring loom and cut it up for my jeep project .

Colin on the counter told me they were considering scrapping their US6 stock or selling it to the Israel govt. He said they had purchased US6 trucks from the Russians. I also bought new headlights , removed the mounts and fitted Dodge mounts to the US6 headlight bodies.

The NOS parts were packed with shredded WW2 newspapers. They had hundreds of NOS tailights and the WW2 trico wiper motors 2 in a box, 5 bucks a box. Boxes full of early CMP rubber tailights $2 per light this was early 1980s. I still have some NOS wiper arm kits I bought there , the new parts were finished in at least 3 different shades of WW2 era factory applied OD green .