Chevrolet 1533X2 30-cwt trucks

[Tony R]

Thanks one and all!

If you could just indulge me a bit further, the truck that Cletrac posted photos of, is that the 'India pattern'?

Also, is this the version that the LRDG modified for their own use?

Finally, are there any shots of the cab interior/dash and is the 'factory photo CD' available to buy?

Hope you don't think I'm a P.I.T.A!

Cheers!

[cletrac (RIP)]

The India Pattern used a locally made box while the one in the pix I posted is Canadian made. This looks identical to the LRDG truck. There aren't any interior pix on the CD.
Check out this thread for the CD. I highly recommend it: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9101
The surviving LRDG truck has had the windshield removed. It pivots on those two bolts at the top of the short posts. The posts weren't chopped, they were made like that. On some of the LRDG pix the windshield is in place.
These pix are from the IWM site.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's some more LRDG pix from the IWM site. It looks like they were fond of the Lewis guns. Note in the above pix how they removed a bunch of the grille bars for better air flow. Also note that the surviving LRDG truck has horizontal grille bars while all the others have vertical bars. I think that's a 1939 to 1940 change.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Tony R

Thanks one and all!

If you could just indulge me a bit further, the truck that Cletrac posted photos of, is that the 'India pattern'?

Also, is this the version that the LRDG modified for their own use?

Finally, are there any shots of the cab interior/dash and is the 'factory photo CD' available to buy?

Hope you don't think I'm a P.I.T.A!

Cheers!

If you look at the photos of the factory Chev you will see that it has no provision for the folding canvas cab roof whereas the 'Indian Pattern' trucks do. The Later 1533X2 LRDG trucks were made new in the factory to the LRDG's design so in effect were just another 'model' of new truck rather then trucks the LRDG modified for their own use. Mind you they were probably modified further by the troops that used them.

[Tony Smith]

Some pics of a surviving Indian Pattern Chev. I don't know if the dashboard is the same as used in the 1533X2 Chevs.

[Tony Smith]

Note that the roof doesn't actually join the windscreen, being just a canopy over the Driver. The support hoop can be removed leaving the Driver exposed, but the load space covered.

[Tony R]

Thanks guys, great info!

Now, I really thought I’d got it sussed. The pics that Cletrac first posted proved to me that the 1533 Chev was an open cab truck. Then I got thrown a swerved ball/bowled a googlie (depending on whether you follow baseball or cricket!) by the photo of the LRDG truck, the one with the guy ‘firing’ the Vickers K.



If you look at the ‘door post’ near his holster there is a door striker catch. This part at least looks like a cut-down closed cab. I am totally confused now! The 1533’s used by the LRDG appear to have an open cab dash/windshield area (flat like an open cab) but a cut down closed cab rear. For my sanity can anyone offer any comment?

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Tony R

Thanks guys, great info!

For my sanity can anyone offer any comment?

As mentioned the trucks were made NEW in the factory. The Chev cab of the period was made up of about 4 or 5 pieces welded togeather so it was quite simple to use the lower rear panel of the cab on these trucks which had the lower part of the door pillars as well as the door lock striker plate for the half height doors that were fitted "WHEN NEW". This panel ended at the mold line seen on GMC and Chev truck cabs of the period and because it did not have the roof to brace it it had a diagonal bar fitted at the bottom for bracing. The LRDG took parts off the trucks and cut out grill bars etc. to save weight which was often replaced with petrol cans so this is why you often saw no doors once the trucks were issued and you only have to look at their jeeps to see this.

Compare this all steel panel on the factory made truck to the photo showing the 'Indian Army' truck which is wood.

[Tony R]

Thanks Cliff for putting me right, very informative. This forum is a great place to increase ones knowledge.

So, if one was to re-create a LRDG Chev, a good start would be to mate an open cab GMC front (converted to RH drive) to a cut down closed cab rear? The reason for asking is that I recently acquired a 1 1/2 ton Chev and was contemplating doing this as a project. Now I better understand how the trucks were first built, it gives me a better idea of the task in hand.

Regards to all.