Chevrolet 1533X2 30-cwt trucks

[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.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by 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.

Tony what country/area are you located in? makes it easier for us know where you are located.

I am not 100% certain but I think you will find the open cab GMC-CCKW cowl is totally different to the flat cowl Chev of the same period. For instance the Chev bonnet probably does not fit.

The photo below is of a replica LRDG Chev in England I believe.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Excuse me if I cry but that truck was constructed out of the last Southampton-assembled normal control Chevrolet, 1939 3TL model chassis number3TL39063. That has left just a COE as the last locally-built Chevy in the world. It provided its chassis and was bodied with the front end of a probably Canadian '42 Model 1543 with a replica body.

[Tony R]

Hi Cliff, I live in the UK, but I've yet to get close up to the LRDG Chev that you pictured.

Here is a pic of my truck.




A guy who knows more about GMC's than me reckons the Chev's cab is the same as a GMC one (?). Thus I thought that the GMC open cab cowl would fit. The rear bed is GMC but is obviously not original. The axles are not the same as the LRDG Chev (are they common to other vehicles?) the wheel base is too long and its a left hooker. Apart from that its a runner and the bodywork is in excellent condition!

[cliff]

the closed cabs were probably the same on the GMC and Chev but a flat faced cowl and the GMC open cab cowl I think you will find are different. Remember the flat faced cowl was an export civilian body.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Likely the only difference in the two cab styles is in the door hinge area. If you took a closed cab and made this area smooth like in Cliff's pix then chopped off the roof and made up some windshield posts nobody could tell the difference. On those old Chev and GM trucks the firewall and hood are the same shape.
If you could find the front and rear axles off a C15 CMP they'd have the bolt pattern you'd want and likely be the right width. Otherwise just drill your hubs to the military bolt pattern and bolt on some CMP wheels. It'd be a great project. Around here I could get dozens of those old 1.5 ton Chevs. In fact I already have a couple that I used for parts.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's some factory pix of the 1542 flat cowl model. They've got the holes for the door hinges. The interior pic is a closed cab but it's rh drive so the layout will be the same.