Aussie DeSoto Ute

[Mike K]

I remember the long block Canadian engine in these as having a bore of 3 and 3/8" and a 4 and 1/16" stroke. The T212 I believe used the same engine as did a few other Canadian sourced Chrysler light trucks . My 1946 T116 Dodge ute had the same 218ci engine.

Used to be one of those Plymouth army utes in the Bathurst NSW wreckers but that was so long ago I doubt either the wreckers or the ute still exist.

There was also a Dodge version of the 12cwt army ute but as I have written many times they are actually all 1941 Plymouths with some 'badge engineering' The trim and grills were altered in order to to make them look like a DeSoto or a Dodge which they are not.

Apart from myself, another VMVC member had two of these utes one of which was a DeSoto , they ended up in Sydney in the hands of Bob K. and I believe they later went to the Hughes collection .

The DPCD logo is seen on Chrysler parts , stuff like the bolt heads and other bits. At a guess it is: Dodge Plymouth Chrysler Desoto ?

The registered example I bought, the chap told me he towed a caravan up to Mildura for many years with the ute. He worked at CIG at Preston and he drove it to work well into the early 1980s - he said he bought it in 1956 at a Govt. surplus auction . It was finished in a red/black livery at one time, I would say likely used by the PMG after the war.

I think I still have the negatives, I took lots of pics of the Marong example which was a DeSoto. The original wiring looms were still intact , the glass instrument panel cover was unique to each version, the DeSoto had a fancy family crest , probably from the Spanish conquistador .

[Lynn Eades]

I agree with Mike about the DCPD.
A Chysler engine is prefixed by a C
A Dodge engine with a D
A Plymouth engine with a P
and a De Soto engine is prefixed by an S
A P11 engine and a P12 engine are both 1941 engines. Just early and late. Both are 3 1/8 bore by 4 3/8 stroke.

[DaveBuckle]

Thankyou all for your input: much appreciated! and yes indeed Mike - dash glass is a work of art: gauges should come up alright...
Dash.jpg

[Mike K]

Dave

The seating arrangement in these army utes is rather unusual, the passenger or drivers mate seat base is arranged so that the guy can stand up and observe and if he is brave enough , he could use the LAA Bren gallows mount .

The ute rear springs are 'beefed up' compared to the springs on the Plymouth sedans .

I put an article together for the USA Chrysler club magazine and the editor was amazed , he had never heard of a 1941 Plymouth sedan based utility .

There was a short window of opportunity for me to own all three variants of the military 12 cwt utes - the 1941 Ford , Chevrolet and the Plymouth plus I did have the Pontiac for a while but it was just all too much , where to store them and the cost of it all.

The engine blocks fitted in these utes are longer when compared to the contemporary T214 and other Chrysler vehicles with smaller bores i.e. up to 3 and 1/4" . So be careful when buying a head gasket. These long block engines also can have different stroke lengths - I think the common post-war 250ci engine has a bore of 3 and 7/16" . There was also a larger Chrysler s.v. 6 engine used in a particular brand of agricultural harvester . Was it 261 ci ? This might help you or maybe confuse you ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_flathead_engine

Oh there are some of these utes listed in the ARN books so you can have a look for your engine nr. and maybe find its ARN and where it was disposed to.

[Tony Smith]

Engine Number P12-17048C was fitted to De Soto "Van, 12cwt, GS" with the chassis number 9829683, and was issued with the ARN 88652. It is recorded as a 1941 SP11 model.

It was disposed of to the Canada Cycle and Motor Co, but no date is given when this happened.

While it is not the highest engine number or chassis number recorded for a De Soto or Plymouth, it is the last or highest ARN registered for a De Soto.

[Mike Cecil]

The last of a very small group. All had engine numbers (not chassis numbers - thanks Tony) prefixed with P12.

ARNs 88345 to 88398, (however 88371 to 88398 are listed as model P12 rather than SP11); 88628 to 88652.

The VB listed for the location where 88652 was taken on charge stands for Victoria Barracks, but as there is a VB in both Sydney and Melbourne, there has been some debate as to which one is referred to. I tend to think it is Melbourne, as that was the location of Army Headquarters, whereas Sydney seems most often to be listed as simply '2', for 2nd Military District.

Mike

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

The VB listed for the location where 88652 was taken on charge stands for Victoria Barracks, but as there is a VB in both Sydney and Melbourne, there has been some debate as to which one is referred to.
Mike

And another Victoria Barracks in Brisbane, although this is a colonial era building used by the Militia during WW2, but it was responsible for many of the administrative tasks in Qld (such as registering vehicles?). https://www.armymuseumsouthqueensland.com.au/
https://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au/place?id=320

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

The DPCD logo is seen on Chrysler parts , stuff like the bolt heads and other bits. At a guess it is: Dodge Plymouth Chrysler Desoto ?

Yes, DPCD stands for Dodge-Plymouth-Chrysler-DeSoto.

Though some say "it should be CDDP - Plymouth being el cheapo should be last"