ex-NZ Army 1941 Chev Portee

[David Ellery]

Hi guys, awesome site you have here, it has been a very helpful site! I'm restoring an ex NZ Army 1941 Chev Portee, which was rebuilt as a gun tractor with GS tray , what I need help with is the radiator header tank, was the filler cap on top of or of the side of the tank, also my truck shows no signs of ever having an overflow tank externally, yet all the photos ive seen of these vehicles does show one, Once the radiators soughted its a driveable chassis so hopefully it,ll be moving under its own steam soonish. For those who may be recording this stuff. serial no is 1844013289, eng XR3709130. cheers David...

[Keith Webb]

Hi David
Welcome on behalf of us antipodeans.
Do you have some pictures to share with us?
Good to see another Portee being restored. I'll add the details to my CMP database.

[Tony Smith]

David, I've seen six different Portees in the South Island and only one of them had an overflow tank fitted (Dave Anderson, Greymouth, pictured). The other five, like yours, never seemed to have been fitted with one. However, in another post, David Hayward GM guru, said that they were built to (at least) two contracts, perhaps one contract omitted the overflow tank?


Source: Need line drawings of CMP 2pdr portee

[David Ellery]

Keith, purchased your video Year of the Blitz recently, really enjoyed it, its doing the rounds at the moment, Great stuff! I,m sorry to say I can,t post any pics yet, as I don't have a pic poster. Tony, thanks for the info, that answers that querie, its interesting that most of the portees ended up in the Sth Island. Do you fellas across the ditch have much in the way of tyres? the original run flats still have tread but the rubbers gone, would like to stick to military tread, but a softer ride is needed. any advice would be gratefully appreciated . cheers David...

[David Ellery]

Hi there, thought you'd like to see a picture of my chev portee, which I have been restoring for the last 12 months. When she first came home it was in a very poor state , it had been sitting in a shed for 15 odd years, amazingly I haven't done any work internally to the engine what so ever and it starts first pop every time. I'll build the rear tray as per those converted to the gun tractor role by the NZ Army, the serial no on the bonnet is it original one. cheers ...

[Tony Smith]

David had some trouble posting the pic, so here it is:

[Tony Smith]

David, do you mean converted to a General Service body? The NZ GS body is built up from the original Portee deck floor and the floor is therefore a curious mix of chequerplate and smooth steel.

[David Ellery]

thankyou Tony for posting the pic, I'll get it sorted shortly! Yes the next job on the truck is to build a GS tray the same as in your picture, I have a copy of the original workshop drawings for this tray so it should be pretty straight forward. The biggest problem so far is trying to find a set of rear mudguards that look similar to the originals. also theres quite a few other fixtures that need to be manufactured as the originals had been stripped of the truck years before. as soon as I get my end sorted with this comp I'll post a few pics of what she looked like when it first came home. cheers. David...

[David Ellery]

12 months previous, whats left of the paint is from the factory back in 41. The NZ Army had sprayed over the top with deep bronze green but this had well and truly come of with the years. Amazingly the Maple leaf badge was still attached to the dash as it had been painted over years before and no one had noticed it, a good score I reckon !

[Keith Webb]

I bet you have a smile to match!

Looks gorgeous, well done.

[Tony Smith]

It's looking good, David!
I note your cab doesn't have the tool brackets on the side. Has that panel been replaced? These cab sides/rear are the same on the Morris portees, like the one pictured below by Mike Kelly. Does anyone know what tools were fitted here or have a pic?


linked from Morris CS8 2 Pounder Portee

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Originally posted by Tony Smith
cab sides/rear are the same on the Morris portees, like the one pictured below by Mike Kelly.

I have been trying to decide whether there is a direct correlation between the MCC and Chevrolet Portees. The answer may lie in evidence that drawings for the WD Portee body intended to be fitted to WD-specification 15-cwt chassis were supplied in 1938 and 1939 to the Department of National Defence. I believe therefore that MCC and GM of Canada worked to the same detailed drawings.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David Ellery
A few pictures of the Portee

Congrats on a job well done, David!

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Does anyone know what tools were fitted here or have a pic?

I think it's the handle for the hand winch, see the pic below (source: http://www.enygmag.com/military/photos/presveh2a.htm)

Hanno

[David Ellery]

Hi Tony, Yes I have replaced the panels in the cab, the next job is fitting all the original brackets etc back on. Drivers side and passengers side had brackets for the winch handles, so I imagine that the winch for loading and unloading the 2 pdr must have been a 2 man job, similar to a 2 man grinder on a yacht . Does anyone have a picture of what these winches looked like ? The windscreen in the photo is a peice of perspex as I haven't finished fabricating the true one yet, and theres a MV run this monday to comemorate D-Day, and its raining alot. ..cheers ...

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

1844013289, eng XR3709130.

David, could you please check your serial number for me? It is much earlier than other known Portees:

1844031352 ENGINE # XR 3,759,384
1844031433 ENGINE # XR3,757,180 S/M 2028
1844031825 ENGINE NUMBER XR3,742,886 S/M 2028 # L4595318 NOVEMBER 21 1941
1844031840 W.D. # L4594778 ENGINE # XR3,742,962 S/M 2028
1844032663 ENGINE # XR3,757,585

However if it is correct then some of these 8440 'C-GTs' could also be Portees:


1844010482
1844012843
1844013828
1844013951
1844013992
1844014026


Thanks! David

[David Ellery]

Hi David. Yes the serial no is correct, heres the whole lot of the data plate . Model 84-40x2, Serial 1844013289, engine 3709130, Body Serial 606, Trim XR, Paint F.C.98. as well on another brass plate there is as follows, Contract no v 4229, Supply Mech 2028. I have followed to date your comments on these vehicles on this forum, would it be safe to say that these vehicles did come to NZ via the Middle East ? Cheers David...

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

David, I am truly indebted! This is the information that I have put together as a result of your assistance:

1. There were at least two distinct batches of Chevrolet 2-Pounder Anti-tank Portees, and those listed as CGTs may also include some Portees. I have yet to establish whether there was indiscriminate mixing of Portee and CGT chassis on the Oshawa lines or whether there was a distinct series of chassis for both CGT and Portee bodies.

2. This seems to be one of 219 Chevrolet and Morris-Commercial Portees [C8/MG model if memory serves correctly] supplied to NZ by 1944, being survivors that were not converted to 17-pounder Anti-tank Tractors in the UK...the jury is still out whether any Chevs were converted to G/S trucks as were the C60L 6-pounder Portees. The MCC survivors that stayed in the UK were converted it seems by MCC in Birmingham in late 1943 to 17-pounder tractors, and airportable versions.

3. Contract V/4229 is a new one on me...it is the Ministry of Supply contract with, say, General Motors Limited or Lep Transport Limited to assemble the units in the UK whereas S/M 2028 is the M of S demand number relating to the order from Canada. Example: S/M 2019 covered a number of C60L/F60L trucks which were assembled in the UK, V/4288 being the Ford contract for Dagenham assembly, but this may have also covered C60L assembly. In the end a large number were issued in the Mid-east to the AIF and NZEF and then ended up after sale in Australia and NZ.

4. Yes, this Portee was most probably one of those sent to the Mid-east and then issued to the NZEF, being 'sold' in 1941 to the NZ Government by transfer of funds in London.

5. The 8440X2 code indicates CGT chassis, assembled in the UK, with the 'X2' being the GM of Canada export code that lasted from 1935 to 1958.

Doing a 'Hanno' here, the following threads might interest:
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...ight=predictor
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...ight=predictor

[Tony Smith]

David(s), not only are the serial and engine no.s lower than the other Portees on SM2028, but the NZ reg number is also from an earlier batch. Other known NZ Portee numbers are NZ23853, NZ24669 and NZ24671. Does Waiouru or any other Army records section hold the original records of allocated numbers?

[Tony Smith]

Originally posted by David Ellery
and another

David, I'm trying to make out your number plate in this pic, is it 6MPG? Rather poor economy for such a light Chev! And am I right in thinking you've got this registered as a farm Tractor?

[David Ellery]

Hi guys. DAVID. thanks for the information, its great to have a rare vehicle to start with but when its history is known as well, it makes it even more special. item 5 of your reply regarding the 8440x2 code you mention that the "code indicates CGT chassis,assembled in the UK," do you mean that the cab,chassis and running gear,etc were shipped to the UK and then were finalized as a portee once there, before again being shipped out to North Africa? Also as a point of interest, underneath the drivers seat floor panel when I was cleaning it back, I found that it had been painted black and a large 85 in yellow or orange had been applyed to that, assembly line, or shipping number perhaps?
Has anyone seen the same before? TONY. I,ve tried Waiouru the only info relating to its NZ reg number is that it was disignated 15cwt Lorry, and was struck of in 1949. Even though these vehicles were in numbers during and after the war, there,s very little known about them here. No, sorry the licence plates got a few more digits in it. Yep got it registered as a tractor, a CANADIAN GUN TRACTOR. That confused the poor girl a bit behind the counter. but SSSHHH, don,t wont the authorities checking into it ! Cheers David...

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Originally posted by David Ellery
"code indicates CGT chassis,assembled in the UK," do you mean that the cab,chassis and running gear,etc were shipped to the UK and then were finalized as a portee once there, before again being shipped out to North Africa?

Yes, exactly that! Well in theory anyway unless it was diverted to Alexandria and assembled by GM Near East.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi David
Beautiful looking little truck, but how about some cab interior pictures, especially the instrument panel. I want to see if you got that right.
Bob

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Doing a 'Hanno' here, the following threads might interest:
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...ight=predictor
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...ight=predictor

Ah yes, but don't forget these!
2 pdr portee on Chevrolet CMP CGT chassis and NZ stuff Never know what I will find in the stacks featuring a shot of a "Fat being towed Sept 1953":

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
but how about some cab interior pictures

Here you go, Bob

Hanno

[David Ellery]

Hi Bob , heres some pics of the dash board and engine covers which are all new metal, the original instrument panel was completely munted, luckily the bloke I got my truck of has been collecting MV bits for years. So another instument panel has replaced what was left of the original. I cleaned up the new panel as best as I could, ( motivated by the threads I had seen about your work) So its just sitting in the hole for now.It will however need your skills in the future. How much do you charge to revamp one of these ? As you can see theres a few buttons and bits missing, hopefully some originals can be sourced otherwise I,ll manufacture my own. cheers ...

[David Ellery]

this is what it looked like 16 months ago.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi David
You have done very very well. The only comment I may make is that all the Chev instrument housings I have seen retained the original dark brown for the bezel and the beige on the fascia plate.
Bob

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

David
The only other comment, and this is based on the Cab 12 we just recovered, is that the "Jewel" in ours is in the hole above the left hand side of the instrument cluster whereas yours is in the right hand hole.
Bob