Photos and Scale plans of 15cwt Wireless

[Larry Hayward]

Guys,

I wonder if any of you have scale plans or photos for the Wireless Body mounted on the Chevrolet C.15?

The body code is C15A-WIRE according to Page 61 of Canada's Fighting Vehicles Europe 1943-45 by Bill Greg.

I guess Ford had their own version so plans and photos of that would be good.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

A couple of thoughts.

It was mostly Chevs that got wireless bodies put on them, at least Canadian produced ones. In any event, the bodies were made by other manufacturers than Ford or Chev and were put on after the trucks left the factory so there would be no bodies specific to either type. This went for all other types of boxes and bodies except CMP Heavy Utilities that were Chev built on their car assembly line.

One theory for Chevs being used for wireless trucks is that Chevs were 6 volt negative ground and Fords were 6 volt positive ground. Radios systems were also negative ground and hence why Chevs were chosen. This doesn't make sense as the wireless system ran on its own, self contained 12 volt system and only the metal components were grounded to the vehicle for static suppression. Not sure what would happen if you tried to ground a 12 volt negative ground system to a 6 volt positive ground one but luckily I'll never have to find out.

The other thing is to specify what 'WIRE' type you are after. WIRE-1 and WIRE-2 were Heavy Utility Wireless vans. WIRE-3 was a General Service canvas topped body 'Fitted for Wireless' and WIRE-5 was an aluminium house type body on a 15cwt Chev chassis.

[Larry Hayward]

Yes its definitely WIRE-5 I am after