1941 K18-C GMC Recovered today

[papabear]

OK, this is weird and I find it hard to believe that a 1941 K18 would still be in use in Germany in 1960...BUT:

I went to google and typed in WWII Radio Van and up popped a BUNCH of pics. When I clicked on the one below it enlarged and I noticed the front of the van looks EXACTLY like the front on the K18 box to include the little "pass thru" door on the upper left of the front wall. You can also see the door handle to the left, just where it should be.

Of course the radio equipment is updated but it would be in 1960.

Now here's the kicker...when you enlarge the pic on that site you can click on a link that has a couple of quick articles/history. It does not identify the type of truck, just says signal van and that the truck number was HQ-17.

Guess what Zout found in several places on our K18? The number 17.

I'm not saying this is the same truck...but...if it is...wouldn't that be a friggin hoot??

 

[zout]

If you start searching back in the pics you'll see it cause I took pics of it - I also have all saved for future references which will go on a CD an send to PB.

 

[zout]

McNair Kaserne
[HR][/HR]A cold war look at the former home of the 32nd Signal Battalion, the 201st Signal Company, the 17th Signal Battalion, and some other groups. http://mcnairkaserne.org/60/60_main.html

 

[Ferroequinologist]

If she lasted in service till the 60's that might explain why she was as complete and in as good a shape as she was.

Vary intaresting....

 

[zout]

#17 was on all three rear sides. It was in the exact spot to the lower left of the 3rd Army insignia. Numbers were in Fed Yellow and roughly 4 inches tall. Both side numbers washed off quickly but I saw them - the rear was on with thicker paint and I was able to catch a pic of that before that Wild Dog wiped it away.

 

[EMD567]

Note the morse code key strapped to the radioman's right leg. That would mean that the radio man wrote left handed. I wonder if you could also move while transmitting?

 

[nattieleather]

Looking at the other pictures on the page I wonder if that pic of the soldier working the GRC-19 radio set wasn't in a trailer. If you look on the page there is a Duce and a half and a 1.5 ton trailer with a box on it. I wonder if that wasn't where he was sitting. I just highly doubt the truck lasted that long, plus come back from Germany since the US is not in the habit of shipping stuff home. SOP is to ship it to where ever and leave it there. Sorry guys, but I stick with my original thought that this truck never left the good old US of A.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

Maybe the barbeque company had a whole fleet of trucks and the K18 was number 17.

 

[papabear]

My lil heart is broken...again. The feller at the machine shop called and ask me to come look at the block...so I did. Five of the cylinders looked good as new but #4 still had an area you could barely feel where the rings had sorted rusted in.

It's my fault...the feller wanted to go deeper originally but I thought .30 over would be plenty based on prior experience...I was wrong.

So....now we sleeve that cylinder and bore for the .30 over piston.

Should still be ready by late Friday afternoon.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

Too bad PB but at least is can be repaired and give life to the K18.

 

[marchplumber]

"One foot in front of the other!" How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Ya got her moving in the right direction PB. Like many have said, it's not a race, it's an adventure to be shared and enjoyed!!! Don't know if you will EVER "KNOW" her past without serial numbers and data bases to correlate them into locations and such, but you will know you and others have done a masterful job of saving a piece of American history.

God bless,
Tony

 

[zout]

piss on the engine stuff - I just wanna see those cool upholstered seats sitting in the K - they do not even have to be mounted - the engine stuff will just all work out in the end - just gotta have some faith bro.

 

[zout]

Nattileather - post up a pic with that explanation again - trying to figure this K out without a factual reference to go by is worthless - PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING so to speak - bring it on big guy.

 

[zout]

TO help explain this - that pic PB posted up is a K-18 truck interior. IF it were a K-19 trailer the left rear corner would have shown the swing door - which it does not. The K-19 trailer had rear and forward doors both sides - that pic clearly show no door - and the passenger window has its screen in place - then onto the corner radius - then onto the back window - no swing door in the picture.

As WE and I really mean WE all work through information on these which is extremely difficult to locate - we just all need to figure this out and examine everything closely - I know I have looked at nearly every picture exploded and nit picked to death - the grille is an example of how close I look at stuff - before it was mentioned I knew a couple months before it hinged and was linked into the main arms into the firewall.

Hopefully sooner or later as more info is posted and more links opened up we'll get more info - hopefully.

Although it was a project for me and it belongs to someone else - it would sure be nice to know much more history behind this trucks service. To date - I believe it to be ONE of the RAREST MV Powered Units that existed. Prove me wrong with back up data.

 

[Coffey1]

That's because they are so ugly they only made 2 lol.

 

[papabear]

That's because they are so ugly they only made 2 lol.

OK...that's gonna cost ya troop!!!

 

[nattieleather]

Nattileather - post up a pic with that explanation again - trying to figure this K out without a factual reference to go by is worthless - PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING so to speak - bring it on big guy.

I was talking about this picture as the 1.5 ton M105 trailer looks like it has a shelter in it and I was wondering if that isn't where that GI was sitting when that picture of him operating the T-195/R-392 radio set. I wasn't dis'en on the K-19. It's just that 1960s Germany had the latest and greatest equipment cause they were ready to fight WWIII with the Ruskies at any moment. Thus a K-18 probably wasn't there.

 

[papabear]

View attachment 504309

I was talking about this picture as the 1.5 ton M105 trailer looks like it has a shelter in it and I was wondering if that isn't where that GI was sitting when that picture of him operating the T-195/R-392 radio set. I wasn't dis'en on the K-19. It's just that 1960s Germany had the latest and greatest equipment cause they were ready to fight WWIII with the Ruskies at any moment. Thus a K-18 probably wasn't there.

I agree, the chances of a K18 being there in 1960 DOES seem a little off kilter...BUT!!! The front wall of whatever the RTO is sitting in looks exactly like the K-18, has the pass thru little door and the doors to the side as well. I don't think he is in a trailer but heck...who knows.

Like I said above...I doubt a K18 was there that late but I've seen much crazier stuff happen in my years in the military.

Heck...I'm beginning to believe there ARE NO facts on the K18-C other than what we have already found!! There is still some elderly soldier out there that can tell all...but where the heck is he??

 

[glassk]

Truck was brought to me march 26th 2014.
by zout
Lot of Detail work done in three months,

 

[glassk]

http://www.footnote.com/image/55724004/#55721253

View attachment 504318View attachment 504319

May be a lead with some more diggin, ..