REO factory pics

[nchittendon]

A member on a facebook page dropped some history on us the other day. When he was a teenager, he worked at the REO plant in Michigan when they were building deuces. He posted up a ton of pictures that were just awesome.....

 

[nchittendon]

 

[nchittendon]

Some more pics of experimental things. A lot of the pics were "Test" prototypes. Look closely, a lot of the items pictured didn't make it on our trucks. Some were built for foreign governments too.

 

[rcflyer70]

Awesome pictures! Could you imagine being that poor fella wrestling 900x20 tires all day?

 

[NDT]

Thanks for posting! Looks like mid 50's production of export trucks, notice the non-24 volt components. Cab drop looks like a girl? Kinda crude assembly line, notice the wooden work platforms and the roller and slat conveyors.

 

[Barrman]

Yes, thanks for posting.

That yard full full of trucks not finished means things haven't changed to me. The BAE factory that used to make FMTV trucks is just 60 miles or so away. Some of their former employees now work at my school. They always seem to end up in my class. I guess the 383 green paint on a few vehicles and 3 engine cans must pull them in.

Anyway, they always get to telling stories. Mostly about how a truck never made it out of the factory completed. Trucks "assembled" was what the count for the contract was concerned with. Trucks completed and accepted was a different category. So management wanted trucks out the door. Several crews then went from truck to truck in the huge facility grounds to finish them out for acceptance. I have driven by there on I-10 and seen hundreds of trucks outside.

I noticed the antiquated REO facility as well. I think that was pretty much the norm then. Do a search for pictures of the old South Bend Studebaker plant or the Packard plant. I don't see how anyone could design the buildings like they did and think efficiency of production would happen. Just big hodgepodge.

 

[rustystud]

Awesome !!!!

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Applause !

 

[dusterdeere]

cool thanks.

 

[nchittendon]

It was a neat interaction on the page. The gentleman stated that he only took the pictures, he didn't know anything about the trucks really. Once he started posting up these pics and guys started throwing out stats and information he was excited to learn about the trucks themselves.

It was an interesting, and educational couple of days that he was posting. It was truly awesome.

 

[Karl kostman]

Very cool pics THANKS for posting!!!
KK

 

[cattlerepairman]

Those balloon tires are interesting...I am sure they are super capable off-road on soft ground.

 

[dmetalmiki]

you win my "post of the month"..exellent, thank you.

 

[Flyingvan911]

I saw the pics in Facebook and they are fantastic.

 

[tommys2patrick]

Interesting that they were producing civilian "reo's" on the same line at same time. It kinda looked like some of the civilian parts made it on to the deuces just to get them out the door.

 

[clinto]

Interesting that they were producing civilian "reo's" on the same line at same time. It kinda looked like some of the civilian parts made it on to the deuces just to get them out the door.

The US military would not accept a vehicle that wasn't to "spec". The vehicles you see that don't have the military turn signals or waterproof wiring are either export models for foreign militaries or what I think is the rare M44 series truck that was briefly marketed to civilian companies who needed such a truck.

 

[Welder1]

So when did REO stop making these trucks and when did Studebaker and Jeep Kaiser make them?

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Side note....

Mr. Ransom E. Olds is the only early car manufacturer to have TWO companies which, at least for a time, bore the Family's name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REO_Motor_Car_Company

Just a little factoid for this Monday morning's conversation.

Carry on.

 

[MuleMac01]

My reo 275 is going to look like that someday

 

[The King Machine]

I"m going to put a few of these up for may desk top.

Thanks.