GAS M45 Saved From The Scrapper

[overlordofmars]

Hello, I just bought a Deuce to save it from the scrap dealers who would have junked this nice truck. I think it's a 1954 M45 but need everyone to take a look. Look at the photos I think this was some sort of special use, Any Ideas ?????

 

[54reo]

The outriggers and other remnants of whatever was on top of the frame rails was added after it's life with the govt. The factory would not have welded (and I use the term "weld" in the loosest sense here, WOW!) anything to the heat treated frame like that.

Looks to be a '53 Studebaker M45 (standard wheelbase, dual wheel configuration). Still a gasser too.

Good save.

 

[JDToumanian]

I use the term "weld" in the loosest sense here, WOW!

Yeah, looks like the welding gun had diarrhea!

Glad you got it though, I'm going to get my gasser going soon... What do you plan to do with it?

Jon

 

[goodguyzy]

fire department use of some sort, guessing by the red color

 

[overlordofmars]

I want to keep it a gas truck and try and find a bed for it. I saw this go up for sale and beat the local scrap yard to it. There are two levers on the floor I know one is the transfer case. Any One know what the other one is ???? Also there is a plate on the dash that talks about a REB SHIFTER ? What is that ?

 

[JDToumanian]

It's an aftermarket kit made by Memphis Equipment to manually engage the front axle. Search for REB Shifter and you'll find lots of info about it...

Well I guess it's good that they did crappy welds, it will make it much easier to remove the junk from the frame. Maybe the welds are so bad that the frame is undamaged..... I'm glad you're going to fix it up.

Jon

 

[mistaken1]

Is that a starter button above the gas pedal?

So all deuce frames are heat treated? No welding, bolting only?

Forgive my ignorance, I am still learning (hope to learn something new on my last day on earth )

 

[Srjeeper]

There are two levers on the floor I know one is the transfer case. Any One know what the other one is ????

The thinner of the two levers is the transfer case and the larger is most likely for the PTO to run whatever was mounted.

Saw a set up with that style stabilizer jack on an old log truck years ago.

 

[Bob H]

So all deuce frames are heat treated? No welding, bolting only?

Correct! Frames flex, if they weren't heat treated they would just bend.
Although many on here think they know more than the engineers and think it is perfectly ok to weld on a truck frame.

I have never seen a welded frame that didn't crack at the edge of the weld.

 

[hndrsonj]

m45's used to be very common but they are getting harder to find. They origionally didn't come with a bed.

 

[54reo]

Is that a starter button above the gas pedal?

So all deuce frames are heat treated? No welding, bolting only?

Forgive my ignorance, I am still learning (hope to learn something new on my last day on earth )

Yes, on the gassers it was a mechanical bellcrank/linkage arm that ran across the firewall to the starter on the passenger side of the engine.

All of the truck frames that we deal with are heat treated.

As far as the other shifter lever, it operates the REB kit that is on this particular truck. Chances are, this truck was sold by Memphis Equipment long ago to serve in some sort of civilian role.

Most of the time, when the data plate only mentioned M44, M45, M46, it started out as one of several "special" variants. If you could carefully sand the sides of the hood it may be possible (though unlikely as M E probably did a good job of paint prep long ago) that the original hood numbers will still be legible. This would be a clue as to the original configuration of the truck. Assuming as well that the hood is original to the truck.

 

[5ton4ever]

Great save! I had an old cckw that the same gorilla practiced welding on. no penetration so it grinds right off.

 

[lacoda56]

Good save!

Gotta love the old gassers. Hope you keep it as original as possible.

 

[waayfast]

Yeah,what they said!
<<<<<<<<<!!!

 

[overlordofmars]

Ok, I have another mystery. found an old plate inside the cab painted over. (Federal Property for use of the Pennsylvania Railroad for Civil Defense Use Only ! ) Does any one know what the railroad was dong with these ?

 

[pwrwagonfire]

Yeah, looks like the welding gun had diarrhea!


Jon

 

[Wolf.Dose]

Beside all the fun that might come up here with that truck. Fact is, as said before: it is a Gas engine, else no foot starter.
Second: The steel quality for European understanding is not very high, so welding is not realy the problem, for useually the welding material is of higher quality (except sulfor and posphor content). (Truck frames by that time had at its best a quality of 22000 psi steel, which here is a simple construction steel with no further requirements.)
If the welding is taken of without or almost without any ´trace on the frame, it was so called cold welding, means the electric current was not high enough to burn / melt into the frame. Basically this weld is not existend (We call someting like that a glued weld.).
Third: The frames are could bend, the material is heat treated before the bending / pressing in shape. This enlarges with the propper material the strength of the steel, especially with the quality used.
Buy the way, Pick ups are of only a 14000 psi quality, which you can not buy in Europe. 22000 psi steel is something like ordinary construction steel over here, called ST37 or nowadays Q285.
Wolf

 

[D8dave]

Your truck is a 1953 ,look at Pic 4 it's on the data tag i have an M59 dated the same way . An M49 is a fuel tanker truck .

 

[tigger]

I have almost the exact truck, mine is a 53 i also have the same shifters as you with one more because i have a winch. the one next to your leg is for the hi/low in the transfer case, the one towrd the pass side is to engage/disengage the front end.

 

[supermechanic]

The weld really does look like pigeon poop.
That being said, it was adequate for it's purpose, as the stabilizers haven't fallen off yet.
It is rather common to weld to the back end of a truck frame, not much twisting happens at the very rear of the frame.
Nice old deuce,carry on.