1957 Utica Bend Restoration

[AZK9]

Awesome truck! Have fun with it!

 

[maccus]

Another issue I have to address is do I use the original style clear front parking/blackout lights. Or upgrade to the amber ones. And then should I use the issue lights on the rear or upgrade to two red taillights. I did go with the upgraded lights on both the M34 and the M211. Reason was I felt it was safer to drive on the highway. In this day and age driving an old truck with only one red left taillight would not be understood by many folks. I suspect one would get stopped by the younger LEO's who do not know about the older vehicle one taillight lighting standards. And with the upgrade I added directional lights capability. What do you think?

I added the correct 14 ga wires to the stock older wiring harness on both trucks. However if I were to use a M35A2 harness now I could modify it and already have the wiring in the harness to both rear taillights etc.

This truck will be used only for parades, VFW, Vets Day etc..And of course events of the Studebaker Club. So it will be on the road frequently..

If you squint really hard you can make out the amber front lights on the modified trucks.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I'd opt for safety were it me. If it were an MB or other trailer queen I would say no but considering it's going to be roaded everywhere.......

 

[USMC 00-08]

I have the clear front blackout lights on my M135, but I put amber colored bulbs in them. They are my turn signals. I've not had any issues with it like that.

The truck has civilian brake lights on at the moment and I am trying to figure out what to use like you are. The options I have are use two of the single style taillights, put Gama Goat lenses in place of the single style or use the newer military taillights. Let us know what you decide to do.

 

[papabear]

Glad to see the Ole Master back at it. I've always enjoyed your build threads and the quality of work you show in your pics and narratives.

I agree with Kenny about the light upgrades. I think it will be safer and few folks will know the difference anyway. I doubt you will be having it judged by an MVPA panel but I bet it will turn out well enough to be.

 

[armytruck63]

Excellent work! Save the gassers!

 

[Tracer]

Love the stamped Inspectors Cartouche on the data plate........old school.

 

[maccus]

Today I am trying to figure out what color paint was used on the original paint job. And just what were the markings on the hood etc.. The original paint was 23070 green shade OD not the later 24087 brown shade for sure as one of my rattle cans of 23070 matches perfectly. As far as the hood markings all I can get down to is, "U.S____________3747". Some one did a good sand job sanding on the center of the hood markings and the tailgate also. The string on the hood was 2x3 inch characters in a straight line 35 inches long.

I think the info might be "U.S.ARMY 4A3747"

Do any of you owners of a 57 Utica Bend have any info on the markings on your truck?

 

[USMC 00-08]

I have found the hood numbers of some of my M135's stamped on the bumper. I know we are talking about different trucks but maybe a possibility.

 

[dmetalmiki]

What an absalute gem of a find. Well done on the aquisition and the post up pictures of work in progress.

 

[hendersond]

Beautiful truck Gene!
I pulled an extra 1/8" pipe plug out of my master cylinder and screwed in a hydraulic brake switch out of a 60s ford f100. Then I ran a wire back to a civilian set of LED taillights that I mounted under the outer corners of the box. I ran a second wire back for taillights.
I have really bright brake and tail lights and still have the originals in the original locations.

 

[waayfast]

Waayfast has your truck been upgraded to A1 or 2? Can't really tell by looking at your avatar. Very clean looking truck however.

It's still the M35 without the upgrades to either the A1 or A2.

The local fire dept I bought it from gave it the "new" bed and fiberglass bed sides/troop seats from the A3 they upgraded to. The exhaust is the original gasser "under the body and exit down low at the right tandems." Also has a bubbafied intake riser that may look like an A2 exhaust in a bad pic. These issues may give it the appearance of being upgraded.

Just love the sound of the 331 Gas engine!!

BTW, I know of 3 more gassers here locally--First is 1/2 mile from the house (stock). Second is 7 miles from the house (water tank) and third is 45 miles from the house. (dump box from 5 ton)

 

[clinto]

I would definitely do the two taillights. It's a no brainer. You can build a jumper harness to feed the additional taillight or a standalone harness to power it.

I did the passenger side tail/brake light on my GPW. Like you said, we're all slow moving vehicles on modern fast moving roadways and our stuff isn't super visible. Although I like my stuff mostly correct, I also do not want to get run over by a murderous truck driver going 75mph in an 80K lb. truck.

 

[maccus]

Thanks guys for the support and good information. Folks I guess that settles it. I will go with the two red taillights. It is what I have always done before but I was wondering if maybe I would do a totally correct one this time. Did you add the turn signal stuff Clinto? In the jeep you can use hand signals and be seen pretty well. But in the deuce it is much harder to see the hand signals with troop seats on the truck. So I will add them also. I will make the mods so that later if some totally correct type person gets the truck it can be made correct with very little changing.

Changed engine fluids yesterday. It never stops amazing me what most of the oil bath air cleaner bowls look like in old vehicles. This one was a first however. The bowl had no indication of moisture at all. Just 1/4 to 3/8 of tar hard as a rock in the bottom of it. Had to use a wood chisel and a small hammer to get it so I could get a drill with a wire brush to do some good. All the old farm tractors I have done have a lot of sticky crud in the bowls but nothing like this. When returning to the house for supper after a fluid change in a old truck I get stopped at the door and told, "You stink, drop your duds at the door and leave them on the porch".. Sure makes you reconfirm after 50 years who is still really in charge.

Now on to draining the fuel tank and cleaning it up. Don't know how you folks start a old engine but I always disconnect the fuel line at the carb and hang a temp fuel tank from the hood or some place higher up. Do not want to pump crap into a carb if I do not have to. Have seen what some folks have pumped into carbs from junk in the fuel lines and tanks. Many times I can get by without doing a carb rebuild that way. Anyway it is easier to clean the lines and tank if it is open to fluid passage.

And need to get a couple of batteries and a box for them. I have two dry charge 6TL batteries but will save them for a while.

P.S. When I do a post like this my main reason for posting is to inform of the restoration while teaching some of the newer folks how to do some of the things that need to be done to restore old vehicles. It is just an approach to repairs/fixes that seem to work for me. Hence over simplification at times. It is not an attempt to toot my horn.

 

[clinto]

Did you add the turn signal stuff Clinto? In the jeep you can use hand signals and be seen pretty well. But in the deuce it is much harder to see the hand signals with troop seats on the truck.

No. The current harness on the Jeep is homemade and horrendous. It has wire nuts, I kid you not. The following picture is how the taillight harness was pigtailed with the trailer connector:



Yes, that is two male bullet connectors wired together and left bare under the vehicle. So I didn't think it was worth doing all the work to add turn signals to the harness that will eventually be thrown away. I already talked to Vintage Wiring of Maine and for like $750 I can get an entirely new harness with turn signals and 2 taillights already wired in, so that's what I'll do when I take it apart and do it right.

I don't bother with hand signals-no one knows what they mean anymore......................................

 

[USMC 00-08]

I have not seen those original small taillights function. Do they stay lit up when your lights are on or just come on when brakes are applied? How visible are they at night?

 

[maccus]

The older small left red tail light works just the same as do the newer LED/bulb etc. ones. But with no turn signal function. The right tail light however is just used for blackout drive. All the older civilian cars and trucks only had one left red tail light. Not to sure what years only one tail light was used. Maybe someone that knows the answer to that can chime in and provide the approx. dates.

 

[maccus]

Wow! Clinto that is one wild wiring harness. After driving the M211 home I looked up under the dash. About craped in my pants. 90% of all the wires had no insulation on them at all. Not a stich. Why it did not catch on fire or whatever I will never know. The hot dry temps out here are good for no rust but are a killer on the rubber covered wires. Wires get brittle and the rubber just drops off.

 

[SturmTyger380]

Driving my crusty M37 across the back yard one time I had a fire under the dash. Shut down the engine and after the smoke cleared I looked under and the same, no insulation!

 

[maccus]

Back to the Utica restoration. Last week Jim (hndrsonj) brought up from Cheyenne a REO OA-331 that turned over. Did some little things and today I got it to run. It sounds good and will work well I am sure. Hung a temp gas tank, ran a wire from dist to batt, cleaned up some other stuff and we are running.

Next I will pull the radiator from the truck and do some temp mounts for it so I can run engine with water in the radiator etc. Need to check for leaks before I put the engine in the truck.

You might have to enlarge the pics to see just what is going on.