G506 identification help, G7143 ?

[jstandle]

Hi Folks, I'm looking for some assistance in decoding a 1942 G506 we own and would really appreciate any help I could get.

This truck has been parked for many years, we used to haul hay with it when I was younger. I hadn't thought much about it for years but am thinking it's time to dust it off and getting it running again. I don't need another project but I like to work on something different from time to time to mix things up.

I'm having zero luck decoding what model it is, the number that it has doesn't seem to be listed anywhere I've looked.

The tag in the cab shows it as a Quartermaster Corps truck, Make And Model - Chevrolet - 1942 - G - 7143

Serial Number - 14NF01####

Picture of tag;

Other pictures of the truck;

http://198.237.72.28/Pictures/chevroletG506-1.jpg

Thanks!
Jordan

 

[DMgunn]

Sorry I can't help - just had to stop by to check out the pics of my favorite MV body style of all time....thanks!

 

[paulfarber]

Your SN does not decode NF is not listed.

NJ= Cargo less winch
NM= Cargo with winch
NH= dump less winch
NL= Dump with winch
NZ= Airfield crash truck NQ= Bomb service truck
NG= Panel truck

Specifications | Vehicles of Victory, LLC

Check for the frame VIN on the drivers side, should be above the tire, that should give more info. It will be 9 characters long and have some other into below it.

There is a *SMALL* chance it could be the rare 'tractor version'. If it looks like the spare tire mounts behind the cab (and not on the drivers side frame rail) then you might have a tractor version... but nothing I could find (not an exhaustive search, BTW) has NF in the SN or VIN.

 

[captain-crank]

That's a toughy.

Found a modeling site that listed it as a USAAF vehicle and I tried to translate the French.

Familiar words like "lighting" and "turret" came up.

With it being in AF service, this may have been an AAF machine gun turret training vehicle or a portable light truck early on.

I have seen pictures of the Sperry, Bendix and Martin turrets from bombers mounted in the back these.

Like this.....

Chevy E-5 gun turret training truck

Here's that modeling site. Good luck with your search.

Maqueweb - Catalogue - Matériels US

 

[waayfast]

Jordan, Welcome to the site from Salmon river country!

Man ,you guys sure have some neat toys!Did you sell the "big brother to this truck?I was bummed when you said you didn't need my D2 Cats,or my belly dump trailer in trade as you already had one that just sits around.Almost offered to trade a step kid or two but ,heck, they just sit around too.
This 506 looks to have the ugly "high visability yellow" that was applied to various on-airport vehicles after the hostilities ended.Almost was going to guess the NF may have been for fire truck but then it probly would have been red.
Anyway, nice truck(s)!!

 

[Jeff Lakaszcyck]

Jordan, that is a great looking Chevy. It looks very well preserved for sitting outside all these years. I found some info on the model, it looks like Cap'n Crank was pretty close. According to some charts in "US Army Vehicles of World War Two" by Bonniface and Jeudy, the G7143 is a searchlight carrier. The "F" in the serial number (NF) is also for searchlight carrier. Unfortunately I do not have a good photo handy of the searchlight model. Good luck with your truck.

Jeff

 

[drgreg]

Maybe this?

 

[jstandle]

Jordan, Welcome to the site from Salmon river country!

Man ,you guys sure have some neat toys!Did you sell the "big brother to this truck?I was bummed when you said you didn't need my D2 Cats,or my belly dump trailer in trade as you already had one that just sits around.Almost offered to trade a step kid or two but ,heck, they just sit around too.
This 506 looks to have the ugly "high visability yellow" that was applied to various on-airport vehicles after the hostilities ended.Almost was going to guess the NF may have been for fire truck but then it probly would have been red.
Anyway, nice truck(s)!!

Hi Jim! Not sold yet but we got it running great today which will help and will make me feel better about selling it knowing the engine is good. After rebuilding the carb, new fuel pump, cleaning the fuel tank/lines it was running but missing. Did a compression check and found a dead hole, I was a little worried but after more troubleshooting I found just a pushrod had popped out of it's rocker, after that was put back it's running nice and smooth. Still needs the valves adjusted but otherwise running nice.

I just put up a youtube video tonight;

YouTube - 1942 GMC CCKW 353 - FOR SALE

Once we started working on the CCKW to sell, it got me thinking about this single axle we parked 15 years ago and seeing about getting it going again too. We used it back in the early 90's for hauling hay, I think we were averaging 12K lbs a load on the ranch hauling large square bales. Spent a lot of time in that old pig. We'll wait until the CCKW is sold before we bring the G506 to the shop. The G506 has zero rust I could find, none even along the bottom of the door that seems to be common. It's missing a couple gauges, has an in-frame gas tank (not sure if stock or not yet) and I'll also check on the spare tire, if it's there, or brackets, or anything.

We'll likely see about selling this truck too eventually, I just don't want these to sit in the bone pile when they could be restored by someone and enjoyed. The M-37 sitting next to it is also another possible future project, it has a snapped rear axle shaft and I think a cracked block which is why I haven't touched it.

Jordan, that is a great looking Chevy. It looks very well preserved for sitting outside all these years. I found some info on the model, it looks like Cap'n Crank was pretty close. According to some charts in "US Army Vehicles of World War Two" by Bonniface and Jeudy, the G7143 is a searchlight carrier. The "F" in the serial number (NF) is also for searchlight carrier. Unfortunately I do not have a good photo handy of the searchlight model. Good luck with your truck.

Jeff

That is the great thing about Eastern Oregon, it's such a dry climate that vehicles that sit out usually don't rust up.

Thank you very much for that information! I'm not sure where that leaves the value of the truck since I'm sure the searchlight carrier would be impossible to find for someone who wanted to put the truck back to original condition but that is sure neat to know what it once was.

Thanks,
Jordan

 

[jstandle]

Maybe this?

According to the VoV website that is a J4 field lighting truck, not a searchlight truck;

Historic Chevy Photos | Vehicles of Victory, LLC

 

[paulfarber]

Problem with the 'rare' or 'uncommon' variants is that unless its complete at the start, the odds of 'restoring' it are bleak. How many light assembly's and accessories have you run across?

Good luck restoring it now that you know what 'it' is.

 

[jstandle]

Problem with the 'rare' or 'uncommon' variants is that unless its complete at the start, the odds of 'restoring' it are bleak. How many light assembly's and accessories have you run across?

Good luck restoring it now that you know what 'it' is.

My thoughts as well. A Hemi Dodge Charger with no motor brings a lot more than a 318 Charger with a motor, but a Searchlight truck ain't no Hemi car.

I think it will be worth whatever the going rate is for other similar chassis trucks. I think we've located a cargo box locally already though, it looks correct but I'll have to investigate more and see if it can be purchased.

I would assume the flatbed thats on it isn't original, although the Field Light truck picture looks to have a basic looking flatbed, so maybe the searchlight truck would of as well. I'll have to look closer, but if I remember right it's just a plain old wood flatbed.

 

[jstandle]

Well, 5 years later and not much has changed except we finally got around to bringing this home. Drilled a few holes and mounted up a tow bar, air'd up the tires and pulled it home which was about 5 miles. I stayed in the G506 in case it had any problems following and it did pretty good, better than when we did the same with the CCKW we sold, it wanted to turn away all the time.

It was a pretty lackluster trip except that I found right after we hit the pavement a giant pack rat staring at me with his head poked through the speedometer hole in the dash. I flagged for my Dad to make an immediate stop, I jumped out and we tried to get the rat to leave but he was having none of it, I was able to get at him enough to remove some hair via the defrost ducts but after that I couldn't find him. I spent the rest of the trip with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a knife, now that I knew the rat was injured he was probably no longer in the mood to be sociable. After we got home I left some decon for him, hopefully that helps him get a good nights rest.

I've got several other projects going at the moment but hopefully I'll find some time to go through the carb, change the oil, clean the fuel tank and lines and see if it will fire up. I'm sure everything is in order so long as there isn't a cracked block or something. I found an antifreeze jug full of straight water so I assume the last person driving it was managing a leak.