G749 preservation

[hendersond]

You guys just pull the F104 around on weekends or weekdays too?

 

[m1010plowboy]

Early Deuce Bed and Breakfast

Hendersond, it always ended up being Friday at the end of rush hour.....worked well for some reason. The 104 is being polished right now so more pics to come.

Had a few minutes with the M207 and emptied out the back. The floor was wet in one corner and has a small section rusted out along the side but it feels solid over all. This truck came with a map and here's a photo of where the truck was stationed and apparently used by the reserves up in Yellowknife. The PO is hustling up the history that he knows so the past can come with the truck. The special box of mints found stuffed in the insulation above the drivers door has a story on its own. I ran it all weekend and the more time she spends shifting the better it gets. It fast.

Found the pull knob for the bell so it makes sense to try and re-create it if anyone has pictures of their bell for a sample I would appreciate it. Bells anyone?. Bell TM?

The birds sure liked nesting on this truck and at some point made a home on the spring pack as well as in the vent for the box heater.

Anyone see these triple tracks on the floor and roof just inside the back door or all they all set up like that? She has the heavy double doors but it seems like there were provisions for an additional slider door inside. Shelter TM needed for originality.

Some M207 pics.

 

[m1010plowboy]

G749 parts and paint

With the 207 purchase came some spare parts that the PO had put away and was digging out as he had time. Muffler, pipes, re-built head nicely wrapped, spare used head, exhaust, hubs, hood, rad support, fenders,,,,,,,

So after all that work the 207 needed to go fishin'.

Not neglecting the M135 took an hour to scratch, reduce and paint a bit of the interior. Polyurethane Preserved.

 

[m1010plowboy]

G749 Farm

Finally got all the girls together, including the nieces, and staged the trucks in a safe place....with game cameras watching over them to ensure they stay in the pasture,,,,,.

Used a cool towbar SuperDave put together and the Duramax pulled the trucks around the farm real fine ya see. Gettin' me a straw hat and a long piece o' grass to chew on fer the next round up tho. Moving the herd gotta be done real slow see runnin' down them hills and all gettin' things lined up so they git in the stalls first time tryin'. We don't actually talk like that but it is good to loosen up once you're in the country.

Started looking over the M211 and found that the birds can't get enough of the round nose jimmy either. These guys spent some time under the hood crapping on the engine so tonight....it's birds nest soup.

Left to right it would be Gracie, George, More, Larry, Richard Prior, Curly and the parts truck.

 

[m1010plowboy]

M211 CFR interest

Cmpman, this is the most interesting truck in the herd so far. It is a M211 CDN with US numbers on it and an unusual
"Attach Stuck White Knight Here" sign on the back.

She's a 16-2-55 baby with a CFR of 55-53313. The truck is in great shape so someone loved it and we're hoping this is the next one running.

One picture under the hood from the spring....without the birds nest.....and a few shots of the markings.

 

[54hms]

Wow, I haven't read your thread in a while....Sorry to hear about the fire and the flood. Yes you are lucky you aren't closer to Calgary from the sounds of things. It also looks like you are starting to get a pretty awesome collection of old dueces!!! I wish i had a collection like that! The farm where my poor old M135 is being stored has been sold so it looks like i'll be bringing it home by the end of the summer, and i can't wait to start working on it. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

 

[m1010plowboy]

Fire Recovery

Wow, I haven't read your thread in a while....Sorry to hear about the fire and the flood. Yes you are lucky you aren't closer to Calgary from the sounds of things. It also looks like you are starting to get a pretty awesome collection of old dueces!!! I wish i had a collection like that! The farm where my poor old M135 is being stored has been sold so it looks like i'll be bringing it home by the end of the summer, and i can't wait to start working on it. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts. It's just a boxing match and the only time it knocks ya down is if ya drop your hands.....Like Ma said, "If it doesn't kill you it only makes you stronger".......or like Pops says, " If it doesn't kill ya it would surprise the **** out of us b'cuz we didn't think you'd see 20."........and if laying on the ground bleeding, "Come over here and I'll pick you up"

We have it easy, the High River folks and those around Calgary took a big swim. Temporary towns have been built for 1200 in one Mainstream Story but lots of stories are yet to be told....and won't be told, rather just pick-up and move forward. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2013/07/23/calgary-high-river-temporary-housing-w.html

One of the craziest frustrations was the "gathering of guns" by the RCMP in High River with some speculation and evidence of forced entry.......all the time while under "'the protection and security" of the RCMP. I'm not sayin'..... I'm just sayin.....

The Fleet

One hope is that the Deuce fleet can be available to those interested in historical military trucks and visitors can take the opportunity to get to know them better. So when weekends allow, we can fire up an M135, M207, M211 and with good financial planning... an M220, M215, M217 or a 217c, M222 and certainly a M221 with a trailer.....and go for a drive. If insurance will cooperate the two year plan is for a ROPS modified 6X6 with racing chairs and 5 point harnesses so we can get a feel for what my Canadian brothers experienced until the mid 80's. They keep telling me about running over 6" dia. trees, being buried to the frame and still moving ......as well as parking them underwater and my princesses will never see that so we need another one for...uh....testing.

We're slowly getting the smoker trucks cleaned and with no shop to park in.... the neighbours at home get to see them.

Also had some stuff sitting on the hood of our 2006 which left a real cool pattern. When my kid opened the hood the rubber gloves and a cap off a paint can slid down the hood and left a cool lookin, high steppin' dude on the hood.

Kinda hopin' they can't polish him out but we're thinkin' it's the new logo.

We see the naSSty weather you kids are having down East as well so keep the top up.

 

[m1010plowboy]

G749 Line up

Just a few pics of the weekend where my Mom's much younger 80 year old brother and his wife were all over the M207.
First ones to go for a ride.

Also had the Niece's friends out for a ride and Gracie is jealous of that look.

Finally got the pad widened for all 7 trucks so a pic of the G749 line up so far.

 

[Stan Leschert]

Did I not warn you that this hobby can be addictive? Nice Fleet!

 

[m1010plowboy]

Air Pack Kit, Compressor Kit

I'm working on the 12 step program Stan and I have 9 with wheels so I need............ 3 more.

SuperDave and a big crew from Alberta hit the MVPA Portland convention and Super found us an Air Pack Kit.

Want to hear that again.......An AIR PACK KIT

There must be more of these around so have a look at the pictures and check your barns for the white kleenex size box with the words Air Pack Kit on the side.

He also brought me home a compressor kit so Thank You to eagle eye SuperDave and the vendors that got these kits to a good home.

 

[m1010plowboy]

G749 Farm MV Round up

We're throwing a Labour Day Long Weekend bash at the G749 farm this weekend so Goose and I made the 40 mile trek west of Edmonton to farm country.

A few shots of M207, M135 (Batus), M211 US markings, Goose the M135 and the rest of the 135's Larry, Prior and Curly.

We had a short notice invite passed around to the local MVPA last week but if we can get insured and more organized for next year we'll post an invite on the Steel Soldiers site. It was one of the few weekends the local green iron boys didn't have a show to do so we opened up the gates to the ranch hoping some jeeps would come hang out.

We are 6 hours north of the border and it would be an honor sharing a little northern fresh air with some Steel Soldiers.

Might be a good time to come get some fresh air anyway so if anyone is still on holidays send me PM.

Should be some more pics after the weekend.

 

[cmpman]

Some CFR info on your trucks:

53313 belonged to CFB Penhold from 1955 until 1979. From there it was transferred to HQ and Sig Calgary until retirement in 1984. It's last recorded work order had the mileage at 72289 miles.

53714 Was in Wainwright from 1956 until 1980. It went to Edmonton for 80-81, back to Wainwright for the summer of 81, then off to Calgary until retirement in 1984. On release it had 15835 miles.

The last truck, 54341, I cannot provide any info on. That CFR was used again by the DND for a milcots, which overwrote any information that may have existed for yours.

 

[cmpman]

Where else on the G749 would we keep the CFR if not painted on the dash? http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net/history_of_you_vehicle.htm

Originally, the CFR was on the doors, about 8 inches or so down from the window. If your truck has the usual multi layers of paint, you can carefully sand or chemically strip the paint until the numbers show. However, if the doors have ever been replaced, or swapped from another truck, or the truck was sandblasted, then the door numbers will not be correct.

The CFR may also be stamped into the frame, as was done on most SMPs in the 50s and 60s in Canada. I'll have a check of my two deuces and see if it shows up there.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Thanks cmpman, Did we track where the trucks went after they were assigned to a base like Wainwright?

We were just talking about what the boys took to Egypt back in the late 50's and if the G749 may have gone with the first Peacekeepers.

Can't Thank you enough for the info...

 

[cmpman]

Thanks cmpman, Did we track where the trucks went after they were assigned to a base like Wainwright?

We were just talking about what the boys took to Egypt back in the late 50's and if the G749 may have gone with the first Peacekeepers.

Can't Thank you enough for the info...

The tracking did not go into further detail than that for units. Sometimes I can figure out a bit more by looking at the old work orders, but I do not have the unit codes for all the various (and in some cases now extinct) units. Any move to overseas commitments would be shown though, as those get their own codes. I have a photo downstairs of a Cdn deuce in the Sainai I'll try and remember to post tonight.

The records that I do have pretty much point out the fact that those US markings on the M211 are just collectors fantasy and do not relate to the truck's service life.

 

[m1010plowboy]

The records that I do have pretty much point out the fact that those US markings on the M211 are just collectors fantasy and do not relate to the truck's service life.

Yes sir, every model I built as a kid growing up had a big white star on the door so this truck can stay a part of the American dream as well.

I'll take any and all G749 vintage pictures. I'll be scanning and hard copying all photos to display in photo albums to display at the shows for the good folks to flip through. Something about those old photos that shuts me up for a second.

That goes for any pictures of G-749's that any of you boys might have.

 

[cmpman]

Here is a shot of the Deuce I spoke of yesterday. It is captioned: "UN68291 Luluaburg (Congo). Sept 1960-
Three members of the Cdn contingent of the UN force in the Congo check the motor of an army truck which they have converted into a mobile radio station"

The truck's CFR is 55-53377.

A similar box is in the back of a 3 ton CMP in the Moose Jaw armouries museum. These boxes are of US signal corps origin I believe.

 

[m1010plowboy]

CFR stamp on frame

The CFR may also be stamped into the frame, as was done on most SMPs in the 50s and 60s in Canada. I'll have a check of my two deuces and see if it shows up there.

That worked well, I invited SuperDave out and we found the serial number for the M207 Shop Van 52/50358. We also found out that a few of the trucks 'did not' have the frames stamped.

I'll put up a few G749 pics of the girls with the girls if you can dig me up some data on the shop van detective cmpman.

Again, greatly appreciate it. Told Pops that the truck that was made on his birthday probably stayed in Alberta it's whole life he pipes up and says, "Neither one of us had any sense".

 

[m1010plowboy]

G749 Garden Harvest Day

Had a little Labour Day gathering and grannie had to go for a ride.

A few more pics of friends and family hanging around Goose the Deuce.

That one photo of the three girls bending over picking carrots .....or was that corn.....was staged by the girls for your Steel Soldier enjoyment.

 

[m1010plowboy]

G749 Fall Wind-up

Had a couple Iltis's's's, a five ton and an M37 show up to hang out with the G749 crew.

Visited a 4x4 park, toured the farm, ate rat paks, made noise and drank a lot of water.