New From Idaho

[Gunfighter97]

Hello! For the first time, I find myself seeking the knowledge of vintage drab green. I never expected to own a military truck other than maybe a Deuce some day, but somehow I managed to find what might be one of the more obscure trucks I've ever tried to find info on.

I am primarily an International Harvester enthusiast. Last year I purchesed a 1966 government contract 4x4 5 ton Loadstar 1600 with very low mileage. Turns out it was a US army contract, or "Defense Agency" (DA) contract number. The Line Setting Ticket (factory build sheet) shed a bit of light on its military history, revealing its shipping destination and its registration number(1R0100). It is one of 132 (likely identical) trucks in its order. I'm here primarily to find out more about its military history, and how to go about researching something like this.

The previous owner said that it had been theorized that it may have come from Malmstrom AFB, but it is not an airforce paint job on the LST. Very much drab green. It does however display wear characteristic of hanger kept airfield ground crew vehicles; low mileage and very good condition with high (.030" over) engine wear, overhauled around the mid 80s by rod bearing date stamps. It doesn't seem like its lived outside for all of its 59 years either. At some point, some professional effort was made to paint the truck inside and out in its current colors. The drab green is still underneath the white paint, and the front bumper has been sanded in what I think may have been an attempt to find military markings. I've been told the reg number is more likely on the doors but also possibly the hood.

Any recomendations where to put a thread on it seeking help uncovering the history behind it (both specifically this unit if possible, as well as others like it)?

Thanks in advance!

P.S. If any are interested in the long-winded tinkering side of it, I'd be happy to provide a link to its build thread on Binder Planet.

 

[biscuitwhistler37]

It appears that these trucks were civilian issue that the army just purchased and used, everything is stock international.

If you can, post a pic of the data plate on the glovebox, that should shed a little light.

If what I read is correct 4x4 was achieved with a Dana 70 up front and a Rockwell T-223 transfer case, and they were most commonly used by the air force as recovery vehicles.

Whatever the case may be, it's a beautiful rig, congrats!!

 

[Gunfighter97]

Thanks!
Interesting stuff, this one has most of the IHers stumped as most all of the trucks we find are airforce, with LSTs that have a few very specific paint colors for the airforce. Not drab green with a notation "paint undergear". I was only able to find one picture of a military loadstar via google, it looked identical in every detail and was being used by CBs in Nam. Some soldiers were posing on the running boards and it had been fragged by some kind of explosion. The caption read "our shrapnel blasted CB builder truck, still running" or something along those lines.

This one has the IH BG265 six, an NP435 four speed, T223 TC, and the Eaton axles at both ends; 6.17 gears. There were three front axles used to build the 4x4 LS: the D70, Eaton pumpkin in an IH beam which is what mine is, and the Coleman(that axle has these giant gyroscopic hubs with solid axle shafts that have no U-joint at the knuckle; they look overkill on whatever theyre attached to). The front axle in this particular truck is an evolution of the same axle as used on the. . . M5H6??? A WWII era IH product. I may not be remembering the designation properly. The beam is three pieces and each side has a flange in the tube outboard of the spring perch, that can be unbolted, along with the brake line and steering linkages, to remove the entire knuckle, half shaft, and brake assembly in one (enourmously heavy) piece.

I dont know the condition of its original fatigues under the current paint, but drab green is still under there on the entire truck. I have no plans to change its appearance for now, so the option to try and recover that paint job will be there in the future, though I suspect its been heavily sanded. For now I'm going to spruce it up, do mechanical repairs and fix a few small rotten spots in the floor. Farther along, I want to set up a hydraulic dump, move the bed 12" rearward and build a double spare carrier behind the cab.

When I got it the engine was locked up solid. I had a 6' pipe on the crank, and was hanging from it with no movement. I tore it down and got it rotating a week or so ago. Currently have the head, pan, oil pump, dizzy and all six pistons out cleaning and freeing things up. Bearings are replacements in standard size, bores are .030" over. Whoever took it apart deeply cared about this thing. Not a bolt is out of place, they are all marked IH on the heads. Untill I got the date off the bearings I couldn't even tell for sure if it had ever been apart that far, though the blue engine paint did hint at the possibility.

I think it got the take offs from two swaps while it was sitting. The seat is an IH seat but not from this truck judging by its frame paint, and the wheels are firestone widow makers. I think it probably had tubeless rims or 20" ring locks previously and at some point somebody wanted the tires for something that ran. I have nine 1960s 22.5x6.5" tubeless rims, and need to find a good agressive all position tire that will fit well. I plan on using this rig in the mountains off road for firewood, my own construction projects, and as a hunting rig to haul an elk base camp. Will also probably do some volunteer work for a local church at some point, so needs to be a highway capable tire. Top speed is probably only 55-60 MPH though. Me and my entire family havent owned a rig this big since Great Grandpa's 1930s tandam axle. So I have no idea what I'm looking at when it comes to tires other than the fact that they'll probably be really expensive. This thing wont be getting thousands and thousands of miles. So they need to stand the test of time.

Attached PDF is the recovered archive copy of the LST, here is the ID plate.