Pics of the Studebaker US6

[lowrdrbird]

Okay here is what we started out with and some more pics

Here is her Orginal hood number

Once we started taking it apart here are some pics

Taking the cab off

Now just a frame and engine

The engine out and start taking it apart Hercules JXD

We found a 1947 Studebaker M series that became a donor cab for the US6 as the cab for the US6 was in bad shape. Here are the two cabs the newer one is still on the ground

Orginal cab

Donor cab

These will be taken to a friend who is going to make the corrections to make the civi cab a military cab.

Took the frame to get sand blasted and then she got a coating of OD paint from Gillipes (sp)

Here she is in Paint

Here is the bad I found for her going to need some work

Im hoping to make it look like this when I'm done minus the winch

Hope you like them
Ken

 

[srodocker]

i want to own one of those old girls some day....red ball express!

 

[lowrdrbird]

I am always looking for parts so if people might know of some please let me know
Thanks
KEN

 

[Racky]

Nice job so far good luck and happy new year

 

[NDT]

Exceptional work! Love seeing properly done ground up restorations. That composite bed was a lucky find.

 

[MWMULES]

Ken way to go, the US6 has been my dream truck, but I have never found one that was even 1/2 has good as what you are working with. The way the cab roof has the "chopped look" is a + to the kool factor of the US6. Thank you for taking on this project.

 

[lowrdrbird]

Anyone know the correct color for the engine???? Also anyone good with rebuilding an engine and would like to help???

thanks
KEN

 

[lowrdrbird]

Well here is some updates.....

I want to thank John for helping me find an early NOS cab wiring harness. This thing is great and now I only need the wiring harness that go from the light buckets and on the panel dash lights.

I also took advise on the doors I started to sand the doors down and they are looking good. Would take some pics but its raining outside and dont want to get them wet. I have a dent in the passenger door that I need to fix but this should not be a problem. Also should I remove the Key/tumbler slot on the passenger door as i know that the military ones didnt have this. I dont have the key for it anyways.
This is a photo I took of the dash while I was sanding it and getting it ready for welding the extra holes in

We have been working on getting the brake lines back together but have been running into some problems. When the frame was sandblasted the guy damaged the brake lines which started to leak so he just ripped them off before I could take them off to get a pattern. So im going from scratch on this.

Now here is my next challenge the Vacuum power cylinder

This pic shows the rusting I have inside the Vacuum power cylinder It is pitted pretty bad but I am slowly working it out with sanding and buffing.

Here is the cylinder that sticks out of the unit. Its supposed to have a rubber boot on it but its long gone. Now this is pitted and I am looking at possibly polishing it and then chroming it to make up the difference.

As it looks right now this truck might be back on the road by late June early July. Thats as long as everything falls in place. But I have learned that this doesnt always happen.
Ken

 

[papabear]

I just love threads like this!!! It gets me motivated to work on some of my junk.

Sure wish I had a US6 but I don't.

So....I'll just enjoy yours!!

 

[robert c neth]

i dont know how to find him but there is a guy in ohio that has all the engines and parts you will need for the jxd . may have seen his ad in military vehicles.

 

[paulfarber]

i want to own one of those old girls some day....red ball express!

I don't think many US6's were part of the Red Ball. The Red Army maybe.

The Soviet Union received almost the complete 6x6 production of 105,000 as well as the majority of the 90,000 6x4 produced.

Now if you can find 3 Katyusha rocket launcher then you have my attention.

 

[emr]

U may want to watch the greatest tank battles on the mil channel lately , there is alot of Soviet footage of convoys, ALL the trucks i have seen are Studebakers . No red ballers there, that would be a long shot and would be a great find if someone found a pic of one in the Red ball runs, Funny how the Soviets kept ALL the thousands of shermans they got out of ALL film footage, one would think all they used were there over rated t tanks, not true at all....

 

[clinto]

Lowriderbird, I appreciate you keeping us updated on your restoration project. Although we are light on CCKW/US6 owners here (as opposed to the G) there are many of us who like them as well as a few owners.

I love your project- I can't wait to see it when it's done.

 

[paulfarber]

CCKW.org is more active than G503.com

Be wary of some of the advice you get.... a lot of people have 'gotten it to work' but really have little knowledge what they really did.

 

[Srjeeper]

Here's a gentelman that can answer all your questions and point you towards different sources for parts.

He restores these and other WWII vehicles for a living and collects them also.


Bob Rabino
Milspec Vehicle Restoration

908-475-2799
4 Hardwick St, Belvidere, NJ 07823

 

[lowrdrbird]

Well all wanted to post some more pics of what has gone on since last posting

Here are some pics of the engine after the machine shop was done with it now we just need to put it back together.

Here is the body after she has been sandblasted and ready to get some more body repairs done

This is the military cab with the firewall blasted so we could transfer it to the civi cab

Now here are some pics of the civi cab being blasted

Bad floor this is going to be replaced

Now the rest of the cab

Found a little rot in the windshield area thats going to need some work

Ken

 

[TJP]

Keep the thread going with all the progress.

 

[lowrdrbird]

Here is the start with the engine and putting her back together

Next we have these pesky **** shims and are there alot of this things...

There are supposed to be 3 shims on each side of the mains for each one...

Here is the start of the pistons..

One to go now the other 5 and we will be done.

If you look closely you can see the brass shims each one is .003 thick and it needs 3 of them.

 

[lowrdrbird]

Here we put the transfer case back into the frame

Here are some pics of the new stainless steel brake lines

Here is the front axle just got the flex lines

Here is the rear passenger side all lined up

More pics of the engine coming together

Well here are some more pics of the engine we started to get the correct paint.

Now the front engine mount is a NOS part and is the correct color I think we did very well in matching it.

Tonight I was working on the cab. I found this stuff called Metal Fuzion that is like bondo but works like lead and once hardened is like metal.
Here is some work that I have been doing
This is before with the big hole

Some mesh and ready for the first coat

After first coat

Then sanded will have to do another coat.

After this stuff hardened it was like steel could hit it with a hammer and it did nothing.

Here is the wiper hole in the cowl of the cab with the mesh backing

And after first coat

Even got the daughter to start grinding on the cab

WE got the engine moving

Then we arrived and started to work

This is after we set her in the frame so now the Stude has a heart. Hope to have it running in 2 weeks

 

[lowrdrbird]

More progress

Fuel Tank bracket installed

Now tank installed

Lot of work done on the engine

And the bed is getting ready to leave so it can be worked on. Looks like some new wood will be in its future. Also if anyone has a wood bed let me know I have a few questions.

Ken