Serial Number/Unit Markings for a 1953 Manufacturered Truck

[WillWagner]

This is about the project that is on going here, https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/the-next-project-an-asmh.216290/.

The truck is a 1953, M62. This truck was, on it's last assignment, assigned to the CANG. That is where it was acquired from. Inside the cab, on the doors are CANG markings. The markings are 8 digit, no alpha, unlike my deuce was. The numbers are not what are on the data plates, which are what I believe are original, OR what the rebuild tags from TEAD in 1968 are. Both the data plate on the dash and the rebuild tags show the same number.

My old truck was a 1968. It had a 1or 2 alpha, think it was a single "N" and a 4 digit number as the life long, assigned vehicle number.

My question is, what were the early M series trucks marked like? Just a 4 digit number or were there alpha letters assigned to them? I have looked on the frame where my deuce numbers were stamped, although no too hard since there have been other issues/items that needed attention before this, and don't see any numbers/letters.

 

[NDT]

Can you extrapolate anything from CARNAC's file on M62s? I am pretty sure the registration number for 1950's trucks should be all numerical.

 

[msgjd]

The truck is a 1953, M62. The markings are 8 digit, no alpha, unlike my deuce was.
My question is, what were the early M series trucks marked like?

In my experience (and of certain examples in my fleet), the early-1950s' M-series trucks did not originally have an alpha-numeric USA registration number.. Instead, they had an 8-digit series of numbers beginning with zeros. IME, the numbers are not the same as the manufacturer serial number on the dash tag .. Some trucks will have the USA registration number on the dash tag along with the mfr serial number, but not all of them.. This numbering was also true with a GMC M211 and other 1950's deuces I owned as well as many 5-tons I have or had been around..

My M62 does not show the USA regis number on any tag.. It's a late-1953 and it's manufacturer number on the dash tag is 3404.. Its USA regis number is 00132497.. This 8-digit number is painted underneath the hood and it's prominently painted on the inside driver door as was typical Army practice.. It was also originally on the hood sides underneath the "US Army" before I repainted a personal alpha-numeric "05A" number belonging to a 1958 gasser 5-Ton i was assigned long ago. ..

It is my experience the alpha-numeric system began sometime in the mid-1950's because one of the units I was with fielded some gasser IHC tractors, wreckers, and cargo's built between 1955 and 1963, and their USA regis nums were alpha-numeric beginning with "05A##### , a couple were "05B###69.. My own 1962 gasser IHC M51 is an "05A#####" beast ..

Not trying to add any confusion to this subject, but some of the mid-50's to mid-60's alpha-numeric USA regis nums ended with "69", for example, which was not to mean they were built in 1969... That coincidence is a situation you will see on "newer" trucks such as 5-tons built in 1969-71 which have USA regis numbers ending with "69", "70", or "71" and those will typically match the year the truck was built and entered the system... I believe the latter example was the case until the 1972 change to the USA regis numbers beginning with "N" ..

 

[WillWagner]

Well, the numbers on the insides of both doors start with 00, so, maybe those numbers are original reg nos? The number on both the data plate and rebuild tag are 4 digit, 8000's number, 8372, 8723, I don't know off the top of my head. This is a '53 IHC. I'll snap a pic tomorrow and look under the hood. The hood has been up for a while, but don't remember seeing a number.

Thank you!

No chance I could get you under your truck for a pic of the rear winch clutch arm? I get it, under and out is bad for me, especially 10 or 12 times an hour!

 

[WillWagner]

Can you extrapolate anything from CARNAC's file on M62s? I am pretty sure the registration number for 1950's trucks should be all numerical.

As far as I remember sitting here, the number on the DP and rebuild tag is 8723, 8732, 8372, something like that. I will check and snap a pic tomorrow and look on the frame a bit closer.

 

[WillWagner]

Well, I was WAY off! 3276 is the # on the tags. I looked on the frame and could find nothing. SO, when we do the stenciling, we will most likely use this number on the hood. Craig also said that the number on the doors was also on the right rear, on the back panel of the wrecker body. I don't remember it being there, but that was almost year ago.

We plan to add the Nat'l symbol, TP, number on the doors on the hood and rear rt of the body, boom extension markings, maybe find a unit in some pictures and add that as well as some of the regular stuff seen on theses things.

We cannot find a set of crane operator lever data plates, so, I have taken it upon myself to refurbish the ones we have. No pictures, but today I made 1/4 stencils, BOOM, CROWD, HOIST, SWING as well as UP, DOWN, L, R, EXT, RET, IN, OUT as well as a set of arrows. We'll see how those turns out this week.

This is not on the CARNAC list. Got excited until I re checked the list!

Nothing under the hood. The whole bottom of the truck, under the fenders, under the hood, etc has some sort of lining sprayed on it.

 

[NDT]

Sweet! Carnac’s list confirms your numbers. See where I drew the line, yours fits in the sequence perfectly. The registration number on your glove box door is what needs to go on the hood. Canrac’s list is missing the 00 as I am sure the database wouldn’t accept leading zeros.

 

[G744]

Frame VIN and hood/bumper numbers just never did match.

If another org or unit got trucks, they could easily change the latter to suit, i.e. USA to USMC.

The VIN and dash dataplate should always match, unless a bit of skulduggery occurred when trying to 'graft' a title on the truck after becoming civvy.

There may be outliers, like when the Atomic Energy Commission or the Bureau of Reclamation drew tacticals for use.

 

[67Beast]

Yes, the 00132370 would be the correct hood registration numbers for a 1953 truck. The Alpha numeric system didn't start until 1954. I see it all the time with marking kits for M38a1's and M37's which had production runs across the years where they made the change.

 

[msgjd]

Well, the numbers on the insides of both doors start with 00, so, maybe those numbers are original reg nos? The number on both the data plate and rebuild tag are 4 digit, 8000's number, 8372, 8723, I don't know off the top of my head. This is a '53 IHC. I'll snap a pic tomorrow and look under the hood. The hood has been up for a while, but don't remember seeing a number.
Thank you!
No chance I could get you under your truck for a pic of the rear winch clutch arm? I get it, under and out is bad for me, especially 10 or 12 times an hour!

1: yes, you got it right, the double-zero such and such is your USA reg number and will be 8 digits ..
2: Your guess of 8000's for mfr s/n on tag is too high in sequence, should be in the 2000's or 3000's ...
3: i will try to remember to get a pic of the clutch arm tomor but i won't have internet until later that night

 

[NDT]

1: yes, you got it right, the double-zero such and such is your USA reg number and will be 8 digits ..
2: Your mfr s/n's on tag are too high in sequence, should be in the 2000's or 3000's ...
3: i will try to remember to get a pic of the clutch arm tomor but i won't have internet until later that night

Its 3276, sounds spot on to me?

 

[msgjd]

Its 3276, sounds spot on to me?

i was replying to his 2nd post which stated a guess of an 8000's number, just as it does in the quoted bit from that post that's included in my reply .. i did not see his later post , where he finally does say 3276 , which would be a correct sequence

 

[G744]

My '53 M37 had/has 201011834 hood/bumper and 80258522 VIN.

The '67 M54A1 has something I don't remember for hood #'s, have to go look. Was ex-1A1AD 5HQ unit marking in Desert Storm.

 

[WillWagner]

I still have not found a frame stamped VIN. Looked drivers side between steering box and cab, nothing I can see. The front part of the frame does not have the undercoating stuff like the rest of the frame/undercarriage. IF someone were to want to find a VIN stamp, where would it be? It isn't where a deuce would be!

 

[msgjd]

No chance I could get you under your truck for a pic of the rear winch clutch arm? I get it, under and out is bad for me, especially 10 or 12 times an hour!

Do you mean up above the crossmember inside the tunnel area? .. The control linkages head that way from the op levers and disappear inside the crossmember .. With 3 unrepairable hernias i cannot reach up inside that crossmember without a system of pulleys and rope .. It was "scary" enough to crawl in between the tandems without a rope tied to an ankle and a recovery specialist at the other end of the rope!!

I did get a pic of the control levers and linkages from underneath the winch drum area, but i have a feeling that's not what you need

 

[WillWagner]

The arm that the rotopac cylinder is attached to that pushes on the arm that is fixed to the cross shaft when the clutch release lever is actuated back at the rear winch station.

.

This would be looking at the engine/trans from the passenger side, engine to the front. The levers look like these, the little paddle looking one is keyed and pinch bolted to the trans cross shaft. The boomerang lookin one slides on the shaft and pivots freely, secured in place by a cotter pin through the end of the cross shaft. The top hole is attached to the rotopack cylinder....think old school brake diaphragm..... and the free play for this saaembly is made by adjusting the bolt in the center of the boomerang lever.

 

[msgjd]

The arm that the rotopac cylinder is attached to that pushes on the arm that is fixed to the cross shaft when the clutch release lever is actuated back at the rear winch station.

.View attachment 924232

aha !! now THAT i could've gotten a pic of .. unfortunately I'm 3hrs away from the truck as of last night, and until next weekend or so

 

[msgjd]

I still have not found a frame stamped VIN. Looked drivers side between steering box and cab, nothing I can see. The front part of the frame does not have the undercoating stuff like the rest of the frame/undercarriage. IF someone were to want to find a VIN stamp, where would it be? It isn't where a deuce would be!

i don't recall ever seeing a frame rail stamp on a M39-series , but then again, they either had plenty of surface rust or plenty of paint .. Some say it should be drivers side outer rail somewhere between steering box to a point above the front axle.. Some say not all got stamped at birth, some say they get stamped during a rebuild , and some say they don't get stamped at all.. Sorry i cannot help at this time, but i will look at all my m39-series in a week or two when i get back

 

[WillWagner]

aha !! now THAT i could've gotten a pic of .. unfortunately I'm 3hrs away from the truck as of last night, and until next weekend or so

No worries, hurries. this thing isn't going anywhere!

 

[msgjd]

No worries, hurries. this thing isn't going anywhere!

it has the gas engine, it just might! ... Now, as for the multifuel remotor in mine, well, mine sure isn't going anywhere in a hurry except on a 30% downgrade in neutral with a hurricane tailwind ... Or over a cliff

don't get me wrong out there, the multifuels are a good engine for 2-1/2T trucks.. But even a "super" LDS is a big disappointment OTR in an M62