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Shipping the M35a2. Stacked?

oddshot

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I am getting older ... but I'm almost certain I remember reading somewhere that the M35 could be loaded ... stacked two high, one on top of the other ... in ships and a/c. As I recall, this was the reason for the fold down windshield, the 2 piece exhaust and soft top.

I've been searching the 'net for docs or photos for a while and can't turn anything up, so I'm probably all wet, but I just can't shake the memory. This is kinda important because I was talking to this Air Force ... "guy" ... A loadmaster on Starlifters and he said it couldn't be done.

I know I can come here and ask you guys without fear of getting laughed at or anything. :rolleyes:
 

TomTime

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How about this. Not sure what trucks they are.

 

kendelrio

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Interesting idea. How would the fenders fare with the weight of another deuce on them?

I believe the reason for the soft top, folding windshield etc was for the ability to lower the height of it when needed. I could be all wet too, but that was my understanding for it.
 

kendelrio

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How about this. Not sure what trucks they are.

Well, seeing this, I'm apparently all wet!
 

18operator

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Interesting idea. How would the fenders fare with the weight of another deuce on them?

I believe the reason for the soft top, folding windshield etc was for the ability to lower the height of it when needed. I could be all wet too, but that was my understanding for it.
It looks like the weight of the front of the truck on top is resting on the front bumper brace on the lower truck. Makes sense now. I too thought that the fenders wouldn't be able to hold the weight.
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

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That old Dodge WC ain't nearly as heavy as a Deuce 1/2, but I bet they still blocked the suspension on that bottom rig or it woulda killed those leafs .
Surely Uncle Sam paid some good money to have all those details figured out before bunking these vehicles atop one another.

But..... maybe not. rofl
 

KallyLC

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That was a WWII thing to fit more trucks in the holds of Liberty Ships.
It does seem like it was more of a WWII era idea, but I was told by someone that the MUTT was designed so they could be stacked in a similar manner, which is allegedly why the front fenders and the rear arches are the same height.

I've never seen any evidence to support this practice, but there's photos of them being stacked piggyback like this in Army storage depots. Could just be to move them as a group rather than individually, though.

1679943487794.png
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

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STACKING in a different manner.....

While the FORD Motor Company once lived by the motto: FORD HAS A BETTER IDEA, it seems Chevrolet had quite a novel approach to "STACKING" their little VEGA cars for Rail Transport.

Chevrolet Vega Vert-A-Pac.jpg

Here's the link with the backstory for this pic.

Now if I can just build a rack like that, each MV would need LESS THAN 100 sq.ft. of land for parking!!!

WHAT A CONCEPT!!!!!



Carry on!
 

Mullaney

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STACKING in a different manner.....

While the FORD Motor Company once lived by the motto: FORD HAS A BETTER IDEA, it seems Chevrolet had quite a novel approach to "STACKING" their little VEGA cars for Rail Transport.

View attachment 894233

Here's the link with the backstory for this pic.

Now if I can just build a rack like that, each MV would need LESS THAN 100 sq.ft. of land for parking!!!

WHAT A CONCEPT!!!!!



Carry on!
.
That is absolutely amazing! I mean the Vega was a piece of "dung" but the special battery, special baffling inside the aluminum motor block, the special windshield washer bottle... The shipping container really is cool and even better than what they already had.

A little ingenuity goes a long way.
Shipping Twice as Many is definitely Twice as Nice!
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

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I had forgotten about the VEGA's aluminum engine castings being mated to cast iron parts with asymmetrical thermal expansion/shrink rates causing huge warpage problems.
As I recall, the heads were the most common warping problem resulting in compression, oil, and coolant system failures extraordinaire!
Ah, how the mind forgets those "traumatic" events in life.
 

Mullaney

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I had forgotten about the VEGA's aluminum engine castings being mated to cast iron parts with asymmetrical thermal expansion/shrink rates causing huge warpage problems.
As I recall, the heads were the most common warping problem resulting in compression, oil, and coolant system failures extraordinaire!
Ah, how the mind forgets those "traumatic" events in life.
.
Back in my hotrodding days, that light weight car with the useless leaking motor was great with a pumped up smallblock Chevy engine squeezed in there. New front springs, new 12 bolt and ladderbars (before discovering the 4-link suspension) and a newly rebuilt transmission. Driveshaft modifications... Did a 454 in a few of them too, but they were not nearly as "peppy". Changing the spark plugs required removing the rat motor... We thought Vega's were cheap - and I guess they were - but by the time all the parts were gathered and assembled (as he tapers off into memories of past adventures)

Ah, those were the days. :cool:
 
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