Have a WC-55 for over five years and decided the next project is to build it as it should be...with the 37mm anti tank gun in the cargo bed. But then, by chance, we came across another WC-55 so now the plan is to build two of them! For all the work getting the first one done, we figured we might as well build both of them.
Have a registered gun (will need another gun), we can make the shield and possibly the pedestal but only have pictures of them and photos of the accessories that came with this weapon carrier. So, I know it is a long, long, long shot, basically looking for an automotive unicorn but does anyone have any of the following or leads where we can locate them?
Pail holder on right front fender and the U.S marked pail that inserts into it
Scabbard holder that fits on the side of the cowl of the cab
Four cleaning staff holders that were attached to the rear tailgate
Tool box for inside of the shield (same as the towed 37mm)
Scabbard holder that was attached to the bottom floor inside of the shield
Data Plates (different from a WC-51/52 plate as this was a combat vehicle)
Blue prints! Especially of the shield and the pedestal
Close up pictures of the pedestal or the shield
Know where any completed WC-55 is located so we can take a trip and get some measurements
Have been using the David Doyle book on Dodges to help guide us. Also, have been talking to Joe Meserve who built a WC 55 and who has been quite encouraging and very helpful. Thank you Joe!
Any other help in this crazy project would be most welcome!
Dave A.
Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
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- Lt Col, USAF
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Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
- Attachments
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- Pedestal and inside shield
- WC 55 Gun Mount.jpg (146.29 KiB) Viewed 1327 times
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- Rifle scabbard on floor inside shield
- WC 55 Rifle Rack, inside shield .jpg (20.88 KiB) Viewed 1327 times
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- Pail holder on tight fender
- WC 55 Pail holder.jpg (150.68 KiB) Viewed 1327 times
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- Restored WC 55
- WC 55 JM Truck.jpg (165.57 KiB) Viewed 1327 times
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- WC 55 with staff holders on tailgate
- WC 55 shield and staves.jpg (99.47 KiB) Viewed 1327 times
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Re: Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
Hi Dave,
I am in exactly the same place as you (except I am only working on one WC55). I too have visited and emailed Joe many times. A great person to visit with! I have the "Peerless Max" 1:35 scale model of the M6 37mm Anti-tank Gun Carriage. My son upscaled the shield from that model and made the shield for mine. There was a guy in Arkansas who made the scabbard holders and the hoop cleaning rod brackets. I fabricated my own pail holder and the other cleaning rod brackets (with pieces of the barrel clamp for the tail light). I bought the water bucket from John at MWM along with the shell boxes and ration box. I took a tool box from a towed one and moved the hinges so it will work on this shield.
Where are you located? I am in Wichita.
Good luck,
Kendall
I am in exactly the same place as you (except I am only working on one WC55). I too have visited and emailed Joe many times. A great person to visit with! I have the "Peerless Max" 1:35 scale model of the M6 37mm Anti-tank Gun Carriage. My son upscaled the shield from that model and made the shield for mine. There was a guy in Arkansas who made the scabbard holders and the hoop cleaning rod brackets. I fabricated my own pail holder and the other cleaning rod brackets (with pieces of the barrel clamp for the tail light). I bought the water bucket from John at MWM along with the shell boxes and ration box. I took a tool box from a towed one and moved the hinges so it will work on this shield.
Where are you located? I am in Wichita.
Good luck,
Kendall
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- Lt Col, USAF
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Re: Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
Good morning Kendall.
I enjoyed our talk yesterday and am looking forward to trying to help each other. Your experience closely matches mine including working with Joe, having a relative who knows how to work with metal and looking at different sources for ideas and parts.
What I don't know however, is where are any of the other WC 55 owners? You were the only owner who answered this ad so am guessing that there are not many of us trying to build one.
Will contact you this week for more ideas!
Dave A.
I enjoyed our talk yesterday and am looking forward to trying to help each other. Your experience closely matches mine including working with Joe, having a relative who knows how to work with metal and looking at different sources for ideas and parts.
What I don't know however, is where are any of the other WC 55 owners? You were the only owner who answered this ad so am guessing that there are not many of us trying to build one.
Will contact you this week for more ideas!
Dave A.
- Austringer
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Re: Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
There is a WC55 in SC and Oregon that I know about.
Jason
Jason
Jason Green
Atlanta, Ga
STILL NOT associated with the Georgia MVPA 15 years and counting as long as that one guy is president of the club....
1963 Willys M151 (under resto)
1969 M706E1
1983 M106A2
Atlanta, Ga
STILL NOT associated with the Georgia MVPA 15 years and counting as long as that one guy is president of the club....
1963 Willys M151 (under resto)
1969 M706E1
1983 M106A2
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Re: Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
I had one, but sold it to a guy in Pennsylvanian, there is one in New York also owned by a friend of mine.
I have several boxes here of wheel bearings for the WC55...I picked them up over 25 years ago because I thought it was so weird that the army would mark a special box just for the WC55.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET
I have several boxes here of wheel bearings for the WC55...I picked them up over 25 years ago because I thought it was so weird that the army would mark a special box just for the WC55.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET
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- Lt Col, USAF
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Re: Yes, actually trying to build two WC-55's!
Jason: sent you a P.M.
Frank: will send you a P.M. There is a gear for sale on EBay that is marked for G121. I thought it might be for WC-55 but when you look at the 51/52 parts list you see a lot of them marked G121. There are so many that really have nothing to do with the 55 other than it shares the same parts as the 51/52. I'm not sure why some of the gears and other parts are listed as G121.
Dave A.
Frank: will send you a P.M. There is a gear for sale on EBay that is marked for G121. I thought it might be for WC-55 but when you look at the 51/52 parts list you see a lot of them marked G121. There are so many that really have nothing to do with the 55 other than it shares the same parts as the 51/52. I'm not sure why some of the gears and other parts are listed as G121.
Dave A.
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