'60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

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ArmySailor
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'60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

Post by ArmySailor » Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:12 am

I need some help understanding and decoding non-tactical vehicle markings from the 1960s into 1980. This is one of those things where I thought I had a basic understanding but with a closer look, I realize I don't.

Back in 2016 I wrote a book about the 1961-1980 International Scout. The 2nd Edition is out now. This has resulted in me getting a lot of requests for information. I have the resources to answer those questions in most cases. More and more ex-military and GSA Scouts are turning up and more and more I see owners wanting to restore them back to their military configuration. Of course, some have questions and I want to be able to properly answer them as it relates to their military configuration.

To that end, where can I find info on reg numbers, unit markings, etc? All branches of the military, though the vast majority are eitehr US Army of GSA. Again, as they relate to non-tactical vehicles from the 1960s to about 1980.

In fact, if anyone out there has or knows of military Scouts, I'd love to add them to my database.

A few burning questions:

1- Example: A 1970 Scout in service with the U.S. Army has the reg number 01M-28370. Going from back to front, I know the "70" is the year it went into service. I think I know the "283" is the number of the vehicle in the order (that correlates to what I see on Line Setting Tickets... the build sheets). I am confused on the "01M" as some earlier rigs are "1J" (1962) or "1N" (1965) and later, 1971, are "01C" and 1972 is "01B."

2- I have one Scout from 1970 that was part of a contract for the U.S. Army and even had a U.S. Army reg number when built, yet it never went to the Army and served with the USMC. It was reissued a USMC data plate. How does that happen?

3- Any clues as to where to find info on contracts numbers in this era. Checked a few years back but I keep hoping something new may have come to light.

4- Bumper markings I'd like to decode:

a 1971 Scout used into the late '80s

PRC FMC
H198

Many thanks!
Jim Allen

Keeping the Good 'Ol Days of Four Wheeling Alive


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Re: '60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

Post by muttguru » Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:01 am

ArmySailor wrote:
Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:12 am
A few burning questions:

1- Example: A 1970 Scout in service with the U.S. Army has the reg number 01M-28370. Going from back to front, I know the "70" is the year it went into service. I think I know the "283" is the number of the vehicle in the order (that correlates to what I see on Line Setting Tickets... the build sheets). I am confused on the "01M" as some earlier rigs are "1J" (1962) or "1N" (1965) and later, 1971, are "01C" and 1972 is "01B."

2- I have one Scout from 1970 that was part of a contract for the U.S. Army and even had a U.S. Army reg number when built, yet it never went to the Army and served with the USMC. It was reissued a USMC data plate. How does that happen?
Many thanks!
Jim......
No-one else has answered so far so it looks like my turn. Here are some of the answers you're looking for.

Your Question-1.
Leading up to 1960 the US Army numbering system was changed. Vehicles delivered from that point had a number (one digit) followed by a letter (the first one was A) and the four further digits beginning with 0001. When this number reached 9999, the letter changed to "B". And the 0001 to 9999 sequence repeated. The letter "C" was next and you get the picture as to how the sequences moved forward.
But what about the one-digit number at the beginning of the sequence?....I hear you ask.
That number determined the vehicle type. For example, vehicle 2K 7183 was an M151A1, the number "2" designated the vehicle type (1/4-ton and 1/2-ton truck), the "K" was the next letter after A-through-J had been used up and the 7153 represented the number of 1/4 and 1/2-ton vehicles delivered in the "K"-series to that date. As you can probably gather, the M151 and M151A1-series vehicles formed the bulk of the "2" series vehicles but there were M274 mules with a "2" as well as a batch of M38A1s delivered around 1963 which were also numbered in the 2-series, such as 2G 0581 (dated around Sep-Oct 1964).
Your cars and sedans used by the US Army would begin with "1" most likely signifying civilian-type light vehicles adopted by the Military.

Your Question-2
The system of numbering vehicles lasted up to 1968 when the Army introduced a new numbering system. It went like this:-
The single digit now became a double-digit at the beginning of the registration (hood number).
The four-digit series was reduced to three with an addition of the last two digits of the year of delivery. For example, an M151A1 delivered in 1968 would have a registration number such as 02B 31768. As you can see, the first two digits defined the vehicle type, the 317 was the next vehicle in the 001 through to 999 sequence and the last two digits, 68, determined the year-of- delivery. This was a useful system of registration because not only troops, but us vehicle researchers, could identify the approximate year-of-delivery from the hood number.
The drawback was that unlike the registration format in Question-1 above, this new system only allowed for 999 vehicles to be included in the 02B-series before starting on the 02C-series. So the alphabetical series was used up in rapid time.
So how did the Military solve this problem? It simply added another letter to the "02", so the alphabetical series began again, this time with 02AA, then 02AB and so on. An example of this is M151A2 with registration number 02DE 8870. But... the addition of an extra digit meant the number of vehicles to be included in that batch was reduced to 99. Once 99 had been delivered, the next series would start again at 01 through to 99 but with a prefix of 02DF, then the system repeated for the next batch using 02DG and so on.
This system remained in place until 1973 when a further system (which is still in place) was introduced.

If you've followed all that.... good for you.
Ken
Contact address - muttguru@aol.com
Always wanted - Details and pictures of M416 Trailer data plates & M151 data plates & body-tags for my research. Thanks!

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Re: '60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

Post by ArmySailor » Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:12 am

Ken,

Been a long while since we communicated. Good to hear from you and many thanks for your explanation. If only I could discover where to find contracts of the '60s and '70s? Be well!
Jim Allen

Keeping the Good 'Ol Days of Four Wheeling Alive

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Re: '60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

Post by muttguru » Mon Dec 14, 2020 1:00 pm

Jim....
good to hear from you. Hope you and yours are keeping safe and well. Glad the article helped...a bit...

Years ago I went to do a quick walkaround for a friend in N Ireland. He had heard of an ex-USAF security police car for sale here in England. It was in Strata Blue gloss w/yellow markings so it must have been early 60's.When I sat in the driver's seat, I noticed an official-looking dataplate with the details of the vehicle, including a reference to the vehicle tech handbook.
Unfortunately I never wrote down the details nor took a photo (I wish I had)....but it would seem that the USAF at least formally designated their civilian-style vehicles. It probably had the contract details on it, too. Maybe the Army didn't go so far.
Have you contacted the folks who produce the PS Magazine from Redstone Arsenal? They were always very helpful to me whenever I was looking for obscure details.If they don't have details of contracts, I'm sure they could advise who best to contact.
Ken
Contact address - muttguru@aol.com
Always wanted - Details and pictures of M416 Trailer data plates & M151 data plates & body-tags for my research. Thanks!

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Re: '60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

Post by Ken Perkins » Wed Dec 16, 2020 7:47 am

good information Ken...thanks for the read...always wondered about those hood numbers
1951 M38 #22936
1951 M100 DUNBAR
1953 M100 DUNBAR
M416B1
2- M762
MVPA #11788
MVCC

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Re: '60s-80s- Non Tactical Vehicle Markings

Post by ojgrsoi » Thu Dec 17, 2020 4:26 pm

Anyone have thoughts about question #4 in the OP?

"4- Bumper markings I'd like to decode:

a 1971 Scout used into the late '80s

PRC FMC
H198
"


I am also looking for this information on another TMP vehicle. I am pretty sure the bottom line is the bumper number. the one I am trying to identify is a bumper decal with the top line "FB TDC" and the bottom line is the bumper number. Anyone have thoughts on these two?
51 M38 - Sold


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