New g506 Owner

Military Trucks 1/2 ton thru 2 ton, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY), and Knowledge Base
TexasG506
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New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Mon Oct 04, 2021 12:55 pm

Hi all,

Quick intro:

Had one glass of whiskey too many and found a g506 in Colorado. Few weeks later I dragged the wife and dogs on a road trip from Texas up to CO to buy a nice 506 project. Towing 9000 lb worth of old iron from Denver to Austin with a 1/2 ton wasn't the most fun I've ever had but 17 hours later we arrived. Very new to the military truck world and to Chevy's in general, my last project was a '48 Ford F4 though so hopefully some things carry over! Not sure if the previous owner is a member here but if so hey!

I'll get a build log going soon enough but for now she's just sitting in my side yard waiting for the workshop to be finished.

My plans are to somewhat civilianize it. High gloss forest green paint on the cab, big cedar flatbed, leather bench seat, etc. It'll be a home depot hauler for our remodels and then enjoy a life of weekend drives around Austin with the dogs on the back.

It came with a 70's Chevy 290 in it and what I thought was the original motor and trans on the back. I wanted to take it back to original so the 290 is coming out but unfortunately the 235 turned out to be a late 1950's car model with 3 speed trans. Probably not ideal for what I want to do with it.

As I have no original 235 or 4 speed for it I'm going to go in a different but at least similar era motor. Hope this isn't seen as too sacrilegious around here but I just finished rebuilt a 1G Cadillac 346 WW2 tank motor, v8 flathead, and have been taking some measurements to shoehorn that into it. Still debating trannys but considering the Ford T9 crashbox from by F4. If I had an original motor I'd use it but alas I do not.

Background on me...Mechanical Engineer by schooling...Additive Manufacturing Engineer by profession. Hopefully a few 3D printed metal parts make it onto this build just for fun.

I'll have many questions along the road and have already downloaded the manual. My first questions will be on removing the widowmakers and learning which wheels are suitable replacements. My F4 had split rims as well and I remember that whole process fondly.

Bit more about the truck. Showing 7-24-42 as the delivery date I believe. Haven't found any rust yet and very straight body. Looking forward to learning the ins and outs of these trucks and getting another one back onto the road.

Alex
Attachments
Truck2.jpg
Truck.jpg


M35a2duece
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by M35a2duece » Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:05 pm

I can’t see the rims that good but they shouldn’t be or rather I should say they didn’t come with “widow makers”. These would normally come with a 2 piece rim , the tilt on style or a split ring style is frequently found on them. Sorry I don’t know the official names I just know it’s not likely you have widow makers, although it is possible. I had a guy offer me a set of them off an old Ford which had the same pattern…. Had to pass. Widow makers split in half right in the middle of the rim and only the air pressure in the tire keeps it locked together, so if you get a flat outer dual the outside of the rim, then the tire can fall off.

M35a2duece
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by M35a2duece » Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:06 pm

Also if your gunna cut it up and retro it, there is a lot of purists on here looking for little things… so from rims to rear view mirrors… you may be able to find a buyer before you scrap stuff

Tonywan Kanobby
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by Tonywan Kanobby » Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:32 pm

Alrightie. Some new blood. Welcome Alex. Looks like a nice truck you have there. Will be looking forward to seeing her come into shape.

Don’t fear the late model 235, and unless you are seeking total originality, they are great, as they fit right in with maybe a minor mod of the water pump positioning. Lots of the current 506’s have em. It sounds like you may want to do something exotic however which is only slightly sacrilegious. Or totally sacrilegious, depending. 😆

The WW2 wheels aren’t widowmakers per se. As long as they are not rusted bad, clean, and not bent or cracked, particularly in regard to the lockring and mating surface on the wheel, they work well. That said, the later model (50’s era) M35, M211, and some others used a wheel, also 2 piece, with ring that had a larger mating surface that you will find readily. They take the larger 9.00 x 20 tire that some use on the G506. I don’t like the look so much, but many do. Still a good option. There’s an even later 22.5 tubeless style rim but seemingly obsolete that some speak of. Always looking for that six lug 8.75 inch bolt pattern, stud centered, and the right hole size for the hubs.

All kinds of fun. Good luck !

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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by johnwaz » Tue Oct 05, 2021 5:08 am

Congrats on the new to you Chevy. These guys here are a great source of information and parts. A Late 50's/Early 60's Chevy 261 is also a viable option, as its the same physical size as the 235. As far as transmissions, they came with a crash box 4 speed, and some folks here have adapted a 5 speed out of a GMC CCKW (I'm working on that very mod myself). Good luck with the build.

TexasG506
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:47 am

M35a2duece wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:05 pm
I can’t see the rims that good but they shouldn’t be or rather I should say they didn’t come with “widow makers”. These would normally come with a 2 piece rim , the tilt on style or a split ring style is frequently found on them. Sorry I don’t know the official names I just know it’s not likely you have widow makers, although it is possible. I had a guy offer me a set of them off an old Ford which had the same pattern…. Had to pass. Widow makers split in half right in the middle of the rim and only the air pressure in the tire keeps it locked together, so if you get a flat outer dual the outside of the rim, then the tire can fall off.
Maybe you're right. After my experience with the widowmaker split rims on the Ford I've leaned away from them as a wheel in general...especially when I lived in California and finding a shop to work on them was impossible. Currently has the 900 wheels on it which I've read is not great for these old split rims. We'll see what I find.

TexasG506
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:49 am

M35a2duece wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:06 pm
Also if your gunna cut it up and retro it, there is a lot of purists on here looking for little things… so from rims to rear view mirrors… you may be able to find a buyer before you scrap stuff
Not planning on cutting anything up. I'm a big fan of originality I just want to be able to use it safely around the city. I don't live in the deep country and usability is a big factor in anything I rebuild.

TexasG506
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:06 am

johnwaz wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 5:08 am
Congrats on the new to you Chevy. These guys here are a great source of information and parts. A Late 50's/Early 60's Chevy 261 is also a viable option, as its the same physical size as the 235. As far as transmissions, they came with a crash box 4 speed, and some folks here have adapted a 5 speed out of a GMC CCKW (I'm working on that very mod myself). Good luck with the build.
Thanks! My thought is if I'm already swapping in a non-original motor then I'd rather have something closer to the year and something with military relevance. The 261, 290, etc do nothing for me. If I can get the 346 to drop in dimensionally without any cutting then that's my most likely option.
Tonywan Kanobby wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:32 pm
Alrightie. Some new blood. Welcome Alex. Looks like a nice truck you have there. Will be looking forward to seeing her come into shape.

Don’t fear the late model 235, and unless you are seeking total originality, they are great, as they fit right in with maybe a minor mod of the water pump positioning. Lots of the current 506’s have em. It sounds like you may want to do something exotic however which is only slightly sacrilegious. Or totally sacrilegious, depending. 😆

The WW2 wheels aren’t widowmakers per se. As long as they are not rusted bad, clean, and not bent or cracked, particularly in regard to the lockring and mating surface on the wheel, they work well. That said, the later model (50’s era) M35, M211, and some others used a wheel, also 2 piece, with ring that had a larger mating surface that you will find readily. They take the larger 9.00 x 20 tire that some use on the G506. I don’t like the look so much, but many do. Still a good option. There’s an even later 22.5 tubeless style rim but seemingly obsolete that some speak of. Always looking for that six lug 8.75 inch bolt pattern, stud centered, and the right hole size for the hubs.

All kinds of fun. Good luck !
Thanks for the welcome!

Not looking for total originality but my only connection to this 235 is that it's the same cubic inch motor that it came with years before and that doesn't really give me any desire to run it. First step is to get the 346 bellhousing pattern and T9 pattern into CAD and design the new bellhousing. Might call a few people and see if I can borrow a big enough 3D printer to just print it directly.

I'll call around and see if there are any shops in Austin that will work on old split rims. I wonder if the 22.5 tubeless was the same 22.5 tubeless wheel that I had to track down for my F4...

So is the M35 split wheel the most common wheel replacement for these trucks if I want to run 9.00 x 20 (which it currently has on it)? Are all M35 wheels a split wheel design?

I did come across these but not something I'm considering at this point. https://www.easternsurplus.net/PartDeta ... Single-Rim
and
https://www.easternsurplus.net/PartDeta ... Rims-Deuce

I'd prefer a tubeless wheel just for ease of access to replacement parts and shops willing to change tires on them but I'll have to decide how far I want it to deviate from an original-ish look.

TexasG506
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:15 am

Few pictures to add to the conversation.

#1 My newly rebuilt 1939 Cadillac flathead v8 from the Stuart Series Tanks M5 M5A1.
Attachments
Cadillac.jpg

Tonywan Kanobby
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by Tonywan Kanobby » Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:37 am

Hey Alex,
I zoomed in on the pic you have and I think you may have the M35 type wheel. That you have a 9.00x 20 is a clue (not that you can’t squeeze that big tire on the WW2 rim, but it’s difficult). Here is a WW2 rim and lockring that I just disassembled and will clean up.
26DE8E34-5418-460F-A184-255A157FFF3D.jpeg
E36BFBED-2E98-4B6C-BBCA-90606AD289EA.jpeg
These rims have a solid ring that actually stretches over it’s companion “flat” on the rim. The later military style is similar, but larger, and not a solid ring, but rather has a cut that I think makes the removal and installation much more straightforward. They’re good, and man, I think those truck tire shops in Texas can and do handle em. No big deal, but do your investigating.

Just one more line on the 235 and I’ll stop. The 216,235,and 261 (might be one more) are the same block from 1937-1962. The 250, 292 etc. are not the same animal. They came later. But why not put a Stuart Tank engine in ? Could be a hot rodding minded GI did that back in the day ! 8)

M35a2duece
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by M35a2duece » Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:31 am

I had 9.00-20s on on m35 series rims on mine. The front tires would rub on the steering drag link when you turned. They did not fit will. Went to 8.25x20s on a narrower rim… purely from a cost standpoint. I’d love to have the original 7.50-20s


TexasG506
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Tue Oct 05, 2021 11:44 am

Tonywan Kanobby wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:37 am
Hey Alex,
I zoomed in on the pic you have and I think you may have the M35 type wheel. That you have a 9.00x 20 is a clue (not that you can’t squeeze that big tire on the WW2 rim, but it’s difficult). Here is a WW2 rim and lockring that I just disassembled and will clean up.
26DE8E34-5418-460F-A184-255A157FFF3D.jpegE36BFBED-2E98-4B6C-BBCA-90606AD289EA.jpeg
These rims have a solid ring that actually stretches over it’s companion “flat” on the rim. The later military style is similar, but larger, and not a solid ring, but rather has a cut that I think makes the removal and installation much more straightforward. They’re good, and man, I think those truck tire shops in Texas can and do handle em. No big deal, but do your investigating.

Just one more line on the 235 and I’ll stop. The 216,235,and 261 (might be one more) are the same block from 1937-1962. The 250, 292 etc. are not the same animal. They came later. But why not put a Stuart Tank engine in ? Could be a hot rodding minded GI did that back in the day ! 8)
Here's a pic of the wheels I've got. What do you guys think?

Looking at other pictures online I think I do have the M35A2 split wheels for the 9.00 x 20 wheels. Ok that makes me feel better about keeping them. Thanks for the info on the differences between split wheels. The thought hadn't occurred to me that multiple types of split rims must exist.

I'll get to work finding a shop to mount the new tires. Is there a way to demount these tires at home? They're toast. Would like to get the wheels into sandblasting and powdercoat!
Wheel.jpg
What wheel?
And let me also thank you all for jumping in so quickly. I'm new to the military truck game so trying to absorb what I can. Read the manual cover to cover before I bought the truck though haha.

I have nothing against the 235 but this one has a car manual 3 speed and requires a full rebuild. I was happy to rebuild and run the babbit 235 but just from a personal level if a motor isn't the original one that came with the truck or of the same year I don't form any attachment to it. Knowing this was a 235 from the late 50's would just bug me over time. I'll consider it though. Nothing is set in stone. Haven't touched tool to truck yet.
M35a2duece wrote:
Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:31 am
I had 9.00-20s on on m35 series rims on mine. The front tires would rub on the steering drag link when you turned. They did not fit will. Went to 8.25x20s on a narrower rim… purely from a cost standpoint. I’d love to have the original 7.50-20s
I've read that too. I'm assuming it only gets worse on something like the super singles I posted earlier.
Wow....wish I had this site 3 years ago. Took me 7 months to track down a local set. I'll check this out but also curious to see how this M35 wheel plays out.

TexasG506
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by TexasG506 » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:59 pm

Updates time.

Have the truck up on jackstands, got the wheels off. Only took a 10' breaker bar and a 3/4" drive but we got there. I plan on stripping down the rest of the truck in the upcoming weeks: steering box, side steps, cab, suspension, etc.

Hopefully have the frame sandblasted and painted before the end of the year as well as having the differentials stripped, cleaned, painted, and reassembled.

Planning on dropping in my 1939 Cadillac 346 tank engine mated to a BW T9 4 speed crashbox from my '48 Ford F4. Going to be tricky to adapt them but I plan on having a new input shaft machined. Figure I can 3D scan the Ford input shaft and the LaSalle 3 speed input shaft that fits the motor and blend them together in CAD, then have it machined to spec. Should be a fairly straightforward assembly from there.

And start rebuilding from the ground up. Diffs, frame, suspension, body, motor/trans.

Still debating whether or not I want a flatbed or make a custom steel box bed to match the truck. Need to keep playing around with drawings before I find something I like. The truck is going to be on modern super single rims with 40" tires as well.

Will make an effort to keep this more updated as I go. Been busy lately and haven't had as much time but hopefully things slow down soon.

Alex
Attachments
IMG_0226.jpg
Progress

Tonywan Kanobby
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Re: New g506 Owner

Post by Tonywan Kanobby » Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:41 pm

Nice to see your truck again, Alex. Will be cool to see how things come along.

Gotta say though, cinder blocks make me nervous. :( Be careful.

Tony


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