Experts help on identifying truck

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sawbuck
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Experts help on identifying truck

Post by sawbuck » Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:02 pm

Seller is calling this a "1946 Chevrolet Military"
Any clues from the photos? I was thinking the military stopped ordering these in 1945?
Wrecker body looks totally home made?
I live a reasonable distance so I may have to inspect in person.
Truck 3.jpg
Truck 2.jpg
Truck 1.jpg


M35a2duece
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by M35a2duece » Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:25 pm

G506

forestry4evr
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by forestry4evr » Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:54 pm

Driveline and front fenders are 1941-45 Chevy. My guess is that at least some of it is a late 1942-45 n-series G506. With the midship winch maybe it was a pole setter truck? Running boards almost look bomb truck? Maybe its a Heinz 57? Cab is civilian and that may be a 1946. You are correct in that the WW2 4x4 Chevy's were model years from 1941-45 with actual build dates from late 1940-45.

Your pictures are grainy making some identifying features difficult to see. We can tell more with some more pictures especially inside the cab and under the hood.

Cool looking truck, you should go take a look at it. Buy it, they are fun!
1941 G4112 Chevrolet with Hercules dump bed

johnwaz
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by johnwaz » Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:31 pm

I have a 1945 G506 that started life as a cargo truck, and someone made into a Wrecker. The research I've done on these is that Chevrolet didn't have a factory built tow truck in the G506 line, so any trucks with wrecker bodies are most likely home made.
20151107_120656resize.jpg

sawbuck
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by sawbuck » Tue Apr 12, 2022 5:19 pm

Thanks for the info. If the original cab is gone then wouldn't all the identifying tags (serial number etc.) be gone too?
Maybe a fun rig but not a restoration candidate?
I can't imagine correct military cabs are easily found.

forestry4evr
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by forestry4evr » Wed Apr 13, 2022 2:39 am

sawbuck wrote:
Tue Apr 12, 2022 5:19 pm
Thanks for the info. If the original cab is gone then wouldn't all the identifying tags (serial number etc.) be gone too?
Maybe a fun rig but not a restoration candidate?
I can't imagine correct military cabs are easily found.
Yes the data plates may be gone if the person that did the build didn't swap them over. Not a fatal issue but one that may require more reconstructive effort. There were no factory frame VIN stamps on the G506 Chevys.

Anything can be restored with the right amount of money and resolve! If restoration was the goal, the hardest part would be sourcing a bed and some other military specific bits. Even though my personal goals are more in the line of original restoration, in my opinion the retro wreckers (and a number of them have surfaced over the years) look totally badass.

The military cabs used the same stamping dies as civilian. There are several (maybe 6-7) minor differences between the two. With little effort, a civilian cab can be "militarized". We here on the Gee can fill you in on all of the gory details if you decide to make the jump. The cab on the truck looks quite good.

This is a MV enthusiast site so unabashed enabling is part of the territory. Go check it out, bring it home.

Paul
1941 G4112 Chevrolet with Hercules dump bed

Frank USMC
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by Frank USMC » Wed Apr 13, 2022 5:11 am

I worked for a wreaker company back in the 80s. The owner started driving wreakers back in the late 1940s and his first wreaker was a converted Chevy G506. He talked all the time about that truck. He knew I was a military vehicle collector and was always telling me to find him one set up as a wreaker. G506 trucks being made into a wreaker is another chapter in the life of our trucks.
one of the few, Frank USMC RET

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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by gerrykan » Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:54 pm

As forestry4ever mentioned, I think it is an M6 Bomb Service truck that has had a civilian closed cab, and civilian built wrecker bed added.
It appears to have the rear fenders, running boards, and single wheel setup used on the M6's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M6_Bomb_Service_Truck
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by clintm20 » Fri Apr 22, 2022 9:13 am

That's a cool old rig hope somebody keeps it rolling.
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by Tonywan Kanobby » Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:03 pm

It is really cool 😎
Check the wheelbase. That info will lend credence to the M6 theory.

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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by jeffhuey1n » Wed May 04, 2022 6:31 am

sawbuck wrote:
Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:02 pm
Seller is calling this a "1946 Chevrolet Military"
Any clues from the photos? I was thinking the military stopped ordering these in 1945?
Wrecker body looks totally home made?
I live a reasonable distance so I may have to inspect in person.
Truck 3.jpg

Truck 2.jpg

Truck 1.jpg
The right side picture shows it has a bomb truck frame and wheel base. The battery and fuel filter are key points. The cab would have been an easy swap since both have the same mount points. The rear winch, as stated by earlier post, probably came off a pole setter truck. A real frankentruck but cool looking. Well worthy of the effort to restore!
44 G506 Cargo
72 M35A2 AmGen “Toys For Tots”
72 M35A2 AmGen Air Force Tribute
70 M35A2 Jeep Kaiser “War Wagon” Vietnam Gun Truck
71 M35A2 Air Force Cold War tribute
54 M211
58 XM211
73 M52A2
86 M1009
52 M37

sawbuck
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Re: Experts help on identifying truck

Post by sawbuck » Fri Jun 10, 2022 4:54 pm

Image
Image

Seller posted 2 new pics. Looks even rougher than earlier photos.


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