Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

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zepher11
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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:04 pm

70th Division wrote:
Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:48 am
Hello Zeph,

That looks like a great show, and the Carryall looks awesome there in the crowd !
Quite a big crowd, looks like the old days 😃
Hopefully the virus will burn out and be gone soon !

I was thinking, on your frame rails, if you can secure the frame down, maybe try a BIG pipe wrench and bend the rails back upward into the correct configuration.
Also maybe use a porta-power ram kit to bend the rail as well.

That Weiner mobile has a great connection to Willys Overland , as it's designer Brooks Stevens, worked for them and designed the first Willys Station Wagon, and Pick Up trucks. He originally based the designs on the MB Jeep as a base.
I have what I think is the only MB based prototype station wagon out there , that I feel clearly has his design concept written all over it.
It has an observation window in the rear roof, so the rear passenger can see forward. The front roof is flat, with a taper rise over the rear.
The window is in the riser.
He was known for observation windows, as he designed the observation dome railroad cars that once were very popular, and still are.
I will have to pull it out sometime and post some pictures on the G.
It is built onto an MB frame, with an MB transmission, and steering column and wheel. The engine was missing when I bought the jeep from a farm in Alabama.

Keep up your great work !!

Best Regards,
Ray
Yeah, it was like pre-COVID. However, we live in a bubble here, so COVID wasn't really an issue and most never wore a mask or shut a lot of things down. I'd go out of the area, and then remember there is a pandemic where people are hyper-sensitive.

It was good to see everyone out and about. Saw a lot of folks I haven't seen for some time. I've missed a lot of the local shows as the MV events always seem to be at the same time.

That is a great story about Brook Stevens. I knew nothing about him. Very good history. You'll need to post some photos of the MB based prototype station wagon. That sounds like it would be a neat project.

On the frame rails, if I can get the axle housings installed and the wheels on, I'll give it a go. I installed chain pots in the concrete shop floor that I can use to clamp the frame down and the maybe port-a-power the top rail upwards. May have to chain both sides of the frame rails down at the same time. My only worry would be bending the frame out of alignment. Big pipe wrench or something along that line might work as well. Still more sleeping on it to find a solutions. lol

Well, had a bad day today. Had to say goodbye to our Georgie. He was our 13 year old Vizsla. He was the kindest sole we have every met. It was really hard on my wife...and me.

I did get a little done today early. I blew it and ordered knuckle seals for a Dodge WC half-ton. I couldn't have sworn it said the were the same as the VC. Nope...too big:

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So, I decided to make my own which I hate to do. Love the factory cut gaskets that actually fit well:

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Then I had to figure out how I had installed these hard square felts in the metal felt holders. I've done it a couple of times, but it completely had me baffled. Finally after about a half hour I figured out what I had done before. So, added some gasket sealant and installed them:

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Maybe tomorrow I'll have some time to get rocking on a few things...
Zeph

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by chibobber » Sun Oct 17, 2021 5:39 pm

John,
Sorry to here about Georgie. Remember the good times and concentrate on the pup.
Bob

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Sun Oct 17, 2021 5:57 pm

chibobber wrote:
Sun Oct 17, 2021 5:39 pm
John,
Sorry to here about Georgie. Remember the good times and concentrate on the pup.
Bob
Thank you Bob. He was like my wife's sole mate. She's taking it pretty hard. Alice will keep us busy. Hopefully, my wife will get the connection with Alice like I have with her. It'll take some time. :(
Zeph

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'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:18 pm

Well, I decided to cut cork gaskets for the knuckles seals as I learned that they were originally cork. Also cut some lower knuckle cap gaskets as well:

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I've been shopping around for a way to get this hood ornament chromed. First quote was $1,500, second quote was $500, and today I received a quote of about $120. I'm in!

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Shot the high build primer on the wheels. A weird thing happened here in the last couple of days. There's this wet stuff coming from the sky. Haven't seen anything like it since last January. Weird, but nice. It does cut into my painting, however:

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Shot the silver on the locking rings.

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Finished cleaning up the pintle and installed the freshly painted fuel tank cross member:

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Shot some Red Oxide over the high build primer after I sanded it down and then OD'd everything:

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Finished up the hubs and NOS brake drums. Time to install those, but a little worried about the wheel studs as they are not serrated like all of the others I've dealt with. weird to be totally smooth:

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One of the 10 wheel studs is loose. Now worried that it would spin and I'd never get the lug nut off. May need to tac weld it...maybe all of them...:

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Zeph

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'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by 70th Division » Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:07 pm

Hello Zeph,

Sorry to hear about your great
DOG !!
Dogs are wonderful things !

Nice update, things are looking great !!!
I would also be concerned about the studs spinning.
Maybe welding them in is a good idea. Sort of like the jeeps spare tire bracket has the studs welded in place.
Your paint job looks beautiful, such progress, glad to watch it 😀😀

Enjoy the rain when you can !!

Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:00 pm

70th Division wrote:
Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:07 pm
Hello Zeph,

Sorry to hear about your great
DOG !!
Dogs are wonderful things !

Nice update, things are looking great !!!
I would also be concerned about the studs spinning.
Maybe welding them in is a good idea. Sort of like the jeeps spare tire bracket has the studs welded in place.
Your paint job looks beautiful, such progress, glad to watch it 😀😀

Enjoy the rain when you can !!

Best Regards,
Ray
Thanks Ray. He was a great dog. First time I had to experience that. He did have a good life and made it to 13, but still hard.

Yeah, I think I'm just going to tack weld them and call it good. I tried to find some today, but no luck. Tired of looking now.

I took the wheels in to get the new tubes inserted and the tires remounted today. I need to get cracking and get those axles completed!

Loving the rain. Fired up the wood stove for the first time this years. Very cozy!
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by TonyStandefer » Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:14 pm

Seeing you cut these gaskets tells me I’m going to have to do the same thing on mine. To be honest i am concerned about the scarcity of parts for these cc’s
Willys MB 340931. DOD 6-9-1944
Mvpa 1996 convention 1st place motorpool class
Dodge wc-12, July, 1941

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Thu Oct 21, 2021 5:43 am

TonyStandefer wrote:
Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:14 pm
Seeing you cut these gaskets tells me I’m going to have to do the same thing on mine. To be honest i am concerned about the scarcity of parts for these cc’s
Gaskets are likely the most difficult to find as they don't really stand up to time, and there really isn't a great deal of demand for the VC gaskets I suppose. So far I've been able to find most everything. A lot of the parts are the same as the Dodge WC. First thing I do is look in the SNL and see if the part I need matches the part number for the same part for a T215 series. If it does, you're good to go.

Here's an example. I don't have a drag link for my VC1, so I check the SNL. Bingo...the part number for a T202 matches the part number for at T215. Lot's of Dodge WC parts out there. I wouldn't get too discouraged. And, in my opinion, the hunt is 3/4's of the fun on working with these trucks. Plus, one might be able to make their own parts. Such as the gaskets, and I've surprised myself a few times making parts. I figured nothing ventured nothing gained:
CC 3314.JPG
What a drag link....
Zeph

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'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:08 pm

Shop installed the tires on the reconditioned VC1 wheels. They only made a few stains and a few gouges in the new paint. Better than usual:

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Now if I can just find the right size snap rings for the front wheel hubs. Keep ordering them and they are either too large or too small. Just ordered two more sizes to try. Hopefully, I'm narrowing it down to a size that'll work.
Zeph

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by 70th Division » Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:00 pm

Hello,

Looking good Zeph !!!

Ray

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:51 pm

70th Division wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:00 pm
Hello,

Looking good Zeph !!!

Ray
Thank you Ray!

I finally was able to harvest a running board frame bracket from the boneyard. With the dryness, I didn't want to start a fire called the Dodge complex! We have rain now, so was able to grind the rivets to get the frame bracket:

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Not quite as nice as the other cleaned up running board brackets:

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Time to dial in the correct bearing preload. Driver's side too me forever to get the correct thickness of shims. Pretty quick on the passenger sdie:

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Grease up everything well beforehand:

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Knuckles dialed in, and the felts installed. Super tight with the felts installed:

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Time to get the differential gears ready for install:

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Both ring gears stamped July 1941. Just a smidge over 80 years old:

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Installed the yokes. Sealed the splines before installing:

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Tomorrow hope to install the diffs.
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:55 am

Installed the front housing and differential gears. Geez, took me a few hours to install those weird front Jeep shackles things. Couldn't get them to look the same. All depends when the caps start to thread. Then the driver's side spring screw became stuck in the spring eye. What a pain. Don't want to do another VC. All I wanted was the springs to be in the same plane. Not sure how the squared the chassis after the axle housings were installed. No mention of it in the TM's. I string the chassis after I get the wheels on to make sure the front and rear axle housings are square with each other. Lot's of room for error there. No set place for them to be on the springs. Can move them quite a bit. No wonder these trucks get the death wobble without a squared chassis:

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That thing was stuck in the spring eye big time:

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Felts all installed:

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The driver side spring bolts were too short by a bout 3/8's of an inch. Found a longer set that were pretty rugged and bent, but heated them up and straightened them. Then cleaned them up and primed and painted OD:

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The u-joint clamps have these interesting nut keepers that are bent to keep the nut from wandering away I suppose. Haven't dealt with these Detroit type joints before:

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The tall nuts I sourced for the knuckles and the differentials were a little taller than the originals, but don't look to bad:

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Ready to install the bumperettes. I have the chain hook bolts, but not sure where to put the trailer socket on this truck. Bumperettes are not like the Dodge WC half-tons that wrapped around the side of the frame where the typical trailer socket bracket would bolt:

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Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by 70th Division » Mon Oct 25, 2021 3:06 pm

Hello Zeph,

Wow what impressive works you have done on these axles !

Learning something new everytime you tackle it with the little differences discovered along the way !!

Beautiful progress !!!

Nice having a good boneyard too 😁😁😁

Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by zepher11 » Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:17 pm

Thanks Ray!

Cleaned up a few more parts. Plus need to get the brakes started. First, I checked out the tie rods. Had some NOS Dodge WC tie rods, but then discovered that the VC tie rods are different. Ended up reconditioning the ones I pulled off. They weren't in too bad of shape:

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Then time to install the crazy rear axles with their funky bearing arrangement:

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Then the race goes in:

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Then the shims. I searched the Technical Manual, but it does not have the procedure to adjust the rear axle bearing pre-load. It shows that the rear axle bearings are adjusted with a locking nut like the front axles bearings. Weird. Everything seem really tight to me, but what the hell. I just put in the same shims I removed. Hopefully, the truck will roll:

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Hub seal:

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Always seems there are way more brake parts than what I removed. Actually, there are. I had to get some extra spacers that were missing for the lower brake shoe pivot point:

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Thought I was going to get to use my WWII brake mounting tool. It's pretty slick. Measures the drum and then transfers it to the brake pads. However, I tried to follow the tapered axle instructions, which seemed like it would work. Nope. Does not take into account the key channel for the hub. Can't spin it 360 degrees around the axle due to the channel:

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Slid in the front axles and bolted the spindle and the backing plate up:

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Next need to install the front brakes, and figure out the adjustments for all the brake pads. Especially the rear hub and pads. Not like it's easy to remove the rear hub, so I'm hoping the wheel cylinder doesn't leak and the pads are close to the correct adjustment.
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: Zeph's Dodge VC1 Command Car Restoration

Post by TonyStandefer » Tue Oct 26, 2021 8:02 pm

What parts manual are you using for parts look ups and cross reference?

Also, wnen you talk about squaring up the front and rear ends to the chassis, are you measuring parallel to frame rails or some other method?
Willys MB 340931. DOD 6-9-1944
Mvpa 1996 convention 1st place motorpool class
Dodge wc-12, July, 1941


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