M20 Serial Number 2806-C, what's it tell us?

[68427vette]

Whats the Serial number 2806-C tell us? early/ late?
build month/year?
what's the "hood number" side number?

[Leatherneck17]

Well mine is 2507 and that is approximatley October 1944 build.....but retains the mine racks as opposed to the side lockers/ stowage bins.......but it does have the rear fender mounted first aid box.

so 2806 minus 2507 =299 apart

october production of M-20s was........160 units
november production of M20s was......159 units
december production of M20s was.......155 units
january 1945 production was..............97 units

so i would hazard a rough guess that yours should have the same production features as mine and it wil be a late November to December 1944 build

Hope this helps

Lloyd

[jonheyworth]

2806-C was built at the Chicago plant in December of 1944 as you say, that makes it fairly lateish in my opinion and reasonably unlikely to have made it to the ETO before the end of hostilities

[jonheyworth]

What an anorak I am !! Is is actually possible for me to have slept with 100 women and know where the G spot is and still know this sort of rubbish !!!

[Claude W. Vaughn]

Jeff,

It tells me that the Registration Number probably was USA 60113578. Apparently, this vehicle was built on the last day of November 1944.


As to early or late production I think I would call it mid-production, or late mid-production. If the M20 has the external sponson storage boxes I would call the vehicle "late" production (unless there is evidence of the vehicle having been built with mine racks which were later cut off and replaced with sponson boxes).

There are many early vs. late production changes for both M8 and M20 vehicles. There were early and late instrument panels (actually there were four or five variants), there were early and late exhaust systems, early and late thermostat housings, early and late generators and regulators. Early and late fuel pumps (the late fuel pumps had a vacuum section to operate the windshield wipers). Vehicles with windshield wipers had windshield storage boxes on the upper glacis plate.

There were also the "very early" vehicles which originally would have had the fire detection system. There was a change to replace the "very early" front springs due to breakage in early testing.

Some vehicles were produced (late ?) with provision for dual generators and regulators to provide adequate power for dual radio installations.


M8's were produced from March 1943 until May 1945. M20's were produced from July 1943 until June 1945.

There were 8523 M8's and 3791 M20's built.


In their own way, each surviving M8 or M20 is unique.

[Blitzdough]

What an anorak I am !! Is is actually possible for me to have slept with 100 women and know where the G spot is and still know this sort of rubbish !!!

It could be worse Jon, you could be like me and not know either!

[Leatherneck17]

Its a thing of mystery that "G" spot 43 years on this planet and aint found it yet......

Anyway using Claudes superb info thanks Claude that by the number of Jefferys makes my serial number EXACT....exactly 299 units prior.

Jon (J506) i guess thats conclusive isnt it ? as regards serial numbers.

Claude can you confirm that serial number 2507 should have the US serial number that mine does and also that expalins what the mystery brackets are on the other side of the engine bay....the "little joe" generator.

So should my serial be S ended for suppressed ?

Regards

Lloyd

[jonheyworth]

would anyone want to see my photographic ramblings on late M8s ? tell you what Lloydy, let me borrow Michelle for a day and when you get her back she'll be able to point the G spot out to you and I don't mean the G 503 spot on your computer !!

Jon

[Leatherneck17]

OK mate its a deal....and yes to the photographic ramblings please John.

How many actual "variant" M8/M20s were there Jon ?

Regards

Lloyd

[jonheyworth]

in the late war test reports, the later ones are even refered to as M8A1

[j506]

Hey 68 and Others

Here is some " more " build info ( Claude you may also have this )
1943
M8 built 4299
M20 built 1624
1944
M8 built 3383
M20 built 1337
1945
M8 built 1671
M20 built 830

If you took the annual build count and divided by months of production you could have an approximate build date for each serial number.
Assuming of course that in EVERY single month an equal number of vehicles ( highly unlikely) were built.

The S in the registration number means " Suppressed"
I believe the S following the hull serial number means point of assembly " St Paul" the same as C means "Chicago"

Hope this helps
John

[Leatherneck17]

Hey John ...hope you are OK buddy

i took my data from the Osprey Vanguard book.....hopefully that is accurate (ish)........

and that shows that M8 production outweighed M20 production and that M20 production fluctuated between the lowest month--------July 1944 (29 x M20) to a monthly high of November 1943 (400 x M20)

So Jon M20s built at St paul then ?...the next discussion

Jeffery sorry buddy....this is your thread my apologies

Regards

Lloyd

[jonheyworth]

No M20's built at St Paul, don't know about any Vanguard book but I have the production figures from the National archives and if it helps you to check, they go :

3-43 15 M8 start serial USA w 6032220
4-43 31 M8 continuation serial USA w 6032235
5-43 110 M8 continuation serial USA 6032266 Chichago production begins
6-43 169 M8 continuation serial USA 6032548 ( mine falls here as USA 6032477 serial number GAK-253-C 127th built at Chicago
7-43 512 M8 126 M20


etc etc

[68427vette]

any discussion on M20 M8 is good,, love the info,,

[halifaxgroup]

I know the Garbarino M20 has the early exhaust system and side sponsons. The serial number is 60111083 on the data plate. They painted this on the vehicle as the registration number as well. The other number on the data plate is GDK(?) 3110. Would the correct registration number be 6011493? When do you think this would have been built? Feb of '45?