WTK staff car painting

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weasel42
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WTK staff car painting

Post by weasel42 » Sat May 28, 2016 4:03 am

Hallo, I am very interessted in a staff car project - I want to know where all staff cars od painted at the factory as they left them - was everything od painted? The engine bay, trunk, underside of the bonnet and trunk? What kind of material was the interieur made of (cloth or leather)? Where there a fire extingquisher? Where there any military stuff in the interieur? What about all the chrome on the outside of the cars? I see a lot of staff cars - OD painted and also with the chrom around the wings, doors etc. - was this a common practice?
Any help or advice will be very helpfull, because there is not much history about the staff cars in the web!

Thx in advance,
Peter


Ernie Baals
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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by Ernie Baals » Sat May 28, 2016 10:17 am

Hi Peter
It all depends on the manufacturer
You had Ford, Chevy Plymouth dodge and Packard making contract cars
Ford and Plymouth seemed to have made the most
From what I know
All sheet metal was painted od.
No chrome at all. painted over or replaced with metal trim that was painted.
Fire extinguisher on the passenger side kick panel
engine for the Ford was Ford Gray
For the Plymouth silver
Accessories were usually black, like a jeep, ie oil filter, air filter etc
the headlamp switches were the standard military push pull
the interiors, I have seen many different colors and materials. usually lower grade cloth and browns, tans, greens, grays etc
Lighting was standard military
Tool kits were assigned to each vehicle
Hope tis helps
Ernie
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Ernie Baals MVPA 104C and 3104, AACA, SJC MVPA

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weasel42
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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by weasel42 » Mon May 30, 2016 3:12 am

Hi Ernie,

thx for the help, do you also know if Chrysler supplied the Windsor as a staff car? Do they also use leather instead of the cloths? Where the backlights the civilian one or the military type?

Greetings,

Peter

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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by Ernie Baals » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:28 pm

Hi Peter
As far as I know, the Windsor was never a factory staff car.

The military used a lot of procurement cars, ie they took off the dealers lots after car sales were halted in Jan 1942.
If the car was state side they would probably have kept all the civilian lights,
There was a light kit to convert you car over. IT consisted of 2 military tail lights, 2 torpedo blackout lights and a standard military head light switch. and the later kits had a blackout drivers light and bracket

Ernie
Rip Dad 1/22/24 to 12/21/11
I will always love and miss you.
Ernie Baals MVPA 104C and 3104, AACA, SJC MVPA

Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government
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weasel42
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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by weasel42 » Fri Jun 17, 2016 1:33 pm

Hi Ernie,

Thank you for your answer and your big knowledge about this topic! Do you know if a navy staff car has the hood numbers and the stars painted? Did they also made it when the car was used in the states?

Greetings,
Peter

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Robbby84
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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by Robbby84 » Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:01 am

Hi I'm entering in this conversation to ask if there were some contracts or infos about Studebaker cars in the army, expecially State Commander cars made for the U.S Army...
Roberto
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Ernie Baals
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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by Ernie Baals » Tue Sep 13, 2016 4:28 am

Hi
I have never seen any info on Studebaker making any contract cars for the US military during WWII.
AS far as I know, the only contract cars were Plymouth, Dodge, Ford, Chevy and a small number of Packards.
The US military and government did procure or buy cars of all makes and models for government use, As they still do today. But they would not have been part of a specific Army contract made to specs, But gotten from the dealers lots after the freeze on new car sales was put in place in Jan 1942
Ernie
Rip Dad 1/22/24 to 12/21/11
I will always love and miss you.
Ernie Baals MVPA 104C and 3104, AACA, SJC MVPA

Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government
that requires every citizen to prove
they are insured……but not everyone
must prove they are a citizen”

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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by Jim Gilmore » Wed Oct 26, 2016 1:42 pm

"...engine for the Ford was Ford Gray.."

Humm...Ernie...are you sure of this?

Gray was the color for 4 Cylinder motors......

Jim

brian in denver
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Re: WTK staff car painting

Post by brian in denver » Sun Dec 18, 2016 12:32 pm

well if my old grandpapy is to be believed. he said at sioux army depot, he just hosed em down OD off the shelf. course this may have been early on during the emergency,

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