I bought a Burma Jeep, Ford GTB

Well this looks like the best place to post this. It's called a Jeep and I'm sure not putting this Ford in with the WW2 dodges.

Anyway, I picked up my new (to me) Ford this week. From the pictures you can see it has the optional extended cab as well as the rear sliding window. These options will be removed over the weekend. I am still trying to figure out if it is a bomb truck or a cargo. I hope to sand off some paint and look it over and try to determine the original color soon. The cab side engine cover is missing so I don't have any data plates. Where on the frame is the serial number?

It did have a registration card mounted inside the cab. I think I will call the NC DMV and see if they can tell me anything. It also came with a complementary tubeless wheel and M105 trailer frame. That's a $25 value. The super ugly big head looking cab cover really saved the cab area. It is in very good shape for a 43' model truck. I hope to check out the engine and stuff soon and see if it will at least turn over. I have to determine if it is still 6 volt. It had some lights added to it and could have been changed to 12 volt.

I'm just excited to have a WW2 truck that is rare and ugly. I really like the low silhouette design of the truck. It looks very different from anything I have ever fiddled with. If any of you guys can shed some light on the exact model of this truck please do.

You sure have some work ahead of you, but I'm really looking forward to watching this rebuild take place.
It takes a special amount of jam to even attempt this!
When you are done, well, you know how many of these are left, and they ain't making any more of them!
COOL!

Congrats Joe! Nice project, looking forward to some detail revelations on this one.

Rust gives it character. A very long road ahead for you, but these are pretty uncommon, you will be the only one on your block with one!

I can't tell if that's a gas tank or a mattress.

maddawg308 said:

I can't tell if that's a gas tank or a mattress.

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Yes, it's one ugly thing (both the tank and the truck). I am just hoping the engine will run with a little effort. I hate to admit it, but I spent some time on the G last night and since I now have a WW2 truck, I will be spending more time over there. At the rate I work on trucks it will many years before this one looks presentable.

I will not be driving this to the Georgia rally.

Yikes Joe, I thought I was the only one who brought projects like that home!!! I have to say I have always wanted one of those though. They are just ugly enough to be sooo cool!!! hahaha Hey If you need a hand sometimes give me a shout. Oh and good luck!!!!

My Uncle got one of those, found it in a field with a tree growing through it. Dragged it home and it sat for another 2 years. it took 2 day for us to get the motor going, ended up figuring out that the spark plug wired had been crossed at some point, probably why it was parked. It was in much worse shape than that and after we got it started and moved around his place, he went to town on it. the hardest thing for him to find was the original bed.

mendo said:

the hardest thing for him to find was the original bed.

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That might be something that has to be copied and fabricated.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, 68427vette bought the other one at this auction for $550 and it had the original bed, seats and even most of the troop seats. Now it was a bit rusty and rotted. but there. I will fab another bed. I like doing stuff like that. In fact the reason I bought this one was because the engine was better looking and the bed was gone. That way I can make a bed I like and only about 12 people in the whole world would know it was not original. And only 10 of those would care.

Did you find the serial number? Look in the usual Ford places like on top of the frame channel or on the side of the frame channel near the steering gear. MVPA Army Motors had a series of articles on the Burma Ford back in the 80's, I'll see if I can dig them up and reveal any clues.

Your truck looks very restorable. You are correct that the bed is not a big deal to fab if you have access to a 12 ft shear and brake. The wheelwell humps would be tricky.

wow what a find!!!

I cant wait to see the final result!!

I think you should give it another coat of Carolina Blue. I remember seeing that truck driving around the UNC campus by the landscape dept. it was always carrying flats of flowers and such. It was a good runner and was sold on state surplus about 1984. I bet that you can get it going again without a major engine rebuild.

Well here's an improvement. I removed the "cab" cover. It looks so much better. I also photoed the serial number. I am trying to determine if it was bomb truck or cargo.

Well it took me about 45 minutes of digging, but I found Bryce Sunderlin's article on the GTB in the MVPA's Army Motors #25, Summer 1983. (Geeze I have been doing this a long time) According to the production summary, a bomb truck would have been a GTBS or GTBC. I will assume the frame would have been stamped like that. Your truck (stamped GTB only) would have been a cargo with winch, produced from 6/42 to 3/43 for a total of 994 trucks. If it had been stamped GTBA it would have been a Navy cargo truck. So chances are there will be OD paint under all that.

Tom Wolbodt on the G will be able to tell you if its a bomb or cargo if you get him your serial number. I've got a few parts trucks so let me know if there are any parts you are looking for


http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=169499

John

I'm going to post on the G tonight. I haven't posted on there in several years. There does appear to be OD under the other paint. I like OD. It does clearly say only "GTB" on the frame. The number is awful high compared to to some of the one's I saw on the G last night. Thanks for the info guys.

Joe

For what it's worth........I have a few bomb trucks and a cargo and the frames are all stamped with just GTB and the serial #

jzimm999 said:

For what it's worth........I have a few bomb trucks and a cargo and the frames are all stamped with just GTB and the serial #

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Excellent information! Now we know what I said a few posts ago about only cargo trucks being stamped GTB is a false assumption. Thanks.

I am not sure by your drivers seat may be the actual passenger seat for the truck, if so hold on to it, because it is the hardest part to find for the trucks by a long shot. Keep us updated on your progress.

GTBA owner

rumplecat said:

I am not sure by your drivers seat may be the actual passenger seat for the truck, if so hold on to it, because it is the hardest part to find for the trucks by a long shot. Keep us updated on your progress.

GTBA owner

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The seat is from something else. I think it is a MUTT seat or some other jeep. I did uncover the hood number today. There was also a "S" just below the windshield on the passengers side. Anything on what that means. The numbers were blue on OD. It's funny how exciting something so trivial to the rest of the world can be.

They are:
U.S.N.
103497