WF 32 Right hand drive

[Warthog]

It a military mail delivery truck!!!


Seriously, I have not a clue. Great save and a cool piece of history.

 

[Recovry4x4]

The cool factor is beyond measure with the RH drive. Nothing cooler than RH drive.

 

[Gordon_M]

Thanks Gordon. I agree totally. It has Made in USA on it so I'm sure it's Detroit built. I'm hoping the Chrysler build card is on it's way.

Be sure to post an image here please - some of the WW2 Dodge Forum contributors have done a bit of interpretation work on about a hundred Build Cards and may spot something you don't - my military OD 1939 TD turned out to have been bought by the US Treasury;


... but they probably used it for gardening rather than moving bullion round Fort Knox ....

 

[dodgeregistry]

The serial number matches the Detroit built WF trucks for 1942, in the civilian serial number lists (81300101 to 81334444), but as you suggest they also built what was called a Heavy Duty One Ton WF-20/21/22 in that same list of numbers, not to be confused with the WD-20/21 trucks. It sure appears to be an ordinary WF-32, but with right hand drive. Is there any evidence of the stainless trim on the lower grill?

 

[bgates]

the stainless cross is still on the front and says Made in USA. It was painted over with red oxide primer and olive drab just like the rest of the truck. It does look to be a very ordinary WF 32 other than the right hand drive and those wheels. I sent pictures over to friends in England, but they were not familiar with those wheels and all the WF 32's they've seen are left hand drive. All the pictures I've seen of the WF 32's sent to Russia where also left hand drive.

 

[dodgeregistry]

I was referring only to the horizonotal stainless bars on the LOWER grill, that was part of the 1941 and 1942 civilian truck design. Not the cross on the center part of nose.

 

[Gordon_M]

Dave is talking about stainless trim on the lower bars on each side - like the one missing bar. My best guess there is that the 1941 model front was designed with these extra trim pieces in mind, and the mounting holes for them were punched in the front grille for a good few trucks, but only a limited number got the bars fitted before the trim was dropped, shortly followed by the punched holes.

I'm sure the answer Here will be the Build Card. This truck will be a special order for some Government department, might even be something really mundane like mail delivery or garbage pickup

 

[drician]

Man that is one cool truck. I am really digging the wheels!

 

[bgates]

Me too. It will be a fun one to restore as it's all there and the engine turns over nicely. I just wish I could figure out what it is.

 

[bgates]

I just got my build card from Chrysler. The truck was built on March 31, 1942. It was bound for Capetown, S. Africa. Does anyone know of a site to help me decifer the build card?

 

[MWMULES]

Scan it and put it on here, dodgeregistry , Gordon_Mand others will chime in.

 

[bgates]

Here is the build card for the truck, but I can't decifer all of it. The build date is March 31, 1942 and the destination is Capetown, S. Africa.
Does anyone know if there is a site to help decifer the build card.

 

[bgates]

Does anyone know how to decipher a Chrysler build card or know of a site that will decipher the build card?

 

[Sambor]

Those wheels are called Daytons. Very hard to come by. I have a 46 WF32. Yours looks original. Must have been a special order for Dodge because the emergency brake handle is still on the right side of the trans, just like all the rest of these model dodge trucks.

 

[bgates]

Thank you. I should have thought of that. I'm just not used to seeing Daytons on a truck that small. The wheels don't say anything on them that I can find.

 

[Gordon_M]

Well that moves us forward a little, from a quick look at the card....

South African destination mid war means it is a Detroit built export truck, and SA was / is RHD which explains that. The body code is '12' which is the code for a cab and chassis, so it had no body on it when it left the line. In fact it didn't really come off the line at all, as if you look in the extreme top right you will see the BOX-KDX line is punched, which means BOXED and Knocked Down for eXport.

So, did it go to South Africa and come back - or was it never sent and just used for utility purposes somewhere ? Next thing to check is the T118 number against the engine that is in it to see if you still have the original engine.

I've posted on copies of the Build Card, and it will appear on this listing - but give it some time;

http://www.command-car.com/technik/technikbuildcards.html

You can get a look at a clean Build Card there which might help you with the markings.

Gordon

 

[bgates]

Thanks Gordon. That is a big help. Is there a site that will decipher the build card?

 

[Gordon_M]

There is a Build Card thread on the WW2 Dodge Forum;

http://forum.ww2dodge.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7441

If you read that whole thread you should cover most of it

Gordon