C15 s/n 2842129988 history and restoration
 

Hi
I am restoring a 1942 C15 and after talking to David Hayward I thought I'd throw this out to forum members.

My vehicle details are :-

CHASSIS MODEL C-15421-M
CAB MODEL 13
CHASSIS SERIAL 2842129988
ENGINE NO. SR3864568
ORDER NO. 2485
NOV 9-42

VEHICLE MODEL C-15421-M-VAN-6

Under layers of paint was the original census No.Z5195280

Can anyone shed any light on this vehicles history ? was it converted during the war to 20 mm mobile anti aircraft ?

Also during its restoration I have found lots of desert coloured paint North Africa possibly?

Any info gratefully received.

Jeremy.

What part of the World are you in and where is your vehicle from?

Re: C 15 history
 

My 1942 C15 also had a coat of desert coloured paint...along with green and grayish blue! The story I was told by the previous owner is that my CMP was in North Africa during WWII, then sold to Argentina after the war. In the '70's it was driven to the U.S. where it was sold again. Unfortunately, the data plates are missing and I never found the original census no. I have no way of proving where my truck has been, although it had an old Automobile Club of Argentina crest on the radiator grill. Where are you and your C15 located?


:cheers: CHIMO! :cheers:

Location
 

I am in the UK, the desert paint forms the first layer then a sort of dog turd brown, then green and after that a couple of layers of civilian post war gloss paint when the vehicle was used as a breakdown truck.
Shame you have no Data plates for your beast but it could be that both trucks were manufactured at a similar time.

Jeremy.

Ps Would like to add some pics of work in progress but cannot figure out how to add them.

Posting pics
 

Hi Jeremy

Full instructions are in the read me section of the forum.

Keith

Pix
 

You can always send them to me and I'll post 'em.

This is at least the third Chevrolet S/M 2485 VAN-6 to "TRUCK 15 CWT. 4 X 2 AA (20 M.M.)" that I know of, plus two Fords. Where were they used?

Here's an image of my C15 before restoration

A pic of my truck on its way home at the start of a long restoration Feb 2004

What is the chassis beneath your truck? It is certainly not a 15cwt and it appears too narrow...

Getting the hang of this now :D Heres an image before the chassis was shot blasted. Sept 2005

Now things have moved on some here it as present.

Here it is at present am just starting to work on cab frame.

Strange looking frame.....
 

You are correct Chris that frame is very narrow and totally different than the C15a.

Is there that much difference between a cab 13 C15 frame and a Cab 13 C15a frame........

...almost look like the frame from a HUP......

Can someone educate me on the difference of a C15 frame....??

But you seem to be doing a fantastic job on the resto...congrats.

Now that you have the picture posting trick figured out can we see more of the trucks frame...side front back....... pleeeeze

Bob C.

Wonderful job.....
 

Job well done......

What are you suing for the engine.....235???

Can we see the 'ars end I mean the rear axle area.... pumkin gear cluster drive shaft.......

Never seen a naked C15 4x2 before and need to learn....

Keep posting them pictures ...

Bob C

Hi
I bought this vehicle in 2004 as a 1942 C15 heres are the details from the Data plates

Chassis model C-15421-M

Cab model 13

Chassis Serial 2842129988

Engine serial SR3864568

Order No.SM2485

DATE OF MFG NOV 9-42

VEHICLE MODEL CC-15421-M-VAN-6

When stripping off the various coats of paint the underlying paint colour on chassis and cab was desert sand coloured.
I have learned since that the rear body is the later wood / steel composite type and should be the all steel type.

Hi Bob

The engine is a 1955 235 full pressure unit as I had no luck rebuilding two 216 blocks so went for the 235 using the old bellhousing, flywheel,gearbox and front engine mount.
The paint used is the same as if the engine had been through a British Army REME workshop. I am going to workshop tonight and take some more pics.

RR.

My sincerest apologies to rampant rivet. You are indeed doing a fine job!
Thank you for the education and please excuse my lack of knowledge on this one. I should know better as I have been playing with cmps for quite a long time but I never come across this beastie as most of the wrecks here are either 13cab a`s or 12cabs. The 4x2 is certainly an exception...

Hi Jeremy, good to see the progress on your C15 recorded here!
By the time your C15 was built in November 1942, the war in North Africa and the Middle East was still going on so many orders for vehicles were finished in Light Stone. However, not all vehicles thus finished at the factory (incl. my Ford F15A), ended up in those theatres of war, and were thus repainted either SCC2 (brown) or olive drab upon arrival in NW Europe.
When looking at the list of 15-cwt body types on Colin Stevens' CMP site, you can see the last type was really the 2J1 body, which was preceded by the 2H1 on your truck and the 2C1. I would not worry about this body type on your truck.

H.

P.S.: for anyone who is interested, see C15 For Sale Uk for where Jeremy's C15 came from.

Spot on job
 

Nice job Jeremy !!

Would you like to become a western out station of the OCMPG?.

Really like the standard of your restoration, it’s good to see others putting the time and effort into CMP’s, There is an ever growing tide in the UK towards CMP’s, in the collecting/restoration world they used to classed as too hard to restore or not attractive enough to warrant good quality restoration

keep up the good work.

Best regards

Pete
:salute:

Yikes Chris thought I'd just spent the best part three years restoring a bitsa instead of a BLITZA !!! :D Thanks for all your encouragement its been a long road. I have sourced parts from all over the world inc those mirrors from Argentina :smoker: sometimes I thought I'd never find those elusive parts :bang: but it sure is a good feeling when you do :yappy: Ive included some more pics of rear end.

rear axle diff

another of the *rse end

RR.

Wow...what an 'ars that is.....
 

I will have to run ot the barn tomorrow night after work to check out the rear axle of the HUP.... that gear cluster.... mounted centrally because of no 4x4 is very different. The ribbing on the gear cluster is very similar to the HUP and very different than the standard C15A.

Any chance of a picture of the front and rear axle brake drums...

Can you check to see if the gear ratio of the rear axle is stamped on the top part of the gear cluster......???

It is so different from the C15a....... I would really like to hear from others who may have worked on the C8 or C15....

Thanks for the wonderful pictures.... you are doing one heck of a nice job.

Glad for the opportunity to learn from your project..... it may help me identify some old C15 hulk one day.

Bob C.

Bob C.

In the rear end again.....
 

....just looking over the pictures again..... that frame has helper springs over the regular springs.... is it typical of C15 ???

...and of course the rear shock links to the axle is different due to the central mounted cluster.

Are the shock absorbers identical in the front and back or are the rear larger...?

Sorry for so many questions just trying to learn......

Bob C.

Hi Bob
Will check some of the details Tomo as for brake drums they differ front to back, the front being narrower in profile than the rear. The shocks are different too front to back, front mounted outside the frame, rear on the inside.
As to the helper springs on the rear axle these may have been added post war when the truck was used by Copes Garage near Leeds UK as a breakdown wagon, but thats another story that I am trying to research.
I think there are some numbers stamped to top of diff will check these out and get back to you.
heres a pic of front wheel afer cleaning chassis plus grey anti corrosion primer gives more detail.

RR.
Ps has anybody a spare roof grab rail or two ? Hanno and I are both looking for one each :cheers:

Re: In the rear end again.....
 

Yes - see C15 with helper springs?

And here's another "before" picture of Jeremy's C15.

H.

Re: In the rear end again.....
 

We have looked at the difference in the C15 and C15A chassis in this thread. In that thread, David Hayward asked: "Why did the 4 x 2 have auxiliary springs and the 4 x 4 not unless this was a later mod?", to which I replied: "I can only speculate that the location of the front springs on the C15 being further inboard would have would have given rise to pronounced body roll on a Cab-Over design and required the Auxillary springs on the back to try and stiffen up the roll, but not the ride?". Note that an F15 does NOT have the Auxillary springs on the rear.

Wow.......
 

....really opened up a can of worms with my questions.....

Now I have to go over these old threads to educate myself.... nice to have access to the archives.... I may have read them in the past but now I can read again in the proper context.

Thanks for all your help and for the recent pictures.

Bob C.

Couple of pictures for comparison of my C15A 12 cab when it was under restoration some years back

Pete

Bob Ive just checked for stampings on the diff and they are 637 Y 765
Craig I have attached some pics of master cylinder and bracket I hope that they are of some use.

another of master cylinder and bracket.

Position of master cylinder and bracket fitted to chassis

Bob heres a pic of front shock absober.

and heres the rear I hope that these photos are of help :D

Re: dif stampings
 

Hi Ramp...
Sorry,I don't know if you have another name..but yer mum had a sense of humour if Rampant Rivet is your real name,but anyway ,name or no name you are doing a great job on the truck..The 637 in the number refers to the gear ratio..the C15's had the 6.37:1 rear ends and the C15A had the 6.39:1 rear ends..diffs,if you prefer..

The first C8A,C8AX also had the 6.37:1 diffs... but changed down to 7.38:1...on replacement...

Well heres a pic of todays progress, maybe I can ask for some help I need phot'os and measurements of the stowage box's fitted to the underside of a 15 CWT wood / steel composite rear body any help would be very much appreciated.
Have started to look at the cab frame and have some work to do on the inner wings and managed to loosely fit the radiator.

Rot removed

And heres one I made earlier :yappy:

Rampant rivet
 

Hi Alex My real Name is Jeremy When I Joined this Forum my wife suggested the nickname of rampant rivet I'd better not expand on the origins of that one :yappy:
I've really enjoyed working on my truck, and have come into contact with some really good guys who have helped greatly with spares parts and information etc.
The greatest help has been the internet in finding spare parts and I have sourced items from Argentina, Canada, Norway, USA, Belgium, Holland and am about to get a new master cylinder and bits from Australia as my old one is beyond help.
I think that I would have struggled to find some of the nicer parts that are hard to find.

Jeremy. AKA RR.

Name game...
 

Hi Jeremy..
It helps all us old codgers to see a name on the posting ,or along side in the margin...
With over 1200 members on the forum ,I think eventually we will have to post some kind of name on the posting..It is nice to know where the poster is from(What area of the world) and some kind of proper name to converse with...
"Hey you...!! would work but too many dumbasses would answer..
This forum is well set up in the user CP to put a permanent marker on postings...
I wish we would all use it ...an anonomous poster could live right around the corner and you would never have the opportunity to meet with out at least a little hint of identification...Of course...maybe some are just lurkers and are happier that way..To each his own..

Fantastic job.....
 

Hi Jeremy

.....or meat head or rampant rivet.... whatever..... you are doing a fantastic job..... really appreciate the pictures and the chance to learn.

...and you are no mean slouch when it comes to beating some new metal into place....... I can only hope to do half as good as you when I get to that phase.....maybe I will cheat and get the body man from down the road to help me out..... a Hot Rodder from New Brunswick no less.

Keep posting some pictures of your profress so we can all learn and be inspired.....

Bob
a.k.a. BooBee