1944 C-15A-Wire-5 Restoration

[Bob Carriere]

Following your project with interest has Grant will be doing the same full restoration to his radio box on day.

Pray tell.....what is the... lower steell roll forms have rotted away.... any close up pictures....is this the lower part of the steel frame itself that is composed of one piece of sheet metal that's been bent and folded a window frame.......

Anticipating similar problems when we get there.

I have salvaged the lower part of my cab 11 windshield frame by filing the frame rust hole cavities with epoxy and J-B weld..... it was rusted out to the appearance of soda crackers.

Bob C

[RichCam]

Hello Bob,

I will post some close ups later tomorrow. I need to get the exact dimensions and then I am going to contact M.P. Metal Products to see if they have some matching C-108 16 gauge roll formed window frame with miter. It would make things a whole lot easier if I can find a steel roll form that is reasonably close.

Will let you know shortly.
Regards, Richard

[Edwin Wand]

We will be restoring a Wire 5 radio box when the weather warms up. Like your box the window frames are well rusted and we are not sure how much of the lower frame can be salvaged.

We have been following the story of your restoration with great interest. Thank you for the information.

Edwin Wand

[RichCam]

Hello Bob & Edwin!

So, after we looked at the window frames, we discovered that just about all of them could be salvaged. The brass closure thumb tabs cleaned up well, the metal roll forms were repaired with Bondo/JB Weld and the double pane glass were replaced. The screen frames were pooched but it is easy enough to make replacement frames and new screens. The lower steel window roll form for the door was completely rusted. I am using it as a pattern and I am having a new one fabricated by a local sheet metal shop. Door now closes properly with it's original hardware. We just had to replace the interior and exterior door handles.

Here are some pictures - before and after paint.

[RichCam]

Guys,

It was a good day for painting! After the new ladder was installed, ventilators cleaned, straightened, interior vents made operational, roof fan motor rebuilt, extensive patching of the exterior aluminum, Steve and Jim worked to fill rust holes in the spare tire carrier and wheel wells.

Today, I had the shop to myself so I was able to put down two coats of Olive Drab with the sprayer and well as get some paint back on the window and screen frames. This week, I hope to finish wiring the dash on the C-15A and get it out for a road test next week.

We have been 3 teaming it over the last few weeks. Jim and Steve on the Radio Box, I'm on electricals and paint.

I'll have more pictures when the windows are back in. The new owner of the truck and the box is going to be completing the interior wood work. We will finish all of the exterior for the box shortly.

Will post more pictures as soon as they are available.

Cheers, Richard

[RichCam]

I must say, the Radio Box/Command Post is really coming along.
Steve and Jim have finished the screens and the windows. I'm in the process of finding window and screen "rubber" extrusions as the old ones have suffered severe sun damage.
Check out the thumb actuators - not bad for 71 years old!
Tomorrow and Thursday, we hope to install the wood slats on the roof and the underside hardwood spacer rails.
More pictures will be posted as soon as they are available.

[Robert Bergeron]

Looks like they were manufactured yesterday Richard !

Looking good.

Robert