1940 Australian GMH Chevrolet military coupe utility

[Mike K]

The Woodville production numbers say that 1484 Chevrolet Standard coupe utilites were made in 1940. I would think that a small percentage of them would have been purchased by essential civilian users

[Mike Cecil]

Tim,

Nice find, with lottsa rewarding work ahead of you.

When you find the chassis (and engine?) numbers, post them here: we'll see what we can find ....

Mike

[gordon]

It does look a little tired, but it has every right to.

To my eye it looks to have most of the essential bits in decent order or repairable. I assume the chassis is still under there, anything in the way of axles, wheels, drivetrain?

I'd guess most of the drivetrain could be sourced from slightly later versions, but on the Dodge equivalents the 1939/40 stuff was just that hair different from 41 through to postwar.

[Tim Hunter]

Hi all, thanks for your replies, very interesting! Some further info,
Engine number: TR 3554562
Chassis number: 3200? ( taken from compliance plate not chassis rail)
Body number: F085
Colour: DLX KHAKI
Batch number/date: FO
Chassis is there, missing front right spring perch (rear), I beam Axel, hubs, wheels.
Drive train is there including rear diff with six bolt pattern hubs, tailgate is there and in good order. I have a running 216 to drop right in.
Great to know how few were manufactured, I wonder how many survivors there are?

[Tim Hunter]

Here are some more pictures for your viewing pleasure. Keys found in glove box along with 1949 Australian Penny.

[lynx42]

What a great project. If you are stuck for wheels, look for some six stud Toyota HiLux rims. These are the correct stud pattern and the correct off-set.

1940 Chev Staff Car.JPG

I have had them on my sedan for 10 years whilst I found the correct Chev wheels otherwise the car would have just been sitting in the shed all that time.

Have fun with it.

Regards Rick

[Mike K]

I have the parts book for that vehicle , the NASCO GMH book that was published for the army . The book is a generic publication , it details the 1940 Chev /Maple Leaf trucks and utes .



Being a Chev, mechanical parts will be a breeze to find .



BTW some of those 1940 coupe utes were shipped to the Middle East .

The 1941 Chev coupe ute models are unique, apparently GMH cut down Chev sedan bodies and made up a patchwork cab - the cab appears to be a semi - flat backed affair . Ford did a similar thing to their 41 army coupe ute . I did see a Chev 41 coupe ute years ago in a wrecking yard , during a club trip to Mywee up on the Murray. There was also a rag top roadster cab version , made in small numbers as 1941 Chevs and Pontiac. The well traveled 1941 Pontiac of C Anderson was purchased by me in 1981 . I drove it home from Geelong along Geelong road unregistered . The old chap had bought it in 1946 , he said it came down from Townsville where the RAAF had it . He took it for a drive around the block for me and every time he moved it he put another dent in the bodywork . He had just handed in the original 1946 number plates a few weeks before I got it . He topped up the air in the tyres, he wheeled out a mobile air supply in the form of a Wirraway main wheel, it must have had about 100psi in it and he transferred the air over to the Pontiac tyres . It was $300 I paid for the car . I passed it onto Colin as he had spares from sedans and another ute .

As Rick knows, the army specified wider rims/tyres for these vehicles , 7.50-16 I think

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

I have had them on my sedan for 10 years whilst I found the correct Chev wheels otherwise the car would have just been sitting in the shed all that time.

Rick, what a great looking vehicle you have there. Can't recall seeing pictures of your 1940 Chev Staff Car before. Not wanting to derail Tim's thread, maybe we should start a new one on restored military staff cars like yours and the Pontiac Mike found.

Hanno