How To: 1944 Chev HUW restoration

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Good to see another C8A being restored

Do you remember your HUW was one of the first CMPs Geoff wrote a restoration log about?

See http://www.mapleleafup.net/vehicles/.../restore3.html

This poor truck got pushed to the back of the garage more than once (for the Fox and two Victorian era house renovations). The upside is that over those years I've been able to find almost all of the missing bits and have managed to get good information to be able to rebuild the correct interior. It's been kept warm and dry waiting for this day.

[Bob Phillips]

It is great to see this truck finally under restoration. Here are a couple of rather poor pictures of the truck when it was recovered from a Jasper area wrecking yard in the late 1970s or early 80s. Note the I beam on the roof.

HUW_rotated.jpg

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Thanks for those pics Bob. I find it odd that someone painted it Tremclad forest green over the faded khaki. What, to pretty it up for a quick sale? No matter, the green and spiffy red inner fender paint is all gone now.

Google shows this wrecking yard in Jasper, I assume this is where you got it from?

[Bob Phillips]

I think the name of the yard was McDougals (your photo is correct!), and they had a couple of CMPs but none as interesting as the 8cwt wireless. There was also a major surplus store on the opposite side of the town called Prices. While the glory days in surplus were over by the time I got there I remember buying 19 sets and power supplies for $10-25. They had skids of them. There was also a row of 3 ton van bodies and cargo boxes out in the side yard, and a quanset hut full of ex govt desks and furniture..
I am pleased to see the progress you have made with the truck, good luck with the restoration!

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

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Originally Posted by Bob Phillips

I think the name of the yard was McDougals (your photo is correct!), and they had a couple of CMPs but none as interesting as the 8cwt wireless. There was also a major surplus store on the opposite side of the town called Prices. While the glory days in surplus were over by the time I got there I remember buying 19 sets and power supplies for $10-25. They had skids of them. There was also a row of 3 ton van bodies and cargo boxes out in the side yard, and a quanset hut full of ex govt desks and furniture..
I am pleased to see the progress you have made with the truck, good luck with the restoration!

The poor thing was rode hard. The diffs had been replaced with the earlier, higher ratio ones (completely worn out) and between the I beam and the inevitable trailer hitch yanking out the lightweight rear frame crossmember there were some 'structural repairs' required. I had a donor chassis so it now has the right diffs and the rest of the chassis has been restored to what was originally intended.

[8threcce]

Bob,

Do you mind if I use these pictures on my C8a FB page??

Regards

Pieter

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

This week's job was to cut off the top rear roof of the HUW that was badly mangled, and prepare the donor piece. All is going well and I got a surprise. Once the old roof was removed I could see the top body rail and in a nook above the chorehorse cabinet on the upper left I found these well rusted pliers. I figure some signaler wedged them in there for handy use, forgot about them and there they stayed for 75 years until today.

[David Dunlop]

Nice find, Bruce.

If you ever find Manufacturer’s markings on the pliers, can you post what company it was?

David

[Jordan Baker]

Such an interesting find.

[Bob Phillips]

To Pieter Bergman who's post I missed months ago,, please feel free to use the photos if you still wish to. Somewhere in my attic I have a box with hundreds of photos of junkyards, well drillers, ship wrecking yards and various other places that I visited in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. There was still lots of goodies around in those days!

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Many years ago some CMP gave up its cab roof hatch and it found its way to me. While that is a sad story, the CMP's hatch will live on and did reveal many secrets as to it's construction and installation which I have duly recorded.

RIP old unlamented CMP.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Sometimes in the midst of doing the rusty parts or bodywork you give yourself a treat and put on something newly completed. Here's the folding table and map case attached to the rear door.

[David Dunlop]

Hi Bruce.

I've heard of that combination of kit on the rear door, but this is the first time I have seen one.

The Table clearly sits too low to be of value inside the HUW, so is it safe to assume the intension is to provide an outside work surface under certain circumstances? Something along the lines of the large table stowed on the lower left front of the WIRE-5 2K1 Box, which could be deployed to the left outer side of the Box?


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Hi Bruce.

I've heard of that combination of kit on the rear door, but this is the first time I have seen one.

The Table clearly sits too low to be of value inside the HUW, so is it safe to assume the intension is to provide an outside work surface under certain circumstances? Something along the lines of the large table stowed on the lower left front of the WIRE-5 2K1 Box, which could be deployed to the left outer side of the Box?


David

Yes it's an outside thing. I guess the signaler in the rear-most sidesaddle seat could open it enough (but just enough) to get maps out of it on the move. There is a hook and ring (seen in the factory back end photo) to keep the door open at 90 degrees. Yet another part I have to make. Oddly despite this outside table HUWs never were equipped with a penthouse as other HUPs were. Maybe they considered it but gave up when they discovered there wasn't a scrap of spare space left to stow it.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. HUP sliding roof hatches have two rod contraptions that are used to unlock and slide the hatch open. On the outside are four pivots on bronze wheels attached to springs which, when the rods unlock the hatch, lift it so it unseals and can slide.

All of these were seized solid on my 'NOS' hatch. I'm happy to report the rods cleaned up beautifully and what a piece of engineering they are. The pivots each have spring and ball bearing plungers to keep the rods horizontal and the handles have spring loaded levers and a latch to keep them closed. Everything now works as it should and they will get a coat of gloss white paint.

The outers didn't fare as well, they are rusted beyond repair and need to be fabricated. Luckily the levers and rollers are recoverable and only the tubes and inner shafts need to be made, both from easy to get material.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

So here's a question for Mr. Bergeron and Mr. Baker, and hopefully Chris (da signals goo-roo) Suslowicz:

All three lightweight CMP wireless trucks, C-15A WIRE-5 with the 2K1 body, C-15A WIRE-3 with a modified GS body and C-8A WIRE-1/WIRE-2 (HUW) based on the Chev Heavy Utility have five seats, two in the cab for a driver and co-driver and three in the back, one facing the wireless table and two others.

I have always assumed this meant a crew of five. But then I looked at the space required for five signalers, their kit, rations, greatcoats and see a problem. All that shi-et won't fit!! Plus, it really doesn't take five people to set up a wireless station and I can't see the army condoning the driver and co-driver twiddling their thumbs while the signalers set up their bits.

So my question is this...did the crew consist of five members or was it less and some of the crew occupied either the cab or rear seats as needed? I half doubt this because the rear seats do not appear to offer any benefit other than a place to seat one's arse when on the move so functionality may not be the reason for them.

What was the compliment for these wireless trucks?