"Yankee Joe" truck

Steve Rooke · #1 19-11-03, 13:19

Hi Guys,

I've just found this forum and totally agree with your comments re the Bendigo Swap meet. I live in Bendigo and attend most of the swap meets in Victoria and find Bendigo one of the least enjoyable. Most of the sites are re booked each year by the same people who bring out the same stuff year after year, and use the event as a social get together. There seemed to be a lot of vacant sites this year, and after speaking to an organiser, they will not allow these people who did not turn up to rebook next year.

There is another swapmeet held in Bendigo at Lords Raceway in January I think, which brings out different sellers. I picked up the remains of a squashed merlin there two years ago.

Just to introduce myself, I am currently restoring my first WW2 truck, a "Yankee Joe". I managed to pick up a good cab and LH door at this years Swap meet which will help me no end.

Steve.

Mike K · #2 19-11-03, 15:41

Hi Steve ,

I have spotted a few Yankee Joe's over the years . In Ferntree Gully , Melbourne in the late 70's , a old chap used one daily with a drilling rig on the back . Its 1946 reg number JJ??? was still on it . It was painted yellow and still LHD .

Another one was parked in a yard at Pakenham for years . It was a telephone maint one as it had the little rear vision scoop on the cab roof , dont know what became of it .

remains of another one was in Mildura wrecking yard in 1982 ?

A friend bought one from Stackpooles yard at Ararat in early 80's intending to restore it , it had been used by a beekeeper . It was sold to a VMVC member who still has it , unrestored .

Another one is owned by a VMVC member who I sold a 1940 Yank-Joe parts list to.

The RAAF used a few of them I think .

A AMVCS memebr in NSW owns a restored one , they are not common here in OZ .

Yes , your comments on Bendigo do ring true .

Mike

Mike K · #3 19-11-03, 16:20

Here's a pic of some in Australian use . Looks like tippers .

AWM pic .

Mike

Hanno Spoelstra · #4 19-11-03, 17:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve Rooke
Just to introduce myself, I am currently restoring my first WW2 truck, a "Yankee Joe". I managed to pick up a good cab and LH door at this years Swap meet which will help me no end.

Hi Steve,

Welcome to this forum. At first I wondered what a "Yankee Joe" is exactly, but from Mike's comments I deducted "Yankee Joe" must be Aussie speak for 1½-ton Chevrolet 4x4 truck. Great looking trucks, I've always fancied them. Certainly on my shopping list if there ever comes a day my interest in CMP truck abates.
Have you seen the Vehicles of Victory site ?

Regards,
Hanno

Tony Smith · #5 20-11-03, 00:10

The Chev 1 1/2 ton 4x4 borer that was mentioned on this site a couple of months back as being for sale in Vic has also been bought by an AMVCS member and now lives in NSW. We are trying to out-do the the South Australians in "Interstate MV bargain hunting"

Steve Rooke · #6 20-11-03, 12:47

Thanks for all your replies and photos. Great to see that these trucks were actually used in Australia. My truck was originally a cargo with a winch, but has spent the last forty years hauling potatoes to the market. It still has the original USA serial number on the bonnet, but some of the numbers are unreadable.

Steve

Tony Smith · #7 20-11-03, 14:36

...seem to be hard to find for these vehicles. Anyone know of anyone with a spare pair?

Hanno Spoelstra · #8 20-11-03, 21:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony Smith
Engine side covers.......seem to be hard to find for these vehicles. Anyone know of anyone with a spare pair?

Tony,

See Chevrolet 1.5Ton parts for sale.

Regards,
Hanno

Richard Farrant · #9 20-11-03, 23:39

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony Smith
The Chev 1 1/2 ton 4x4 borer that was mentioned on this site a couple of months back as being for sale in Vic has also been bought by an AMVCS member and now lives in NSW.

Tony,
This must be another one in NSW, because there is a chap called Roland, in the Blue Mountains area (not so far from Lithgow is it?), who has a Yankee Joe borer with the correct body but without the equipment on the back. It has the cab roof mirror to assist when erecting the telephone poles after boring the hole. Now I think of it, that one was liberated from South Aus. Then there is a cargo version down near Sydney belonging to Tom Rolfe. I have no doubt you know these guys anyway.

Richard

Ian Fawbert · #10 21-11-03, 02:28

Hi richard, yes there is another in n.s.w that i know of, and they are in the amvcs-along with tony and me.

Roly (Roland) bought the one that Tony pictured to complete his- as it had the correct borer on it, so hes working on that, and another bloke- Tom has one which has a GS body one it- it is restored and very nice.

So that is the 2 (three actually) that i know of and you mention.

i think there was one up at kingaroy at one stage too, as i think Tom got a correct engine side cover for Roly`s one from there.

I wonder if that one you saw Mike was the one that Roly now has? moved form Vic to the SA museum and then to NSW?

Cheers,

Ian.

Ian Fawbert · #11 21-11-03, 02:39

Hi bob, thanks for the report.
i spoke to another jeeper who said it was farely dissapointing too. I have noticed (and my parents especially,a s they ahve been at swaps for about 30 years) that alot of the swap meets are starting to turn out to be collections of peoples useless junk- and i dont mean in terms of things that can be used by someone else,(and i also dont mean MV or vintage vehicle stuff) but just stuff which is useless!

Does anyone know how the swap in Vic went which was just for collector cars- vintage cars i think it was, but i could be wrong with the years? hopefully it was successful and will be on again- i think it was early this year or late last year, but im not sure.

And i agree with mike, the smaller swaps are seeming to yield more useful things at a farer price (for me who is new to this hobby) than the larger ones!.

Cheers, and thanks all for the report... i wondered how it went!

Ian.

Mike K · #12 21-11-03, 16:02

Quote:

Originally posted by Ian Fawbert
I wonder if that one you saw Mike was the one that Roly now has? moved form Vic to the SA museum and then to NSW?

No Ian ,

Its a different one . The Yankee Joe I used to see on the road in the late 70's was painted yellow . It has dissapeared and hasn't turned up again . The Pakenham one has gone as well . There was another one up at Rutherglen in the 1960's .

There aren't any restored examples here in Vic. I know of . The apiarists one from Ararat was a nice vehicle , it would have been a easy restoration . 20 years ago there was little interest in them here , now it seems they are sought after !

Mike

Ian Fawbert · #13 22-11-03, 00:35

Ooh well,
You got to wonder where they go to dont you! i look forward to the day in australia when we might be able to know where most of the MV's are! (preferably restored and in the hands of someone who loves them). but i think its a while off!

There wasnt many of the pole repair model bought to australia- 8 i think i saw as i went through the awm vehicle rego books, so if it was one, it`d be really interesting to know where it went.

Quote:

now it seems they are sought after

true... true!

Cheers,
Ian.

gordon · #14 22-11-03, 18:18

The telephone trucks were all Signal Corps items.

The earth augur was a K44, and on the same chassis you could get the K43 pole setting truck. I had one, and it eventually morphed into the blue cargo truck on 'Darling Buds' that now sits looking sad at Beltring.

If Geoff looks the other way for a minute, I'll mention that this GM product has it's own forum, dedicated to GMC, DUKW, and US Chevrolet, although to be fair there are more southern hemisphere members in here...

http://disc.server.com/Indices/183912.html

Gordon

Keith Webb · #15 22-11-03, 22:18

http://www.oldcmp.net/Images/bertcol...rtchevyjoe.jpg

Bert has this one in his collection.

More of Bert's collection

Max Hedges · #16 22-11-03, 22:21

I have a mate in Bainsdale (Vic) who is restoring one,it should be ready by next March he hopes. He did have 2 of them to build one,I will see if I can arrange a photo .

Max

Steve Rooke · #17 02-12-03, 11:52

Can any of you informed gentlemen tell me how these trucks came to be known as a Yankee Joe? Was this just an Australian nick name. Did other trucks such as the larger GMC have a name?

Richard Farrant · #18 02-12-03, 22:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve Rooke
Can any of you informed gentlemen tell me how these trucks came to be known as a Yankee Joe? Was this just an Australian nick name. Did other trucks such as the larger GMC have a name?

Steve,
It would seem to be an Aussie nickname, anyone in Europe, looks mystified if you say "Yankee Joe". Up here they are known as "Bl*ckman's Chev" (censored in the interest of PC).
Of course the GMC CCKW is universally known as the "Jimmy", or "Duece and a half".

Richard

Hanno Spoelstra · #19 05-12-03, 11:06

Found some pictures of 1.5 ton Chevs at the Beltring show in the UK at Ferdinand Hejl's photo site.

YP-G-4112 cargo in Navy colours

tractor and semi trailer

YP-G-4112 cargo - tipper

Steve Rooke · #20 25-08-05, 16:16

I have discovered another two Yankee Joe trucks not far from where I live, one of them being a crane borer. Maybe one of those trucks that dissapeared without a trace. Will post photos soon.

The gentleman who owns these trucks informs me that the Aussies gave the truck its name "Yankee Joe" from the master book symbol of the first model cargo truck "YJ". Seems simple enough.

Hanno Spoelstra · #21 05-01-10, 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

The Chev 1 1/2 ton 4x4 borer that was mentioned on this site a couple of months back as being for sale in Vic has also been bought by an AMVCS member and now lives in NSW. We are trying to out-do the the South Australians in "Interstate MV bargain hunting"

Tony,

Could this actually be a GMC CCK 353 1.5 ton 4x4 Earth Borer?
Check if the wheelbase is 159.5 inch for the GMC, against 145 inch for the Chevy, and if it has five stud hubs and wheels.

H.

lynx42 · #22 05-01-10, 11:25

G'day Hanno,
I hadn't heard of the GMC longer wheel-base model.
Here is a photo of the Bairnsdale Yankee Joe mentioned by Max H. back in 2003.
Dave, the owner, hopes to have it at Corowa Swin-In this year. We need it to help balance out the 100's of Jeeps for "The Year of the Jeep" theme for 2010.
Rick.

cantankrs · #23 05-01-10, 14:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Of course the GMC CCKW is universally known as the "Jimmy", or "Duece and a half".

This is a bit of a sidetrack but I came across something that raises a question about the above nicknames from an Australian standpoint. A chap who was in the RAAF in SWPA during WWII talked to me before he passed on a couple of years ago. He referred to all GMC/Stude 10 wheel trucks as "Ten Wheelers" and the Douglas DC3/C47 as "Doug" ("My old mate Doug"). I was surprised by these quaint terms but he seemed to be indicating that those were the colloquial terms when he served. Were those common Australian expressions then? - Have we unknowingly gravitated to using US slang now that interest in this (US designed and built) equipment for restoration has arrived? We like to do the most accurate restores we and our skills and finances can support, but as Aussies are we missing another expression of accuracy?

Regards

Alex

Dr Deuce · #24 06-01-10, 01:11

If there is an engine in the back, behind the cab, it IS a GMC, not a Chev earth borer (I own a Chevy borer). That would make it VERY Very rare. The chevy borers are VERY rare and this was before them.

Also if it has 5 lug Budd wheels it is a GMC

Mike K · #25 06-01-10, 03:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Bert has this one in his collection.

More of Bert's collection

its gone to Queensland Keith ..Bert sold it a few years ago .

Mike

gjamo · #26 06-01-10, 06:15

Heres a pic from the opposite end when it was located in Rockbank before being sold.

David_Hayward (RIP) · #27 06-01-10, 20:10

From my site:

http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/...tarychevs.html

Hanno Spoelstra · #28 12-01-10, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjamo

Heres a pic from the opposite end when it was located in Rockbank before being sold.

Thanks, it shows it does not have an engine in the back, behind the cab, as Steve mentioned. So it must be a Chevrolet Earth Borer?

Shown below is a picture of a ACK-353 Earth Borer, according to Vanderveen 100 of these were supplied to the US Signal Corps. It clearly shows the borer engine behind the cab.

Source: Life Magazine images @ Google

gordon · #29 12-01-10, 17:58

The Chevrolet K-43 and K-44 trucks had a pto drive to winch and augur, rather than a separate engine.

That is presumably why the previous owner of my K-43 changed the engine to a GMC 270, but mated it to the Chevrolet transmission and transfer to keep the winch drive.

Hanno Spoelstra · #30 12-01-10, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by gordon

That is presumably why the previous owner of my K-43 changed the engine to a GMC 270, but mated it to the Chevrolet transmission and transfer to keep the winch drive.

. . . . and painted it purple?!?

H.

(picture source: http://miliblog.co.uk/?cat=129)