C15A Progress

Don Dingwall · #1 13-10-09, 02:24

Thought I'd post a few pics of my 44 Chev C15A Wire-3.

Found in a barn in 2001, suffered severe restoration neglect for a while from yours truly (well, I did have to build a barn for it...). Made more progress on it since this past July than in the previous 7 years.

A running resto--been using it regularly all through to pull stumps etc on the grounds of the 'West Carleton estate'. Still needs a box, but that may be solved soon.

Will be marked as a vehicle from 1 CAB HQ Sigs section. Looks like the rest of the painting will have to wait until warmer days.

First pic is 'as found', second is 2004 during teardown, last two are this week.

Lots yet to do.

Yes, that's Clive of Haiti's newly repainted jeep in the background.....
Cheers,
Don

Jordan Baker · #2 13-10-09, 02:27

Looks great Don, nice paint job.

Alex van de Wetering · #3 13-10-09, 23:14

Don,

Looks great so far. Are you using the original tires?

Have to agree with Jordan.....the paint job looks very nice!

Alex

Rob MacDonald · #4 13-10-09, 23:51

VERY nice - although you need to switch your wheels to the other side as the open end of the 'V' should be on the bottom as you face the vehicle from the front.

Don Dingwall · #5 14-10-09, 01:46

Thanks for the comments gentlemen.

Alex: yes they're original tires, but they've seen better days and do need to be replaced.

Rob: Your comment about the tires is technically accurate....'by the book' maybe. Ever wonder why you never see a farm tractor with the the chevron open-end down?

Fills with mud in 2 seconds. Then they become slicks and quite useless. Same for directional cross country. The guy who designed them thought it'd be neat and efficient I suppose, theoretically better traction etc. But obviously he never drove directionals in dirt or mud. Troops figured it out faster than the designers did.

You'd also be hard pressed to find a pic of a CMP min service that had tires mounted as prescribed for very long, if at all.

Lionelgee · #6 14-10-09, 03:29

G'day Don,

I am new to the military side of things so this could be regarded as a dumb question. Did some units paint their vehicles with the wavy black paint as some form of camouflage or did you just feel like painting something different on your truck. Some war ships had "dazzle" paint schemes which were meant to make it harder for gun aimers to calculate the distance and exact shape of the ship. I think the wave looks really good anyway.

Kind Regards
Lionel

cliff · #7 14-10-09, 05:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

G'day Don,

I am new to the military side of things so this could be regarded as a dumb question. Did some units paint their vehicles with the wavy black paint as some form of camouflage or did you just feel like painting something different on your truck. Some war ships had "dazzle" paint schemes which were meant to make it harder for gun aimers to calculate the distance and exact shape of the ship. I think the wave looks really good anyway.

Kind Regards
Lionel

It was a British cammo design Lionel and would not look right on your Chev

jim fraser (RIP) · #8 14-10-09, 07:05

hi don.truck looks really great.regards jim.

Don Dingwall · #9 14-10-09, 13:26

Lionel:
It's a variation on the mickey mouse scheme as detailed in MTP46.

See http://milifax2003.tripod.com/home03.html

Steve Guthrie outlined things nicely by putting the guide online some years back.

I noticed over years of searching through photos at the Public Archives that many Canadian vehicles had this soft edge sprayed scheme. Liked it enough to put it on my truck. Not happy with the black paint finish though---it'll need some rework in the spring.

Thanks
Don

Rob MacDonald · #10 14-10-09, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Dingwall

Thanks for the comments gentlemen.

Alex: yes they're original tires, but they've seen better days and do need to be replaced.

Rob: Your comment about the tires is technically accurate....'by the book' maybe. Ever wonder why you never see a farm tractor with the the chevron open-end down?

Fills with mud in 2 seconds. Then they become slicks and quite useless. Same for directional cross country. The guy who designed them thought it'd be neat and efficient I suppose, theoretically better traction etc. But obviously he never drove directionals in dirt or mud. Troops figured it out faster than the designers did.

You'd also be hard pressed to find a pic of a CMP min service that had tires mounted as prescribed for very long, if at all.

Yet another example of the fact that 'No plan survives contact with the enemy'!

now that you mention it, one 'barn-find' Model A I bought had that style of tire on the back wheels - mounted in the same way yours are.

I wish I still had those tires - I like to drive the A in the snow!

Don Dingwall · #11 14-10-09, 15:33

Rob:
That's even more lucky than my find.
A local near here has a similar car...28 Ford Model T (??) I think. As found, he was able to get it on the road. He has NOT restored it yet....it's very cool to see it with all it's original paint still on it, though wearing off.

I meant to mention that there is a pic somewhere of the stuck 3 tonner in the mud somewhere in Europe---the driver is laying a board down and the tire tread is so full of mud, it looks like a racing slick.

Rob MacDonald · #12 15-10-09, 00:26

It's taking a great effort on my part not to hijack this thread by rabbiting on about the 3 barn find 'A's I've made over the last 20-odd years!

Lionelgee · #13 17-10-09, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Dingwall

Lionel:
It's a variation on the mickey mouse scheme as detailed in MTP46.

See http://milifax2003.tripod.com/home03.html

Steve Guthrie outlined things nicely by putting the guide online some years back.

I noticed over years of searching through photos at the Public Archives that many Canadian vehicles had this soft edge sprayed scheme. Liked it enough to put it on my truck. Not happy with the black paint finish though---it'll need some rework in the spring.

Thanks
Don

Hello Don,

Thank you for the information and the link to the very informative site.

Kind Regards
Lionel

Don Dingwall · #14 21-05-12, 23:19

Moderators:
Put this here as well in the FS forum to keep it visible due to the silly airshow posts etc.

Gents: Selling my 44 Chev Wire-3.

Cheers
Don

Hanno Spoelstra · #15 21-05-12, 23:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Dingwall

Moderators:
Put this here as well in the FS forum to keep it visible due to the silly airshow posts etc.

Gents: Selling my 44 Chev Wire-3.

Don,

I took the liberty of editing your duplicate posting and merging it with your earlier thread about your C15A. I have also moved Tony's dream (a trailer park near an airport

) to the Sergeants Mess.
Here's hoping all this will help finding a new good home for your truck.

Regards,
Hanno

Hanno Spoelstra · #16 14-06-15, 16:46

While searching for something else, I ran across Don's C15A, now "under new management":
http://www.ar15.com/mobile/topic.html?b=8&f=6&t=579817

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Eric R. · #17 15-06-15, 05:16

At some point I need to get off my butt and either start a new thread dealing with the latest pick up and restoration (that includes some pics of it visiting the Hammond barn) or continue this one.

Don did some great work but a few years of inattention by the in between owners has left some issues that need to be corrected. Not to mention the engine hasn't run since Don last had it.

Still doesn't have a bed, toolbox or hatch. The three biggest issues i have to address after a frame swap

Hanno Spoelstra · #18 15-06-15, 20:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric R.

At some point I need to get off my butt and either start a new thread dealing with the latest pick up and restoration (that includes some pics of it visiting the Hammond barn) or continue this one.

Eric,

Be our guest; either continue here or start your own thread. Besides it's issues, it looks like this truck is a nice basis for a restoration.

Hanno