Identification of Czech (?) soft-skin?

Alex van de Wetering · #1 24-05-06, 00:37

I recently took this picture in the Czech Republic in the military museum of Rokycany. Does anyone recognize this soft-skin?

It is left hand drive and it has coil springs mounted on the front suspension.

At first I thought it was a Fordson WOA2, but this does look a little different.

Alex

Adamicz · #2 11-01-07, 01:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Alex van de Wetering
I recently took this picture in the Czech Republic in the military museum of Rokycany. Does anyone recognize this soft-skin?

It is left hand drive and it has coil springs mounted on the front suspension.

At first I thought it was a Fordson WOA2, but this does look a little different.

Alex

http://www.xs4all.nl/~abarthot/Wat-IS-DEZE.jpg

According to this list of equipment in Rokycany military museum (from 27th June 2005): LINK , It should be Dodge WC-54, but for me it looks more like Dodge WC-53.

phoenix · #3 11-01-07, 05:42

That doesn't look like any Dodge WC i've ever seen unless I can see a different image to everybody else

cliff · #4 11-01-07, 06:55

Quote:

Originally posted by phoenix
That doesn't look like any Dodge WC i've ever seen unless I can see a different image to everybody else

You are right. Looking at the small part of the front suspension you can see it has independant front suspension so is a 4X2 not a 4X4 like the WC Dodge series.

Cheers
Cliff

#5 11-01-07, 07:19

Hi Alex,

That bicycle looks exactly like the first bike my mom ever bought me, and it was old and used then, in the very early 1960's!

(I like what I can see of that vehicle too ... a project to restore?

)

Karmen

Lynn Eades · #6 11-01-07, 07:46

Is it a Volvo or Tatra? The radiator must be a clue. Didnt one of the european countries build a Dodge wc53 style copy with a "sharp edge" to the radiator surround? ...Or maybe its a "bitsa".

Bill Murray · #7 12-01-07, 00:04

What a rat bastard that vehicle is..............

I will bet Cliff and I will spend far too much time on this one.
Coil springs in front is a major clue if it is original
It is some sort of passenger car or light goods vehicle, I would bet.
The accumulation of all of those odd parts laying about may mean that even the suspension may not be original. Such "redneck engineering" as we call it in the south of my country, resulted in some really odd combinations of bits and pieces to make a whole vehicle.
Note also that it has a partition built in behind the driver's station which was typical in Europe after the war due to tax rules about private versus goods vehicles.

Lets make it a project, Cliff.
Bill

Mike Timoshyk · #8 12-01-07, 00:23

What vehicle...all I see are some top bows and a pretty good looking hood.

Bill Murray · #9 12-01-07, 01:35

Hi Mike:
I make the hood/bonnet from a Jeep. The bows I could not say.
Bill

Les Freathy · #10 12-01-07, 11:12

Take a look at this photo guys, something similer here. Some of these Ford WO A2s ended up in Czech with the brigade that fought with the allies and some sent after the war through Unnra

Bill Murray · #11 12-01-07, 11:20

Some very good ID clues there Les.
Utility body fits, the windscreen and wipers fit as does the radiator standing proud and well to the front.
Having never seen one of those Fords in the flesh, the only thing left I guess is what type front suspension did they have.
If like the photo, I think you have it.
Bill

Hanno Spoelstra · #12 12-01-07, 14:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill Murray
Some very good ID clues there Les.
Utility body fits, the windscreen and wipers fit as does the radiator standing proud and well to the front.
Having never seen one of those Fords in the flesh, the only thing left I guess is what type front suspension did they have.
If like the photo, I think you have it.

WOA2 is what I thought of when I first saw the picture, but it cannot be one. The Ford had the proven transverse leaf spring front suspension, plus the roof line (gutter) is straight whereas on the survivor it slopes down.

Back to square one? I don't have a clue, sorry!

Hanno

Bill Murray · #13 12-01-07, 14:57

Yes, Hanno, you are correct.
As well, it is LHD which I doubt any WOA2 models were.
Back to the drawing board. I think now the front suspension may be the key ID issue. Not a lot of those type on light commercial or military vehicles so we may be looking at some sort of passenger car conversion.
Bill

cliff · #14 12-01-07, 21:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill Murray
Not a lot of those type on light commercial or military vehicles so we may be looking at some sort of passenger car conversion.
Bill

or another US style 4X2 1/2 ton civilian based vehicle. An early war one perhaps supplied to the British.

To me the firewall shape and set up reminds me of either Dodge or Ford. Could it be an early (1939-1942) panel van type? Did some of these have independent front suspension rather then a straight axle with leaf springs? I know most of the light Chrysler type vehicles did have the independent suspension by this stage.

Cheers
Cliff

PS> I see Alex posted this on May 24th 2006 at 12:37 and it has only just now been taken up. We must all be bored after the Christmas break

Hendrik van Oorspronk · #15 12-01-07, 22:06

I Don't think its a Chrysler product, some special elements are missing, for instance the typical strip above the windshield and the coil springs are much to modern for US cars, I would think it is a German or Chech vehilce they used coil springs at various marks, inclusive the light chassis made of pressed steel. Much to difficult(expensive) for the US.

Hendrik

Hendrik van Oorspronk · #16 12-01-07, 22:10

Could be a Ford with left steering wheel and different front axle, had a futher look, the steeringwheel is much to low forr factory mounting, so why not changed from right to left steering.

Hendrik

cliff · #17 12-01-07, 23:57

Just a point I would like to make here that civilian type Chrysler products had coil spring suspension in 1939. I know because I owned more then a couple of these at one stage. A number of these were supplied as lend Lease early in the war.

A lot of the early Chrysler product body styles made in the States did not have the strip above the windscreen either.

So the posibility still exists that it could be but like others I still feel more that it is Russian or eastern European rather then US or British.

Cheers
Cliff

Les Freathy · #18 14-01-07, 09:21

Some interesting ideas appearing re. this vehicle, the more we progress the more i seem to think its a bitser. I am still convinced the body is the Ford and i get the feeling that the Jeep bonnet could be misleading and have no connection with it and we still have the problem of the front suspension
Les

gordon · #19 14-01-07, 09:36

Well, as the owner (and ex-owner) of considerable Chrysler product from 1939-up, incuding 1941 4 x 2 Carryalls,I don't think that's what it is.

The windscreen aperture is very suggestive of Chrysler around that period but everything else is different.

Gordon

Bill Murray · #20 14-01-07, 09:51

In order to get some help for us on this, I googled the museum and got the name of the head guy and emailed him Alex' photo and asked him to tell us the make of the vehicle.

If he answers, I will pass it on.

Detective work is not always just pounding away at one piece of evidence I learned while a policeman many years ago.
Bill

Les Freathy · #21 21-01-07, 21:47

Guys, take a look at Hannos photo on page 4 in the under new management thread dated 31.12.06. Bill identifies it as a Plymouth circa 1938, certainly some similarities here
Les