Were any of the World War 2 surplus GMC 2 1/2 ton trucks sold off as surplus to private companies/individuals after the war?
For example, would it be appropriate to have one on the road in 1954 painted and lettered for Tony's Contracting?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
By the last months of WWII 40% of the US economy was producing military supplies and equipment. When the war ended they tried to shut down the flow but it took several months to do so. The government wound up with more of everything under the sun than they could possible ever use. The Army-Navy stores got started just to sell of the war surplus. I'm sure some GMC 2 1/2 tonners would look right at home painted for Tony's Contracting.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
dstarrThe government wound up with more of everything under the sun than they could possible ever use
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
SeeYou190For example, would it be appropriate to have one on the road in 1954 painted and lettered for Tony's Contracting?
Possible but very rare in US.They were kept off market in US to prevent reducing demand for new postwar vehicles.
I have a (English language edition of a French book) with photos of "civilian" GMCs. Most are postwar Europe.
One photo is a wrecker in Azusa California. Another in Hawaii with special body for crushing and spraying ice into hold of fishing trawles.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Hard to believe, but there were only very few surplus trucks following WWII. Those commissioned in Europe and Asia remained there, and those still in the US remained in service withn the armed forces until deep into the Vietnam War.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Tinplate Toddler Hard to believe, but there were only very few surplus trucks following WWII. Those commissioned in Europe and Asia remained there, and those still in the US remained in service withn the armed forces until deep into the Vietnam War.
Having lived my whole live here in Maryland, near a number of major military bases, I can tell you that as a child/teen we could see large numbers of what I later knew to be WWII vintage vehicles "stored", but ready for service, as we drove thru or around Fort Meade and the other installations in the area.
I remember seeing a few in private use, but not many.
Only tanks and other fighting vehicles were brought back, and not even all of them. But I do also remember rows of M4 Shermans that saw service in WWII and Korea.
Sheldon
I think the big difference is the equipment that stayed in country here was allowed to be surplussed off a little at a time. Indian motorcycles encased in cosmoline and crated come to mind as do Jeeps. We had a surplus Jeep converted to a dune buggy growing up in California. One of my friends started his construction business after he returned from the Seabees by buying a surplus tank (sans weapons of course) which he used for demolition work in New Jersey - he says he only got it stuck in one basement. FWIW J.R.
I think in one of the Morning Sun Color Guide books there are some pictures of war surplus Jeeps being used by the New York Central. When I was a kid, I remember seeing some M4 tractors that made it to a farm in northern Wisconsin.
spe3376I think in one of the Morning Sun Color Guide books there are some pictures of war surplus Jeeps being used by the New York Central.
Yes, I've seen a few in person and the photos, too
I’m certain that gmpullman Ed has a GMC wrecker on his layout.
The Bear has impeccable recall
Mixer_mishap by Edmund, on Flickr
This GMC-chassis crane could be War surplus, too.
Road-crane1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Artitec is one of my favorite go-to suppliers of HO details and vehicles. Lots of military stuff, too.
I remember paging through all the classifieds in the back of Popular Mechanics magazine and seeing the ads for Jeeps (only $150!) and tons of other War surplus stuff. Couldn't convince my dad to but one of those $150 Jeeps, though
Cheers, Ed
All in all you are backing up what I was able to find. It seems very few surplus GMS 2 1/2 ton vehicles were in civilian use in the United States. It looks like the big sell-off happened prior to Vietnam.
Too bad, I found a beautiful HO scale model of one.
My father told me that after he got out of the Army after the war he went with a friend of his to an auction or sale someplace in NYC his friend wanted to by a truck to start a construction business.He did buy one and he said the back was loaded with what looked like bridging equipment.just to get rid of it.He didnt mention what type of truck it could have been a commercial vehicle
As far as I know you could get 6x6s fairly easily. Same after the Korean war, and with a number of newer models since then. Be aware that most of them have SIGNIFICANTLY low effective top speed, so unless you put in some kind of overdrive there'll be limits on where you actually go with them, unless of course you also own the gas station... there is a dealer in Memphis who has about a square block full of them, and he may well have been open in the days of WWII surplus.
I'm sure many were used for some kind of contracting business.
Keep in mind there was also a market in DUKWs for 'tourist operations'. At least one of these has had a Gettysburg-boiler-grade ignorance/stupidity accident by not maintaining those things properly.
You wouldn't be limited to 6x6s. When I was in college, toward the end of the Seventies, a friend of mine located something almost unbelievable in a scrapyard a few miles from Trenton (along the ex-PRR main line) -- if you knew just where to look you could see it as a flash of red from the east windows of a train. It was a halftrack that had either been built as or converted to a wrecker, lettered for some guy's service station. Had the largest flat head on a six-cylinder motor I've ever seen. Now that would be interesting to have on the road in 1954, and not only is it plausible, it isn't nonsense...
I don't know what Allied half-track would make a good tow truck. The Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe had some halftracks that were designed to be used as tractors for heavy guns, but the Allied halftracks were personnel carriers. There was even a massive German half track that could be used in tandem to pull a Tiger 1E tank. I would love to see this half tracked tow truck.
The vehicle I am always surprised did not get a big civilian following of enthusiasts was the White Scout Car. This thing was everything a jeep was, times three!
I had a chance to buy one that was updated with modern Chrysler drive components, but better sense kicked in.
What a machine.
Dodge came out with the Power Wagon in 1946. The first 4 wheel drive as a commercial vehicle. There are collectors of military vehicles so somehow they got to the civillian market. Tom Clancey owned a Sherman Tank.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Sounds to Me that many of You Gentlemen were not in any Military Service.
You must remember....that during WWII, there were no commercial vehicles of any type being made in the US for the public, including autos. You won't find any autos around that were made 1942 through 1945. All Mfger's were producing War materials. After the war many returning vets, were out of work, some drove trucks bought from military surplus which were the jimmy's and went on their own, many hauling produce in CA, to market etc. etc. Whatever was left over in the US as far as military vehicles goes was Sold, not scrapped. Where do You think Hollywood got all the vehicles that it used for all the WWII movies it made after the war?
That GMC truck would look good on any layout after 1941 and beyond.....they were made to last and the engine could be re-built a number of times. Light 3/4 ton, Jeeps, 2/1/2 trucks had a governed top speed of 55mph. A fully loaded 2/1/2 may have trouble maintaining that speed though....horse power, main factor, five speed direct trans.
Take Care!
Vietnam Combat Vet, 66/67
Life Member ATHS (American Truck Historical Society
Frank
zstripeVietnam Combat Vet, 66/67
Thank you Frank!
And thank you for your service!
3 pins in my right hip, sent me home from the Milwaukee induction station, 1967, gave me a 1Y. Clerk duty in case of war.
Mike.
My You Tube
zstripeSounds to Me that many of You Gentlemen were not in any Military Service.
No, no military service from me. I am one hell of an armchair-general on Friday nights though.
I was not born until 1968, and I am modelling 1954, so I need to ask a lot of questions. I appreciate your input.
Thank you for your service.
Funny to speak about bobbed deuce and a half.
Like USA, after war lot of the GMC truck as surplus military, were sold to civilians and used in many purposes in Europe, this was the same with the famous Wyllis and the Dodge Command Car; they have been seen to around the end of the 50's as multi purpose light truck, but quiet quickly in the 50's european truck builder have come with bigger truck and this was the begun of the demise of the famous GMC
There are still a few running in Europe as collector truck and they are always a real eyes catching for the most.
But in fact the GMC deuce and half has never dissappear until today.
The child of the GMC of WWII, the M35A2 is still alive and running.
Used since de mid 50's in the US army for many purpose, his child was heavily used in the vietnam war and was a like symbol of it.
I think now, he begun to be retired from the US army after more than 60 years of use with very little upgrades of the basic design, even from the earlier GMC his father.
I don't think we will see a lot to be modified like after WWII, because there are no need for them; this is may be and probably the fate of the deuce and a half truck.
When you make a search on Google about "bobbed deuce" you find a lot of these trucks.
But bobbed half a deuce is meaning a real style of life.
This mean also the basic truck is quiet customized, price seems not out of reach which mean many are modified.
This mean the rear wheels axles are get out of the frame and the frame is shortened; they receive a shortened bed on the frame, often it's the bed of the trailer designed to be put with the truck in the army use.
This give a like looking WWII Dodge Command Car but much higher.
It seems these have a lot of sucess and many of these custom build are made
All the owners seems to have a lot of fun with these "half" truck.
Even here in Québec I have seen one or two on the roads
Here are some pictures of them
1. original M35A2
2. bobbed deuce as they are named on Google
zstripeA fully loaded 2/1/2 may have trouble maintaining that speed though....horse power, main factor, five speed direct trans.
For a member of the ATHS, you seem to be remarkably optimistic about the ability of a typical long-stroke GMC engine of that era to make the necessary rotational speed for that 'horse power' when connected through top gear in that 'five speed' direct transmission (net of what would almost certainly have been a granny first, and perhaps second too by 'civilian' standards).
Tell me what the rpm of the engine would be at 55mph. Then tell me your reasonable estimate of how long before rebuild at that rate.
SeeYou190I was not born until 1968, and I am modelling 1954, so I need to ask a lot of questions. I appreciate your input.
Kevin,
My eldest Daughter was born while I was in Vietnam in May 1967. I did not come home until Jan 1968. It took a lot of adjustment to settle down, after what I just went through. Not to mention what My wife must have gone through while I was gone. We were married when I got drafted but had no children......
What got Me and many others, some time later a certain individual who was a draft dodger, fled to Canada and later on became president.......it still sticks in My craw.......
Thanks All for Your cudos.....
Thanks for your service.Too young for Viet Nam but did get to Iraq a couple of times in the Air Force.Years ago I worked in MOTBY Bayonne NJ.You could buy anything from aircraft carriers (for scrap)to military Jeeps(which had to be cut in half because of liability issues) The only other tactical vehicles I saw in the disposal yard were two Fire Trucks(530As)which I believe were Reo's.
After WW2 a number of European truck builders bought a bunch those old GMCs and put their engines in them and refurbished them. An example is Henschel, which sold Henschel-GMC trucks (GMC body/chassis; Henschel engines)
My high school ag farm had an Army surplus tractor. This was in 1974; I was a junior taking Ag 1 as an elective. As the oldest student in the class, I got to drive the tractor.