Saved From Scrap! WW2 CCKW 6x6, Will it Run? I Need Help...
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- Опубликовано: 24 май 2024
- I got a call one morning about parts for my Chevy G-506, and by afternoon I had this 1943 GMC G-508 CCKW "Jimmy" sitting in my yard. The guy dropping if off didn't even bring ramps, because he expected it to be picked off by a scrap yard crane. The question is, can I get it running?
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Came for $2 Jeep - stayed for mechanical expertise and deadpan humor.
The Hank Hill deadringer voice also is why I'm here.
Same 👍
The Steven Wright deadpan delivery is perfect !
Same, this is a real mechanic
"no cracks in the back window."
I am old, 81, and in addition to having been around a lot of heavy equipment from very early in my life in the mid and late 50s, I did see modified WWII trucks like this, re-purposed for use in the logging industry. I saw 6x6s modified for every use, from skidders, to a set up similar to what you have, with a small deck, a winch and gin poles. All the ones I saw, seemed to be one off local modifications, and I never saw a set up that looked mass produced like that.
My WWII truck story is, that my uncle was a welder, who built and modified logging trucks in the interior of BC. I would go off road, on remote jobs, as his helper, in a modified WWII Power Wagon with a 300 amp Lincoln. Some roads, were unbelievably bad, but we always got to the job done and got back. They might have been slow, but they were great trucks.
We referred to that rear axle setup on your deuce and a half, as a walking beam, and it is amazing how flexible that setup was. I have an old, heavy, tandem trailer that is set up like that.
I love that you are saving these old trucks.
"Walking beam" is what the guy on Edison Motors called it. He is a big fan of walking beam rear end.
@@klrmoto So he should be. For being such a simple design they are incredibly efficient for slow off road use. For multi-wheeled vehicles.
Almost the perfect example of the military K.I.S.S concept . Keep it simple, stupid!
Thank you for your time and your story
Thats a great post - thx for contributing.
I love comments like this. Thank you for sharing these memories.
I'm a simple man. I see a Low Buck video, I click it.
Me too.
Why making a lot of words when everything is said in short. For some reason your comment can be regarded as a wise men's words!
Same
We all got hooked the same way. This guy is sneaky. LOL
You forgot:
I see a Low Buck video, I like it.
I'm not one of those guys that says, "YOU MUST RESTORE THIS!!" 🙄😒 I don't tell another man what to do with his property, or spend his money for him. But I HOPE you will just get it running, and put it to good use. 🤞
Trust me he will. He fixes things to a decent level of efficiency while being thrifty and practical. If he paints equipment usually uses Rustoleum and doesn’t worry about winning a trophy 🏆
i agree , with both of you ... i hope this truck runs and drives and i have a feeling it will with this feller owning it
@@bymarcatholictinkering Yes, I subbed about a year ago, and he never disappoints.
@@bymarcatholictinkering A gitter done kind of guy. I see similar traits in that Ants Pants guy's channel from Estonia.
@@bymarcatholictinkering This needs to be cut up and weighed in as scrap though. What a pile of junk!
Amazing that those WW2 trucks are still getting scrapped. They are heavy, so the scrap value is unfortunately high enough.
At the end of WW2 they were sold on the German Autobahn bumper touching bumper and the Swiss and other neutral Armies bought vehicles by length: We bought Jeeps, Dodge WC trucks and the kind of trucks we see here. We called the GMCs. We bought some P51 Mustangs as well.
The Swiss put an oilpan with drain plugs and grease points on the trucks. It is said that those trucks were supposed to live only 8000 miles or so. We used them in our Army until the Eighties. They are solid as Hell but they were disadvantages: I did not drive on, but in1985 we had a handful left. The Dodge trucks were sold and gone by 81, most WW2 Jeeps as well. The farmers bought them.
My Dad drove them and he said on very narrow mountain roads you had to zig zag to make those trucks go around the most narrow curves. The biggest problem was their extreme thirst for gas.
The lowest consumption I have heard was 80 l for a hundred km, (2.9miles per gallon) the highest 180 l! (1.3 miles per gallon). Our last monster would always drive alongside a trailer full of Jerry cans pulled by another more modern truck.
But there is a loyal collector fan base in Switzerland. Some crazy guys drive to the landing zone in Normandy every year. They spend thousands of $ on gas alone!
I love Army trucks of the Fourties and Fifties and I drove a handful during my Army service. Nothing that solid and reliable will ever be built again.
During WW2 they made enough spare parts for Willys Jeeps to last for another 70 years of normal wear and tear to the vehicles. In the early 70s I owned an ex Marine Corps Willys 1956 MB-3 Jeep. My wife hated it . All I would have to do is to show up in a Jeep and she would divorce me. :-) I grew up in the 50s and 60s and you could still find these things once in a while. In the mid 60's we lived in Florida and I wanted to get a WW2 Dodge power wagon and my Dad said no, because we were moving to Spain. My Dad was in the Navy and we would move every 3 years or so. While living in Spain in the late 60's you could actually see when the Spanish army went on maneuvers, they went in mostly WW2 American vehicles , and would be towing German 88mm anti tank guns behind American made WW2 GMC trucks. 🙂
Awesome! Backyard Alaskan will thank you for the save! (He has a bunch of these, Chevy and Studebaker!)
I want that Stude.....bad.
same here
i was waiting to see someone mention him xd
The date of the replacement engine is probably a clue to when it was converted. They built the tow rig on back and replaced the engine at the same time, maybe with Government issue spares that they purchased at the same time as the truck.
I have to say, James' critical sense is one of the most incredible things I've seen in all my years on RUclips. the level of knowledge is simply fantastic and as I always say, the humor fantastic. This is one of the projects that, besides distracting me, will definitely teach me a lot. James, once again, thanks for the video and greetings from Brazil.
Another fellow brazilian! Abraço pra vc!
@@grapowski abraços meu querido!
Eu também não sei quando os vídeos dele passaram a aparecer pra mim, mas são muito bons. Outros canais que assisto podem ter me trazido pra cá, como Diesel Creek e Waldo's World. Abrçs
It is hard for me to understand why a truck as good and interesting as this would ever be scrapped , it is very close to the same age as I am and I’m still going 😁
We now live in a disposable society.
And it's parts are more valuable 🤣
*- James, my lady enjoyed this and could feel you cheering back the old truck and joined you.*
*- "He has the right attitude so I could watch this and learn. So I joined him."*
*- "There is no defeatist attitude in him. like the little engine that could... 'Yes, I can. Yes, I can.'"*
I wouldn’t say for sure, but Memphis Truck, in Tennessee obviously, did exactly this for decades. They took old military trucks and converted them for civilian use. I owed a M109a3 that had been converted into a GA Department of Transportation off-road truck. It was a Memphis rebuild vehicle. Not sure how you find out for sure but that is an avenue I would explore. Love the vids.
You're a hero saving that bit of vintage from destruction. She wants to live!
Putting oil or ATF in the cylinders really helps build compression and free up the rings.
Been spending all day weeding the garden. Everytime I stopped having fun, I thought of you and changed how I was doing it. Now the wheelbarrow's fixed and working better and I'm taking a beer break before finishing up. Cheers!
At least you can play at having aad, some of us don’t play at it….but we still enjoy life
1st Gear in the 2 1/2 ton trucks is a granny gear. It is super low, and the max speed in 1st is around 3 mph. Thats why it is out of sequence with the rest of the pattern. Try it in 2nd gear.
I didn't know but that's exactly what I expected.
During military training, I was told another reason for this pattern is to put the final drive gear (5th gear in this case) in a position where it is out of the way of a soldier sitting in the middle seat during long convoys on the highway.
@@DavidBGleason The military has never cared about the comfort of any soldier, let alone the one lowly enough to have to sit in the middle seat on a long convoy.
@@anthonylautzenheiser3802 You got that right ~ that the military brass isn't concerned about soldier comfort. In the 1980s I used to go on FTXs riding 40 miles in the back of a similar 2-1/2 ton truck. We rode in the back of the truck on a steel fold down plank.
@clutchmanly1147 And that steel really made you one hard ass today
Who in their right mind would send that beauty to the knacker's yard? Thanks for saving it!
I get sick seeing ge,s like this pickups vans. Sub getting gleefully crushed ☹️☹️
Sending to the scrapyard is the most common outcome these days after having to deal with buyers in 2024 on top of all of the failing algorithms with Facebook Marketplace and the awfully dead Craigslist. There are no alternatives that are better.
Wrong, it’s simply business. They don’t give a flying fuck about selling it or historical value when they could scrap it and instantly get 600$ worth of aluminum, steel, and copper.
@@pauline.denise Would they even get $600? I walked in 172 pounds of steel scrap last week, walked away with $4.50. Honestly should have left it out by the curb instead.
"Knacker's"? 🤔 Is that word Aussie, Kiwi, or Limey??
My guess would be that the modifications were done for logging or oil field work. Since the tank was made in Texas, and its high vis yellow, then its probably for oil field pipe laying or well pipe handling.
The pivots are for some sort of gin pole or A-frame hoist. I wonder if the angles aren't some form of ramp or rails to carry a small heavier load, like a valve, pump or generator from place to place.
That was my guess as well.
Oil field work was my guess too when I saw that Texas gas tank.
I’ve seen all kinds of abandoned oil field trucks out in the back roads of west Texas that have similar A frame winch set ups on the back.
What a beast!
It would have been criminal to scrap it.
"Because Flames!" You Sir are Awesome. You never cease to impress me and amaze me with the stuff you find and get Running. Love your content and Hope you continue to produce it mate. Remember.. if they dont find you Handsome, they sure outta find you Handy. Cheers.
My father was in the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, UK army) as he says if the REME couldn't fix they'd make sure no one else could, you and he have a lot in common.
I was in the Royal Signals, we had a REME unit on our camp maintaining the heavy comms vehicles. I bought my first car from a REME store-man in 1983 (where the hell did that 40 years go!!!), he told me "never buy anything mechanical from a REME mechanic - they don't fix things, they only make them function!". 😉 I've been enjoying watching a few of this guys videos, and I think you might have proved the store-man correct if you think your dad was similar to this guy, function and fixed are not the same thing! 😄
We also had a tradition - if when you guide a vehicle you get it stuck, you buy the REME reccy mechs a crate of beer. I had a newly graduated hoo-ray Henry (2nd Lt) sink 4 of our lorries before I lost my patience with him told him he had to stop guiding the vehicles because the reccy mechs would be too pissed to get any work done!
@@jaidee9570 My father was REME just post WW2 (regular, not national service) went on to run his own garage and now nearly into his 90s still keeps his hands dirty looking after cars which don't have OBD ports, plastic covers, CANbus, synchro etc.
I cant believe some DOPE was gonna SCRAP this beast!! Whatta machine!
Indefinitely really👍👍👍 her body, frame, and chassis are perfectly intact from over 80 years, and that's pretty unbelievable.
Plus, the exhaust pipe when she was running, then she gave a little "spit-fire" muzzle flash right out of the pipe.
Unfortunately, it's happening every day all over the country.
@floridagunrat1625 Then I guess that it's time that all of us that could seem to afford these magnificent, proud, well-made vehicles in our own soil to good use and bring them back to their own glory days again.
Post-military, the truck was SUPER WELL-BUILT!
I'm inordinately pleased that you saved that beast from the scrap yard. When I was a young guy I worked at a shop that had a pattern burner, a vertical oxy/acetylene torch on a horizontally movable arm that was connected to another arm that would follow a sheet metal pattern. I cut out all kinds of things out of heavy plate, many of which are the kinds of things welded on that truck. We had a big bin full of different patterns.
It’s an Old Tank Retriever!! But they used them to yank stuff out from anywhere. Really Cool Truck it deserves a rebuild especially those winches that could pull your house down!! Great Videos Thank You 🙏. You really need to get a book on Old Military Trucks.
It isn't a tank retriever... it is a field artillery tractor. GMC built these 2 1/2 ton trucks with two frame lengths: the 352 was the short wheel base artillery tractor, and the 353 was the long wheel base cargo truck. As a 2 1/2 tonner, this truck was too light to retrieve tanks. That role was left to monsters like the Dragon Wagon.
Bomb disposals for UXBs??
@@majmikecalnan Thank You, I wasn’t a ground pounder I was in the Motor Pool Active Duty in Alaska in the late 70’s till 81. When I saw the back of the truck it sort of reminded me of the old Tank Retreviers from WW2. It’s good to know that someone can point him in the right direction. Was it used for 155’s? Thanks Major!!
He tells you exactly what type of truck it was in its original configuration.
@@majmikecalnanGood info. I built a Lego Dragon Wagon from scratch. I thought this truck may have been a tow truck at some point.
I absolutely love it. Never saw a CCKW fitted with one of these. I own a CCW-353 (6X4) and a Chevy G506 like yours. Same joy you have experienced starting them for the first time - the ejected mouse nests, ford wrenches, and half eaten cheese burgers that come out of the exhaust - simply priceless. When I brought my G506 home it was a pink rolling disaster but it is looking better now. The old fire department red had faded to pink.
One time my Father gave me an old flatbed truck (70's chevy one ton) he built up to move a farm tractor back and forth to a property he had up north.
Long story short the property sold at a good profit and he didn't need the truck. I had it for a while but had to store it back at his farm. After a few years he asked me t get it the hell out of there! :)
At first I had payed attention to it .. Stared it three times a year, added oil and air put fresh gas in it, but it was sitting idle for 2 years.
My Dad was confident it was scap, but I got the booster cables out and it started right up!!! :)
I ended up putting new bearings in the bottom end of the engine new 4 barrel carburetor, and all seals, and put the 350 motor and the giant 4 bolt (4.88) rear end in a 1966 Chevy van :) and drove it for years! :)
You saved another cool piece of well engineered machinery from the scrap pile. Can’t wait to see it climbing hills! As always, super entertaining and educational.
Hi Jame's: We are kindred spirits. I created and run the Swords and Ploughshares Museum near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. We are a military museum that doesn't restore all our trucks back to their military glory. Some are left as found to help tell the ploughshare side of the story. Good luck with the overhaul of the CCKW!! 🫡🎉🎊👍🍁
I haven’t heard from you in ages, Mike. Good to hear that you are still doing Swords and Ploughshares!
It pleases me to see a guy right down the road from me with the same problem......I mean hobby. 😄 Fun as always man.
Those metal part wet cut back in the day with a machine called a “FLAMEAGRAPH”
A buddy had a 46 the same color in the original configuration with the bed. Probably a good tune up and wires and it might even out. Check to see if the add on is olive drab underneath the yellow paint. It's always possible it a military modification for a heavy recovery truck.
It's lovely to see that old warhorse saved from the scrap torch. Once she's been resurrected she'll be good for another 80-odd years I reckon!
So glad to see you save such an awesome old truck 👍👍
Awesome CCKW! My Dad was MP SSgt in Red Ball Express.
One of the best channels on RUclips! You are patriot and a sensible man.
I’d love for you to do a video on the green and white RV in the background that looks to be 4x4. Any 4x4 RV’s really interests me and I’ve never seen anything like it.
"Some minor surface imperfections" ! Love that enthousiasm !
Always a satisfying video with a few laughs too! Thanks. I love these big old beasts!
I can't believe there are only 108 thousand subscribers. This is an excellent channel. This episode was pretty exciting. Thanks for going to all this trouble.
he had like 5000 subscribers when I first found the channel not that long ago
Thanks to Al Gore's Rhythm, he's getting some exposure now
Love seeing old bits of kit being saved and bought back to life!. Also an education for us 'non' mechanical Noddies!. Nice one!, Nuff said!. 🙂🍺
That’s exactly what my jeep straight 6 sounded like when someone had the firing order wrong. I’d check that
Bad fuel and stuck piston rings. No tuning yet.
@@ChrisWijtmans even so, it should run better than that.
sounds about right for 3 cyls
that old iron must love it when someone comes and revives it!
Thanks. I need these kind of videos. I know it must be hard to keep a steady supply of them coming. I appreciate the effort.
I love this channel because
There are a lot of people who just buy old cars and old stuff just to destroy it I don't like that
But when i see you trying to get these cars started again that makes me happy.
Thank you
You are a Master @ this RUclips thing, I can’t believe this Channel hasn’t gained traction better than it has You Captivate us Every Episode. It’s only a Matter of Time. I Live Vicariously through You Sir, I’ll catch you on the next One, Keep It Safe Out There Sir
Saving history for everyone to appreciate thanks James.
What a terrific project and I like how you talk through all the elements of the truck as part pf your investigation. 👍👍👍
Always good to save a old war truck. It wants to run again another you tuber has a collection of these but he lives in Alaska. Great video 👍
Hi, and your fleet keeps growing ,good going , it runs, some what , good stuff , thanks for the humor .
All your videos are GREAT, but this was one of my favorites!
Thank you for saving this!
We lose more of our history every day...
James You are realy a nice man, i like to see that you Save this Cool Beauty from Scraping, makes me veery Happy to Watch you.r movie and to know this nicely Truck will be Save in You.r Place .. I Love all the Old Cars and Trucks, and they are Worthy to Restore and Saving them from get Lost .. Many Thx to You and Keep on Rocking.. and pls Poste more Videos about this Truck wath.s going on in his ,,New.. Live ;-)) Thx a Lot ,, Sincerely Maik from Switzerland
Glad i found this channel its a gem!
I love this, you remind me of my dad & grandpa they both love to tinker with old stuff.
Keep these videos coming. Wish I had the knowledge to help find this trucks history, here in Kentucky the rural electric company back in the early fifties used those trucks as pole trucks for setting us new areas to have electric in homes and barns.
Good morning from Cape Cod ⛵ you sir really do some amazing work. Your sense of humor and amount of knowledge keeps me coming back to the channel. The fact that you explain exactly what you're doing and why sets you apart from the rest. I'm looking forward to seeing what becomes of this military truck. 👍✌️🇺🇲
I greatly appreciate your channel sir. Your humor and auto wisdom is awesome. I appreciate it being clean as well. Blessings to you. From TN. Mark
I love the rundown of the condition at the start of the video - it is practically 'factory fresh' compared to some vehicles you fix.
We need more people like yourself. Kind of crazy but a crafty sense of humor. I do believe I would of used two cycle mix fuel for this start up as the extra lubrication might help in getting stuff lubricated. Sadly I have seen these before but memories are just that. gone fishing I suppose.
Awesome Save brother..she is way too cool and stout to be sitting lonely in a scrap yard. well done.soon as i heard that pop i knew it would run.Great video and thanks for sharing this Rare gem.so cool.
"We moved !
Several Feet" 🤣
Excellent work, excellent comment !
1st time viewer now sub'd . Like you humor now I have to start watching back vids . Retirement is great ! Take care 👍👍👍👍
Please do a walk through of your 4x4 rv. That rv looks so neat, I bet there are more people that would like to see a rundown of what has been done to it.
The seat would have been from a Dodge weapons carrier not sure if 3/4 ton or earlier 1/2 ton.
The gas smell in the oil could be from a ruptured gas pump diaphragm a common problem.
The shift pattern is based on the sets of gears you would be using together , first and reverse moving low speed , the second and third the most common moving down the road in the single digits speed and fourth and fifth the combination at high speed relatively speaking
Silver lining sarcasm.......gotta love it. Hope you manage to bring it back to life and make it look (well sort of) new. Enjoy the journey.
I'm eager to see more.
I like this guy, I love how he describes the damage to the body, e.g this fender looks almost pristine, cracks me up
Thanks, good buy..
I had fun..👍✌️
YES! I think you did save some precious metal and made it very happy in it's new home.
Love your channel !
That back section looks like possibly a logging rig or pole setter. Good Luck and nice save.
This ia rapidly becoming one if my favourite channels.
That thing has a lot of potential, gorgeous truck. Imagine how that would've looked in the fourties, a nice drab green
What a great find happy you have it couldn’t be in better hands!
One man's trash is another man's treasure . Sadly being up here in Mo. we do not have those kinds of finds around here
I’m so glad you saved that truck. Cheers, Stuart. 🇦🇺
i can't describe how happy i've felt when it started
Check out BackyardAlaskan, he collects those trucks and has quite a bit of knowledge. One thing I’ve learned off his channel is that the rear axles are a weak point.
This looks like it’ll be a fun project to add to your collection
specailly the split but banjo is better
Nice job getting this old relic up and running
I tune in to all your episodes but I have to say this 6x6 is a beast. I truly look forward to more episodes featuring this truck
I love your attitude toward working with this old, perished, stuff. Insulation cracking off the hot lead to the coil primary? Not a problem, just a good place to put the jump lead back to the battery. 👍
We had a farm tractor that we used to pull hay wagons and the like. it was made by a company called Empire, and it was made out of a WWII Jeep. so they used anything surplus back then.
That old truck may have landed on Normandy 80 years ago! Well worth saving.
No none of those came back they weren't allowed back because they would ruin the market for new trucks here in Europe they are very common drive one myself
@@dennisverhaaf2872 You're probably correct.
I guess after WWI the sale of surplus trucks totally decimated the new truck market.
@@michigandon I was told it was part of the contract yes but mine was probably taken apart boxed en put together somewhere in England or France to save space on board so just sending back wasn't that easy as well
I saw the name Heil. In Milwaukee Wisconsin there is/was a company named Heil. Last I heard they were making dump truck boxes. You might start your search there.
With a pole boom, I could see this being handy at the mine.
If I taught a shop class, your videos would be Monday's lesson to get the students thinking !
Always loved these old trucks, my grandfathers hunting buddy had one that he put a small 1970s camper on the back for a mobile hunting cabin lol, thing would go about anywhere.
Always good to see a Low Buck upload. I'm getting oil field vibes from that back section, but the drop step makes me reconsider it being used offroad.
It looks like an oil field truck of some kind.
I’m really impressed at how much story you uncover on your projects. It adds some investment for me, really appreciate you showing block numbers, factory images, service manual excerpts, etc.
These videos are fun and really easy to drink in. Thanks for sharing
So good to see someone showing the old iron respect, these trucks are part of our National heritage and an example of our "Finest Generation." They're 80 years old now and represent the defeat of Hitler and the Axis powers during WWII. Your CCKW has Timken "Split axles, while many of the GMC CCKWs also used Dana "banjo" axles. We have several of these awesome trucks and yours is in immaculate condition. Just within the last week we rescued a Studebaker US6, - a close cousin to the GMC CCKW with many of the same parts. Make it run again, and Keep'em Rolling!
Who in God's name would scrap that amazing truck???? That is a definite keeper and indestructible. I have always really liked these trucks ever since I saw the movie "Sorcerer" when I was little.
Seems everyone has been watching the Zil-157 6x6 shorts making the rounds. This machine is COOL ! Glad to see this starting a new life.
It’s a 5 speed box,we would start off in 2nd,as 1st to second was a bit of a challenge,and if you missed 2nd you may have to start again,3rd to fourth 4th wasn’t to friendly 4 to 5 that was heaven,for its time it was a fantastic truck,it started the lively hood of many a longing contractor,and is known to me as GMC.
legit, hope you get this ole boy up and running again.
you can see he WANTS to go back to work. he just needs a hand..
Cheers!
It was awesome not to see water and slime coming out of the pan! Funny seeing the muffler coughing out particles of years of dust. Great old truck!! Love the channel.😆👍
Dude im dying laughing. You have all the humor that other guy HAD till he got rich doing youtube. May you achieve his success too, but never lose the humor!!
Yeah success seemed to go to Vice Grip Garage's (VGG) head pretty fast. He got way less funny pretty fast... LBG seems to be a perfect replacement for my tastes. ;)
Outstanding and awesome content as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along
Good save. Glad to see you got it running. First gear is way over there because it's a creeper gear, not meant for regular driving. Just start off in 2nd.
Yet another excellent rescue, she'll come right back to life.
My passing interest in vehicles lead me to the jeep video, Now im watching this instead of working lol. Im addicted to watching mechanic stuff now. Its cool too see you make stuff work even when it isnt the intended way lol.
I really appreciate what you do, thanks for sharing your adventures.