Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Talk about your truck here

Moderators: Cal_Gary, T. Highway, Monkey Man, robi

06boblee
SFC
SFC
Posts: 593
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by 06boblee »

Just curious.
'54 M37 wew
MVPA #16921
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

Yes on my truck. A factory M42. I will be home from Bavaria in about six days.

NV. After a schnitzle and a liter of Dunkle.
06boblee
SFC
SFC
Posts: 593
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by 06boblee »

NAM VET wrote:Yes on my truck. A factory M42. I will be home from Bavaria in about six days.

NV. After a schnitzle and a liter of Dunkle.
It would be great to see where it is placed, I have had a couple of spots shown- not in the same place.
'54 M37 wew
MVPA #16921
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

my plate is one inch down from the top of the dash. I read on a recent post that 8 digit serial number trucks are factory '42's, 9 digits are field modifications. Or is the other way around. I don't know. My '42 I think is factory.

Had a great time with wife and two daughters in Bavaria the last two weeks. Got my fill of schnitzel's but sure do like their beer

[url=https://postimg.org/image/vjjisv04 ... .jpg[/img][/url]

NV
User avatar
m-37Bruce
1SG
1SG
Posts: 2340
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:21 pm
Location: Midlothian,VA

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by m-37Bruce »

Did you manage to catch any Reisen Bratwurst?
Bruce,

1953 M-37 w/ow

Retired Again

Keep Em Rollin'

VMVA
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

We had a great time. One daughter drove the minivan, the other navigated, Wife and I just enjoyed the ride. Becky is pretty good, has track experience, so pulling "the ton" on the autobahn was no problem for her, nor navigating the incredibly winding, tight mountain roads thru the Alps. I have always liked German/Austrian food, spent 18 months in Bavaria with the 3d Infantry Div in '69-'70. And the beer..... Back then I collected the unique Gasthof beer glasses and steins, so have quite a collection gong back that far. So naturally asked for or bought one from many places we ate and drank this time. Got them back fine, so will also give these to my son; he has my collection in his glass kitchen cabinets. When cars whizzed by us, I just kept wishing I could have my recently sold Porsche GT3, which I sold to purchase my own M42 a year ago. And yes, the Brots and Kartofalen salat were great.

Spent my first day back working on my Truck. Today I will re-drill the holes for the steel strap that holds the lower windshield rubber seal on the bottom of the frame. I removed the two windshield hold down brackets, the lever arm ones that turn and hold the folding windshield glass frames in. Two of the four small bolts broke off, so thought "now what am I going to do?

Ground off the bolt stubs, and then when tapping a small centerpunch to drill and tap them, the inner captive nuts snapped off. "Huh, OK, what is plan B for this?" Then remembered I have some left over NutSerts from my Cobra 427 days, perfectly sized for the holes, and drilled them out with the sized drill, and used the small special tool and an Allen Key to put 10-32 NutSerts in the four holes. Better and stronger than what was there before, and I have stainless bolts for the four holes. NutSerts, I get mine from Pegasus Auto Racing, are just the perfect solution for installing a backing nut in sheet metal. Different thread sizes available, you put them in from the outside, so you don't need any rear access to install them.

all is well, NV
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

just me
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1195
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 4:25 pm

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by just me »

Really far out question, but did you know Pvt Lynn J Harding at that time in germany? He was 3rd armored Co C BN 35th Armor US 7th Army when discharged in 69.
"It may be ugly, but at least it is slow!"
06boblee
SFC
SFC
Posts: 593
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Quinlan, Texas

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by 06boblee »

NAM VET wrote:my plate is one inch down from the top of the dash. I read on a recent post that 8 digit serial number trucks are factory '42's, 9 digits are field modifications. Or is the other way around. I don't know. My '42 I think is factory.

Had a great time with wife and two daughters in Bavaria the last two weeks. Got my fill of schnitzel's but sure do like their beer

[url=https://postimg.org/image/vjjisv04 ... .jpg[/img][/url]

NV
Thanks, that is a great photo.
'54 M37 wew
MVPA #16921
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

Justme, no I did not know your friend. I can recall the name of my platoon Sgt, and the other company officers, and my one chronic troublemaker, Perkins. With the severe draw down of US troops for Vietnam, us Germany units were very short of personnel, my company had at most 60% fill. Lots of racial tension, poor morale. Once, there was a credible rumor of a general racial uprising, so our company commander had his M114 pulled up in front of our building. Of course, since we had to be prepared to track out to our defensive positions in case of a Soviet attack, our M113's and his M114 were kept loaded with assorted ammo and grenades. One evening I walked by the M114, and decided to check the lock on the hatch, and was stunned to find that fully armed track was unlocked! So ran upstairs to our HQ office, and told the first sergeant to get a guard and lock on the CO's track immediately. There were other adventures too. It was a really low time for our services.

and the data place picture is a lousy one, I did not realize my camera internals were still so fogged up with condensation, having taken the camera out from my AC'd home into a humid garage.

Made good progress on installing a new under-windshield rubber seal onto the bottom of the windshield frame yesterday. My replacement was an older OEM one, and had been folded for packing long ago, leaving some folds in it. I think John B. has new ones, mine was old. But still good rubber. So drilled out the retainer screws I couldn't unscrew, ground off the stubs, then cleaned and primed and painted the bottom of the frame and the retainer strap (this just before we left for two weeks), then yesterday, bolted the strap up using the two intact remaining holes. Marked where it should go, and moved it over a quarter inch, cut that much off one end, and then clamped it back on. Use a centering VIX bit to start a new centered hole, then drilled and tapped new holes for my SS 10/32 bolts. Several new holes didn't seem to have much steel to thread, so put in some NutSerts in them.

The tricky part was figuring out how to properly mount the rubber seal. But used spring clamps (from my woodworking days) clamped the seal and strap to the frame, then marked each hole in the rubber, and removed both and used a 5/15 steel punch I bought cheaply at Harbor Freight, and easily cut new holes in the seal. It was a quick re-install of the new seal and plate, and then with some effort raised and then locked down the windshield frame. Snug. And perfect results.

Today the project is to finish sanding the cowl and doors, and see if I can get those parts painted. I want to get as much painting done ASAP as I am doing this in my driveway before the leaves start to fall. My plan is to paint the outside of the truck, then later the inside of the cab.

4 AM, still getting myself back on US time, as Germany is 6 hours ahead.

All is well, NV
User avatar
808morgan
CPL
CPL
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:21 am
Location: Larkspur, CA
Contact:

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by 808morgan »

My truck is an M42 and the plate is not there, I see the holes. I guess I need to get a plate!
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

my M42 plate also has the inscription "To be removed when the M42 Kit is removed from the truck" or something like that. Perhaps when the military had other vehicles to take over the command communication role of the M42's, they were "converted" back to a standard M37 truck, hence the removal of your plate? Somewhere I read that factory M42's have 9 digit serial numbers, (mine does) while field modification trucks 8. My truck bed has about six precise drilled sites for antennae mounts, maybe better than a field truck would have. On the other hand, where my heavy rectifier cables pass thru the driver's side radiator support plate, that is rather jagged, not what a factory modification would do. I will try to post a better close up picture of how the numbers and such are stamped into the plate. My truck does have the four belt huge alternator and winch.

A few other oddities: my truck was built late '52, and by then some of the build changes included omitting the gas tank drain plug, which my truck has. Fuel filter is not on the voltage regulator mount like the very early trucks have. Let me know if you want any specific pictures of the M42 plate.

Happy New Year, too!

NV
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

here is the best picture I could shoot of my factory M42's build plate.

NV

[url=https://postimg.org/image/6l1tcrhp ... .jpg[/img][/url]
NAM VET
1SG
1SG
Posts: 1118
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:27 am

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by NAM VET »

oops, wrong plate. this one....
I unscrewed the plate to paint my dash, used new screws to put it back on.
NV
[url=https://postimg.org/image/kg03v1h8 ... .jpg[/img][/url]
User avatar
808morgan
CPL
CPL
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:21 am
Location: Larkspur, CA
Contact:

Re: Anyone have a pic of an installed M42 data plate?

Post by 808morgan »

I'm going to put a plate on my truck, it was originally an M42 and the plate is gone. I ordered a NOS replacement. I was trying to figure out what number they are stamped with.
Post Reply