Odd dash

[TaylorTradingCo]

I just got in a 1962 Studebaker-Packard today and it has a rather unusual dash in it. It looks to be original. I wonder if this is the gauge cluster it came with as a gas burner and maybe they added the tach under the dash when they converted it to Multifuel?

The on/off power switch is a little different too.

At this point in my collecting, anything different is good.

Derek Taylor

 

[TaylorTradingCo]

Hhmmm, no picture, let me try that again.

 

[doghead]

Yup, that's an original gasser dash, tach added when converted to Multi-fuel.

 

[roscoe]

Where did the truck come from? Did the old gassers( Diamond Rio) have some sort of automatic transmission? An old guy came up to me the other day at the gas station and was talking about the trucks he used to drive and said they had an automatic transmission and he thought they were multifuel.

 

[clinto]

Doghead is correct. For whatever reason, when some gassers were rebuilt as multis; instead of swapping the entire dash, they just added the tach, hotrod style, under the dash.

 

[FrankUSMC]

That explains it!
I have seen a couple of M35A2s come up on GL here that had that sat up. Learned something today....now, I can go to bed.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[doghead]

no multi-fuels with auto trans.

 

[cbvet]

Without taking time to look things up, I'll clarify a couple things from memory:
Diamond Rio is a country music group.
REO was the original designer of the M35 trucks. (Ransom E. Olds of Oldsmobile fame).
At some point Diamond T & REO combined & made the Diamond REO truck.
The trucks with the automatic transmissions were the M135 & M211 series, made by GMC, which were used during the Korean War, & later. They were all gassers.

 

[SuperiorRam]

51-52 GMC's had autos

 

[doghead]

51-52 GMC's had autos

with gas engines only

 

[gringeltaube]

That explains it!
I have seen a couple of M35A2s come up on GL here that had that sat up. Learned something today....now, I can go to bed.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

.....maybe I'm learning something too here: always thought only the A1's came with that (odd) 6+1 instrument arrangement but A2's did already come with the current 1.5" wider panel incorporating the tach.
Another related Q.: have any gassers been depot rebuilt/converted using other than the venerable LDS427-2 Multifuel?

G.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I have crossed paths with many old gassers coming out of US service with LDTs in them. G is also right in the fact the gasser instrument panel is 1.5" narrower than the ones put in the multifuel. Besides this layout with the tach added under the dash, there was also a narrow dash panel made that had the tach and speedo outboard with a row gauges in the bottom. these didn't have the bead around them either. I believe I had one and gave it to Mangus for a project that was never completed. Now he won't give it back and I need it for the M59.

 

[gringeltaube]

I have crossed paths with many old gassers coming out of US service with LDTs in them...

So did those have the late style dash boards with the wider opening or still retaining the original gasser panel plus added tach?

G.

 

[BugEyeBear]

That guage panel (w/o tach) was standard on the GMC M211 M135 series of Deuces. It is also used on the M715 5/4Ton Jeep trucks. Probably used on others as well.

Guage panel w/o tach is narrower, so you can't just swap in the later (w tach) panel.


Are we gonna see pics of the rest of the truck??!?

 

[54reo]

I have crossed paths with many old gassers coming out of US service with LDTs in them. G is also right in the fact the gasser instrument panel is 1.5" narrower than the ones put in the multifuel. Besides this layout with the tach added under the dash, there was also a narrow dash panel made that had the tach and speedo outboard with a row gauges in the bottom. these didn't have the bead around them either.

Like this...


It is a 1958 Curtiss-Wright that was repowered in 1990. I have both the original set of dash plates, and the "new" ones from the repower (they were in the glove box).

It came out with the LDT from the '90 repower. (1990 date on the engine)

Interestingly, this particular truck was turned in to DRMO in late 2008. It was in continuous service from 1958 to 2008.

 

[TaylorTradingCo]

I did not know where the name Reo came from. Thanks CBVET.

 

[hndrsonj]

There are at least 3 variants of the narrower Gasser/A1 gauge clusters. The style origionally posted is usually in A1 trucks, the style 54reo put up is very hard to find, then the very early M44 series trucks had another design. Also the GMC's were made for more than 51-52.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Let me add one more thing related to this. When I repowered my M108 I was unaware of the different size dash. After I figured that out I replaced the whole dash assy only to find out that the support piece under the steering shaft has a notch for the wider dash, had to replace that too!

 

[gringeltaube]

..........

Interestingly, this particular truck was turned in to DRMO in late 2008. It was in continuous service from 1958 to 2008.

Thanks! Your pics just answered my Q: they did retain the original gasser dash panel even on "late" rebuilds!
Also interesting, that yours was converted from M109 shop van into the M35 (A2) cargo version!

G.

 

[1958 M274]

I just got in a 1962 Studebaker-Packard today and it has a rather unusual dash in it. It looks to be original. I wonder if this is the gauge cluster it came with as a gas burner and maybe they added the tach under the dash when they converted it to Multifuel?

The on/off power switch is a little different too.

At this point in my collecting, anything different is good.

Derek Taylor

If I remember correctly 1962 Studebaker-Packard M35A1s were the first multifuel 2 1/2 tons. I believe that your A1 came from the factory with the 427 engine and the tach hanging under the dash. My Dad used to have one of those with the original engine.