1941 K18-C GMC Recovered today

[nattieleather]

The BC-325 weighs almost 900 pounds. It did not get the nickname 'refrigerator' by accident (or maybe it did when someone got crushed). It was rated at 100 watts voice or 400 watts CW (Morse Code). I have a Ten-Tec Omni that can beat those specs which only weighs 30 pounds with power supply. Technology has come a long way since the 1930's.

It be them tubes. Them tubes, them tubes, them big tubes..... That radio would keep you warm on a cold winters night that's for sure. K8ICU.

 

[1960studedriver]

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?175027-1941-GMC-K18-lives-again&p=2092891#post2092891

Here is the new thread for my restoration.

 

[Oldfart]

http://www.cckw.org/270_to_302.htm

 

[papabear]

Well....all good things come to an end and it's time for the K18-C to go to a new home where she can be seen and appreciated. That has always been my mission but for the last 2 to 3 years she has been stagnant and stored in a dusty old warehouse and seen maybe 10 times a year.

Plus....she hasn't even been started or driven for about 2.5 years....BUT....

Today a friend helped me get her running and the brakes operational and this is how:

We put in a new 6 volt battery and it didn't have the strength to turn the 270CI engine that was completely rebuilt (too tight) so I had my friend hook my forklift to her with a tow strap. He pulled me about 20 feet and I saw fuel come into the clear fuel filter I had installed in the line and about another 5 feet later....she lit off like a new one!!!

I drove her around the compound just because and brought her back into the warehouse where we bled the brakes and got them up to par.

So tomorrow....we will load her onto my equipment trailer and Saturday we will take her to Davie, Florida to a feller that has ALL kinds of super neat WWII vehicles. SS Member Bill W. was the key to getting her where she needs to be.

Of course I will take loads of pics of his stuff and post them so you can all drool and maybe even get him to join SS and keep us apprised of his operations down there.

I have mixed feelings about all this but at the same time, I know it's the right thing to do.

 

[Another Ahab]

I have mixed feelings about all this but at the same time, I know it's the right thing to do.

You fledged her off to a good and loving home:

- You "done" good, Brother

Well done!

 

[Tinwoodsman]

So, so sad but I understand she is in a place where she will get some action. Have a safe trip.

 

[papabear]

So, so sad but I understand she is in a place where she will get some action. Have a safe trip.

Dang Brother....It's a biotch getting old and not being able to keep up the fire.

 

[marchplumber]

Thanks for sharing her with us, PB! I trust in your vision of the mission and appreciate all the fine work to get her where she is today....may she continue rolling forward!

Still hard to accept....ya know?

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Donning my chaplain's persona for a moment here.....

We are taught to be good stewards of everything that God has put on this earth. I believe that that extends even to the machines that man has designed and built, by the grace of God and our God-given industrious abilities. With that setting the stage, I can readily see God looking down upon you, PapaBear, and proclaiming, "Well done, good and faithful servant. I have trusted you with a fine piece of history worthy of preservation, and you have answered the call to polish it once more to it's former glory."

Shall we all thank God for how we are used to enhance mankind, His kingdom on this earth, and yes, even through these old MV's.

Praise be to God!

 

[Bill W]

She is going to a great home and your going to be like a kid in a candy store when you get a look at Fred's collection.

 

[papabear]

She is going to a great home and your going to be like a kid in a candy store when you get a look at Fred's collection.

Yes, we've been talking by phone and text and he keeps saying "oh yeah I forgot, I also have a WWII....." And I start drooling again.

We are meeting him sometime tomorrow afternoon and start the tour and finishing Sunday after he and the wife finish "family stuff".

 

[microjeep]

Glad she found a good home, would have loved to taken her off your hands but she would suffer the same fate for a little while. FYI drove the A2 around the compound this week fired instantly but the brakes are gonna need some love

 

[Another Ahab]

Yes, we've been talking by phone and text and he keeps saying "oh yeah I forgot, I also have a WWII....." And I start drooling again.

We are meeting him sometime tomorrow afternoon and start the tour and finishing Sunday after he and the wife finish "family stuff".

You got ME drooling just reading that now...getting messy here.

Please, PB, PLEASE:

- Grab your handy Kodak Instamatic and bring it to the walk-through!

 

[papabear]

You got ME drooling just reading that now...getting messy here.

Please, PB, PLEASE:

- Grab your handy Kodak Instamatic and bring it to the walk-through!


Forgot the camera but took some pics of most of the REALLY cool stuff with my trusty phone. I'll try to post some tonight.

Driving 1200 miles in 48 hours and touring a facility like that may take a little while before my mind will focus on reality again...

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

You got ME drooling just reading that now...getting messy here.

Please, PB, PLEASE:

- Grab your handy Kodak Instamatic and bring it to the walk-through!


Forgot the camera but took some pics of most of the REALLY cool stuff with my trusty phone. I'll try to post some tonight.

Driving 1200 miles in 48 hours and touring a facility like may take a little while before my mind will focus on reality again...

Quoting Richard Millhouse Nixon:
I have only this to say about that....

 

[rickf]

YOU FORGOT THE CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!! Even being forewarned what this guy had you FORGOT the camera!? Papabear, I hate to say this but you may just be getting old.

 

[papabear]

YOU FORGOT THE CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!! Even being forewarned what this guy had you FORGOT the camera!? Papabear, I hate to say this but you may just be getting old.rofl

I would be SOOOOOOO happy it that were the only problem!!!

 

[Tinwoodsman]

Papabear is not old!!! He, like myself is well seasoned.

 

[papabear]

Papabear is not old!!! He, like myself is well seasoned.

Thank you my true Brother...well...I consider you that.

SO.....First let me tell y'all about the trip down:

WELL.....Doc, Craig, and I met at the hooch at 07:00hrs Saturday and mounted the noble steed (also known as my F350) with the equipment trailer (8 tires, 20K GVW) and headed out for a hardy breakfast before we embarked on our most excellent adventure.

The stated mission was to transport one each K18-C Communications Truck to Davie, Florida and release her to roam with many other military vehicles and live out her life in bliss. SS member Bill W kinda sorta arranged the handoff and vouched for the feller at the receiving end and after texting/talking to him by phone, I was kinda sorta convinced the "receiver" was a good troop and would give the K18-C a good home where she could be seen and appreciated instead of sitting in a dusty ole warehouse feeling she was no longer loved. (That was not true...but she didn't get much attention).

BUT....I digress....I forgot about the day before....Friday.

Craig came by the hooch to help me get her cleaned up and running and to load her onto the equipment trailer. We replaced the dead batteries with a new one but the engine was so tight the 6volt battery wouldn't turn over and I couldn't remember how to use the 12V "kicker" system Zout had installed...

SO.....I told Craig to bring the forklift and hook a tow strap to me and we would pull start the ole girl. I took off the engine cover forward of the shift tower and he pulled me about 10 feet and I saw fuel rush into the clear filter Zout had installed and then.....VAROOOM!!!!!!!!!!!

THEN.....we bled the brakes and got them working again and drove her over to the wash rack for a bath.

OK....at this point, I was getting the willies and regretting my decision...but....I knew it was the right thing to do....so we continued the mission and loaded her up.

Now...for the trip.

We had been driving for about 3 hours when suddenly bells, whistles, and all kinds of "WARNING WILL ROBINSON" kinds of stuff happened and the temp gauge pegged all the way out!!!!

Luckily, Tony had put a few gallons of coolant, a gallon of oil, and a gallon of transmission fluid.....just in case....

There were no signs of a leak other than from the coolant reseviour...and we checked....BUT....no leaks found. I thought maybe the cap was bad so we stopped at a parts house and bought a new one.

BUT NO!!!! That wasn't it....so fast forward:

We went thru 12 gallons of water/antifreeze on the trip down (plus...I turned the AC off) but we made it by 9:30 PM and went straight to the receivers house to drop the trailer and then go to the hotel....but where do you find a repair shop for a 6.0 diesel Saturday night or Sunday morning??

Oh....and some of you asked for pics of what the feller has so I'm gonna tease y'all a little at a time.

ALSO...the owner asked me to remind everyone that ANY weapons you see on the vehicles or sitting around are replicas and can NOT be made to fire nor are they in any way a "destructive device"......unless you bump your head on it....like Doc did....

Oh...ALSO...we should get some sort of recognition for doing a 1200 mile round trip in 48 hours with a sick truck, viewing priceless vehicles, not pi**ing our wives off, and getting back home semi-intact!!!

 

[papabear]

Just because I had a hard day at work and I'm tired, I'm only gonna post 2 pics tonight....but more will follow: