WF 32 Right hand drive

[bgates]

Does anyone have any idea what I have here. It's a WF32 but is right hand drive. I've never seen wheels like this either.
The original color is olive drab.
It says it was made in the USA. I know the Russians received 9500 of these but they were all left hand drive. I know the British received a lot of them but all the pictures I can find were left hand drive.
From the VIN it appears to be a 42 or 43.

 

[doghead]

Not sure what you have but, it would look sweet bobbed and on 53's...

 

[glcaines]

I'd put the question in a post on the Historic Military Vehicle Forum in the U.K. HMVF - Historic Military Vehicles Forum You might also send the question to Chrysler. They helped me once regarding an M37 I had questions about, but that was about 45 years ago.

 

[bgates]

I have worked with people in the US, Britain and Europe trying to identify this truck. We know it is very rare so there's no question about bastardizing it. That won't be done. That was a stupid suggestion, let's get some real ones.
This is a rare truck and may be one of the few Lend Lease returns. If so, it's history is incredible.

 

[doghead]

That was a stupid suggestion, let's get some real ones.

That was a poor attempt to be humorous. This site is full of guys bobbing trucks and installing giant tires.

Obviously, you have a rare truck that should be researched and restored , then shown in all it's original glory.

 

[bgates]

Thanks Doghead. I agree. I own a lot of old green trucks, but this is the most interesting. So far, I've found no information on it.

 

[nattieleather]

I have no information, but could it have been made for overseas sales? Not lend-lease, but maybe Chrysler trying to sell to overseas markets before the war? Kinda of like the M601 is a Dodge power wagon modified for military use and sold overseas. Just a thought. Joe

 

[bgates]

Thanks Joe. I really don't know. The base paint is olive drab. It has some American markings above the base paint, but I can't tell yet if the base markings are British.

 

[Jim Hunter]

It looks very similar to CAD D60...Is it 4x4 ?
Looks like a nice project...

Jim

 

[saddamsnightmare]

December 5th, 2012.

It almost reminds one of the Chevy 1.5 tons that had their cabs cut to be converted for operations with the LRDG, except those were 4X2's.... I am pretty certain Dodge made right hand drives, as you have a rare survivor, and it should be interesting to see what unit(s) may have used it by examining the markings or their ghosts. I am probably not a great Dodge fan, but Chrysler has but a llot of military iron over the years. Good luck on both your research and your restoration.

 

[bgates]

Not a 4X4

December 5th, 2012.

It almost reminds one of the Chevy 1.5 tons that had their cabs cut to be converted for operations with the LRDG, except those were 4X2's.... I am pretty certain Dodge made right hand drives, as you have a rare survivor, and it should be interesting to see what unit(s) may have used it by examining the markings or their ghosts. I am probably not a great Dodge fan, but Chrysler has but a llot of military iron over the years. Good luck on both your research and your restoration.

This is a 4X2. Two wheel drive. I had a friend take pictures of it to people at War and Peace in England and no one knew anything about it or the strange wheels. There were 9500 of these sent to Russia for lend lease and there must have been just as many sent to the British, but they were all left hand drive. This is definitely factory made and it says Made in USA all over it.

 

[wheelspinner]

I don't have any idea what it is.....BUT MAAANNNN IS THAT COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bgates]

I've even contacted the Chrysler museum and they don't seem to know what it is, yet. I guess it's pretty rare.

 

[glcaines]

I'm assuming that you are going to restore it? I would definitely plan on restoring it. Since it is right hand drive, it obviously went to a country with right hand drive. I would make a list of countries with right hand drive that were potential recipients of the truck.I believe there are currently 75 countries that use vehicles with the steering wheel on the right, but some countries have changed since the truck was built. You can easily eliminate many countries from the list to narrow it down. I would suspect that the truck might have gone to someplace like Bermuda or the Bahamas where it would have been inexpensive to re-import it back into the U.S. Have you tried searching previous owners for information based on the VIN?

 

[bgates]

I'm assuming that you are going to restore it? I would definitely plan on restoring it. Since it is right hand drive, it obviously went to a country with right hand drive. I would make a list of countries with right hand drive that were potential recipients of the truck.I believe there are currently 75 countries that use vehicles with the steering wheel on the right, but some countries have changed since the truck was built. You can easily eliminate many countries from the list to narrow it down. I would suspect that the truck might have gone to someplace like Bermuda or the Bahamas where it would have been inexpensive to re-import it back into the U.S. Have you tried searching previous owners for information based on the VIN?

The previous owner's father purchased the vehicle from a government sale after the war. They used it on a farm and never titled it. I sent the information on it to the Chysler museum and they are working on it. I don't believe it ever left the US and it is military as the base color is olive drab. It's mostly the right hand drive and the strange wheels that has me stumped. The truck will be restored as soon as I find all the parts I need.

 

[Gordon_M]

Here's some information - mostly about what it isn't.

Uncle Sam procured a bunch of WF 32s on military contracts, and this is one of them. Apart from the right hand drive and the unusual wheels it isn't that 'rare' if you understand me.

I've only ever seen those cage wheels on US trucks, I haven't seen them on anything built for the UK / Commonwealth Forces, and what you have is definitely not one of the standard Canadian-built Dodges for the Commonwealth. It doesn't have British pattern wheels, or hubs / axle ends, nor does it have any sign of the standard 'towel rail' front radiator protector bar.

Never seen this truck type in Europe or the UK, definitely worth keeping and restoring. Very little about it would be difficult to fix as there are only a handful of special right hand drive parts - basically steering box, starter linkage, and clutch / brake linkage.

I'd definitely get the chassis number to Chrysler Historical with $25 for a Build Card, for sure.

 

[quickfarms]

The wheels look a lot like " west coast wheels" a lot of them were manufactured by dayton. They were used on civilian and special order military up until the 80's.

 

[bgates]

They do look like a Dayton wheel, but the way they bolt up is different. I did find the correct VIN 81332000 so it should be a 42 1 ton or 1 1/2 ton, but we still can't figure out the right hand drive and those strange wheels.

 

[Gordon_M]

I've been back over the images and it is an absolutely stock 41 - 45 unit apart from the wheels and the right hand drive.

That chassis number tells me it is Detroit built, and it is definitely a 1.5 ton WF, as the 1 ton equivalent WD had a different type of wheel altogether - a standard Budd drop centre, but six lug instead of five.

Build card from the Chrysler folks - that will tell you instantly

 

[bgates]

Thanks Gordon. I agree totally. It has Made in USA on it so I'm sure it's Detroit built. I'm hoping the Chrysler build card is on it's way.