More Info/ Update on Civilian-Style Military Panel Conversion

[Guest]

<BR>Thank you for your replies. I've been<BR>VERY actively researching this 1939 Ford<BR>1.5 ton panel CONVERSION for well over a<BR>year. Unfortunately I wasted about 6 months of that time convinced the truck was Bell Tel. Co.. Bell used OD Green as<BR>well, has a round logo on the door, and<BR>the general layout of the truck and CONVERSION suggested telephone or power<BR>truck. <BR>After annoying every Tel. Retiree in the<BR>country I finally was directed to a So. Cal. (this truck is definitely So.Cal.)<BR>Telephone Company Historian. His name is<BR>Mr. Vic Sumners. Mr. Sumners searched his vast collection of paper and photograph items and came to the conclusion that this vehicle probably wasn't Bell Telephone OR Southern California Telephone Company.<BR>Then I joined MVPA Military Vehicle Club<BR>and went online to get some answers. I got LOTS of replies with suggestions and<BR>ideas but no conclusions.<BR>One day I was sanding on the door of this big panel and found a California Bear on top of the insignia! Please remember that the military went overboard trying to obliterate EVERY last logo, number, stripe and there's so<BR>many markings on this truck!<BR>Since my discovery, I've been on the California Military Museum website every<BR>day and actually travelled to Sacramento<BR>to view materials in the Museum Library.<BR>I just can't seem to nail down the insignia--actually a coat-of-arms. <BR>Highest probability is 160th Inf.Reg.<BR>The conversion was done by Union Hardware & Metal Company, Los Angeles, CAL. Their name is stencilled in the back of one of the cabinets. It took me<BR>two months to decipher what that stencil<BR>said. <BR>I firmly believe that this extensive<BR>(and seemingly unnecessary) conversion<BR>was done BEFORE the vehicle was delivered new. Every exterior metal part<BR>on the truck has the same number and colors of paint and primer EXCEPT the first coat of primer. The conversion has<BR>an initial coat of gray primer. The rest<BR>of the body starts with red primer. The<BR>vehicle exterior has a total of three coats of paint on it. The first two are<BR>OD green but the earliest is darker and<BR>perhaps has a LITTLE gloss. The latest coat is a medium green.<BR>The L.A. connection (Union Hardware...,<BR>160th Inf. Reg.) continues with a "Job-<BR>Ticket" found inside the truck. It says<BR>"Todd Shipyards, L.A.Division". This is<BR>in San Pedro (L.A. Harbor). <BR>Finally, the markings. This ARMY vehicle<BR>was seemingly painted up like a circus truck! Stripes, logos, numbers all over<BR>the place. The stripes were slanted on<BR>the body, yellow, and were about 3" wide. The CONVERSION especially had stripes.<BR>Options! This truck came with big engine, dual wipers, dual rear wheels<BR>with wider fenders and runningboards.<BR>Model# 99T. YES!,99T--'39 with 95hp.<BR>Sorry about the long post. A year's worth of research condensed! THANK YOU<BR>DON KENYON<BR>

[jac]

Don, That is an interesting history. Keep up the detective work and keep us updated.<BR>Nevery mind the long post as it is interesting.<BR>later-jac

[Guest]

Just a wild guess, because of the stripes could it be a service vehicle that was used on airports to control a/c movements. That it had big windows might lead into a (follow me) type of vehicle. <P>------------------<BR>c.sanders