John you spelled it wrong it's hoppah !!!!!!

A BIG shout out to Ken O with arranging transport. Now Jeff has the biggest wrecker on the block, guess I am going have to arrange a play date in his sand box.

John G

"The impossible will take a little longer" The sign posted above the entrance to the machine shop on the USS Yorktown
1942 Diamond T 969A
1942 Ward LaFrance M1 series 2
1944 Ward LaFrance M1A1 series 5
1940 Chevy G7112 cargo /dump
1944 Sterling HC 165 tractor (1 of 5)
1945 Autocar U7144T w/ 10 ton trailer
1945 Mack NO7

1 understanding wife

chocko (7/3/2016)

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Congradulations Jeff. What are the engine and driveline specs. ?  Did it start life as a tractor as it had a 5th wheel ? thanks Joe D.


Joe, it has a Hercules HXD 855 ci flathead six gas engine, mated to a 5 speed transmission and 2 speed transfer case. This truck has always been a wrecker and was equipped with a 5th wheel when new as well. The Army Air Force used them to recover disabled aircraft. There were also semi tractors built on the same chassis but those were used to pull two 4000 gallon fuel trailers in tandem.







Jeff

What Wayne said!!!!   Getting old is a bitch.

Dan Cornett

Congratulations Jeff. If I was younger I would be jealous but I am so glad to see you guys saving things like this.

I cried because I had no shoes till I met a man who had no class.

Congratulations on the truck purchase! That will be a great looking rig all fixed up - hopefully I'll get to see it a some future show!

======================

Scott McKenzie
- 1950 Bullmoose B624 forklift
- 1964 Pacific SRDD-D
- 1973 Pacific P9
- 1980 Chevy C60
- 1983 GMC 2500
www.pacifictruckclub.org

Congradulations Jeff. What are the engine and driveline specs. ?  Did it start life as a tractor as it had a 5th wheel ? thanks Joe D.

John Gott (7/3/2016)

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Finally Jeff L gets to join the BIG truck fraternity!!!! A long time coming. Will he ever get that grin off of his face

John G

No, the grin is permanently attached ! I still can't believe I got this truck, and for a very reasonable price. I first saw one of these C2 wreckers in the 1980's, and I knew right away that I wanted one someday. This particular truck was bought by a house mover in New Jersey after the war, and was kept inside most of its life. Somehow around 2008 it ended up in a scrap yard, and a man named Matt Picaro saved it and drove it to his home a few miles away. Matt had it for sale in 2009 , and I wanted it then but I didn't have the money. Jeff Chester bought it in 2010. He was collecting WW2 vehicles for a museum he was planning. Jeff never had the truck running and really didn't do anything with it, other than sand the house mover signage off the passenger door and the boom. He covered the cab with a tarp and the truck has been sitting outside since. However, the truck still appears to be in very good condition. The sheet metal is excellent, and the truck is mostly original. A large winch has replaced the 5th wheel, and the original winch that was ahead of the rear bumper is missing. The worst part of the truck is the doors, the cab is wood frame and the doors are separating. The rest of the wood looks solid, it is not rotten but just very old. The truck is not running, of course, but I am hopeful it will not take much to get it going.

Here are photos from the auction site. These were taken last week and show the current condition. The odometer reads 4300 miles. There is a slight possibility that could be the actual mileage, although I am not getting my hopes up. They pulled the bumper off trying to pull it out of the ruts it had settled into. I guess they didn't see those big tow hooks.  

http://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/1944-Federal-C2-WWII-Wrecker_6DE498DB35/

The attached photos were taken in 2009-10.

I have to thank John Gott for moral support and especially Ken O for helping with transport and more. Without them this wouldn't have happened.












The transmission is original, but the shift knob is not !


Jeff

VT;
He has enough room in his shop to put his new addition in the HOPPER..

John

"The impossible will take a little longer" The sign posted above the entrance to the machine shop on the USS Yorktown
1942 Diamond T 969A
1942 Ward LaFrance M1 series 2
1944 Ward LaFrance M1A1 series 5
1940 Chevy G7112 cargo /dump
1944 Sterling HC 165 tractor (1 of 5)
1945 Autocar U7144T w/ 10 ton trailer
1945 Mack NO7

1 understanding wife

How to go Jeff, I'll have to come over and see it. Addition to the shop coming up!?!?!?   lol