Restoration CCKW

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My 1945 CCKW 353

Then

Now

The following is a work in progress...more of a diary and some ranting about the progress that is going on with the truck. As winter approaches I will clean up this page.


July 2, 2004 The truck arrived today. It was transported by Ray Patton Trucking from Newport NC, to my house. The CCKW would not start upon arrival due to very stale gas and other issues. We did finally get it off the truck with Ether.

A more Detailed inspection of the truck reveals that it is much worse shape that what I had been led to believe. That's what happens when you buy something over the internet with out physically inspecting it. It has the following issues. 2/24/05 The above statement was written in July of 2004. It may have been a little bit of buyers remorse as I was lead to believe that this was a turn-key piece. Actually the truck is in decent shape...far from turn-key but a great candidate for a restoration. It seems to be all there and mostly original. The more I see it the more I like it. The seller also made it right with me and adjusted the price...a very honorable Marine!
Good Points This truck seems to be pretty much complete. The sheet metal (for the most part) is rust free and straight. It seems to be a solid truck after 59 years. Low Points Battery Cables shot Electrical system not charging (this is why the battery goes dead) Sludge in fuel tank Carburetor seams leaking gas onto exhaust manifold Carb needs cleaning and rebuild (because of bad gas) Spark plug wires cracked and broken Needs new spark plugs Poor compression in # 3 and 4 Cylinders burning oil badly in these cylinders. Lower end rod knock when warm Clutch is slipping and needs to be replaced. Engine will not idle Radiator leaks coolant when warmed up No Brakes (3 rear wheel cylinders leaking fluid down the inside of the rims) Cab floor rusted through in many spots, needs replacement for NH registration inspection RF lower cowl rust through 6” x 1” hole. Rear lights do not work Wipers are shot and must be rebuilt Rear bed floor is rotted through and must be replaced Troop seats and cargo rails are NG in some spots. Some Cargo Tarp bows are rotted and can not be used. Rear Cargo door bracket is broken and will not latch left side of cargo door. Needs Cab top and rear replaced. Truck was painted with a brush and needs complete repaint.
On July 4, 2004 Restoration has begun.... We are off and running. The first thing we will do is fix the electrical system so I can get the vehicle to start. I am converting this to 12 volt by using an alternator. 12 will crank faster and is more convenient as all my other vehicles are 12 volt and it is just easier to jump. It will require a new battery, new battery cables, alternator, coil resistor, and all new light bulbs. A new pulley will have to be found as the Delco alternator pulley will surely be too small.
Restoration has really begun.... 5/18/2006 Other projects and trials got in the way of restoring the CCKW. Now after almost 2 years the restoration is off.




First to be done is to clean out the rotted wood floor of the composite cargo bed. With that completed a pressure was and sand blast is next. The fuel tank is loaded with junk so it will have to be removed, cleaned, and treated. I am thinking about POR 15 fuel tank treater.