Time Capsule Navy CJ3A by Valentine APU |
Post Reply | Page <1 3456> |
Author | ||
Oilleaker1
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2011 Location: Black Hills, SD Status: Offline Points: 4412 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Wow, is all I can say. Holding history in your hands-------the real deal, is a very satisfying feeling. I really like the idea of not touching the original, but build a restored replica of yours with numbers and all and put it side by side. You have all the pictures and info. to do so. Finding the charging equipment would be a treasure hunt. More fun. I wouldn't be surprised if someone had that stuff, they would give it to you just to see it go back where it belongs. The more you post it in the right places, the better the chance someone with the equipment will see it. Maybe some military surplus guys. Post a add in MVPA's Supply Line etc. G 503 also. John
|
||
Green Disease, Jeeps, Old Iron!
|
||
jpet
Moderator Group Sponsor Member x 5 Joined: 30 Apr. 2008 Location: Ramsey, IL Status: Offline Points: 11174 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
|
||
CJ2A #29110 "General Willys"
MB #204827 "BAM BAM" "We do what we can, and we try what we can't" |
||
Gil
Member Joined: 29 July 2016 Location: N.B.Canada. Status: Offline Points: 975 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Now that amazing all the information and history,good find Nick.
|
||
1946 cj2a 59108
1998 Jeep Cherokee 2 doors 2016 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk |
||
mbullism
Member Sponsor Member x 4 Joined: 29 May 2015 Location: MA Status: Offline Points: 4785 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Finally something that approaches the true meaning of the word "awesome"... if you don't publicize that jeep all that documentation likely gets lost to history
|
||
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it... Welcome to 1930's Germany
|
||
berettajeep
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 03 Feb. 2009 Location: Astoria OR Status: Offline Points: 4304 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Incredible! That all that paper work was saved and stored where it did not get damaged. That your Jeep was in the manual.
To the gentleman researching his family, glad you found this thread and Nick! |
||
Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Nick:
Congratulations on your acquisition of the Valentine Welder and Mfg. Co. archives; they are now in good hands! In looking at the photos in your "Pictures of books here" remote site, I noticed the USA Registration number on the welder jeep with the four guys working from it is 20643175. That same welder jeep is pictured on page 75 in my Preproduction Civilian Jeeps book, being demonstrated by a guy in a fancy doubled-breasted wool welder suit. I imagine that jeep was one of the first welder jeep factory conversions performed by Harger & Valentine. The CJ2 welder jeep is news to me, as I've never seen that photo before. When you have the time, I would appreciate receiving a 300 dpi scan of that photo (and any others of that CJ2 welder jeep if they exist). From the larger bronze JEEP hood plaque, it appears to be one of the later 18 CJ2 Agrijeeps and not CJ2-01 (X25) that shared the T84X transmission with CJ2-02 (X26), which was equipped with a Davey air compressor. I think CJ2-02 (X26) received the air compressor because its smaller T84X transmission was not as strong as the T90A transmission installed in the later CJ2s for general farming and plowing work. Congratulations again on your wonderful acquisition of he Valentine factory archives. I cannot think of anyone more deserving to have and preserve those materials. :) |
||
Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
||
48cj2a
Bantam Trailer Moderator Sponsor Member Joined: 22 July 2005 Location: Central, IL Status: Offline Points: 4523 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Nick - That is awesome...congrats!!!
You might contact Bill Norris on suggestions of scanning the bound books. He has extensive research experience with archives and the libraries and may give you some guidance. Hopefully he will chime in.
|
||
Art C USAF (Retired)
47 CJ2A #134955 Project 48 CJ2A #206759 62 L6226 Station Wagon #58167 10900 45 T3-C #191 Project http://www.bantamt3c.com http://www.48cj2a.com |
||
Spinnas
Member Joined: 24 Apr. 2018 Location: AZ Status: Offline Points: 375 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
This whole thread is cool, very very awesome.
|
||
Nick_
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 05 May 2014 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 1138 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions! I'm glad to be a part of this community and share our obsessions over the love of Jeeps. I enjoyed each and every post. I'll start to organize all my files and begin writing down APU history. Like a book.
Thanks Fred for the words and history! I've been slacking on picking up your book, and need to get on it. I'll get the loose photographs scanned asap and post them. I can't confirm, but I believe there were a handful of pictures. I also believe there was some information in the large binder regarding all the contracts Valentine fulfilled, which may be of use to you.
I have a confession to make. There is something I never got around to posting, because I never took decent pictures. Last spring, Dave at eWillys posted some information about my Jeep. A reader recognized the badge on the side of my tub. He happened to buy a trashed "MB" rock buggy, and the same badge was on its side. And it was for sale. I eagerly shipped the tub from Arizona because I had to know what it was. After many hours going over every inch of this tub, I found beyond a reasonable doubt it was from one of the 75 Valentine NA-4's. Unfortunately the Jeep is long gone and my #19 is still the only survivor. But I'm happy to save this major piece. I never thought about making a replica of my Jeep. That's a fantastic idea as part of me yearns for the beautiful NA-4 from the manual. Finding the generator equipment will be nearly impossible, heck I still haven't found a control box for mine. But I'm in no hurry. This is the week of APU's. It's only Thursday and when it rains, it pours. Stay tuned for my last trick.
NA-4 tub pictures |
||
Oilleaker1
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2011 Location: Black Hills, SD Status: Offline Points: 4412 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Again, it' seems to be fate has smiled on you. With no glovebox in that extra tub, I was going to guess Slat Grill, but the instrument hole really nails it. I'd make a list of all the military business surplus/dealers and maybe a group of pictures of the parts you need and send that to each guy. He may have it lying around and never knew what it was for. Seems there is a enormous surplus dealer in Arizona that has miles of yard that is full of stuff purchased through history. I think I saw it on Steel Soldiers site. You never know what they have and possibly they don't either. Very cool hunt. John Bizal at Midwest Military would be a good guy to contact. Supply Line MVPA magazine, etc. John
|
||
Green Disease, Jeeps, Old Iron!
|
||
rozzi
Member Joined: 24 Sep. 2010 Location: Northern CA Status: Offline Points: 41 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Congrats on an amazing find with that paperwork. This is one of my favorite threads on this page, so it is always great to see updates!
|
||
Jerry45
Member Joined: 29 Apr. 2007 Location: Cheshire, CT Status: Offline Points: 868 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Amazing find Nick! Really cool to see all this come together!
Jerry |
||
1945 CJ-2A #11802
1950? Szekley Navy APU Jeep Bantum BTC-3 Trailer "They can have my Jeep when they pry it from my cold, dead hands." |
||
Fred Coldwell
Member Joined: 18 Nov. 2005 Location: Denver, CO. Status: Offline Points: 437 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Nick:
PM me your mailing address and I send you, with my compliments, a signed copy of my Preproduction Civilian Jeeps book as a thank you for acquiring and posting these neat CJ2 photos. They're the only real new discovery on the CJ2 front in years. The brand of tachometer used in your NA-4 is SUN. In the late 1940s and 1950s, SUN made a wide variety of tachometers with different rpm ranges and for 6 or 12 volts, + or - ground, as determined by a remote control box to which the tach dial in the dash attached via wires. See if that dark brown plastic control box is perhaps mounted to your firewall. The thing sticking up in the bottom center of your tach is a light for night time illumination. Obviously, its left side arm is broken off short, but there should be another mounting hole at its end, as on the right. But the tach dial face looks excellent! Edited by Fred Coldwell - 12 May 2018 at 5:06am |
||
Happy Jeep Trails,
Fred Coldwell Denver, CO 1944 CJ2-09 - X-33 1945 CJ2-26 - X-50 |
||
Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
This thread just keeps getting better and better!
|
||
There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
|
||
Nick_
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 05 May 2014 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 1138 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Wow, thank you very much!! Crazy how new information finds its way to the surface. I'll check on that tachometer. Oh boy oh boy oh boy this is happening! Yes I have finally tracked one down! About 6 months ago I was late-night searching APU's. I've seen just about every post on the forums 3 times. However, I found a new (old 2007) topic where a user casually mentioned having a flight line Jeep. I messaged him on the off chance he still had it.
Turns out in 1982 his father purchased about 5 APU's to rip the engines out and scrap the rest. Just my luck, one Jeep escaped its impending doom and remained hidden in a barn for the last 36 years. This Jeep was the nicest of the bunch whereas the rest were very rough. After contacting some expert friends, we have confirmed this to be a Valentine NC-2! That would make it the only known Valentine "3-wheeler" true tug-style Jeep known to exist. For 3 years I've been searching for one of these on a weekly basis. There were quite a few variants of the "3-wheelers" as designated by their name. An NA-1 and NA-2 only provided DC voltage, while an NC-1 and NC-2 had both AC and DC. This Jeep has a massive generator drive system that also acts as the transfercase. It can support 1 generator in the front and 2 in the rear. Unfortunately I only have 1 generator and once again... no control boxes. But the Jeep is in such great shape overall that I can't complain. 1,750 hours on the gauge! This particular marking is very interesting. AIMD = Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment. This is essentially the training, inspections, and technical assistance on aircraft. LPH 7 = Landing Platform Helicopter, and the 7 represents the USS Guadalcanal. How cool is that? Serial 3456? Original data tag is missing but this number is on both the firewall and hood. Salt water must've taken a huge toll on APU's. This Jeep has actually been re-skinned over both the cowl and hood. So the bubba Jeeps running around are now considered authentic repairs. Tug Jeeps are nearly unrecognizable underneath. It's a rear wheel steer. The front axle is actually a rear axle, and is directly mounted to the frame, meaning no suspension. Anywhere. The engine appears to be from an M38A1. I need to check the serial numbers. It has a suppressed ignition system. Now this is the coolest tag on the Jeep. The engine was rebuilt in Norfolk, VA in 1969. My NA-4 Jeep was sold as surplus at the same base. It appears this engine was rebuilt with standard tolerances. I'm not sure what the PCW means before NOR, VA. Full gallery here What are my plans with this? I'm 99% sure it's making an appearance at the Hueston Woods reunion in 2 weeks. I'll then work towards a mechanical refurbish to make it a driver. Who else wants to see it whip around a donut? Long-term I want to purchase another generator and the control boxes. Both these Jeeps share the same patina, so much that you'd swear they sat in the same building all these years. They're right on the edge of restoration vs preservation. Overall this appears to be in better shape than my NA-4, but I have yet to inspect the frame. I'm heavily leaning towards preservation. This thread has turned into a Valentine storybook! |
||
Oilleaker1
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2011 Location: Black Hills, SD Status: Offline Points: 4412 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Keep digging, I'll bet there is more stuff around. You are now the foremost expert on these whether you like it or not. You should tell the whole story about them in a book. Fred Caldwell can shed light on how to do it. Thanks for sharing your excitement. very cool. John
|
||
Green Disease, Jeeps, Old Iron!
|
||
eestes1
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 12 Feb. 2011 Location: Mineral, VA Status: Offline Points: 1158 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
Congratulations doesn't seem enough to say! Just incredible-luck and perseverance have paid off!
|
||
Rick Estes
|
||
mbullism
Member Sponsor Member x 4 Joined: 29 May 2015 Location: MA Status: Offline Points: 4785 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
No doubt, you're in it deep now. Nice!
ETA: does that strap on the cowl act as a stop to keep the hood off the steering wheel when open? Edited by mbullism - 14 May 2018 at 2:07pm |
||
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it... Welcome to 1930's Germany
|
||
Post Reply | Page <1 3456> |
Tweet |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |