Previous Government Truck

[69BlazBlaz]

Hello All,
I have had this truck for about a year and its finally time to start working on it. I'm trying to find some history on it. I was told from the PO that it was used to move passenger luggage back and forth from the plane to the baggage check. Before that it was used as a air force truck at a local base. I have no reason to not believe the PO because there are stickers and data plates about government usage and runway light configurations. I was trying to find this info so I can lookup some old graphics or emblems maybe from the air wing that it was with to add somewhere on the truck when I do the paint. Just like everyone else VIN searches do me no good. Anyone have any idea how I can do this?

[GM72K10]

What model is it? Does it have an NSN number? More pictures?

[69BlazBlaz]

1974 C10, could not find an NSN number on it anywhere.

[Palf70Step]

The FED Stock number is your NSN. Nice looking truck!

[69BlazBlaz]

So with that NSN is there a way I can track down what unit it was with?

[69BlazBlaz]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

The FED Stock number is your NSN. Nice looking truck!

Thanks Palf. It's got a long way to go. Exterior is 99% straight and rust free. Floors are completely gone and the PO to the PO of me replaced them with road signs. Engine runs on Propane or gas with a switch on the lower left dash. Havent decided whether I want to keep that or not.

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by 69BlazBlaz

So with that NSN is there a way I can track down what unit it was with?

Only if the documentation/service records came with the truck. I do not recall any other way to track them. Once they hit DRMO (Gov junk yard) most records are destroyed. Especially back in those days when they were all paper. I have gotten a few and was lucky enough on one of them to have it's complete service history because I knew the guy at the motor pool who gave me the records.

[Dead Parrot]

Originally Posted by 69BlazBlaz

So with that NSN is there a way I can track down what unit it was with?

The NSN is govt speak for what private companies call a SKU or product code. The registration number is how to track the history. There is a site called Steel Soldiers that is to former military vehicles as this one is to GM vehicles. It sometimes has a thread where you can enter information you have and someone will attempt to find history on it. As others have said, sometime records disappear and the responses depend on someone having time and access to the records.

Might look under the seat, sometimes paperwork gets stuffed there or lost under there.

Look for faded letters and numbers on the sides and bumpers.

[Dads79GMC]

Got in the military in 1983 and out in 2016, the Army had Dodge pickups back then, then went to the 81+ style GM pickups at some point, maybe mid 80s. More than likely, this truck was bought off the lot by the Air Force for use on base (flight line). Nomenclature Plate was more than likely put on by the Air Force. MFRS Serial Number matches VIN. Not a tactical truck like the Army's CUCVs (not really a tactical truck for the most part).

Just my opinion. Mike

VIN Decoded

C - Chevrolet
C - 2WD
V - 350-2
1 - 10
4 - Pick Up
4 - 1974
F - Flint, MI
459589 Build Sequence

[69BlazBlaz]

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

The NSN is govt speak for what private companies call a SKU or product code. The registration number is how to track the history. There is a site called Steel Soldiers that is to former military vehicles as this one is to GM vehicles. It sometimes has a thread where you can enter information you have and someone will attempt to find history on it. As others have said, sometime records disappear and the responses depend on someone having time and access to the records.

Might look under the seat, sometimes paperwork gets stuffed there or lost under there.

Look for faded letters and numbers on the sides and bumpers.

Yeah I know about Steel Soldiers. I appreciate the reminder. I thought that was mainly about Army vehicles because that was all I ever remember seeing on there. I'll give that a shot. Looking under the seat is a no go I'm pretty sure. Floors have been patched with road signs all the way across and the seat looks like it came out of bus. But I'll look just to make sure.

[old Rusty C10]

its a beautiful truck please keep us updated on your restoration... as to its prior provenance it probably would be too hard to locate a fleet supervisor at the place it was at for the air force?

[69BlazBlaz]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

its a beautiful truck please keep us updated on your restoration... as to its prior provenance it probably would be too hard to locate a fleet supervisor at the place it was at for the air force?

Yeah Rusty, The base it was at closed down in the early 80's and was given to the city it was in. The truck remained at the airport and was used as a luggage vehicle to move luggage back and forth from the planes to the terminal. Finding any type of records from over 30 years ago would probably very hard. I just thought it would be cool if I could figure out what air wing it was apart of and maybe add that to the paint scheme like some people do on the doors for a business or something like that.

If anyone knows anybody that was in the air force in the late 70s and they could identify the air wing that was in Grenada, MS, maybe I could find something that way.

[Dead Parrot]

Might go to the airport and see if they have a historical area about the airport's history. Might even get really lucky and find a picture of your truck in action.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by 69BlazBlaz

Before that it was used as a air force truck at a local base. I have no reason to not believe the PO because there are stickers and data plates about government usage and runway light configurations.

I agree, ex air force. This was an airforce base scene from Hawaii Five O, needless to say, the original, from the '76-'77 season ( your never going to see this in the later series). These trucks appear to have special order blue paint with same color bumper, wheels and hubcaps right off the assembly line. Does your truck have evidence of 3 arm below eye line mirrors?

[69BlazBlaz]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I agree, ex air force. This was an airforce base scene from Hawaii Five O, needless to say, the original, from the '76-'77 season ( your never going to see this in the later series). These trucks appear to have special order blue paint with same color bumper, wheels and hubcaps right off the assembly line. Does your truck have evidence of 3 arm below eye line mirrors?

FactoryStock, The truck has been painted at some point because the blue in your picture is darker than what it is now. It does appear that there was larger mirrors there at some point because of how the paint it slowly coming off. Once I get to the sanding and priming part I'll have to look and see if there was a hole for the larger 3 arm mirror. Is that the best picture that you've been able to find? I think that would look pretty cool to get it looking like that again, but with a 3/4 drop, maybe some black wheels and redo the interior air field stickers. Kind of like a resto-mod.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by 69BlazBlaz

, but with a 3/4 drop, maybe some black wheels and redo the interior air field stickers. Kind of like a resto-mod.

I'm more into the resto, than the mods. Once you do the wheel thing, the drop thing, just another typical square door to the outside world.