WWII Dodge WC-43 Telephone Installation truck

Dodge Other Pickups 1941 Description

Offered is an extremely rare WWII Dodge half-ton truck; of this model, WC-43, only approximately 370 units were built for the United States military for use around the world. A search of the web produces only five complete, running examples today. An excellent one resides in Norway and the other four (including this one) are in the United States.
I bought this truck nine years ago with the intent of building a putt-around-town toy; as I got into the repairs, I decided to do a ground-up restoration. The truck was completely disassembled (except for the axle differential assemblies), sandblasted, painted, and reassembled.
New bearings were installed as necessary (almost all of them), all new brake hydraulic parts and lines were installed; the engine, transmission, and transfer case were completely disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt (with the engine receiving a freshly-ground crankshaft and crankshaft, pressure plate, rods, pistons, and flywheel getting balanced), the radiator upper and lower tanks were removed and the core was rodded-out.
A new wire harness (supporting turn signals) was ordered and installed, and the electrical system changed to twelve-volt / negative ground. The truck retains a twelve-volt generator, as used on radio trucks. All new tires, tubes, and flaps have been mounted. All of the gauges work, including the temperature gauge, and the speedometer was sent out for restoration.
This truck runs really, really nice and has been driven under 5,000 miles since re-assembly (including approximately 1,200 miles towed). All parts are fully-functional. It has been in indoor garage storage since assembly began.
It participated in the Military Vehicle Preservation Association Transcontinental Military Convoy of 2009 from Lake Tahoe to San Francisco, as well as numerous parades and car shows.
Some things which a museum would likely want to know are: The cab is a civilian cab, so the cowl is not an exact fit for the hood; the frame number was ground-off in the 1970's or 1980's and a California Highway Patrol frame number stamped-in; the telephone body was acquired in Chowchilla, California and is missing one side drawer as well as most of the front sliding shelves; the rear bumper and ladder brackets are missing; the engine is not a Dodge truck engine, based on the serial number.
The spare tire in civilian use would stow inside of the body, but the military tire does not fit, so I fabricated the carrier on the roof.
Work remaining includes installation of a headliner, and finding and installing the missing rear bumper and side ladder brackets. While not necessary to drive the truck, I would suggest getting the rear axle differential rebuilt as the pinion side play is enough to cause excessive gear oil leakage. The radiator core has a few spots which weep a little. Some hairline cracks exist in some areas of body filler, and some of the cab door driprail was fabricated to replace some which was missing.
Included in the sale will be a large file of nearly every part bought and job shopped-out. This vehicle is offered as-is, where-is, as a used vehicle titled and registered in California. California law does not provide for a cooling-off period; the sale will be final. The only warranty or guarantee offered are the facts stated and the condition of title (clear).
Deposit payment will be $1,000.00 due within 72 hours ofclose of auction via PayPal; full remaining balance payment will be due within seven business days of close of auction, which will be made by bank-to-bank wire transfer or by any bank cashier's check (bank must be an American corporation), in USA dollars. Buyer must arrange shipping, Buyer must pay for shipping, and this truck must be received from Seller by Buyer or Buyer representative (such as shipping company) within 30 (thirty) days of close of auction. Vehicle is located in Beaumont, California 92223. Buyer must pay any and all taxes, fees, and/or duties charged by banks and/or government bodies or agencies.
I suggest, BEFORE BIDDING, to ask any questions, and/or to make an appointment to view this vehicle. A test-drive will be available in conjunction with Seller's work schedule, and the driver will need to present a valid driver’s license. I (the Seller) reserve the right to reject bids, such as from a Bidder with no history, or a Bidder with a low History Score. I have spent over $18,000 on this project; the Reserve is not that high. I will not be removing the truck from the auction early; I did that in the past, once, and it was unfair to the bidders (to whom I truly apologize) and will not be repeated.
I, the Seller (Ken), can be reached at 909-534-2628 any day from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time. I have represented this vehicle to the best of my ability; my eBay Feedback score is decent. No warranty, express or implied, is offered nor will be honored. This is a 76-year-old antique vehicle.
I will truly miss this truck, but have limited space and a new project is underway.
There are numerous pictures of the work on Photobucket; you may try the following phrase in your search engine such as Google: "Dodge WC-43 Ken Photobucket" (eBay does not allow hyperlinks in postings).
Thanks for looking!On Jun-14-17 at 20:35:55 PDT, seller added the following information:

Photobucket: You may also try "Ken Johns's Library Photobucket"; click on the yellow truck entitled, "WC-43 Telephone Installation"