Those spare tires caught a lot of bullets and saved a lot of lives, enabling the drivers to carry out their missions. That saved more lives. That was no inconvenience, that was good engineering by Dodge.

Military vehicles don't need safety features, soldiers carry all they need for safety with them at all times. Their PT belt. It will protect you from everything. How you may ask? Because for EVERYTHING that has ever gone wrong in a military anywhere, one of the first questions asked is "Was he wearing his PT belt?"

In the '40s and '50s, trucks with enclosed, 1 compartment rear sections were called carryalls, where the same vehicles on car chassis were called station wagons. If you wanted to get serious about it, carryalls technically had windows in the back, like station wagons, whereas the ones without windows in truck form were called delivery vans, whereas the windowless cars were called sedan deliveries. Regarding assploding split rims, I had an acquaintance from Kentucky while I was in the Army in the '70s. We were still running split rims. To properly reinflate them after the rim and tube were replaced, they were supposed to be placed in a heavy cage, which you were not supposed to put your arms or hands inside of. Ol' Kentuck ignored that last bit one morning, and when the rim let go, it broke his arm right in half.

The rad cap access was important, because even though it is a pressurized system, it is not like what we are used to now. There is no recovery tank, and use in other than very mild conditions would result in coolant loss. Making it easy to top off the coolant was a good thing. The "jerrycan" on the passenger side with the unusually large opening is in fact, the water can. (Finding one that has not been at one time or another, filled with gasoline, is a rare thing). The wheels on this example are "Combat Wheels" , and were intended to be easier to deal with in the field, especially when the heavy self sealing/bullet resistant tire/tube combo was fitted. While being the same size as the lock ring style of wheel used on the M37 they are mechanically and functionally a bit different. It's not at all unusual to find examples of the WC out in the wild, fitted with the far easier to manage lock ring style split-rim. It is possible to speedmatch /clutchless shift the WC , but it takes a lot of practice. As you mentioned double-declutching is recommended. (Also, when going from First to Reverse, or Neutral to Reverse one may find it easier to slip it into second, let the clutch out a touch, then slip it into reverse for a "grind free" experience.).

My grandfather remembers these in the motor pools of Italy. They seem like very handy vehicles with good maintenance access, reliability, and really everything you could want in an army truck.

HOLY SHIT! not only tanks, but vehicles too?! this channel has a bright future. Still waiting for that Chieftain X Gun Jesus ultimate crossover.

It makes me happy to see a vehicle this old in such nice condition. It looks good too! 😊

For anyone curious about the videos of the tire exploding, you're looking for videos of split rim tires exploding to be exact.

That beast is Ex Norwegian as shown by freewheel hubs. The tools are actually set up in the European manner, the US standard was outside tailgate, which means it can't drop all the way. Feild mods included putting rack on plate behind pasenger seat . Though they are early pattern seats. First gear is a crawler, far easier to start under most conditions in 2nd, There are 2 types of light switch a twist and a push. My 12 volt 51 has the push, the 6 volt 54 the twist. When topless and windscreen dropped the only type of vehicle lower than a Dodge was a Jeep. Dodge claimed the ground presure of the vehicles wa sthe same as a Camel. The standard brake are perfectly adequate, if you adjust them properly by the manual! They are vehicles you are expected to maintain, and they are made to check and maintain. Except the brake master cylinder, Dodge had a very off day when they decided to mount it behind the sterring coloum! Though a remote resovoir is easy enough to cobble up.

I am really enjoying this slight detour into Rock Island. Interesting to see other vehicles that support the needs of the troops.

It was interesting. I am glad you are doing these, not as exciting as tanks, but good info on WW II support vehicles.

My father had one of these as a command/recon/light utility vehicle when he was in the army. And he loved it. Called it his 'big Jeep' and whenever I ask him about it his eyes light up. Seeing it like this I can sort of see why he liked it. Not too big, but not exactly small either, so driving it offroad must at the time have been a positive experience compared to the competition.

I’ve watched quite a few of your videos since subscribing. They are very well done and you do a great job explaining the features of these iconic vehicles. Thank you for your attention to detail. Cheers

What a beautiful, simple, and elegant truck. 90 HP, and I will bet you this thing would go into more places than most of today's $70K "lifestyle" trucks.

“I just wish my Audi was like that” #cheiftanhumblebrag

Dodge actually proposed the 3/4 ton upgrade not long before the half-ton design was standardized.There was something like 80% parts carryover between them. Radiator cap relocation was more a product of the lowered hood profile versus the half-tons than anything else.

Excellent job Chieftain, good to see you finally do vehicles you can easily get in and out of; and I'm already a fan of Rock Island from the small arms videos - terrific mix!

I grew up with a nice old WC 51 in my family, my sweet old dad had one in the early 60s. Ours had a soft front top, and a rear top canvas too. He eventually added a front winch, and used it to pull stuck vehicles out on the beach. It was a solid gold family surf fishing machine, when I was growing up as a kid. This brings back some very good memories. Thank you!

This video is invaluable for scale modelers. It's not only the great detail close ups but also the explanations you give. There aren't enough vids like this on "soft skins" and I hope you'll do more of them. Off to watch your video on the M3 scout car now. Thanks for posting.

On double declutching, when downshifting (the only time you really need to bother at all) you need to use the gas pedal when in neutral to speed the input shaft up to match the gear ratios to the next gear. Just putting it into neutral and letting off the clutch wont do anything but put the transmission to idle speed.

Oooh, *Military Vehicles and Weapons Jesus* Strikes again at the Rock Island Auction Company.

This is the best looking Dodge. Thanks for the breakdown of the WC/VC series of trucks. That was new to me.

Thank you for the series on military vehicles I really enjoyed all the background information that you're giving. I love your Armored series but this information is important to me also. I build scale models and it's very helpful for me to have all this background information ,thank you again

I went to my Y11 prom in one of these, with the soft roof on. The drivers even wore US army uniforms, it was great.

An early vehicular crush, closely following the 1/4 ton and preceding the pinzgauer, absolutely loves these wonderful vehicles

That fuel filler is so simple but makes so much sense. So many ATVs and construction equipment and things like that could use something like that.

The steering is unbelievably heavy. I recently drove a friend's Dodge WC. When you have to change down and turn a corner at the same time , you lose all speed trying to wrench the wheel round and at the same time double clutch and get the gear lever into a lower gear. I ended up coasting to a stop trying, then had to select first gear and start off all over again., much to the chagrin of motorists behind me. The brakes ought to be vacuum boosted. They are also super heavy, used to slow you down, not stop quickly. I think this is why they have a very heavy front bumper and spring steel bumperettes on the back- so in convoy, drivers could just bump into each other to stop with no damage. Fun vehicle, though.

Absolutely love this vehicle. The next vehicle i am on the look out to buy. Great informational video, thankyou for sharing. 👋🇦🇺

Finally, a vehicle Chieftain can sit upright in. This needs to be my Sunday driver.

The WC series was 51-59. All on the same chassis, even the carryall. The WC55 was for a 37 cannon and was also known as a Gun Motor Carriage 6. 1230 made. I own one. Troop seats are shorter with the corners having ammo lockers for 25 rounds 37 MM each. No spare tire at all. Originally was bullet proof tires, never did find a good description of what they were. WC stands for Weapon (no S) Carrier When pulling the engine, just remove the front grill and clip, fenders on and lift the engine and tranny together out. Those lit up reflectors are way modern, but nicely placed. originals were red reflectors no light. That truck has the late wood sides for the truck bed,. Earlier was all steel. That truck was also converted to disc at some point That truck has a New Process 220 trans. when going into neutral between gears, move the lever in neutral back and forth, really sets the gears up. Speedo was repro, you can tell by 6 digits, originals are 5. There was a WC 63, and 64. One with winch one no winch. dual wheels in the rear. Done as squads went from 8-12 people. Late war. The Norwegian returns were well taken care of over time. 34 k is a lot of money. Fun to drive.

YES!!! THANK YOU!! Manual transmissions ARE a lot more fun!! Yet another reason I enjoy watching these videos! :D

I really like these old trucks. No power anything makes them a chore to drive but also a lot of fun. Also makes one appreciate newer vehicles with power steering and brakes.

Is it inside the hatch if there's no hatch to go inside of? :D

Four on the floor, stick shifts, five sometimes. I loved them off road. I never got to drive these military types. Fun walk around. Salute!

How do tension the tracks?

Saw a couple dozen of these in Normandy this year. Amazing vehicles, too bad the Jeep takes all the glory.

I first met the WC-51 while living in the Phillipines, where many had been converted into very colorful jeepneys. The jeepney was the ubiquitous local all purpose taxi or minibus. Wonderful memories.

The reason why the radiator cap was exposed on those trucks is because water pump shaft seals were not very good during WW2. The ceramic seals they use today weren’t commonly used until the 1950s. So being able to top without having to open the hood was an advantage. Second, the transfer case without a low range is commonly called an in and out box. The simplest type of transfer case. Jeeps needed a low range due to them being equipped with only a 3 speed transmission, and first gear wasn’t very low, so they needed a low range. 3/4 ton trucks and bigger in the old days often had 4 speeds, with a 7:1 first gear, so a low range really wasn’t necessary for them.

13:56 I like the built-in cutting board

Fun fact about automatic vs manual transmission: I work for the fire department of one of Germanys major cities, and have been driving manual transmission cars for 20 years. although automatic is quite unpopular in Europe, all cars, trucks, rolling stock we use is automatic. It's much safer in stressful situations not having to deal with shifting gears. Driving different fire dept cars for 2 years now I notice I have to remind myself constantly to shift when driving manual transmission. So yes, I guess the next car I buy will be automatic too. 😂

Worth noting, when Stalin was asked what won the war against the Germans he replied: Dodge trucks. We gave them some as well as plans so they could build them. A very important piece of equipment in history.

watching this again a year later. I would just like to say the Fuel Extender for refilling was Genius.

My older bro was in Motor-T. He was driving past a maintenance tent one day when he noticed a guy sitting on a tire he was inflating. Before you could mumble 'bad idea,' the down-facing ring parted, launching the mech and tire into the tent roof. Then, the tire fell, followed by the mech, who was uninjured--this time.

Good video on a really strong truck with many capabilities.

Nobody: "The Chieftain" to those 80% of the Americans who don't know how to drive in manual transmission: "What's wrong with you?!"

I could tell you weren't excited about your subject, but you did a great job. Hey, not ever vehicle is lucky enough to get tracks , but it can still be a nice vehicle anyway.

My dads favorite vehicle when he was in the army in WW2. Still have his TM with a trip ticket from 1945. He passed this year. Miss him very much.

My Irish grandfather (who was an RAF officer) bought a war surplus Command Car. He used it for farming, powering a threshing machine etc. It also occasionally towed a caravan that was a converted WWI surplus mobile carrier pigeon loft. 😀

You must have been devastated!! No track tensioning!😂

I think this is going to be popular in the auction. Not only is it a neat looking vehicle, and very classic, it is also just a good general vehicle. It can do a little bit of whatever you need done. I can just imagine picking up bags of soil for a project and hauling them home in this thing. Looking stylish, ha. Also those that like to do those historical runs, this truck can be made into like 20 different war time vehicle options. You can throw a gun in it and make it a tank destroyer. It can be made into an ambulance. It can be a troop transport. It can be a repair truck. It can even be an officer transport.

I need a few of these. It could be argued that this is one of the smartest utility vehicles ever built.

This WC51 has aftermarket disc brakes, aftermarket freewheeling front hubs, the tail light's in the position of the rear reflectors and the short left runningboard for the early production cars without the left side drivers acces.

Not having a winch does not mean you won't be send out to assist in recovery, but all the trucks and truck type vehicles up to the 5ton were considered self recovering. The manual included using tow cables, ropes, and logs in various methods to remove the vehicle from mud or other obstacles without assistance. We had to do just this on my first FTX in Germany when one of the Deuces became mired and we used the 'remove the passenger side front drive tire' method with the 1" nylon rope going around one tree to extract the vehicle.

200,000 made. This little truck helped win the war.

Oh hey, I knew someone in high school who had one of these. His was all beat to hell, of course, but everything still worked! Except the passenger side headlight. And the horn. And the brake lights. And occasionally second gear. But everybody loved it, it was one of those vehicles that just made people smile to see it.

I wish they were still making these things. Simple, rugged, great on the farm or work site. I know couple Vol Fire Depts use for brushfires.

Hey Chieftain, Love your channel, you got me back into armor modeling. How about a hatch episode or two on tank transporters ? After all, tanks can't get by without them.

Bet this would tow or mount that bofors gun just perfect!

These WC were praised and cussed out at the same time by ALL branches when they introduced them during WWII. My Dad was in the war, from start to finish and then some. These Dodges, this type in the video, we're nicknamed "Square Boxes". Great trucks provided the road surface was dry. NO water, mud, packed snow, or ice. If it we're, they spun out of control all the time. Where the tires contacted the road, ( wheel base and track/axel width) was a couple of inches shy of being a "square box", and could not be controlled once in a spin. The issue was corrected eventually but not until a lot of soldiers, sailors, and Marines were hurt and killed because of a design flaw. The wheel base was lengthened a few more inches until the "tire footprint" was a rectangle. Rectangles are not easy to spin out, unlike squares. My Dad didn't have too many nice things to say about this exact model, as I got an educated earful!! Lol!

New one! Excitement!

*Amazing!!, thanks for sharing these videos!!! Liked & Subcribed!!!*

Nick, I have been enjoying your coverage of the vehicles at RIA. WW2 trucks were quite basic but as we all know, without the trucks the tanks don't move. They did their job efficiently and reliably. I think these were called "weapons carriers" because the original requirement was from the Infantry to provide a motor vehicle for the heavy weapons companies, M1917A1 HMGs, 81mm mortars, etc. The stuff that CAN be hand carried, but is better moved by truck for any distance.

It's actually getting hard to get manual transmissions in the US nowadays. I only learned how to drive one this year. Really made me love that little truck.

Nice review. Great job. Loves these soft skin vehicles.

lol...incredible warp factors! love it

I wish Chieftain or somebody would do the military version of the Opel Cadet. Read 5 years, 4 fronts. The author's Opel deserves it's on book!

Math is certainly not The Chieftains strong suit. I see 5 wheels my friend :P Love your content!

That built in fuel filler funnel is fantastic :)

Super video! Super Dodge 3/4!

I demand a o bugger the [_______]'s on fire.... lol

Do you use a compressor on the sound? There is a bit of peaking going on. Love the vids btw, many thanks and keep it coming!

I was down in Hammond Louisiana visiting a 20-something nephew and his family.. He is a mechanic and the shop he worked at had one of these in for some work,. But no one in the shop knew how to start it....... Then he remembered his old uncle Paul who had been in the Army.. he would know.. And I did.

The best anti-theft protection of this truck is the start knob itself. If you don't know it you won't find it. Greetings from a german WC-52 ex french forest fire truck driver.

Just love these trucks - true lasting toughness !!

Trucks and staff cars are just as important as tanks.

America built great trucks in WWII. I understand that even Soviets appreciated the quality, reliability, and versatility of American trucks. Meanwhile, Hans and Fritz were lucky to ride in a horse drawn wagon.

Dodge was so well loved that the Japanese designed the Nissan Carrier (Identical) for the Indian Army. Petrol consumption was never Dodge's concern, as it was for many users! The old Power Wagon still hosts enthusiasts in Kansas,US.

Had a later model in 1976 .used it to run around the wilds ofGermany. Really hated it when it was replaced with the M-880

Interesting as always

Stick is the new passive antitheft device and to think I learned on a 3 speed column shift at 11 years old.

It should be remembered that expose radiator caps were a norm for early cars and trucks. The "Hood Ornament" for civilian vehicles was of coarse often the cap for the radiator.

My favorite 4X4. Rommel captured several and really liked these in Africa and said so in his journal.

Your autouploader never seems to run out! The French line would be jealous.

I'm kinda disappointed that there wasn't a "oh bugger, the car appears to be on fire" segment

There's an M37 near me. Has a "modern" hemispherical head V-8 and some custom step down to the transmission. The body is rusted and the chassis is probably rusted as well at this point. It hasn't sold because the person selling it is asking for 10,000 USD. You can buy a fully restored one for 15,000 USD.

Is it a bird? A plane? NO! It's SUPER-JEEP!

i know its 50 years but IMO this thing is like an early version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee/Wagoneer especially the placement of that fuel tank and the inline 6.

Thank you

Coolants weren't long-lasting like even in the 70s. So an easy access radiator was very useful. (Old mechanic here)

Nice truck ,did anyone notice the rear disc retrofit on the rear axle? Looks like the same as what has been a popular upgrade done to many older 4wd trucks and jeeps, including my 1972 Blazer by the way. Good way to loose a lot of excess weight and moving parts, and maintenance issues with Drum brakes not to mention better performance but not very authentic. I guess most would never notice.

If it makes you feel better, a friend of my grandfather used one of these throughout WW2 and he also would enter from the passenger side because of the tire blocking the driver side. I remember this because it was one of my first introductions, as a wee lad, to how governments can make things more trouble than they have to be. Why on the driver side was the perennial complaint and heeded it was not. Good ol' Uncle Sam...

No "Oh No, the truck is on fire"?:(

FUN FACT : on a crash box or constant mesh gear box double clutching or double shuffling isnt necessary because you can do it with out the clutch all together , its more of a thing i can do it but i cant explain it basically it all has to do with the revs , off the accelerator and it pops out of gear and if you know the vehicle you can judge the revs to the speed of the gear box and a little pressure on the stick and it will simply pop in to the next gear

Where can I buy this so-called 4X4 off-road sedan? Edit1: there are not 4 tires there are 5 Edit2: there videos of tire changing fails of this rim type and you did link them in the description!

It's a shame you can't post a link to the auction due to YT's issues with RIA's other offerings. Regardless, excellent work as always sir O7

I can tell that you just LOVE contractual obligations when they fall slightly outside your wheelhouse. Or when they entail marathon work sessions, as you obviously participated in with the RIA series here. I feel your pain, friend :) Being the "Good Guy" is hard, sometimes.

Fab looking vehicle to own, but must have been utterly miserable in hard rain/ snow for the drivers. I really don’t miss double declutching the old tractors on the farm, thank god for synchro!

I was hoping the chieftain would give us a demonstration of the flying tire nuts 😂

My first car was the old family '46 Dodge sedan that had been stored in Grandma's garage. It had I think the same "Flathead Dodge" 6 cylinder.

Contrary to popular belief, WC doesn't stand for weapons carrier but is the Dodge model code for this vehicle. My late father spent 24 years in the Army (1939-1963) and I was born in an Army hospital. Wright Flyer, USAF (1968-1972)