Patrick Tipton

That is great Dan - thank you for the information. I too have been looking for an original....they don't seem to come up at all... I did a little research and it appears that many 12 volt systems aim to have 6-8 volts at the points to reduce arcing and wear. Thus the internal resistor in the coil or the need for an external resistor. Back to @RAS1 Dave, you may need to run a resistor because your coil may not have an internal resistor.... apologies for any confusion!

Thanks Dan. That is a cool solenoid - I had one like that on a Ford tractor...super useful, although you always have to be careful to make sure it doesn't start in gear! Does your coil have a part number on it? I am not seeing the external resistor on the coil on the T24 engine...either in the original G179 Studebaker parts manual or the early TM 9-1772A..... and both the leads are coming off of the top of the coil.

Hard to say for sure without looking at the clasps on the seat belts, but I would say yes from what I see. Congrats!!

@M29 Dan....I think all models of the Weasel shipped with a 12 volt coil. The part number is SD-900793 - Autolite Model CM4006 and it has a G154 number (T15). The bracket changed over the course of production, but I don't see any changes on the coil itself. I think the post on the bottom is just for ground, no?

As I am sure you know, the Weasel has a 12 volt electrical system - there are no resistors. Check your coil - is it 12 volt? Resistors are often used on 6 to 12 volt conversions so maybe someone had a 6 volt coil laying around that they wanted to use. I am not sure what happened to those points...maybe left the switch on with the points slightly open?

Thanks Dave!

Dave...they look like smaller bow brackets?

I just welded my straps back in today. They are originally spot welded underneath that panel on the hat channel. The one closest to the passenger side of the hull seems misplaced (too far too left), but there was still a nice section spot welded in place so I am pretty sure it is correct. There is a little weld to the right where someone had another strap at some point. John's solution is practical...these straps are in the way and a pain if you remove the tank with the engine in place. I am hoping to never do that but we shall see!

@M29C3284Alexander - many thanks! All better? 🤣

Here you go:

Thanks for keeping me out of the ditches!

Non-floater - very hard to find in nice shape. If you want to trade for a nearly mint floater....I have one!

Yes....the doors are different between the M29 and M29C, but yes! It goes between the two panels to which the radiator is mounted. That is a stretcher mount. I know the Norwegians modified lots of Weasels, but there may have been US brackets too...I am better at this point on the early Weasels 😉

That is the radiator door opening mechanism.

Bead blasted, primed and painted. 2 down, 30 more to go!🤣

More work. I am really going back and forth on whether or not to have the inside of the hull soda blasted before painting.....thoughts? Cleaning it is rough...I am getting there...but there are a lot of nooks and crannies! I have a fairly mismatched undercarriage with T24, M29 and later style suspension parts. My goal right now is to get a complete set of later cast style yolks and brackets together, cleaned and painted so I can get this machine back running. I have 4 early style yokes that were field modified with a web to keep them from bending. I am going to cut that web out and probably install them all on one side so that the driver side (as an example) will be more correct. I may make these pieces as they are bent probably 1/8 or 3/16 steel pieces that I think I can fabricate. I have plenty of bogie wheels...lots of 44 and 45 dated. They are in great shape - just need cleaning. These are the early style yokes with the field modified web and later style "bogie brackets". The early brackets are a Y with straight arms and point down when installed...the later ones are installed "up". See the differences in the next picture. Anyone have any early brackets lying around?

@OZM29C John you do great work. I will make up something....

Good question...wondering that myself. I don't think the T24 had a first aid kit....based on reading the parts manual one too many times..but....

Lots more progress. Still no hull paint, but loads of progress! The parachute brackets are really interesting. The outer brackets were welded by a master welder....the guy (gal)...was dragging the electrode from weld to weld...never lifting and having to restrike....the evidence is everywhere. Very cool. I can imagine welding all day long.....between boredom and motivation to do my part to win the war.... and thinking...hey, how efficient can I be... I will do a complete writeup at some point on M29 Ord # 1005...the third production M29...very similar to the T24 with just a few changes. I found the original registration number under a few layers of paint. I am going to try and strip the yellow from the outside of the hull and see if I can get the original camo....tbd.

Thank you @M29C3284 Alexander....that is very helpful. I now have about 5 decent pictures of various T24 bottoms with the yellow paint. I am going with it...whether I can stomach brushing it on is another question but....🤣

Thanks @OZM29CJohn! I am having fun with it. As for the yellow paint...I am not sure if that is it the Bakelite paint or not....it would certainly make sense. What confuses me is a series of factory photos that show the undercarriage of early T24's (like hull #023) where the hull is all white... One theory is that the Bakelite paint was applied by brush at the same time they applied the black camo. That color picture you have is the clearest example of "yellow"....otherwise the bottom of all of the T24's in service I see are enough in the shadow that I am not sure....I am going to have to make a choice soon!

Very cool John. I like these little mementos...

I am down to a few more small fixes and the hull is finished. Yesterday, we were chasing threads and drilling holes that had been welded up by a PO. We also painted the first couple of pieces white. It is a great feeling to see white. Since the original T24 lower hull was painted with what they called "Bakelite" paint - it had phenolic in it to keep the snow from sticking to the hull and undercarriage parts, I am guessing it would have been semi-gloss or glossy...just like the bottom of a set of skis. I am still painting the sides and top with a base coat clear and a more matte clear to make it look more lusterless - which I think should look pretty original and still be easier to maintain than a true lusterless paint.

Dan...think it should have a paper gasket... SD-197234...same on both the T15 and the later variants... the T15 part number is G154-01-94036, Ordnance # A307417 Happy Memorial Day to you!

So Dan at Beachwood lost his Weasel top patterns in Hurricane Sandy....and doesn't want to make more Weasel tops. I am not sure about anyone else...but the hardest part is that there is a bunch of specialized hardware on them and no one makes it..... I have a set of hardware, but am trying to find someone to make me a T24 top too...