History Vintage WWII stuff used in hotrodding

Yes, the circle is definitely the wrong size (too small), hence my pet peeve.

Oh, a mechanic! Very cool. There has been far too little written about the mechanics during the war. I'm reading a book now by an AVG crew chief. It's very interesting.

This is what his patch would have been, the 20th Air Force. Do any of his records, photos etc still exist so that we could find out what ship he crewed?



This is my signature on the WIX, and it seems appropriate to list here at this point.

"Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine! "

 

3 1/2 years AFTER it was made?
I doubt it....
And yes,to some it does matter.

 

Take it to the bank. The threat of war began in '36/'37. The actual war started in '39. Just because the US didn't enter it don't mean they weren't preparing. They made zillions of stuff that was NEVER issued. That's what's called Military Surplus........

 

"HORSESHIT!", said the papa sparrow to his flock. "LETS EAT!"

No, Django; Don't tell me what my uncle Frank's shoulder insignia was. How the fuck would you know?

You are Wrong. 20th Air Force wasn't established until '44. You need to go back and read my post. My uncle was in the USAAC. His shoulder insignia was like this.


http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&...esult_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CD4QsAQwAw

 

OK OK men. I think i can put this to bed.

T-Time, You are the man. First of all, I was wrong, the name on the trunk is Floyd. And the number you gave me was to his cousin Frank (who was also in the WWII). I talked to Frank's son Wayne and they live about 40 min from me! But over the phone i got a little info on Floyd (the rightful owner of the footlocker). And yes it was his locker through the War. He was a bombardier and as a Lieutenant he trained other soldiers. Floyd actually died in battle, bombing oil wells over the north sea. They said he got lost and no one ever saw him again. He was married with no children. But he wife has passed. That's all i got on the phone.

So, this sat. or sun. me and the GF are going to take the trunk to Frank. He is the rightful owner now.

When i get to talk to frank i promise i will get all the infromation i can and report back.

 

My grandfather gave me this about 10 to 12 years ago or so. He worked at Wright Patterson AFB during WWII. Ive never figured out what It was really out of. He told me P-51, but Ive never been able to confirm it. I thought about using it as a starter button, you push the button down and it makes a real cool positive clicking noise. I don't have anything that it wouldnt look hokey in though. I have several other cool aircraft pieces that he gave me, but not WWII vintage. Its earlier stuff.

 

All the big aircraft factories had surplus stores when I grew up in LA. All kinds of hot rod parts came from there, but they slowly ran out and after market started supplying stuff. That was really the spirit of hot rodding.

 

Here are some pics from my car.I wish I grew up in the late 40s early 50s and knew then what I know now.Can you amagine the stuff you could have squirreled away for sale today?
Tank is B-17,seatbelts B-52,shifter knob machine gun handle,mirror fighter plane,tail lights jeep oil filter army truck.I have more to add but dont want it becoming a theme car.
Other tanks and orignal brackets are for sale and will go to showdown if not sold this weekends swap locally.PM me
Just keep in mind to remember where this stuff might have been and that it was used by real Heroes.Freedom isnt free!! Thanks Vets!!! Fedcospeed

 

Wow, now that is very cool!

 

We used all kinds of war surplus stuff, that was often the first stop after the junk yard in building a car...I first found braided steel lines there, aircraft bucket seats, seat belts (yes I confess to using a surplus aircraft seatbelt, which once popped undone in the lights at San Gabriel)...we bought lots of aluminum aircraft tanks when I worked at Blair's, and my gas altered roadster (ran with Don Wilson) used an aircraft steering wheel, which was smaller than a regular wheel and fit into the cowl well...even had the autopilot buttons still on it.

 

That brings back memories. I had an O2 tank like that to carry the gas in my dirt track jalopy '57-'59. Got it at the Surplus Store on 22nd or 29th Street, TucsonAZ. The Aircraft seat with belts attached and that tank set me back about $15. The belts were more bulky than they are now, woven from linen or cotton.........

 

Did somebody say replicate soldiers?

 

I work on this stuff almost daily, I've yet to see any WWII military aircraft with a steel oil or fuel tank. Not sure what it could be from tho, Oil tank would have a bunch more fittings in it, so some kind of vehicle fuel tank is probable....

 

One thing I remember was that early hydramatics were beefed up with clutches out of the tanks. This was before B and M trannies were conceived.

 

i collected various w2 antiques and i can tell you that yes they did use stuff from ww1. specially the germans. the military use to recycle back then.

 

^^Good point. Most of the pre-war supply was used up in the initial phases of the war, which is why early war accouterments usually bring a premium at auction houses.

There are numerous anecdotal accounts of Marines complaining that they were using their father's WWI rifles and eating their grandfather's hardtack left over from the war between the states (tongue in cheek of course).

Go grab a book on some of the early campaigns (Guadalcanal, Bougainville, &c) and check out some of the 'outdated' prewar pattern stuff the American infantryman used.

 

Very cool information guy and gals. keep it comming!!

I think it would be really neat to find an old aircraft steering wheel. Anyone got one? Im also looking for a matching set of aircraft seatbelts. Pm me though.

 

There is a ton of surplus left. I have an oxygen tank, a B-52 weapons launch controller, and a practice bomb and some other stuff but I've never used it on anything. It's just been cool laying around the garage. I'm just keeping it from being destroyed I guess.

I would be slow to call out Django on historical facts. Dude knows a lot. I'd put my money on him most of the time.

 

I'm gonna guess that you could divide WWII stuff used in hot rodding into two groups, decorative and performance.
It's only logical that the guys that kept the war machine moving would use what they had learned and surplus parts that were readily available at the time to build better and faster cars with.
As far as patches go, here's some of my dads. He was a glider pilot and C47 co-pilot, he flew a glider in the Normandy Invasion.
Larry T

 

You don't need to be a dick about it. You're right, I don't know what your uncle wore because you lived through it and I didn't. But as a historian, I can figure out a few things based on what info you give me. Something isn't jiving. I'm just trying to help you out. I'll be the first to admit, I'm not an "expert". If I was, I'd probably get a job at a museum. But I do know a thing or two.

The USAAC was changed to the USAAF in '41. I never said he wasn't in the USAAC and it's common to confuse the two, but if you're going to get persnickety about it, there were no B-29s in the "USAAC". They didn't exist yet. The first test flights were in early '43 and they didn't go operational until early '44 and didn't go operational from the Marianas bases until fall of '44.

And if he wasn't wearing the 20th AF patch, then he most likely had the first one that Larry T posted on the right as alot of guys didn't change from the main AAF to the particular unit AAF all the time. There was never a patch with just the star and circle. Sorry but there just wasn't. You can tell me I'm full of shit and don't know what I'm talking about, but that's the way it was. And please take note that the 20th AF patch and the generic AAF patch feature the star and circle, but are not the star and circle alone.

Do you have any pics that your uncle brought back? If you did, I might be able to help you figure out if he was on Guam, Saipan or Tinian and maybe what squadron even, if that is something you'd like to know, unless you still don't think I know what the fuck I am talking about.

Thanks Scoob.

This one is from Guam, 330th BG, from 330th.org



.

And here is an excellent read on the what it took to keep the B-29s airworthy day after day, at least on Tinian. Pilots got the glory, but the ground crews made sure they had that opportunity.

http://www.philcrowther.com/6thBG/6bgcrewg00.html

 

I don't know what you are trying to help me with. You say "Something isn't jiving."
Maybe you can clear it up in your mind if you go back and read my post #32) I said; "Well, I don't know what your pet peeve is? whether the circle is the wrong size I don't know. He was my uncle, he was in the USAAC and he wore insignia similar to that on his shoulder. He worked on '29s toward the end of the war, which put him in the USAAF also, obvioulsy ................

In post #33 you say "This is what his patch would have been, the 20th Air Force............................"
What part of "he wore the USAAC PATCH on his shoulder". don't you understand?"
Well, yes, I'm going to be a dick and get per-per-persnickety about it.
You can save your condersending lectures for somebody else.
He also wore other shit, chocolate-bars, hash-marks, Master Sergeant chevrons, ribbons, and OD colored drawyers, but I digress I ain't going any further.

 

You're right, I apologize that I missed that you added in a later post that you realized that he was in the USAAF by that time and posted... "obviously."

But it's not obvious to some kid that is reading your earlier posts and barely knows any facts about WWII. We're all here in the name of history, right?

But I am not the only one at fault here... your quote, which I was responding to in that last post, was the issue where you are telling me "that I am wrong that he wasn't in the 20th Air Force, he was in the USAAC" and "his shoulder was insignia was this" with the pic of the Aircraft National Insignia.

Ok.

The USAAC (and the later unchanged USAAF patch) is the one on the right that Larry T posted. The national insignia that you posted was never a patch in that form. And I can just about guaruntee you that he was in the 20th Air Force, whether or not he wore that particular patch. Anyone who had anything to do with B-29s in the Marianas was in the 20th Air Force. That is why I originally posted the 20th AF patch. Your uncle didn't sport the 20th AF patch? Ok, you would know better than I. But I assure you that he WAS in the 20th AF. If you don't believe me, you'll have to take it up with Hap Arnold and Curtis LeMay.

Regardless the sticker site that you swiped that jpg from is selling a sticker that is an incorrect national insignia from the aircraft specifically. If I can find it, I can pull the Tech Order for creating the insignia, dated 1941 if necessary.

The official USAAC and later USAAF has the circle, star AND the wings. You typed in USAAC and posted the first image that came up. Maybe I shouldn't have jumped on you for that. There are lots of versions of that particular rendering of the aircraft national insignia out there that people keep stealing and using for their own use. It bugs me that it's not correct. It was not my intent to come off as condescending but there are certain indesputable facts regarding USAAC/USAAF history. I didn't make them up. This is the official USAAC/USAAF logo that appeared not only on patches, but on everything.

I'm still interested in helping you find out what squadron he was in if you'd like to know. If you don't care, that's fine too...

 

I am a 29 year and counting vetran in the U.S. Air Force/Air Guard and am adding aircraft parts in my build not copy an era, but to put a bit of ME and my familoy history in the car. My Dad spent 35 years, '48-'83 and Grandpa form 1917-1920 and have some pretty cool stuff from them too. It's not a theme car, just some neat subtle parts most wont even notice.
I was in the Paint shop and painted Nose Art on F-4 Phantoms, F-16 Falcons(Vipers), B-1B's and KC-135R Tankers seen in the books "Painted Ladies" and "Painted Ladies 2" and paint panels for display now.

 

I remember we used a pair of B-29 alum channel bomb bay rails for the side rails in our flattie powered slingshot back in '56.

 

One of the little known about but most sought after parts was the
hydraulic pump from an Allison nose cone.
These were used to make dry sump oil scavenger pumps
for circle track cars.

 

Duds, that rules, and welcome aboard!

Interesting tidbit... the B-29 ashtrays are the same as the 35/36 Ford ashtrays. I took this pic inside FIFI.



I've got quite a bit of aircraft stuff stashed away. Lots of switches (iridiam tipped), gauges, a B-29 computerized gunsight, a B-25 cowling, some C-47 cowlings, a '43 Ranger engine from a PT-19, a seat, and some various flight gear and uniform stuff at home and at our shop. About the only thing authentic WWII in my own coupe though is my original Remember Pearl Harbor pin in the headliner.

 

The front wheels on my Lyndwood rail are Harley-Davidson Army surplus I was told.

 

man where did you get that! i want one too! fucken rad!

 

I saw one years ago at an antique mall. I thought it was neat, but as a guy, what would I do with it? About 6 years ago, I thought it would be neat to put in the headliner. There were none to be found anywhere, nor on ebay. When I got married in Hawaii, I went to Pearl Harbor and the Museum had a replica for sale. It was ok. Cheap and it looked like a chincy off-shore replica, which it was. But I bought it. Not one week after we were back this one popped up on ebay! Haven't seen one since. I'm sure they are out there though, somewhere.

 

that thing is killer! im starting the search!