Musing over how to deploy my Jimmy models in terms of specialist beds (tankers, radio shelters, etc) and it dawned on me I have not seen many pics of the closed-cab-with-manhole variant (cab model 1609) as anything but a standard cargo truck. Anyone got info to the contrary? I know there’s one compressor truck pic in the Tankograd book, and the prototype for the Class 335 firetruck conversion used one, but not much else. Were these cabs not considered for special-purpose trucks? If you have 'em, post some pics here!
In one of the books I have, there’s a picture showing a Danish Army CCKW 353 auger truck fitted with the closed cab and the M32 MG mount, but it looks like a converted cargo truck…
According to TM 9-224, the M32 "*can be installed only on the 2 1/2-ton, 6 x 6, long wheel base closed trucks with conventional steel bodies "
Would this explain why pics showing other setups are almost non-existent ?
H.P.
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hobbyboss-83833-gmc-cckw-352–254340
Tom and Frenchy - does this mean the HobbyBoss SWB CCKW is not a good candidate for the Italeri machine-gun ring cab? That was my plan for o e if the two SWB kits I have, the other being a plain hard-top cab from an Italeri Water Truck.
Jimbo
It appears that the 352 and the SWB 353 were fitted with a different mount, called M37 (or M37A1, depending on the cargo bed type) :
H.P.
The Tankograd book has a pic of a LeRoi compressor truck with the closed cab & manhole, with the M37 mount as Frenchy showed. The side struts are weird as they block off the seating area behind the cab for the less-fortunate junior members of the crew.
As for grafting between Italeri and HB, are we talking just the gun mount, or the whole cab? I expect grafting the whole cab will be tricky because of the way HB designed their fenders etc, with an engine in the way where Italeri has a solid “floor” in the engine bay. And the gun mount is wrong for a SWB 352 and would need substantial rebuilding with Evergreen channel stock etc.
Tom I should have made it more clear I suppose; I absolutely mean to replace the entire front clip: cab, fenders etc, as has been discussed extensively in the previous GMC CCKW thread. To be very clear: I have two of the HobbyBoss kit #83831, GMC CCKW-352 SWB cargo trucks. I will replace one with an Italeri water tank front (cab, fenders etc) and I am thinking of using the Italeri kit #271 cab with the machine gun access ring - I am not all that well educated on the “M” variants of machine gun mounts, but now consider myself a little better educated on these. With the proper references I can handle a scratch build of the proper M- mount I am sure. Frenchys supplied drawings are a great start - merci beaucoup mon ami 
My apologies for not being as well educated as to the exact differences among the variants. I appreciate everyone’s input here!
May I thank you all for your amazing input and patience with a neophyte, and also a very Merry Christmas, et un Joyeaux Noël á tous.
James ‘Jimbo’ Harr
High Bridge, NJ USA
Hi Jimbo, sounds like you’ve got some interesting projects on the go! I hope you’ll post some pics and text along the way.
(BTW as far as I know, the cab with hole was the same sheet metal regardless of which MG ring system was being used on top of it, so the Italeri cab is a great start.)
1 Like
Here’s the TM 9-224 that deals with the MG mounts for trucks :
http://jeepdraw.com/images/jeepdraw/ADOBE_ACROBAT_FILES/TM_9-224-MG-mounts-for-trucks.pdf
Joyeux Noël ! 
H.P.
2 Likes
Thanks Tom, thanks Frenchy! That’s fantastic - now I have no excuse 
Jimbo
Modeling these ring mounts is more complicated than it seems:
As Frenchy pointed out, mount M32 (illustration 6) was to be installed on “long wheel base closed trucks with conventional steel bodies”. Modelers’ trouble being that there’s no M32 around - what Italeri offers is fictional and, worse, non-functional: The real thing had two tubular (early) or (later) 6-inch channel lateral supports that were connected by a horizontal channel of (I guess) the same size at the top. Sheet metal stiffening triangles like on the Italeri offering sat between the posts and the MG ring supports, but more of them (inverted) went to the tops of the load bed’s sides and (I strongly suppose) front, provided I correctly interpret the photos on pp. 90 and 92 of the David Doyle book. - As the TM doesn’t mention closed L.W.B. CCKW trucks with wooden bodies, I’ve no idea whether they didn’t exist or, if they did, what MG mounts they sported.
HTH, Peter
The M37 mount was more or less a free standing, self supporting structure for the SWB unlike the mount on the LWB Jimmys.
I enjoy all things CCKW and my thanks to Frenchy for providing all this great information.
It looks like I was just a tad off base (that is; wrong) in using the Tamiya wooden load box for my Italeri+Tamiya gun truck conversion. (But I have always favored the wood loadbox for its’ extra detailing.)
As to cutting up the Italeri or Tamiya fenders to use on the HB SWB truck it is totally do-able just takes a bit more work. One way is to use the Italeri fenders and accept using their attached oil pan, so you sacrifice using the beautiful HB engine. Or use the Tamiya fenders with the Italeri closed cab and still get to use that engine.
OR - install (glue) the Italeri fenders onto the HB chassis and then use a Dremel tool to cut away the engine oil pan while the chassis holds everything in alignment.
This shows me using the HB SWB chassis and firewall with the Tamiya fenders and the Italeri cab. (WIP) it is coming together but I will never try using all three manufacture’s products together in the same model again. (Any two yes, but not all three!)
1 Like