Comments for Collecting historical artifacts can be bemusing...

Collecting historical artifacts can be bemusing...

2009-10-04T12:53:50Z

Especially if you lived through the history. It has a different sense to it.

The Castle Technical made it's parade debut last week. Reader/commenter Jim B is, I think, the only person who hangs out around here who caught it, at the Village West Rotary Club's Parade of Heroes. That's getting to be a pretty nice parade - now in it's third year. We had a pre-war 2 1/2t truck pulling a 37mm A/T gun, a "Beep" the amphibious jeep of WWII fame, an Airborne motor scooter, and a lot of jeeps. The Castle Technical stood out among 'em because it was the dullest of them... being just about the only unarmed jeep present. But it was unique because it was the only jeep with canvas...

She ran well, didn't overheat, all her lights worked, including the dash lights. She smells funny, though. And I don't mean the new canvas smell - hell, that's a comforting reminder of days gone by. No, the exhaust. When I was first working on her, replacing her muffler, I wondered if something was wrong with the engine when I realized... that's how pre-smog control exhaust smelled. She is three years older than I am, after all.

Which brings up the actual subject of this post. As we age, we all develop some gasket troubles. You over 50's know what I mean, you under 30's, your day is coming. Well, the Castle Technical is no different, and she's got some real slow seepage (as in about a drop a week) from her transfer case.

One of the things about restoring vintage vehicles is the decisions you have to make about just how original you can restore/keep them. Among those considerations can be cost and safety. Many owners of jeeps put non-standard stabilizer bars on them because their steering can be a little less than ideal, especially at highway speeds. I've chose not to do that, and have been embarking on a quest to rebuild the steering, from tie-rod ends back to the gear box.

While searching for the parts to do that, I came across a NOS (new old stock, meaning unused, but old, parts) gasket set for a decent price - a good enough price to take the risk on bad storage.

They arrived.

US-made, correct nomenclature, and even a US stocking label dated July 1972.

This is where it was mailed from.

While it's possible someone bought US surplus stuff by the container-load and shipped it to Vietnam and is reselling it from there... I'm guessing this is from former US/South Vietnamese stocks, left behind when we pulled out.

Interesting journey this gasket set has had, made bemusing to me by having lived through the era, vice just having read about it.

Comment from Karla (threadbndr) on 2009-10-07

2009-10-07T13:37:03Z

I have GOT to see if I can get one of those Garands when they hit the market - it's on the Marine!Goth's short list of 'weapons that I want for the collection'.

Olga - we always snagged surplus MREs for camping and vacations too. The M!Goth told me that a lot of the guys say they hate the taste and he just shrugs and says "camp food".

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-05

2009-10-06T02:51:56Z

Terrapod - I suspect the approval came some time ago, but who kknows?

Papa Ray - can you spell... t.e.m.p.l.a.t.e?

I knew you could!

Comment from Terrapod on 2009-10-05

2009-10-06T01:17:47Z

Guys- Speaking of new old stock - Just read a great article where some 20,000 M1 garands and other assorted same vintage weapons may be coming back to the U.S. from Korea. Can't wait until those hit the CMP or retail market. I am shocked that the current admin approve this but count the blessings. I also happen to know where there are another 5000 or so stored in original cosmolene, never unpacked or used. Keeping it close to the vest until I figure out how the Koreans got approval to sell these "loaned" articles on the market, technically they belong to Uncle Sam even if "given" to a freiendly nation 50 years ago, and normally can't be sold without approval. They got approval somehow If anyone knows how they managed it, please share the info.

Comment from Papa Ray on 2009-10-05

2009-10-06T00:59:10Z

That old gasket set is neat. So neat in fact that you need to hang it up in your shop and dust if off once a year.

I have restored many old vehicles and never have I had luck using old gaskets. They are just not reliable. If you can use something like this. This might not be the correct one but you get the idea that only new gaskets work well. Also get the normal stuff to use when replacing gaskets. When removing the old gaskets use a "gasket removal tool" not a putty knife, exacto or your pocket knife. DO NOT gouge, scrape, scar, scratch the metal if possible. It will leak if you do.

I don't know how many times over how many years it took me (and my friends ) to learn that replacing gaskets is NOT as simple as it looks.

That is if you really don't want any more leaks.

Papa Ray
Central (used to be West) Texas

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-05

2009-10-05T20:09:08Z

Olga -- with a sufficient quantity of cold vodka, *anything* tastes awesome...

Comment from olga on 2009-10-05

2009-10-05T17:22:27Z

The Soviet gov't would periodically restock its strategic reserves and when that happened, a flood of the previously stored there canned meat (beef and pork) would show up in the supermarkets to the great delight of the population that would stand in long lines buying as many as they can afford and can carry away - the best food for the dachas, camping and vacations. If you stored it right, it could be good for many more years despite being replaced by the gov't. The metal cans were all covered in some oily light yellow goo used to store them (grease?? called "solidol" in Russian) and it took at least 30 min to clean a can up enough to be able to open it and not have that goo all over you and your other food LOL Some of the cans were from the WWII and still tasted good :o) I haven't had one in years (since I came to the States) but I really liked the beef one - it tasted awesome heated with potatoes and black bread and a glass of cold vodka somewhere in the nature setting LOL

Comment from GregT on 2009-10-05

2009-10-05T15:38:38Z

AW1 Tim's comment reminded me that I saw those C-Rats too, back in Rotsee basic in Ft.Knox in 1980. I wonder when they finally faded away?

I too, deal with historic military vehicles, and yep it's a crapshoot whether or not NOS or NIB stuff will be workable. But half the fun is seeing that old packaging. Heck there are some bits I've left in the package because they had too much history...so I bought new decent repro stuff or made it myself. Neat comment thread, and neat OP.

Comment from Colin on 2009-10-05

2009-10-05T14:51:47Z

I have owned old Landrovers most of my life, over the years I have made more than one gasket for myself out of a sheet of cork or rubber. I know a couple of people that made a copper head gasket for their trucks, I don't have the patience for that.

Comment from Old Fat Sailor on 2009-10-05

2009-10-05T09:46:37Z

Yeah thats about right for the mess at Roberts. Never thought I'd be glad to get back to Valejo, of course there was the total lack of a mess at SERE......

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-05

2009-10-05T05:51:55Z

Mmmmmmmmmm. '56 was a *great* year for canned hamburger patties. The accompanying canned buns were a tad crunchy, though...

Comment from Walter M. Clark on 2009-10-04

2009-10-05T02:33:27Z

John, this brought back a memory from my first Army Reserve Annual Training, in August 1972 at Camp Roberts, CA. I had mess duty, being a relatively new PFC, and was one of the amazed (we didn't know any better, obviously) when we were issued a case of canned hamburger patties dated 1956. Our Mess Officer sent them back. They probably got issued to some unsuspecting National Guard unit or...?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-04

2009-10-05T01:37:20Z

SFC D - yeah, maybe, but you never know when you're going to get a gusher...

Master Allison - in the early 80's, when we were fielding DPICM into war reserve stocks in USAREUR, we too were shooting 44/45 dated 155mm HE.

Comment from SFC D on 2009-10-04

2009-10-05T01:27:04Z

Sir John, it just don't matter where the gaskets come from, that Jeep is still gonna leak. It's just something they do. Just keep it topped off and you'll never have to change the transmission fluid.

Comment from jsallison on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T23:56:08Z

In the mid '80's we were still shooting off WWII stocks of 4.2" and .50 cal.

Comment from AW1 Tim on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T22:20:33Z

John,

I remember very well being issued with 1940's dated C-rations at Fort Knox in 1974. We were fascinated by the date stampings on the cans (or rather, the date paintings/stencils on the cans) and wondering whether they would still be good. They wre, and I STILL have a P-38 from those days hanging from my dog tag chain.

And while on the subject, I remember my two oldest kids asking me what "albums" were.....

They only knew about cassette tapes and CD's.... I felt so old.... :)

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T22:19:25Z

Let me see if I got this straight...

The US Taxpayers sends military aid to the ARVN after 1972 in the form of spare parts.

The North Vietnamese then take over Saigon in 1975, afterwhich the spare parts are looted out of an ex-South Vietnamese warehouse,

Three decades later, a middle aged U.S. Taxpayer from Kansas buys back the same spare part with US Dollars.

Seems that someone doubledipped in this economic aid scheme.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T21:49:11Z

Well, the boys in Afghanistan have found M1 Garands, M1911A1 pistols and at least one Browning M1919 machinegun I'm aware of...

Comment from AFSister on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T19:52:39Z

It's scary that anyone has found anything in useable "NOS" shape dating back to the war in Vietnam. Makes me wonder what else we left behind that is being used against us.

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T19:46:39Z

...see if they have the odd PBR MkII laying around.....

Gee, we only got PBR MkI, and the stuff always tasted like rust...

Comment from Old Fat Sailor on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T19:29:00Z

Kerry was a swiftie and an exception to the rule.

Comment from Grumpy on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T18:43:28Z

John, *Great story*, it says a great deal about the times and the people.

@BillT, about your debatable scariness, doesn't that come under "Good friend, bad enemy"?

@BillT, Don't worry, there are still some more leftovers. You have been good in both the good and bad issues. Thanks.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T18:10:30Z

Why, does Senator Kerry need one to finish his trip to Cambodia?

Comment from Old Fat Sailor on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T17:43:57Z

Uhh, Call em back, see if they have the odd PBR MkII laying around.....

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T17:06:28Z

I don't know that it's scary AFSis. They're leftovers from the war.

Hey, *I'm* leftover, and I'm not scary, either.

Okay, that last part is debatable...

Comment from BillT on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T17:00:11Z

...and even a US stocking label dated July 1972.

The part itself may have been manufactured prior to that and re-labeled.

No Zip Code in the manufacturer's addy -- it was required on all packing material manufactured after '67...

Comment from bad cat robot on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T15:42:30Z

Boq, why not grow your own? An advantage us carbon-based lifeforms have over the mechanical gizmos ..

Comment from Pogue on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T15:26:33Z

That's pretty cool. I know what you mean about history and the perspective of living through it - it really hit me last year when I visited the Transportation Museum at Ft Eustis that an awful lot of my life is in museums now. It's somewhat disconcerting... Although it is kind of funto be the resident fossil among the youngsters in my unit.

Comment from Barb on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T15:11:32Z

It is amazing how far in time/space those parts came to get to you, John. Pretty neat, actually.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T14:37:39Z

I don't know that it's scary AFSis. They're leftovers from the war.

Comment from AFSister on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T14:24:44Z

You bought genuine US jeep parts... from VIETNAM?

that's scary.

Comment from SangerM on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T14:21:00Z

Won't matter Boq. Whatever you have in the sponson box won't be the right stuff. Or it won't be enough. Or it'll be the wrong size. Or something....

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-10-04

2009-10-04T13:32:56Z

And what about us who are in their 40's... Should we start stocking-up on replacement packing seals?