Checker reconnaissance car

[Barry F]

I own two cj2as, and stop by g503 now and then to read. Haven’t posted here before though. This didn’t seem to belong in the cj section where I usually read, so I hope here is okay.
Anyway, yesterday the wife and I went to the Gilmore auto museum near Kalamazoo Michigan (you can find them on them on the web) and in a corner of the barn with the Checkers, which were made in Kalamazoo, I thought I saw a slat grill jeep. As I got closer, I got more confused. It seemed a tad smaller. And the hood wasn’t right. I’m not a expert an jeeps, but it’s amazing that the differences draw the eye so much. Things like the latches to keep the windshield up were wrong.
There were two signs that said it was a prototype reconnaissance car made by Checker in 1941. Where it was I could get real close. Then I noticed that the back tires weren’t lined up right. I got on the floor and found that it had all wheel steering. The back axel was like a jeep front axel, balls and all, mounted backwards. There was a drag link coming back as well as forward from the steering box, to a lever that I suspect was for reducing the amount of turn on the back wheels. I’ll bet that reduced the turning radius. I didn’t think I could get away with opening the hood, so I don’t know what engine was in it.

This may be old news, if so sorry, but if you parked this baby at a jeep show, you would soon have a crowd milling around it. If you have questions ask them soon, I forget quick. I took some pictures, big ones, a few underneath, trying to show the rear wheel steering. If you want, I’ll email the to you. You better have a big mailbox, there are ten of them at about 470k each. I could send them a few at a time. I’ll throw in a few of my grandson upon request.
Barry F

[Bob N]

Guess I should have read your posting a little closer. You can email them to me and I will post them on the web at website www.42FordGPW.com

and link them here.