Information on FSN 2320-835-8606 Is this the M606?

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:02 pm

I have one page that I copied from some supply catalog long ago and do not know the number of it. But the picture is of a CJ3A, with the Nomenclature of
TRUCK UTILITY, 1/4 TON, 4X4 2320-835-8606.
This is a real US stock number.
I believe this might be the origin of the use of the model, M606, by Willys/Kaiser for the Military CJ3B.
No proof.
I hope we can talk about the M606 here; it is a legitimate M series jeep, but not type classified as one.
So, a gray area?
Anyone know any more about where the term came from?
I have read everything on the web about them.
I am planning to restore one. a 1960 or so; no data plate.
Anyone know when the very first M606 was produced?
Lots of info on the web; wish someone would make a book like they did with the M38.
I see this as a legit Military vehicle, and about 1000 times easier to restore than an M38! Right? Wrong?

kenperkins · Post by **kenperkins** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 12:42 pm

the 3B/m606 is FSN 2320-987-8972....the cj5/606a2(?)-3 is FSN 2320-935-0808
haven't seen one for 3A

Post by **wesk** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 2:05 pm

We can discuss any Willys 1950 thru 1971 military jeep. Others briefly are not an issue. Take a more in depth tour of this web site. The M606, M606A2 & M606A3 are mentioned often. I have their spec sheets and manuals loaded as well. Any vehicles owned & operated by the armed forces can be considered a military vehicle. However our site is focused on military TACTICAL vehicles and their designations start with a M . Many Willys CJ’s, DJ’s, trucks and wagons were procured under small Ordnance or individual services procurement systems but they are not considered military TACTICAL vehicles. True M jeeps will have a dash tag with their M # and class vehicle and serial and FSN.

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 2:59 pm

Yes, I have read all the 606 related stuff here. Just wanted to verify that it was ok, and not considered a bastard step child of a real M vehicle.
The 3A for sure, has the FSN I mentioned; I am looking at the page from the supply catalog now.
I just wondered if the Model 606 came from that since it ends in 606. Where did the number 606 come from, is my quest, since it was not from the Army Type Classification process.

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 3:21 pm

What was the very first 606 dated? I note that most of them are in the 60s but I heard of one in 1956.
When I was in Korea in 79, the ROK Generals all had M606s and when they came to meetings at our unit (194th Maintenance Bn) I would admire their jeeps because next to ours, they looked much better. All theirs were painted high gloss OD; of course our 151s were quite drab compared to theirs.
I want to build one like that.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:17 am

Have you viewed the large collection of M606's and their Mitsubishi look alikes on the CJ3B Page web site: http://cj3b.info/M606.html

The "M" in the designation of the 606 series jeeps is a military designation. Just like the other M600 series and M700 series and so on. Kaiser also built the M715 5/4 ton pickup in the late 60's.

M606 FSN is 2320-987-8972

M606A2 FSN is 2320-935-0808

M606A2 FSN is 2320-935-0809

A few examples of M606 Military data plates:

Note the difference in FSN's between the two 1964 plates!

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 10:52 am

Interesting; thanks; yes I have read all of the CJ3B site. I am very interested in this because I have ignored them all these years and I now realize that this is a legitimate military vehicle; I guess I always thought of them as just exported Cj3Bs, which I was not interested in. Still flat fenders; but F head engines, which I have never built.

The Mitsubishi version is also listed in the ordnance catalog pages I copied long ago; it is called a TRUCK, UTILITY, 1/4 TON, 4X4, CJ3B-J4C (JAPAN)
FSN 2320-W21-0001
The US M606 was probably in it too but I did not make a copy of that page; wasn't interested 30 years ago.

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:22 am

I wish I had scrounged some of those old micro fiche files that were thrown into the dumpster by the ton; none of that old FSN information exists. Once we went to the NSN, then computers; now all the old data is gone.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:01 pm

The advent of the NSN (National Stock Number) in 1974 did not delete the presence and history of the FSN (Federal Stock Number). It just built upon it and during the transition existing FSN's were updated with the new pair of national origin digits. Thousands of FSN's became NSN's and still exist today. There are literally hundreds of FSN's from our parts manual of the 50's thru the 70's that easily convert to NSN's and are still easily located in the NOS stock listings on the web.

dpcd67 · Post by **dpcd67** » Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:20 pm

Of course you are right; just add 00 or 01 and you get the NSN, and yes, the M606 is still in the system. Origin date of 1 Jan 1960, cage code 19207 (TACOM) where I worked for 20 years.
I just wanted my own old school search data base.

WillysMotors · Post by **WillysMotors** » Mon Dec 17, 2018 8:50 pm

I looked through all the Jeep serial records I could find for 1955-1967, and I couldn't locate any M606. The individual serial numbers fall I've seen on M606 Nomenclature plates fall within the CJ3B range for those years though.

I'm guessing maybe since that was when Steven Girard was in charge of export that they were converted from CJ3B to M606 on a special sales order?

I wish I knew for sure.