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My grandfather died a couple of months ago and left me his old, rusted WWII jeep. He fought the Japanese in the Navy and when he mustered out in 45 they offered him some cash, or a jeep. This is the jeep. http://i.imgur.com/yk9pJnO.jpg My grandmother called me the other day and told me to come pick the thing up. So off to the uhaul to snag a trailer and now it's in my backyard.   Here are the data plates:  You'll notice that it was reconditioned in 45 by Higgins. My grandfather thought that perhaps it had seen action, been damaged, and sent back to be repaired. That seems unlikely to me (didn't they just throw these things in the ocean?), but what do I know. I want a full restoration, but original condition is impossible due to my grandfather welding on, or cutting off, whatever he wanted to. This was a farm jeep. I'm preparing for a complete disassembly and inventory now. If any of you have ANY knowledge please tell me. I am an operator level maintenance guy. I am flying blind (youtube videos, books, and old men from the local museum) on a lot of this. spacetoaster fucked around with this message at 19:28 on May 30, 2015 |
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May 14, 2015 23:10
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 06:20 |
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YES YES YES YES YES I'm a 10 level guy myself but I love where this thread is going. Do it right and keep it classy. The only two things that bug me about retro army jeeps are 1) when people try to make them out of non-military models like spray painting green krylon and "US ARMY" on a CJ-3b or 2) when people heep ridiculous bling blong all over like draping belts of ammunition over the steering wheel. http://olive-drab.com/od_mvg_www_jeeps_mbgpw.php this site has some cool information. I think it may even have marking specs on there though the site design is something a crazy person may have came up with. Sandbagger SA fucked around with this message at 23:24 on May 14, 2015 |
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May 14, 2015 23:17
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 I ALWAYS always wanted an old Willys, I used to imagine driving around old farms until I could find an old one and restore it.You are living the dream, you lucky bastard.
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May 14, 2015 23:30
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Whatcha talkin' bout, Willys? (Sorry)spacetoaster posted:I am an operator level maintenance guy.
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May 14, 2015 23:33
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Sweet old Jeep! I would have tried to get it running before dismantling it, unless the engine is so seized that it's totally pooched.
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May 15, 2015 00:10
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Sweet old Jeep! I know that this vehicle's engine WAS running a decade ago. My grandfather was using it to run his gristmill. I, however, cannot get it running as several components of the engine are missing (granddad was probably working on them or something). Once I get a better handle on what's what with this jeep I'll head back to granddad's farm and root through his shop properly.
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May 15, 2015 02:55
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spacetoaster posted:I know that this vehicle's engine WAS running a decade ago. My grandfather was using it to run his gristmill. What are you missing? I have some random stuff left of my CJ2A that I was planning on scrapping.
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May 15, 2015 13:35
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Started taking the body apart today. Got the hood and the windshield off. I think they're salvageable, I'm going to get them (and the rest of the body parts) repaired at a local body shop. The wires, cables, and hoses are a total loss. I will be getting new ones. I'm finding a lot of different size bolts and screws. I think my grandfather just used whatever was laying around his shop to keep this thing working.  I'm almost out of penetrating oil.  Sandbagger SA posted:What are you missing? The most obvious part (to me) so far is the carberater and fuel tank. But there is a clean rag and piece of plastic over the hole where it should be. I'm pretty sure my pop was working on it in one of his shops. I'm going to go find it, and the other parts, when I can get back there to do a good search. Quick question: Why on earth is the brake line right on the front axle? Isn't that just asking for it to be messed up on a military jeep? InitialDave posted:The thing about stuff like this is that if you have opposable thumbs and a toolkit that consists of more than just a hammer, you'll probably be fine. Old, basic vehicles - particularly ones designed to be squaddie-proof - are pretty easy to work on from a straight technical point of view. The hard part is usually dealing with age-related issues like serious corrosion, and knowing what somethign should look like seven decades and multiple bodges ago. You speak truth. I'm about to just start cutting nuts and bolts off. So far none of them will be usable any way. spacetoaster fucked around with this message at 16:56 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 16:54
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Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I have dreamt of this thread happening, since giving up on it ever being my project.
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May 15, 2015 18:37
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What's your long term plan for it? My fiance's dad has always wanted one. He told stories of him having one as his first car in the 50s. Are you going to do it up as your grandpa had it or original spec? I know someone out there will have a link or two to a source for parts, I'm guessing that a lot of this stuff remained the same for awhile because of the abundance of them.
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May 15, 2015 21:10
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LobsterboyX posted:What's your long term plan for it? My fiance's dad has always wanted one. He told stories of him having one as his first car in the 50s. Are you going to do it up as your grandpa had it or original spec? I retire from the Army in a little over 2 years. I want to have it complete (bumper #'s and all) and drive the sucker to work on base before I retire. After that, V day parades til I die I guess.
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May 15, 2015 21:15
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But how? Stock and period correct or just however? How significant of a resto are you willing to do (body filler or fixing sheet metal)? Repor parts or real ones? I don't know what's going on with that rail around the tub, but you need to cut it off. Looks like it would even be int he way of the proper soft top brackets. And how about some shots from the back? Is the tailgate okay or is it all screwed up from the field kit spare tire rack? Can you still see the stamped letters or has someone been grinding/body filling on it? If you need help sourcing parts let me know. And I'm not judging on how you want to restore it, but my suggested will be based on just how far you want to go. Motronic fucked around with this message at 01:25 on May 16, 2015 |
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May 16, 2015 01:22
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Motronic posted:But how? Stock and period correct or just however? How significant of a resto are you willing to do (body filler or fixing sheet metal)? Repor parts or real ones? I thought the early war jeeps didn't have rear lettering or tail gates? spacetoaster posted:I retire from the Army in a little over 2 years. I want to have it complete (bumper #'s and all) and drive the sucker to work on base before I retire. After that, V day parades til I die I guess. You're living my dream man. djdanno13 fucked around with this message at 02:18 on May 16, 2015 |
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May 16, 2015 02:16
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djdanno13 posted:I thought the early war jeeps didn't have rear lettering or tail gates? Nope. That one should have W I L L Y S stamped on bottom driver's side of the "tail gate."
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May 16, 2015 02:22
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Motronic posted:But how? Stock and period correct or just however? How significant of a resto are you willing to do (body filler or fixing sheet metal)? Repor parts or real ones? I don't think stock is an option. Period might be out too. I'm just not very comfortable driving a vehicle with cloth wrapped wires and inner tube tires. I would like to be pretty close though. Motronic posted:I don't know what's going on with that rail around the tub, but you need to cut it off. Looks like it would even be int he way of the proper soft top brackets. Hey, it needed a rail so pops made one. And there is no tailgate. I don't even see how there ever was one. But a new body tub is pretty much a given anyway due to rust.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to start cutting on the body to get it apart. Granddad seems to have welded it in a bunch of places.  It's night so I can't snap a photo of the back, but here's a shot of another data plate. Date of delivery April 13, 1944. 
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May 16, 2015 03:08
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spacetoaster posted:
A tailgate is inappropriate for a mil jeep of that vintage. They started adding them to CJs as a way to help market them to civilians I think.
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May 16, 2015 03:28
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spacetoaster posted:And there is no tailgate. I don't even see how there ever was one. But a new body tub is pretty much a given anyway due to rust. I put that in quotes (probably should have described it better).....it's not supposed to open. It's just a rear panel that is part of the tub. They often got destroyed by a 1944/45 field install for a tire/jerry can. It was just a bracket that was slapped on without enough bracing (and very often incorrectly by the grunt in the motor pool) so most of them end up with a kink in that panel and big torn out holes. I've spent an awful lot of time fixing those because you're just about out of luck finding an undamaged original to replace it with. If you're replacing the tub then it's game over as far as period correct resto, but based on your pictures I can tell you that the shop I work in has restored worse. But it's really, really drat expensive. There are places that make kinda sorta acceptable repro tubs but they are getting harder and harder to find. Some of the tubs are so bad you can't even fit parts back on them without "fixing" them. If you need to go the tub route I'll be happy to talk to the guy who owns the shop and have him call around for who still might have one of the good ones and what it would cost. He knows his parts and the people who have them, which is 3/4 of the battle on these thing (most of these guys don't even have an email address never mind a web site). FYI, this is the kind of work that gets done there:  That was hit over the rear driver's side wheel so bad that the body was crushed almost to the extent of the inside of the fender. Someone else pulled that out and I spent about four hours on the flat top inner fender getting it back to perfect so it wouldn't "oil can" and with nothing more than a bare skim of body filler on it. Hours and hours with a torch and shrinking hammer, but it's perfect now, down to the metal seams being sharp and visible. The rest of that tub was kind of a disaster too, but nothing nearly that bad. It did get a new (repro) floor pan because that was just too bad to save:  You can see the scratches in the primer on the inner fender wells from when it got installed. Obviously that was all fixed before it left the shop for paint. Motronic fucked around with this message at 16:44 on May 16, 2015 |
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May 16, 2015 16:35
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Motronic posted:
I wish it was just some crushed and dented stuff. Rusted VERY badly. I suppose it could be saved by a body shop. But I don't know how to tell when it's a lost cause. I'll post some detailed photos of the tub damage in the morning.
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May 18, 2015 00:56
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I think you forgot to mention in your "This vehicle is crazy" post that you sit on the gas tank seperated only by springs and a thin cushion.
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May 18, 2015 02:55
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MattD1zzl3 posted:I think you forgot to mention in your "This vehicle is crazy" post that you sit on the gas tank seperated only by springs and a thin cushion. This is actually a feature to increase the survivability of the vehicle under enemy fire.  spacetoaster posted:I wish it was just some crushed and dented stuff. Rusted VERY badly. I suppose it could be saved by a body shop. But I don't know how to tell when it's a lost cause. take pics of the hat channels particularly where they meet the frame under the floorboards.
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May 18, 2015 02:57
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Sandbagger SA posted:This is actually a feature to increase the survivability of the vehicle under enemy fire. What, the "Put everything we dont want shot in one spot, hoping that the bullets will go elsewhere?" It reminds me of: quote:A man named Abraham Wald, a Jewish mathematician who’d been locked out of university positions and ultimately fled the persecution in his own home country of Hungary, was brought in to oversee the operation. He started with a simple diagram—the outline of a plane—and he marked bullet holes corresponding to where each returning bomber had been shot. The result was the anatomy of common plane damage. The wings, nose, and tail were blackened with bullet holes, so these were the spots that needed more armor.
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May 18, 2015 03:46
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MattD1zzl3 posted:What, the "Put everything we dont want shot in one spot, hoping that the bullets will go elsewhere?" YUP! The idea is that the driver is going to protect himself first and if the fuel tank is where the driver is, then the fuel tank is also protected.
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May 18, 2015 11:59
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Here's the pics of the back:  Now, this thing isn't supposed to be welded to the fender, is it? I should make a cut here through the weld I think. I don't think I can remove the fenders unless I do. 
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May 18, 2015 15:52
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spacetoaster posted:Here's the pics of the back: Yup. Cut it off. That body has some very special mods eh? Check out that rear bumper!
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May 18, 2015 16:29
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Sandbagger SA posted:That body has some very special mods eh? Check out that rear bumper! Oh yeah, that'll be fun to cut off. It's going to be bad storms for the next couple of days so there might not be any new work being done. I might go construct a shed roof over the project though. I've protected the front with a tarp, but I think keeping the entire project dry during restoration would be a good thing.
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May 18, 2015 19:01
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I'll let Motronic have the final word, but to me that looks pretty solid. If it was mine, I'd try to keep the tub. Reproductions are never as nice as the real deal, and yours looks still pretty savable. Is the underside about the same?
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May 18, 2015 19:06
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Raluek posted:I'll let Motronic have the final word, but to me that looks pretty solid. If it was mine, I'd try to keep the tub. Reproductions are never as nice as the real deal, and yours looks still pretty savable. Is the underside about the same? I didn't get to photo all the damage to the tub due to the storm this morning. I'll get pics of the worst parts and let you guys tell me if it's possible to save. I'd love to save it.
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May 18, 2015 19:11
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Raluek posted:I'll let Motronic have the final word, but to me that looks pretty solid. If it was mine, I'd try to keep the tub. Reproductions are never as nice as the real deal, and yours looks still pretty savable. Is the underside about the same? It looks entirely salvageable. I bet it might need a floor pan based on what he's saying (most of the rot is probably right around the seams) but I bet it can be saved. I'd like to see what it looks like under that bumper - to see if it even is a willys tub.
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May 18, 2015 21:34
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Motronic posted:It looks entirely salvageable. I bet it might need a floor pan based on what he's saying (most of the rot is probably right around the seams) but I bet it can be saved. I don't think it's a willys tub. I was told it was a willys engine with a ford body. I went out and took a few more photos.  under the bumper?  
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May 18, 2015 23:09
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So yeah, it need a floor pan. I'm not autist-level on what came how like the people I work with, but I don't think there ever was a factory ford body with a willys motor. I know there are a bunch of fords with willys chassis when the government told them they were screwing up the contract and went to ford and said "here's a bunch of chassis that didn't get finished: make it work." I'll show your pictures around at the shop and see who recognizes what. If it's a ford tub you should be able to find very light script F's in several places. I think the center of the tailgate/panel is one of them. I'll refrain from naming any others until I have a phone conversation with the resident GPW madman.
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May 18, 2015 23:56
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The carberator has been found. And granddad already rebuilt it.
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May 19, 2015 03:00
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spacetoaster posted:The carberator has been found. And granddad already rebuilt it. Awesome. Confirmed wilys or ford? If it's a marked Ford carb it's worth $400. At least. Also, I forgot to mention - those are the wrong wheels (spergy sperg). Don't worry about it though....most people are running them (CJ2A). A decent set of 5 combat rims are going for like $900 now. (and by "decent" I mean appropriate for refinishing)
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May 19, 2015 03:04
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Motronic posted:So yeah, it need a floor pan. You would know better than me but I've also read that jeeps (GPW or MB) getting repair work at the depot often had engines swapped out for different makes because the government didn't care about every part being mfr. specific. That and Willys made the majority of the crate engines iirc.
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May 19, 2015 03:04
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Sandbagger SA posted:You would know better than me but I've also read that jeeps getting repair work at the depot often had engines swapped out for different makes because the government didn't care about every part being mfr. specific. This is all absolutely the case, but the general idea of restoring them is to bring them back to how the rolled off the line. But then you have to take into account provenience and what field upgrades would have been done.......... Who did what when and what you consider original is all up to interpretation. In fact, the better your story the more these people will believe it's right. No matter how much of it you've made up. (I'm not kidding) Edit: How about a picture of the suspension from under the front bumper, particularly what the radiator is sitting on. Let's see if this is an MB or GPW chassis. If it's sitting on a tube it's a Willys. If it's sitting on piece of stamped steel that looks like an upside-down U it's a Ford. Motronic fucked around with this message at 03:39 on May 19, 2015 |
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May 19, 2015 03:05
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This is awesome as all hell. Subscribed.
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May 19, 2015 16:20
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 related image.
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May 19, 2015 17:22
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Cool thread also subscribed.
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May 19, 2015 17:24
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 Okay, got the front wheels off today and got the front on some jack stands. Can anyone tell me about the suspension? Those leaf springs look pretty bad. And the U-bolts (heck, all the bolts) are just solid pieces of rust. I'm thinking a kit like this for replacement: http://www.kaiserwillys.com/product/1804/willys-jeep-suspension-overhaul-kits-parts-accessories I'm still dis-assembling. I'm not optimistic about that happening very fast.
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May 19, 2015 17:47
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the orange tipped wrench will help you out. I have been looking at vintage jeeps... but not this old. Either way, this is going to be awesome.
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May 19, 2015 17:48
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 06:20 |
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spacetoaster posted:
I think I am going to buy stock in break-free® BRB.
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May 19, 2015 17:50
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