Help me identifying my tub!!

Create a thread to track the progress of you MB/GPW restoration progress. Previously a General Discussion board.
pfnaak
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Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by pfnaak » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:02 pm

...I'm a little lost at the moment. In knew, that there were some mods on my tub and did not wonder about it: It's a '43 surplus MB being sold later on to the Swiss Army with different owners. So it has seen a lot. Nevertheless I would like to know what I have.

So what do I have / or not:

Tub/Body:

- It has no notch on the dashboard (but less welding points than a Hotchkiss)
- sections of the grill are 1/2" deep (12,8mm)
- the hood hinge has 15 (!) sections
- the hood has an air deflector
- it has a very long serial number (7 digits) in the area right above the horn, but no H (for Hotchkiss)
- it has the rounded pillar left and right just below the dashboard
- the foot rests are Willys stile
- the tool box lids are Willys stile (the knobs/locks are not, I know)
- the fenders are M38 style

Chassis:

- MB 254813 (and I have the propper Swiss documentation, so that should be correct)
- the serial plate is missing, it has a stamped number instead, but you can still see the two holes of the plate
- no "U-channel" like a hotchkiss, but someone welded another plate where the "U-channel" would be (but there's nothing behind it)
- tube crossmember
- the rear bumber is wrong (later model)
- the front bumber has some more holes and cuts than original (but that makes it easier to fix the number plate)

So I think the chassis and lots of the parts are original, but the tub/body has been replaced somewhen. But what is it?


Serial.jpg
Serial.jpg (190.54 KiB) Viewed 894 times
Deflector.jpg
Deflector.jpg (159.65 KiB) Viewed 894 times
hinge.jpg
hinge.jpg (229.78 KiB) Viewed 894 times
grill.jpg
grill.jpg (123.83 KiB) Viewed 894 times
MB254813.jpg
MB254813.jpg (219.67 KiB) Viewed 894 times
1943 MB 254813 (DOD 9th August 1943, educated guess), engine MB 278234 (former: MB 573953)


Joe Gopan
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:22 pm

Those stampings are all European font.
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pfnaak
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by pfnaak » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:24 pm

Ben Dover wrote:
Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:22 pm
Those stampings are all European font.
...sure, no doubt about that, as it was done after selling it as surplus. That one stayed over here after the war.
1943 MB 254813 (DOD 9th August 1943, educated guess), engine MB 278234 (former: MB 573953)

Mark Jesic
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by Mark Jesic » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:38 pm

I wouldnt rule out some hotchkiss parts on it. Hotchkiss did a lot of rebuilds on ww2 jeeps.

pfnaak
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by pfnaak » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:08 am

Mark Jesic wrote:
Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:38 pm
I wouldnt rule out some hotchkiss parts on it. Hotchkiss did a lot of rebuilds on ww2 jeeps.
...but it never was in Hotchkiss' hands. It stayed in Switzerland.

That's what a Hotchkiss serial would look like: https://goo.gl/images/JiXXa7

Other replicas?
1943 MB 254813 (DOD 9th August 1943, educated guess), engine MB 278234 (former: MB 573953)

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David
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by David » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:11 am

On both main chassis rails should be a hole just in front of the rear crossmember. Is this hole round or oval?

pfnaak
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by pfnaak » Tue Apr 24, 2018 2:47 am

David wrote:
Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:11 am
On both main chassis rails should be a hole just in front of the rear crossmember. Is this hole round or oval?
On top or on the side of the rail? And what would it tell me?
1943 MB 254813 (DOD 9th August 1943, educated guess), engine MB 278234 (former: MB 573953)

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David
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by David » Tue Apr 24, 2018 9:40 am

The side. It would tell for sure if your chassis is MB or M201.

Joe Gopan
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Apr 24, 2018 9:56 am

Frame horns on M-201 have additionsl boxed in area, yours appear modified.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

pfnaak
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by pfnaak » Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:26 am

David wrote:The side. It would tell for sure if your chassis is MB or M201.
Do you have a pic, MB or 201?




1943 MB 254813 (DOD 9th August 1943, educated guess), engine MB 278234 (former: MB 573953)

70th Division
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by 70th Division » Tue Apr 24, 2018 4:40 pm

Hello PF,

The body tub could possibly been one made in Germany postwar for the French and or to supply the US Army with
replacement parts for Nato programs with the jeeps.

I know there were Ben Hur trailers were made in Germany for the US Army, and new CCKW beds were also made.
If that is a German made body on your jeep, I am guessing it could be pretty rare.
Eskanor is thought to have made them under license in Germany in the 1950's.
No doubt they could have supplied the Swiss Army with replacement tubs as well, before Hotchkiss started making them.
.


Here is a link to some info on M201.com : A great site for M201 Hotchkiss Jeeps and rebuilt US jeeps by the French !!!

http://www.m201.com/ITM/ITM.htm

Best Regards,

Ray
USA

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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by 70th Division » Tue Apr 24, 2018 5:08 pm

Hello,

To identify your MB frame vs. a WOF frame, the front cross member tube on both have a
a dent under them.
The Hotchkiss WOF frame tube has a slightly different depression on the "end" of the dent , slightly smaller,
the MB has a bigger depression at the end of the dent.

Here is a link to some pictures :

viewtopic.php?t=142278


Best Regards,

Ray

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David
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by David » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:19 am

Image

It's the single hole in about the middle of the pic, just above and to the right of the spring bracket. It's either round as shown, or oval/elongated.

Pic source: http://www.darrylsgarage.com/wwiijeep/jeep-c2.htm

pfnaak
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by pfnaak » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:35 am

OK...

I have a round hole and a big (MB) dent. So the chassis is what it should be. No big surprise, as it.has been registered in Switzerland since 1945.

But I was asking to identify my tub in fact! 😁
1943 MB 254813 (DOD 9th August 1943, educated guess), engine MB 278234 (former: MB 573953)

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David
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Re: Help me identifying my tub!!

Post by David » Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:20 pm

Round hole is MB/GPW indeed, oval is M201.


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