Restoration of GP 8546

Create a thread to track the progress of you MB/GPW restoration progress. Previously a General Discussion board.
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DannyP
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Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:08 am

The restoration has begun! I'm going to start a new restoration thread here because I think this is the proper forum for it. You can read more about how we acquired it and the first bunch of photos here viewtopic.php?f=9&t=240996

I hope to be working on her almost daily. I'll try and update this as often as possible. Can't tell you how excited we are to have this GP in the family.

Plan is to get her back to original as much as possible. She will probably never be a 100pt restoration, but I will get her to look as close as possible and function 100%.

Here we go....

After her first bath
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The first ting I did was to try and locate the government property number. The numbers have been painted on there about three times. 2 were incorrect font, but I found the original here. W-2017443 All three sets of numbers were the same! This was really exciting to me because I have no data plates.
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This was pretty much my first week. I went really slow trying to find the numbers. Took lots of pictures of everything, Then had to move and organize everything in the barn so I would have more room to work. I'll post some other shots here of the engine and things I found neat.

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Pre-bath

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Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570


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Soldat
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by Soldat » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:33 am

Looking forward to watching your progress. Thank you for sharing this. :)
U.S. Army '78-'93
1943 GPW U.S.A. 20201053

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DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:38 am

All right that worked! I will try and post lots of pics. I know you love pictures just like I do. Let me know if there is anything you would like to see.

Barn cleared out I built a new bench and and ready to get started!
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My plan of attack is to remove everything that isn't original to the GP first and then take pics of what I have. I am going to wait to remove the bumper and the trailer hitch until the body is off. I don't want to risk hurting the body more than I have to. Feel free to give me advice...I am not a restoration expert like some of you are. Dont be offended if I do something my way though. I am sure I will make many mistakes, but that's how we learn! '

First step remove the super awesome plywood bench seat and the CJ? tank. Plywood gone!

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Luckily the angle iron frame that supported the bench was just held in with aluminum bolts. It was pretty easy to get out. The gas tank was a whole different story though. Held on by four of those old school square head bolts. Of course they were like 6" long for no reason. Bent underneath, stripped and completely rusted. The sure had a death grip on that tank though. I ended up cutting them gently from the top. The tank had about 2" of gas soaked mud and other debris all around it. Pieces of old dissolved inner tube to keep it from rubbing metal. It's out now... The floor underneath wasn't so good.

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That was yesterday... We will see if I get anything done today!
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:48 am

One last post for the morning....

Here are the tool box lids I keep getting emails and questions about. As far as I can tell they look original to me as do the latches. The release buttons I dunno? They are flat on top. Which I'm told indicates that she is in the first 25. Both sides are the same. The black stuff is like an old tar seal or something.

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Also anyone know what this gauge panel is from? I know it's not GP just curious what to list it as when I sell it on ebay. I'm gonna need the money!

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That's it for now hopefully more pics tonight!
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

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pjones
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by pjones » Thu Aug 21, 2014 11:12 am

Danny,
I don't know anything about Ford GP's but it looks like you have a great foundation to work with! Thanks for all the pictures.
phil
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DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Thu Aug 21, 2014 3:59 pm

Thanks Soldat and Pjones. I love pics too. Happy to snap a pic of anything you guys want.

Here is todays progress.... Didn't get as much done today as I would have liked. Had some other business plus the weather just sucks. Poured rain this morning now HOT and HUMID.

I removed all of the remaining bits and bolts from the plywood bench. Took off the windshield frame because I kept bumping into it. Also removed the transmission cover. The tranny and transfer case are both locked up and won't shift. After removing the cover I think they're just frozen in place after sitting for 40+ years. The transfer case levers started moving just after spraying some degreaser on them. Hopefully the tranny will be the same. I'm not going to mess with it until after the body is off.

Hope this is what a GP bellhousing and transfer case is supposed to look like!

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Here is another view

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Found this tag under all the grease. I thought it was pretty exciting! It doesn't look to me like the tranny or xfer case has ever been out. Just a feeling I get from the paint and the cotter pins. The skid plate is still under there too.

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Here is an overview of todays work

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That was it. I also spent about an hour scraping paint off the hood. Still trying to find the number there just to document the history. The hood is riveted to the body with some 1/2" or so rivets. I'm sure it is the original hood and has the same number as the rear. I don't think I will get any time to work on it tomorrow, but if I do I am hoping to finish revealing the hood number. Tomorrow I am going to get something I have always wanted.... A really nice toolbox. Also on the way back Harbor Freight is having some sort of tent sale and I am hoping to pick up some dollies for the wheels to roll it around in the garage and some other crap tools.

Well that's it for today. Hopefully this is the kind of stuff and pics you guys like to see. I'll just keep telling my story. Maybe it will help or entertain someone and hopefully you will all have advice for me!

Until tomorrow
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

Jim M
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by Jim M » Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:48 pm

Go Dan!
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zepher11
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by zepher11 » Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:13 pm

Looking forward to watching your progress as well Dan. Love the photos! 8)
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:47 pm

Thanks Jim and Zeph. Seeing Jim post here brings up something I meant to say, but forgot. I've never owned anything that has caused me to meet so many nice people so quickly. The first photo I posted of her in my barn I got an email from the Netherlands. Since then I've had emails from the East to West coast of the USA, Europe and Australia. Pretty neat that people are so interested in her and willing to offer up some help. Jim traded me his old GP manuals and way to much other awesome stuff for the GPW manual I got with the GP. And the pics he emailed me like the first day were the first things I looked at to confirm if my tranny looked right. Seems like I made a bunch of progress in my first two days. I guess I kinda did, but I'm sure it's really going to slow down once I start removing things I want to put back. It's easy and fast to undo aluminum bolts and cut the heads off the big carriage bolts. Now that I'm getting to where I want to save and label everything progress won't be so fast. I will keep moving forward, and you never know Jim I might be taking you for fried pork chops for lunch at Marco's by spring!
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

Jim M
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by Jim M » Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:09 am

Wednesday lunch special, Dan! We go there all the time.
Jim Mulligan

DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Fri Aug 22, 2014 6:39 pm

Jim it is the best thing on their menu as far as I'm concerned!

Todays update.... As expected I didn't get a whole lot done. Worked on locating the hood numbers for a couple hours this morning during the big storm. Found them on one side. They are really really faint. Looks like they have been sanded through. In some places down to bare metal. Same number though which I expected since the hood is still half riveted. I measured the locations best I could for when I paint them back on. Now I'm done with them. Here is a pic

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Next week tear down starts in full force. Got my ziplocs, index cards, and sharpies all lined up. Bought some new tools today. Got some dollies so I can wheel it around the barn, some other junk from Harbor freight, Craftsman tool set, and if I can get the Snap On driver to call me back I'll have a new box to put it all in next week.

Also I wanted to show you guys this. Seeing this made me smile when I gave her a bath. I know it's completely wrong for the GP, but I bet they sure looked sweet with the whitewalls! Never seen one in person. Just the repros on ebay.

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Well tomorrow I mow and then off to a fundraiser. Hopefully I'll be back in the barn working on Sunday!
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Mon Aug 25, 2014 5:46 pm

Yesterday I didn't really get anything done. Took her out for a final bath before I tear it apart for the stripper. It has a lovely smell of mold and that nasty old gas. Here she is. Gotta love those whitewalls!

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Today I took the hood off. What a fight, but mission accomplished. My plan is to get the front clip off and work my way back with the body. I want to get the radiator out too. Afraid I'm going to smash it accidentally. Hopefully it won't all fight me as much as the hood did. The new HF wheel dollies are working great! Here she is hoodless.

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Here is an example of why it is such slow going. This was one of the four bolts holding the hood hinges to the firewall. It was about a 6" bolt. Of course like the bolts holding the custom bench seat on it had those awful square nuts and was rusted solid. Why I'll never know, but it had about 4" of washers under the bolt. I couldn't get it to turn at all, and it was in a place where I couldn't cut it with grinder or bolt cutters. I ended up locking a giant set of vise grips in the middle of it and then bent it back and forth with channel locks until the bolt broke. Sounded like I dropped a roll of dimes in the bottom of the GP when it broke. Hope it is the last one of these but I doubt it! For your viewing pleasure

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That was pretty much it for today. Took about a million pics. Want to make sure I have everything documented just in case. It has been the hottest days of the year here lately. I was dripping sweat all over the camera just taking pics or I would have kept going. I want rebuilding the Jeep to be fun. So I'll just keep working in the mornings before it gets real hot. The Snap On guy is giving me fits too. I really want my new tool box. They are impossible to get a return call from. Making me mad now. Never had a pocket full of $100 bills and had so much trouble spending money in my life. One more chance tomorrow morning and I'm buying a box off CL. That's it for today. Hopefully more progress tomorrow!
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

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zepher11
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by zepher11 » Mon Aug 25, 2014 6:50 pm

Pictures are great! The photo in the driveway makes it look like a little toy to me for some reason. It might just be the whitewalls.

Yes, those 70 plus year old rusty bolts really can slow the fun down sometimes. Just when one gets in a rhythm, those darn one piece bolt/nut combinations pop up to ruin the fun. Keep plugging along. One step at a time. 8)
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:18 pm

Thanks Zeph, It looks like a toy to me sometimes too! It is actually smaller than the 4x4 John Deere Gator we have for sale! Amazing how small it is.
BTW I saw you have your GPW for sale... I hope nobody buys it unless you really need the money! Must be sad to offer it up for sale.

You're right about the bolts when they fight you it just ruins the fun. I didn't get much done this morning. Working on getting off the passenger fender. It has these bolts that are big buttonhead screws. I'm pretty sure they're original so I'm trying to save them. They are putting up quite a fight though. I will win! Still really hot here. Supposed to cool off tomorrow. I think I'll get more done then!
Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570

DannyP
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Re: Restoration of GP 8546

Post by DannyP » Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:32 pm

Today was a great day. I got a lot done... At least for me I got a lot done!

I finally got in a groove with the nasty rusted old bolts. Figured out which tools work best for me. Still found a couple bolts that I had to fight to the death, but they lost! Those old square bolts are a PITA... I had a couple that looked like whomever worked on it didn't have any bolts. So they took some scrap of steel and drilled and tapped it. That's the only explanation I could come up with for some of the rectangle shaped "bolts".

Took all the front sheet metal off. Took a million more pics it seems like. Fenderless!!!!

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This little wing shows the flat blade buttonhead bolts I had such a hard time with. Rusted, Bondoed, full of paint and it seems like the nuts are always in some place I can't get a wrench on properly. I think they are original...Not sure though. They were connecting the fender to the grill too. Luckily I think they're all off now.

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That was all the work for today. I think I accomplished a lot, but maybe some of you could have done this in a half hour. Tomorrow I hope to remove the grill and radiator.

I also got a part I ordered online today. It's really cool. I'm sure all of you have seen this before, but it was new for me. A NOS output gear still sealed in a wax box from 1941. It was only $6 shipped. If I don't need it at least it will look cool sitting on the shelf. I think I finally got my toolbox situation worked out too! Here is the gear. More updates tomorrow!

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Danny
1941 Ford GP
My restoration thread viewtopic.php?f=144&t=241570


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