MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Create a thread to track the progress of you MB/GPW restoration progress. Previously a General Discussion board.
Joe Gopan
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MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:19 am

My first Jeep ride was given to me mid summer 1945 by my Uncle Joe a WWII Ranger who drove Jeeps into combat with the 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division. That was day one of my longtime Jeep hobby 70 years ago. My friend Harry Tabenken was with me and we sat gripping our toy wooden rifles at the ready beside our knees.
Last edited by Joe Gopan on Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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
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Chuck Lutz
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:38 am

Four years old at the time or five?
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GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

Joe Gopan
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:44 am

Old enough to know Jeeps and I were going to be longtime friends and that someday I was going to drive one in the Army.
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

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Chuck Lutz
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:56 pm

OK..that's four years old I guess.
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

Joe Gopan
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:18 pm

Some hobbies fall in place and offer opportunities. The Army let me go to school on the very Jeep types and trucks that I had been working on for years with instructors that were WWII and Korean Veterans that enjoyed talking army truck. It was a blast to learn all that I could from instructors, some of whom who were in the Army before Jeeps were issued. I got to look over hundreds of M-38/M-38A1 Jeeps and learn their differences. Same with the larger trucks.
My folks and everybody back home were proud of me and how well I did.
Back home we had three trained Jeep mechanics in our shop, Bob Woodworth WWII Vet who drove a 4 Ton Diamond T Wrecker in Europe and used to rig Jeeps to outrun Circle C Cowboys. He was also a former Tech Rep for Sikorsky on the H-37.
Dave MacQuarrie, Tank Destroyer Driver and Ordnance Mechanic who hauled Italian POW's in AFKW's thru the Volturno Mountains, and Jerry Marsh, WWI Vet and an old time car mechanic and civilian Mechanic on Jeeps, Trucks and Snow Blowers at Dow Field during the War. They all trained me to repair Jeeps, and Army Trucks we sold. It made school a blast. One thing I learned in school is to do a mean M-38A1 tune up.
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

cjv-35
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by cjv-35 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:37 pm

Hey Ben, Would you mind commenting on what a "mean" M-38A1 tune up consists of ? :?

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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:25 pm

They run like hell and I like to challenge others to make their jeep run as good or better if they can. If one is going to share Jeep tips, it is best to set an example.
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

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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by cjv-35 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 8:05 am

No tips from myself for I am just a shade tree mechanic that follows the maintenance manuals, military and civilian. No big deal. Have a nice day.





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Joe Gopan
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:15 pm

I miss these old timers who set the stage for me by sharing their skills and war stories. Jerry Marsh was born in July 1900 and passed away in 1985, he was a Civilian Mechanic at Dow Field during WWII and would tell of "unpickeling a Jeep" and having to grease the Oshkosh and FWD snow removal trucks during the off season months. Up until the 70's he never gave more than $50.00 for a car and his 30's-40's fixer uppers lasted him 20 years or more. Jerry was full of old car stories and tales of bankrupt vaudeville acts during the 30's selling him their broken cars for just enough cash for a train ticket out of town. He liked to tell the the story of scaring the devil out of his friends with his car that would "go 5 miles in 5 minutes."
Last edited by Joe Gopan on Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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

Joe Gopan
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Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:39 pm

Getting back to my first Jeep ride back in 45, the first thing I noticed was the transfer case whine, a detail that is present in all 4 Cyl Jeeps from WWII thru the 60's.
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

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Chuck Lutz
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Chuck Lutz » Mon Aug 29, 2016 5:13 pm

If you lived in the Bay Area and went to the BSA Camp Royaneh up in Cazadero back in the day and hung around the stables working on your Horsemanship Merit Badge, besides shoveling a few road apples for big Jim Wilkins the wrangler and caretaker, you probably earned a ride or two in his jeep. Now I seem to remember it was a WWII MB but maybe others can remember better than I can...

Up and down the hills on paved and unpaved roads....it was pretty cool since NOBODY I knew had a real WWII jeep then.

Maybe someone has a few pics of Jim's old jeep...
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

clintm20
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by clintm20 » Tue Aug 30, 2016 12:52 pm

My grandfather was a Jeep salesman for Kaiser and later AMC and sometimes he would take me on a short ride to show a jeep to a prospective buyer. I guess it was common back then to take the jeep to the buyer rather than wait for one to come into the showroom. I don't remember my first jeep ride unfortunately but it was probably in my Dad's first J2000.
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JIMN
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by JIMN » Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:03 am

Those are good stories, great memories.
The first I remember was in my Dads GPW. I must have been about 3. He had the passenger seat out, and I refused to sit on a bucket. So he put the seat back in and we rode the next day. The seat was actually the original rear seat which was positioned like a front 60/40 front bench seat. I also made him put a door on the passenger side, I guess I was scared I would fall out. He kept the homemade wooden doors in the old outhouse where all the wasp were.
I will never forget the rides back to the river on our farm. Mom and Dad in the front. All four of us kids sitting on the fenders in the back scared to death when the jeep would be leaning extremely as we followed the side of a creek/hollar down a big hill. It probably didn't help that Mom would be arguing that he was going to kill us all if the jeep rolled!
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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by Mark Jesic » Sat Sep 17, 2016 11:51 am

Ben, i cant remember my first jeep ride, but i can tell you about my Dads. I had just restored my previous jeep, a Willys MB 1945. I proudly drove it to my parents house, and Dad came out to see it. His first words were "What the hell have you got that for ?" My reply was " Its a bit of fun Dad " Dad snarled "the bloody war was fun then". He never spoke about his war experience, and we only found out what a hero he was after he died, but thats another story. I replied "Dad, its American, not German, come for a spin " He reluctantly got in and we set off. He remained quiet on our short journey, and i glanced over at him , and noticed a smile on his face, which stayed on his face till we got home. "That was OK" he said. That smile meant the world to me, and stays with me to this day. Thanks Dad !

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Re: MY FIRST JEEP RIDE

Post by gpwbob » Wed Sep 21, 2016 12:59 pm

First ride was in 1965 near Bogota Colombia. I was 4 years old and my uncle drove his flat-fender jeep around his coffee farm south of the city. When we got back I wanted a jeep so bad my Dad bought me a used pedal-car jeep that he cleaned up and repainted OD.
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