hello from Italy

[ragno]

good evening to all, for many years that I have a 1970 MUTT, but 'I have never removed the doubts of construction, who would help me?
first of all, I would like to confirm that the production of the A2 started at the end of 1969?
who were the builders of the various series? who can tell me what difference is this one of the pictures below?



thanks to those who can answer me
Ragno

[muttguru]

Ragno....

the top picture is a first-series Ford A2.
The bottom picture could be a second-series Ford or it could be an AM General-built A2.
I need to see more pictures of the bottom vehicle before I can tell you which version it is.

Better still..... post some photos of YOUR A2 and I may be able to help.
Ken

[hambone]

You don't see many early Fords.

[Fil Bonica]

As an aside , the Ford has the wrong grill installed on it.

Fil Bonica

[ragno]

here it is, this is my Mutt, bought by my father in 1980, and remained in the family since then .....

[ragno]

I would like to know the producers of Mutt, I know that Ford started with M151......, then?

[markrdje]

I thought the way it went was...in the 1950's Willys started making them...Ford,Kaiser(willy changed their name to?),AMG

[Rickf]

You have a rare piece there. An all original Ford first version A2 with the original data plate. Ford only made the A2 for a short time before AMG took over and the straight cut fender was a very short run.

Here are some numbers for you.

http://www.g838.org/public_html/wiki/do ... nd_volumes

[ragno]

thanks for the answer, very interesting, finally I improve my knowledge !!

[Rickf]

PM sent.

[Star Electric Ordnance]

A few observations on this string of comments as I understand M-151 production:

1. The lower leading edge of the front fender, under the parking light that forms a straight line parallel to the ground, is a Ford made M-151A2 with bodies made by the BUDD company. The inverted V-shaped of the leading edge under the parking light is indicative of an AM General produced
M-151A2.

2. Willys had no hand in the development of the M-151 series. Ford began development of the MUTT in 1950 at the request of the U.S. Army. Nine years later, after prototype development and testing, Ford was awarded the first production contract, DA-20-018-ORD-21125, on 25 June, 1959 for 4,050 vehicles. The first production MUTT was made in April 1960, serial and hood number 2B 6487. In May of 1962, a second contract, DA-20-018-ORD-23240, for 13,124 vehicles, was awarded to Ford beginning with hood and serial number 2C 1268.

3. Ford lost the 3rd contract to Kaiser Jeep Corporation who produced the MUTT under contracts awarded 21 May 1962 and 14 Dec 1962, the latter being the new production of the M-151A1. A total of 9024 M-151's were made and 9882 M-151A1's made.

4. Ford regained the production contract, this time for three years, on a contract dated 15 Feb 1964 and subsequent contracts. On 25 July 1969, the M-151A2 design was approved for production by Ford. On 16 Feb 1971, AM General was awarded the contract to produce M-151A2's thus ending Ford's production of the MUTT. Ford produced 49,377 M-151A2's and AM General 36,286.

5. AM General was formed through the following mergers:

a. 1963, Kaiser-Frazer Corporation and Willys Overland Motors = Kaiser Jeep.
b. Feb 1970, American Motors buys Kaiser-Jeep and creates the Jeep Corporation.
c. 31 March 1971, the General Products Division, of the Jeep Corporation, was spun off from Jeep and renamed the AM General Division to focus on military related contracts.

6. One unanswered question is when was the last Ford built M-151A2 made. I have a data plate, from a military vehicle show, that is a Ford Mutt delivered Nov 1970, serial number 02 JC 70-344462. If anyone has a later delivered MUTT, please post it here.

Some of the information presented here is sourced from David Doyle's Squadron Publication of the history of the M151 series vehicle.

[Rickf]

Kevin, I know this has been debated in the past but somewhere on this forum or on the g838 there were some pictures of a couple Willys data plates for the M151. I don't remember if they were straight or A1. Ken might have more info on this.

[Star Electric Ordnance]

I found two images of data plates and as you will see, the Jan 64 is a Willys plate and the Mar 64 is a Kaiser Jeep which corresponds with the corporate purchase of Willys Overland. Now if someone has a Feb 64 plate, that would resolve when the Kaiser plate became effective either Feb or Mar of 64.
Anyone??

[muttguru]

Hi folks,

my understanding is that Willys Motors plates ran into January 1964 (I have a picture of one). Other owners have told me that their vehicles also have January 1964 plates, but with Kaiser Jeep as the manufacturer. Although I don't have pictures of their plates, I have little reason to doubt the information. One of the senders is a very well-respected researcher into all things jeep (and mutt).

It looks most likely that the DA33 contract changed over to the DA20 contract in January 1964 and this would also be the approximate date of the change to the A1 model. This last assumption is somewhat difficult to pin down. The reason?
When the M151A1 was introduced, it reached the Military with dash dataplate and weight-dimensions plate both showing the model as "M151". When someone spotted the error, the Mil had to install "overlay" plates showing the correct model designation as M151A1. These tiny screw-on plates were very quickly lost/misplaced/discarded whenever data plates were removed for vehicle painting etc. Some did survive (I have one) but they are pretty rare now.
Ken

[Austringer]

XM151 #4

https://goo.gl/photos/WeskPrwW3tCBBKKn6