'42 GPW - '42 Peep's Motorpool!

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

I was recently asked [encouraged, or told ] that I needed to start talking about jeeps! So I have started this thread to cover little bits of my project, and cool related things I've found or learned on the way - the goal is to share the love of G503s!



Alrighty a little bit of background, this project has been going on for a while - of course I learned before I started that there is no set time for completion of any project.


When I started, my goal was as near to factory new condition as prudent, however the more I got into the project and the research side of things, the more I realized that goal was incompatible with my history preservation goals. What that means is that the more I got acquainted with the project, the more I saw it wasn't suitable as a 'blank canvas' (that I'd assumed it would be when I got it) because it already had history in the form of markings and wartime modifications all hidden away under paint or what people assumed to have been 'bubba' mods. It was a hard call, but I came to the decision that for me personally, the dents, markings, and period modifications should stay as they told part of a story. It will never be perfect, and believe me, for a perfectionist, that's a tough one to swallow


At that point I decided that a good goal was to rebuild everything to mechanically factory new condition, and leave the history intact as much as I could when it came to the tub. It was an interesting compromise, one I never foresaw when I began the project. I went into it thinking I'd set a goal of a factory 1942 GPW, and then came out with the decision to restore it to as faithful a representation of this particular GPW's wartime service as possible. Let me tell you, I've found this goal every bit as challenging as the original goal, since I spend as much time and effort trying to get what details can be done 'right'. Now that said, tracking down parts is both fun and a challenge, I would sometimes spend months looking for the 'right' part, and I don't regret any of it for a moment. Only later did I have to downshift in that respect, and I will explain that in a later posting.


Speaking of beginning projects, I hear a lot of people who get tell me they feel a little intimidated by the thought of a restoration. When I started, I had a mechanic's basic tools, the rest came as I needed them, but I don't think everyone has to had specialty tools as a prerequisite to restore. I'll tell you and you might not believe it, but the best 'tool' I had then and now, are the original TM -Technical Manuals, and Maintenance manuals, SNL-G503 (Standard Nomenclature List); in short the 'operating bible' of the WWII jeep! When I started this, the best workplace I had was the great outdoors, it had plenty of light and ventilation to boot! Of course there is a practical side and an impractical side to working outdoors. I think it is better suited to the earlier stages of a restoration, and the latter stages are better suited to a garage -if you have one.


So please have a seat, grab your favorite beverage, and let's talk jeeps!

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

[Note - when I set out restoring the '42, I tried to take photos as often as possible to show the progress, or before and after comparisons. Two things I quickly learned make that a tough routine to follow - when you have really greasy hands you don't want to work an expensive camera with little buttons that grease works into easily, and the other thing I learned is that two hands are better than one, but three hands is much better suited than two for documenting a jeep project. ]


So with that said, I've dug out some photos I could find, and so this posting will come in little bursts based on what I find to post next - I'm trying to keep it mostly in a chronological order!


My introduction to this GPW was a true learning experience - it wasn't that I'd never seen another G503 before because I had, but at the time I got started there was a lot less information about them. My most referenced books -besides the original technical and maintenance manuals- were 'Jeep, Jeep, Jeep' & 'All American Wonder vol. 1. It's incredible how much information is known now, that was either opinion or theory at the time. So many books, posts, etc, that there is a great wealth of information now. Looking back years later, I still love 'Jeep, Jeep, Jeep' & ' All American Wonder', they were good books and still have value, but there is so much just on the 'G503.com' forum since that time too. I definitely think anyone who is new to the G503 world, is blessed with the fruits of knowledge that I think all of us would have loved when we started our projects - there is no better time than now to restore a WWII jeep thanks to all of that information.

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

One of the first things we learn after acquiring a WWII jeep, is that there is a person in the vehicle's past life whose efforts we tend to at first be annoyed with, that person is usually labeled 'bubba'. 'Bubba' is the guy who wanted to keep the vehicle going, who wanted to 'improve it' where he thought he could, and sometimes when a part was irreplaceable, he adapted and overcame. In retrospect 'bubba' was a man who just wanted to keep the jeep 'alive', he didn't know what value we place -now- on some of the parts he discarded, or that the fruits of his labor might work to frustrate us at times as we attempt to undo 60+ - now 79!- years of use. When I would sit down and work on the '42, I'd spare a thought for those who built it, and those who drove it and maintained it during WWII and beyond. I figure just like how the G.I.'s earned their discharge and traded their uniforms for suits or overalls, these vehicles earned their place on the farm, where they could leisurely ride the pastures, no longer worried about a German minefield or a Japanese 'Zero' strafing run. They may have been the father of the CJ-2A, but they still worked just as hard in their civilian life, and 'bubba' kept them rolling just like he did when he was in the Army, maybe he didn't have a full stock of replacement parts, maybe he didn't have the equipment he needed, but he kept our beloved vehicles thriving and surviving, so that we can enjoy them today.


In this case as far as I have been able to determine, the '42 was sold after WWII to a farmer, on whose farm it apparently stayed until about 10 years before I acquired it. It'd been sold twice in short order, before I finally had my chance at it. In the short time the two previous owners had it, some things were 'fixed' or 'improved'. Now I'm just happy it avoided the scrap yard twice, because the third time was the charm and now it is being restored.

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

The seller had supplied me with a couple milk crates and a cardboard box of parts, and things I had no idea what were. I had the foresight to save every piece of it, just in case - even if some of it looked like pure junk to my eyes. I later found myself returning over and over again to those boxes, to retrieve something that I recognized after learning more. I am thankful I did not throw any of it away! I think that is a huge lesson learned, and one that all new to G503 should remember, don't throw out anything until you are 200% sure it is not something you (or someone else) needs!

This is jumping ahead a little, apologies but finding the photos takes time years later.


Like most(?) G503s that come to us, few have their original front bumper intact. This one had a huge heavy piece of angle iron on it! I always wondered what happened to the original bumper that this was the next best thing? Anywho, I was pleased that it at least retained the lower bumper gussets, or most of them. I'd already heard from others and the G503 (been reading it since about 2004! those were long ago days now! ) that I was at least fortunate enough to have the front frame horns intact, especially since (as I learned from the old G503 wiki and 'All American Wonder') the front frame horns on the earlier '42 GPW's were pretty distinct.


The most apparent issue was this hunk of metal:

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Which I learned was an 'upgrade' known as a 'Saginaw Steering' mod - probably good in a well done rig, but terrible in this one. It seemingly would take turns, and turns, and turns of the steering wheel before the front tires would begin to slowly budge Which was fine because I wasn't going to use it, I already knew I was going to go back to the stock steering system.

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As you can see, it was bolted to a healthy steel plate about a 1/2" thick, which was welded right onto the frame rail.

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['42 Peep's Motorpool]

The bumper gussets were partly intact; the top ones had been removed entirely to clear the angle iron bumper.

You can see the 'bumper' laying underneath.

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On the bright side, I found a script 'F' mark!

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['42 Peep's Motorpool]

I carefully cut the plate off, this was the first thing I couldn't just unbolt, so I took my time. The cut makes it look like the metal was uneven, it was an optical illusion from the weld that held the plate on. Because of the angled part of the frame horn farther back, they had the plate held out further and made up the difference with more weld.

The top is free!

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It's coming off!

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['42 Peep's Motorpool]

I think the conversion had been done about 10 years before I got it, shortly after the 2nd civilian owner had acquired it. It felt good to get that weight off the frame, and it was starting to look more like a G503 again! It felt like quite and accomplishment, cutting that plate off.

Just looking at it, it felt like it added 100 pounds to the frame!

It's looking like a real G503 frame rail now!

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Now with the plate off, I could see what I had to work with. Not surprisingly the inner side of the lower bumper gusset on the driver's side had been torched off to allow the plate to fit. Bummer.

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If that wasn't bad enough, they cut out part of the shackle bracket so the Saginaw steering box would fit.

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

This was the top of the driver's side frame rail before I cleaned up the old welds, and before I welded up the 'extra'(?) hole that was on the inner edge. But it gives a view of what was left of the lower gusset.

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I ordered a set of gussets from Ron Fitzpatrick Jeep Parts, it was a great day when the big box arrived via FedEx! I wasted no time in getting that box open. I ended up grabbing some hardware store bolts I had on hand for situations like this, and just had to fit the pieces! Yes I knew bolts were wrong (especially the ones I had) I just had to get out before sundown and try it out though, too exciting!

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You can see in the last picture that I remounted the bubba bumper for the night, thankfully old Henry Ford saw fit to have those nice big holes in the early GPW frame horns, so I could utilize them to hold it on.

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

Another order to Ron (poor guy had no idea how many orders I'd end up making ) got to talk to him and Scott Watson a lot! And even better, the orders all went out same day! It doesn't get any better my friends!

The friendly Fed-Ex truck arrived, and the driver deposited a long cardboard box; the front bumper was here! So of course..I ran out to try it on the '42

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You can see the beautiful bumper from Ron on top, and the angle iron 'bumper' the jeep came with.


The fit was perfect! The one hole was slightly off because of the nature of the bolts I'd used to temporarily mount the gussets, they shifted a little since they weren't as tight as a rivet and so the one gusset turned a little on the frame horn.

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['42 Peep's Motorpool]

And fitted!

Yes that was a screwdriver pulling duty as an alignment tool since I was searching for extra bolts to temporarily mount the bumper.

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['42 Peep's Motorpool]

An early tough decision, I would have preferred to rivet the gussets on, but I settled on the 'rivet-bolts' from Brent Mullins. In retrospect I'm glad I did, since I saved the original gusset pieces I had and planned to fix them, and more recently new gussets even more accurate to the originals have been sold by Joes Motor Pool, so one day those rivet-bolts will likely save me from cutting or drilling out rivets to replace them.

I took my time with the rivet-bolts, making sure the gussets drew up tight to the metal. I clamped them down multiple times to draw them down to the frame and to 'settle' them, then I put on a different clamp and check the rivet-bolts for any burrs on the threads that might cause an issue. For those unfamiliar with these, they are basically bolts, but they are made to have the appearance of a domed round-head rivet. Since it would ordinarily be smooth, the 'nut' side had a breakaway section, it's this section that you mount your ratchet to. When the nut is drawn down tight, in theory the breakaway section does it's job and you're left with a bolt that has a close approximation to a rivet. I had no problems with them, and in my case they tightened up very well. I am glad that I took the time to fit the gussets, and to 'settle' them before I installed the fake rivets. They came out very good, short of the real thing anyway!

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You can see in these photos before I'd tightened them down, how the breakaway section protrudes from the 'nut' on the underside of the top gusset.

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['42 Peep's Motorpool]

Overall I'm happy with how it turned out.

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And I also know that I can replace these gussets down the road without too much trouble, next time I will see about riveting them - but only once I'm satisfied the gussets are the closest to the originals Ford used. I also think I will salvage my original lowers, and use them.

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

It certainly felt good to get that 'bumper' off, and the steering box and steel plate off. Both were the first 'big jobs' accomplished on the project, and that was a great feeling!


I will dig out more photos from earlier in the project to accompany these, so stay tuned folks

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

I don't have a lot of photos from this process, but this was the first real part that was rebuilt, the steering box. This box was an early Ross box with a block 'F' on it, the oil seal I pulled from the pitman arm side had a script 'F' on it. Actually the side cover is script 'F' marked too!

This is before I cleaned it up, but after I'd removed the oil seal and one of the bushings IIRC.

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You can see the inner bushing, and barely see part of the outer one.

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The oil seal has been removed, there was a lot of olive drab left on the steering box housing which can be seen in this photo too. That was pretty fun to see.

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As you can see the lower bearing cup is still in place, I later removed it of course.

Another order to Ron Fitzpatrick Jeep Parts got me a steering gear replacement shaft, a pitman arm, sector shaft, and internal rebuild kit with plug, bearings, bushings, seal, etc. Something not photographed on here is the steering column tube. I hadn't yet finished it all up. Since I'd gotten the Saginaw steering off, I was trying to get steering restored so I could roll the jeep around to work on disassembly. Of course it was but one piece of the steering system, and there was more to go but it was progress!

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Going to call it a night, getting late now

['42 Peep's Motorpool]

Oh one more, why not I couldn't help myself

Some super early photos, I was so excited that I didn't really know what to take photos of, except the basic things, thinking I could use them to reference what was 'right'.

This was a promising sign, the original rubber hood blocks with the original hardware. Hard as a rock (almost), but still in place.

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Another good sign, well you don't expect these pieces to be missing or changed out anyway, but fun to find the beginnings of all those script 'F' marks on the frame pieces.

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Underneath, Ford leaf springs!

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Coming up from underneath, who could resist admiring the script on the rear panel, even if it had been painted.

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Alright, off to bed!