1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
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bluebluejays
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1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by bluebluejays » Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:40 pm

What are the best, most illustrative manuals, guides, documents etc. to use for the detailed restoration of my 1945 Willys jeep.

My restorer has not performed a full restoration on a WW2 jeep so I want to provide him with the best information possible.

Thanks,

Ken


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dpcd67
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by dpcd67 » Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:29 pm

Your restorer? I always recommend the owner do it themselves; that way they know what is in the finished product. I've seen too many disappointments here. I only pay for engine amine work, and sand blasting and usually, carb rebuild; nothing else. That way, I know about the end result. Also, paying a professional body and automotive man $100 per hour will quickly result in a massively over budget project. For me at least it would.
Anyway, read
This forum.
AAW.
Jeep Draw
Your set of TMs.
Military Maintenance for MB/GPW Jeeps; it's a green book.
Ron Fitzpartick's catalog.
Ron Fitzpatrick's parts web site; at the top.
The GPW Restoration guide still has a lot of applicable info.
The video, Military Jeep Restoration.
Where are you located; come over and I'll show you what to do. I'm doing a 44 MB this year.
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bluebluejays
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by bluebluejays » Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:53 pm

Thanks and I appreciate your views on someone else versus yourself doing he restor.

In my case, the restorer is not only a personal close friend but he has restored a host of other military vehicles that have ended up in military museums. He is top notch although never has done a jeep.

Thanks for the list and I live in Florida!

Regards,
Ken

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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by Thunderbird712 » Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:42 pm

Ken,

The problem right now for guys restoring MBs is the detailed information is sort of scattered. Unless you've been the hobby for a long time its time consuming to piece it all together. Sure the TMs and parts lists will help with the mechanical side, but you don't get everything you need out of them. Searching the forum here is very helpful but can be time consuming weeding through all of the BS that gets posted. There is a lot of good information out there and a lot of bad information out there. Jeepdraw and Ron's site and catalog are a good source but there are a few things wrong on the MB side. If your willing to spend the money Lloyd White's "The Evolution of the WIllys-Overland MB Jeep" Volumes 1-5 is a good source of information. If you or your restorer are on Facebook there are a few Facebook pages (two of which I run) with a lot of great information. If you are let me know and I will share them. I know for a fact there are things discussed on Facebook that have not been discussed here.

I did a factory restoration of a March 1945 MB (scored a 98.374% at the MVPA convention) and spent many years researching and piecing together the scattered information as I was learning. I would be more then willing to help out with any questions you have or point you in the right direction if your not getting anywhere. The 45 MBs have a few distinctive items that are different from the early jeeps. Also there is a lot of misinformation regarding the 45 MBs that will cause you to go down the wrong road.

I would suggest you decide right now how detailed you want to go. This will help focus your questions. You can do a factory restoration, a factory correct MB that has been delivered, a motor pool mutt that is a mix of GPW and MB parts, and a whatever gets the job done restoration. They all come with varying degrees of detail and effort to accomplish.

Anyway I will get down off my soap box. Feel free to reach out. I am more then willing to help. No matter how detailed you plan on getting. You will be surprised at how many details can be done with little to no money. All of which will make your MB that much better.
TJ Zackman
1945 Willys MB, 430923, 3/28/45
Scored 98.375% at 2019 MVPA Convention York, PA

1953 M38A1, 69248, 12/53, 20999713
MVPA# 37298

rgtb
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by rgtb » Tue Jan 31, 2023 12:21 am

It's a GPW, but this thread was my 'Go To' place. I still think Zeph should turn this into a book.
100+ pages of real life, actual goodness :)

viewtopic.php?t=189015
1943 Gpw 'Janice'
built Louisville, Kentucky, March 1943
est DoD 8-6-43
Engine GPW219188
Frame 124798
Hood 20388356 est

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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by dpcd67 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 7:20 am

I would say that if there are secrets kept on Facebook, which I do not participate in, they should be shared here.
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by Thunderbird712 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 7:38 am

Why do we have to share it here because you don't have Facebook? I know I don't have the time to repost everything again? How about you create a FB profile and join the groups to see the information? Should we post everything that is on other websites here?

Additionally a lot of knowledgeable folks that have been kicked off here are involved with the research and distribution of the information on the FB pages. Anyway I don't want to hijack this thread anymore. I only pointed out the other sources of excellent information for the OP and his restorer to look into.
TJ Zackman
1945 Willys MB, 430923, 3/28/45
Scored 98.375% at 2019 MVPA Convention York, PA

1953 M38A1, 69248, 12/53, 20999713
MVPA# 37298

bluebluejays
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by bluebluejays » Tue Jan 31, 2023 7:58 am

Hello TJ,
Thank you for your insight.

I will be buying a very nice well preserved unrestored running 1945 MB ALL matching numbers jeep. I believe it is factory correct throughout.

My objective is to have a factory class restoration done thus the basis of my initial post.

I would recommend that either you kindly call me or leave me your number and I can call you so that we can have an ongoing discussion versus leaving back and forth messages.

I hardly consider myself a novice on jeeps and their restoration. I was fortunate to be the First Place Winner under Restored Class with my 1942 Slat Grille jeep at the 2009 Evansville convention.

I have been out of the hobby since then and decided to get back into it mainly because I found this 1945 MB.

I was quite familiar with the slat grille but not late Willys models.

I look forward to hearing from you and others on my upcoming project. Correct information is key!

Best regards,

Ken

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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by dpcd67 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 11:54 am

I have to now ask this; so all the G members who have been kicked off, have now formed another G503 forum on face book???
Yes, I do expect you to come here and fill us in; not make everyone join your alternative group. That makes no sense.
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by Thunderbird712 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 1:26 pm

Man that has to be the most millennial thing you could say! Do you expect people to do everything for you? That makes no sense. Instead of expecting people to hand you stuff how about you put in the time to join FB. Why would I waste more of my time reposting here for a select few that wont join Facebook. Sounds pretty dumb to me.

I wouldn’t consider FB to be an alternative group. Plenty of people on here are also on FB. The Jeep world doesn’t revolve around the G503 forum. RFJP actually has a huge presence on FB.

No the groups do not consist of only people kicked off here. My point was this. They spent the time to do research and share the info for discussion on a platform where they are not banned. Why would they be ok with sharing the information they took the time to researched and post about on a forum they are not welcome on. Again do you expect things to be handed to you because you don’t want to do something?
TJ Zackman
1945 Willys MB, 430923, 3/28/45
Scored 98.375% at 2019 MVPA Convention York, PA

1953 M38A1, 69248, 12/53, 20999713
MVPA# 37298

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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by dpcd67 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:50 pm

I am just asking why, if someone personally runs two Facebook pages with information not contained here, and as you intimated, is staffed by ex G503 members, that information is not used to answer the OP's question.
Yes I understand you want people to join Facebook and read the pages you own, or however it works. I assume you own the material and want to keep it secret. I have no idea how Facebook works. I assumed is is full of pictures of people"s faces!
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Thunderbird712
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Re: 1945 Willys MB Restoration Guides

Post by Thunderbird712 » Tue Jan 31, 2023 7:55 pm

This is not hard to understand here. I pointed the OP in the direction of some other sources on FB that will help him and his restorer. I told him to reach out to me if he needed help. What question was not answered? Should I share any conversations we may have or any details we may discuss on here so that you can read it? We get you don't do FB and it’s obvious you don't understand how it works. No one cares!
TJ Zackman
1945 Willys MB, 430923, 3/28/45
Scored 98.375% at 2019 MVPA Convention York, PA

1953 M38A1, 69248, 12/53, 20999713
MVPA# 37298


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