Saved a Slattie from the scrapper

[Airportable]

Well, I saved a Slat Grill from the scrapper. A nice local family was interested in clearing off their nice little plot of land a bit and a buddy tipped me off that one of the vintage cars they had happened to be a slat grill. I know better than to buy projects in this rough of shape but I had to buy it and take it home anyway!

I think she is looking better already!

I did some work chopping stuff out already and I was thrilled to see a chunk of the original air deflectors on the fenders and it turns out that I was incredibly lucky and the original frame tag was still there under all that fabrication (to use a nice word for it). I was also pleased because this is the first jeep I've had that had any obvious original markings left, but it's too bad any possibility of finding the original registration number is gone. My plan is to save the tub even though it will end up as the Tub of Theseus. Other than that I have a few TR-20 bolts, a Ford front axle and it looks like a later Willys rear axle, and finally a CJ transfer case in addition to the later transmission so it looks like I will need just about everything.

According to the info I've seen here on the "G" I guess I will be looking for an MB block in the range of 115,100 to 115,400. (Or anything I can get that is even close)

Can any MB gurus give me an estimate for the DOD and hood number for 114324?
The Delta on the tub also seems kind of interesting.

Also, any opinions on what the cheapest way to get a reasonable looking set of solid disc wheels here in the U.S. is? I don't think I will be going for originals and I don't mind if they are 4.5" diameter but I have checked the price of reproduction disc wheels.
Are Hotchkiss wheels an available alternative in the USA?

[Airportable]

Also I would say the trailer socket was definitely a field mod and not a factory installation in this case. Some poor mechanic out there was just trying to get it done and make do with handtools!

[YLG80]

That's good. I would have done the same.
I had to laugh with the last photo of the first series
Yves

[slatgrille]

'Holy hacked heap Batman'.....well, you did save it anyway!

Craig

[David]

Also I would say the trailer socket was definitely a field mod and not a factory installation in this case. Some poor mechanic out there was just trying to get it done and make do with handtools!


_DSC5153.JPG

The hole for the socket actually looked the same on my slattie, I put a socket back.

[Mark Jesic]

Airportable, well saved, and your slattie was manufactured either on the 28th January, or the 29th January 1942. All these vehicles deserved to be saved.

[YLG80]

Here are references for your to calculate your engine delta and hood number.
They are real references coming from the Australian registration books.

Yves

[Dawgman]

Well done saving that slattie!
I would have had to have had it also, come hell or high water I’d have bought it too!

[Airportable]

Well there is a long way to go on the saving yet, but at least she is out of the weather anyway, and probably not going to become a dune buggy again.

Thanks for the info guys, I found 114640 on here and the G503 serial number database and have been trolling for posts with other close Slats.
Looks like the engine serial number guesstimate might have been about right, but the hood numbers are all over the place If I'm doing the math right, even accounting for lining them all up in rows and painting them in random order. Approximately how many was the factory building or maybe delivering per day at that point in the contract?

Thanks for the info David, I'm going to put a trailer socket back in also. I would feel odd in this case changing what was obviously a historical feature.
I do wish there was enough of the tailgate left to tell if a gas can carrier was added. Rear panel reinforcing brackets (A-4646) were welded in at the tip at one point. I was wondering what other mods it might have received but with the original hood gone and the rear panel gone there is a little less information there. Maybe the wreck of a windshield frame I have with the rifle bracket was a wartime swap instead of bubba...
Also at first I thought I did not have a blackout light. There are a lot of holes in the fender with that familiar looking pattern but there were no holes in the fender hat channel/brace for the wiring and I thought there was no hole in the dash for the blackout light switch. But at second glance after looking at how some of the retrofit kits were installed it looks like all the holes might line up for a tombstone bracket and explains that extra hole in the dash and maybe the hood latch was moved.

photo credit goes to jkillelea for the tombstone kit install pics from one of his GPWs, very helpful.

[Airportable]

Factory horseshoe style bracket just for comparison:

[David]

Jeepdraw has a drawing of the position of the holes for a retro-fitted BODL tombstone bracket, it was made from the holes on my fender. Obviously results will vary a bit as it was field-applied.

[Airportable]

Right but the pattern should be the same right? 3 7/8" I believe.
I was sort of thinking the dash was the determining factor.

[Savannasbob1]

Good to see another one saved.

[David]

Right but the pattern should be the same right? 3 7/8" I believe.
I was sort of thinking the dash was the determining factor.

Yes, just keep in mind the tombstone is wider than the horse shoe

[70th Division]

Hello,

This is a great rescue you pulled off here !!
As another poster said, it needs to be saved !!

You have secured it from being turned into scrap metal, good work.


It can be brought back , just takes time, energy, work, and funding.
But do one thing at a time and she will come along willingly.

Getting all the Bubba off it is rewarding, he really hacks things up.

He is an undercover Axis agent if you ask me

As for Hotchkiss rims, I don't know of any being sold here, but they can be found every now and then.
I found 1 posted here on the G a few years ago. I also found a few from a French return jeep that what sadly scrapped to pieces on the G. But I bought as many parts that I could from the jeep.
I also have a French return MB that has a set on her.
They are absolutely great rims, made properly in a French factory for their military.
If you find any, grab them !!

Keep us posted,
Ray