GPW17331

Feb, 1942 - GPW1 thru end of first contract, April, 1942 - GPW15000 NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
70th Division
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5638
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:29 pm
Location:

Re: GPW17331

Post by 70th Division » Thu May 12, 2022 6:02 am

Klaas wrote:
Wed May 11, 2022 9:05 pm
Time for an update.
GPW17331 celebrated its 80th birthday a couple of weeks ago and is still in much better shape than a lot of 80 year olds :wink:
For its birthday I gave it a wireless set nr. 19 and finally marked it up as Canadian. Markings represent a vehicle of the Headquarters of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (independent), who liberated our part of the world in May 1945.
The vehicle registration serial number is made up by using the CM42***** marking as used exclusively by Canadian Forces in Europe and the jeep's frame number. For the purists: CM4217331 would originally have been in the range of the Canadian Contract MB slat grille's and not on a 1942 GPW :oops:
GPW17331 is still used at least every week all year round to keep things moving and does about 2-3000 trouble free miles every year. Currently the odometer registers at 99745 genuine miles, so very soon "back to zero".

Happy Birthday to 17331 as well !


Outstanding Klaas, just beautiful !!


Keep 'em Rolling, forever !!


Best Regards,
Ray


User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Thu May 12, 2022 7:04 am

Thanks Ray!
Been following your "resurrection" also and a great job you are doing.
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944

70th Division
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5638
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:29 pm
Location:

Re: GPW17331

Post by 70th Division » Thu May 12, 2022 7:51 am

Klaas wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 7:04 am
Thanks Ray!
Been following your "resurrection" also and a great job you are doing.
Thanks Klass !!

Your jeep is a nice role model :D :D :D


Best Regards,
Ray

gpwmke
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2010
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2003 4:13 pm
Location:

Re: GPW17331

Post by gpwmke » Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:43 am

Very nice GPW. Keep on jeeping!

User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Fri Aug 05, 2022 5:00 am

Thanks, Leo!
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944

User avatar
JAB
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9586
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 5:25 pm
Location: under the jeep in North Prairie, WI

Re: GPW17331

Post by JAB » Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:09 am

Beautiful! Keep the history alive! I think the choice of using Canadian numbers to indicate that they helped liberate your part of Europe is a great idea!
-Jeff

GR8GPN2U!!!

Image

Image

User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Mon Aug 29, 2022 2:04 am

Thanks Jeff!
Just got back from holiday in England, so I will have a lot of reading to do to catch up on the "G"
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944

User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:48 am

Just now drove the jeep "Back to Zero".
GPW17331 has done 100,000 recorded Miles since April 21 1942.
As 39000 of those miles were done before October 1947, it has had an easy life since.
From the time I got my hands on it, I drive about 2-3000 Miles per year. Keep on rolling!!
Attachments
20220830_110621.jpeg
20220830_111710.jpeg
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: GPW17331

Post by YLG80 » Tue Aug 30, 2022 4:04 am

Waow, impressive!
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

User avatar
JAB
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9586
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 5:25 pm
Location: under the jeep in North Prairie, WI

Re: GPW17331

Post by JAB » Tue Aug 30, 2022 4:38 am

What a fantastic history! Do you have any idea of the vehicle service records?
-Jeff

GR8GPN2U!!!

Image

Image

User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:29 am

Thanks, Yves and Jeff.
JAB wrote:
Tue Aug 30, 2022 4:38 am
What a fantastic history! Do you have any idea of the vehicle service records?
Hi Jeff,
No, unfortunately I don't have its service history. All markings had been removed by sanding or blasting back to bare metal. As it was rebuilt by Higgins and the engine was replaced by a Willys unit with a 1944 number in addition to the mileage up to 1947, I expect it had a fairly hard life training GI's for deployment either in Europe or n the Pacific. After 1947 it was with the same family in California until shipped to the Netherlands in 2016, just before I got my hands on it. When I restored the jeep, I found the chassis half filled with rock hard yellow/brown clay. Paint schemes included metallic green as used on CJ jeeps and over that the red and yellow as you can see in the first posts. The chassis and underside was still OD which was also found between parts when dismantling. I tried to contact the previous owner in the US, but he did not reply to my e-mail and letter, unfortunately..
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944

User avatar
JAB
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9586
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 5:25 pm
Location: under the jeep in North Prairie, WI

Re: GPW17331

Post by JAB » Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:32 am

That's too bad that the PO wouldn't reply. Either way, it's a great jeep with a great life story!
-Jeff

GR8GPN2U!!!

Image

Image

70th Division
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5638
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:29 pm
Location:

Re: GPW17331

Post by 70th Division » Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:31 am

Klaas wrote:
Tue Aug 30, 2022 3:48 am
Just now drove the jeep "Back to Zero".
GPW17331 has done 100,000 recorded Miles since April 21 1942.
As 39000 of those miles were done before October 1947, it has had an easy life since.
From the time I got my hands on it, I drive about 2-3000 Miles per year. Keep on rolling!!
Hello Klaas,

Any mileage update ?

What a great jeep you have restored !
Pictures are always welcome :D :D .

I see the Dutch farmers had a big victory in the recent elections in Holland.
They like big tractors :D :D .


Best Regards,
Ray

User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:51 am

Hi Ray,
No, nothing interesting to report mileage wise. Still taking the GPW out for a drive most weeks, when the weather permits and the roads are dry.
I have just removed the doors which I fitted for the winter driving. I take them off as soon as the weather permits as the fixings make a noise like a boat with sails and tackle flapping, when driving along :wink:
Two winters ago, I made up a set of fixtures to fit side screens and doors without having to drill any holes in the GPW's body or in the new top.
Fortunately I did take some pictures during fabricating, which will show most of the work (in reverse order :roll: )
Attachments
20200929_124804.jpeg
20200929_124754.jpeg
20200925_095309.jpeg
20200925_095302.jpeg
20200922_144250.jpeg
20200922_130752.jpeg
20200922_093110.jpeg
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944

User avatar
Klaas
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:38 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: GPW17331

Post by Klaas » Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:08 pm

70th Division wrote:
Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:31 am

I see the Dutch farmers had a big victory in the recent elections in Holland.
They like big tractors :D :D .


Best Regards,
Ray
The Dutch farmers did indeed get a massive support in the provincial elections. They are held responsible for a lot of the NOX emissions in this very (over)populated country and have been protesting against them being blamed for this as the industry and other sectors are more or less kept out of the wind.
They don't do small tractors anymore as a result of upscaling their production over the past 30 or 40 years ( which now leads to all the problems they are facing) Bigger is not always better.
Klaas
GPW17331 - April 21 1942 - Dallas, "J-dot"
BSA Airborne Bicycle R49171 - 1944


Post Reply

Return to “VEP Ford GPW”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests