42 GPW Barn find

If you have an unrestored WWII jeep, we would like to see pictures, and hear your comments. NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
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Randy R.
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Randy R. » Mon Jun 08, 2015 4:19 pm

Thank you for the kind words!
1942 GPW 17699 Rehomed
1942 MB 127260 BRT
1943 GPW 112450
1944 Dodge WC 52
1947 CJ2A
PE 95K
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Timmy43
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Timmy43 » Fri Oct 30, 2015 9:22 am

GREAT job with a wonderful barn find !
1943 MB217306 US Navy VU-7 "FOLLOW ME" Jeep . Feb 1945 rebuild , Oakland Ca.
1943 GPW103366 under restoration, hood reg 20378757
1943 GPW92282, hood reg 20197275
M100 Trailer under restoration as MBT

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twinflyer17
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by twinflyer17 » Fri Jan 08, 2016 7:18 am

Awesome job! I keep my 43 GPW at my parent's house in New Holland. I'm just about finished with my restoration, so maybe sometime this coming spring/summer we could meet up somewhere in between there and Birdsboro!
Sean

GPW 108175 viewtopic.php?t=267732
DOD 4/14/43 Louisville, KY USA20371070

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Randy R.
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Randy R. » Fri Jan 08, 2016 3:41 pm

We sure can. Let me know when is a good time for you. You have probably got to know Daryl Bensinger pretty well considering the proximity of New Holland to Narvon PA. He's a good friend and I do spend some time hanging around his shop.
I just picked up a 1943 GPW numbers matching that is rough but restorable and I hope to start it in the spring. I'm going to try to finish the WC 52 over the winter to make room. MV's are like Lays potato chips, "Betcha can't have just one,"
This was a great thread with all of the kind words and encouragement, again I will say thanks to all.
1942 GPW 17699 Rehomed
1942 MB 127260 BRT
1943 GPW 112450
1944 Dodge WC 52
1947 CJ2A
PE 95K
MVPA 31649

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twinflyer17
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by twinflyer17 » Sat Jan 09, 2016 6:31 am

Randy, sounds great. I will certainly keep you posted on my status and when I'm able to meet up with you! With the warm winter we've had so far, I'm optmistic that spring will be here much sooner than it has come in past years :D And I actually went to high school with each of Daryl's sons and played soccer with them both, too. I've known the Bensingers as a family for a while, but only recently have been able to get to know Daryl and Lida from an MV relation. Daryl actually rebuilt my T-84 for me and is one of my go-to guy for parts.

Sounds like you've got quite the collection of old WWII vechicles! I'm envious, especially of the numbers matching GPW...Also, I like the Lays reference and couldn't agree more! I showed this to my wife and explained my desire for more MVs as well...she didn't seem too excited about that idea :roll: She's very supportive of my GPW project, and without a doubt would support me with anything else I pick up in the future, but I think the biggest thing for her is that I've already talked about filling our future garage, which we don't yet own, with military jeeps and motorcycles :D At the moment we're living in an apartment in Washington, DC, which is why my GPW lives at my parent's in NH, so I think she would prefer that when we buy a house she can at least have part of the garage space allocated to her :lol:
Sean

GPW 108175 viewtopic.php?t=267732
DOD 4/14/43 Louisville, KY USA20371070

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stever0_3
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by stever0_3 » Sat Jan 09, 2016 3:35 pm

Really awesome restoration!! Many thanks for posting.

Regards
Steve

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Gustaf
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Gustaf » Thu Jan 28, 2016 4:56 pm

I did not take time to read all the posts,but I thought you should know that the non-combat rim is probably original to the jeep, the early Fords were delivered with only 4 combat rims, the spare was mounted on a drop center rim that is very different form Willis rims. These rims are almost impossible to find. That is one of the nicest 42 GPWs I have seen.
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M1917 Ford Model T ambulance
1942 Ford GPW (3)

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JAB
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by JAB » Thu Jan 28, 2016 7:12 pm

Gustaf wrote:I did not take time to read all the posts,but I thought you should know that the non-combat rim is probably original to the jeep, the early Fords were delivered with only 4 combat rims, the spare was mounted on a drop center rim that is very different form Willis rims. These rims are almost impossible to find. That is one of the nicest 42 GPWs I have seen.
I've never heard that before. Did you mean GP rather than GPW?
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lt.luke
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by lt.luke » Fri Jan 29, 2016 4:50 am

JAB wrote:
Gustaf wrote:I did not take time to read all the posts,but I thought you should know that the non-combat rim is probably original to the jeep, the early Fords were delivered with only 4 combat rims, the spare was mounted on a drop center rim that is very different form Willis rims. These rims are almost impossible to find. That is one of the nicest 42 GPWs I have seen.
I've never heard that before. Did you mean GP rather than GPW?
Agree. Possibly GP. There are tons of photos of GPWs, both factory and field with 5 combats fitted.

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Gustaf
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Gustaf » Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:32 pm

lt.luke wrote:
JAB wrote:
Gustaf wrote:I did not take time to read all the posts,but I thought you should know that the non-combat rim is probably original to the jeep, the early Fords were delivered with only 4 combat rims, the spare was mounted on a drop center rim that is very different form Willis rims. These rims are almost impossible to find. That is one of the nicest 42 GPWs I have seen.
I've never heard that before. Did you mean GP rather than GPW?
Agree. Possibly GP. There are tons of photos of GPWs, both factory and field with 5 combats fitted.
All GPWs that were shipped overseas had 5 combat rims, the 1942 GPW saw very little service overseas with the US Army, nearly all that were not shipped to Britain or Russia were used for training in southern California, and many of these were shipped with only 4 combat rims and a drop center rim for a spare. The reason the 1942 GPW is so common is because many were sold as surplus before the end of the war to farmers. Agriculture was a strategic industry and there was a shortage of man power before the POW and relocation camps were filled, and the need for motive power for agriculture was recognized.
Collector of WWI uniforms, weapons, equipment and related material
They are not dolls, they are action figures, with kung foo grip
M1917 Ford Model T ambulance
1942 Ford GPW (3)

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Randy R.
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Randy R. » Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:21 pm

Thanks for that information. I had just assumed that it just came with it from the motor pool. It is dated 12/41 and I do use it as my spare, particularly since it came with my jeep and its military. Cool info. BTW Gustaf, was your Ambulance featured in army motors a couple years ago? Very Cool.
1942 GPW 17699 Rehomed
1942 MB 127260 BRT
1943 GPW 112450
1944 Dodge WC 52
1947 CJ2A
PE 95K
MVPA 31649

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lt.luke
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by lt.luke » Sat Jan 30, 2016 5:23 pm

Gustaf, do you have pictures of this drop-center rim? It makes little sense that the early solid disc wheel is seen fairly often, as are combat rims, but there was a third, "ultra rare" rim produced specifically for GPW's. Further that it is so uncommon that non are seen today.

The theory that this rim goes only to GPWs (if I understand you correctly) is contrary to the well published directives and facts that MBs and GPWs be completely interchangeable.

It is true that lots of early jeeps stayed in the US for training. They were all over the country, not centralized in California.

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Gustaf
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Gustaf » Sat Jan 30, 2016 5:55 pm

lt.luke wrote:Gustaf, do you have pictures of this drop-center rim? It makes little sense that the early solid disc wheel is seen fairly often, as are combat rims, but there was a third, "ultra rare" rim produced specifically for GPW's. Further that it is so uncommon that non are seen today.

The theory that this rim goes only to GPWs (if I understand you correctly) is contrary to the well published directives and facts that MBs and GPWs be completely interchangeable.

It is true that lots of early jeeps stayed in the US for training. They were all over the country, not centralized in California.
The drop center rim I speak of is shown in the first photos of this thread, they are interchangeable with all early jeeps and differ from the CJ and M38 rims in that they do not have the open places where the rime is connected to the wheel disc. I believe these were what was used on the GPs. The reason I became aware of this is because when I acquired my first GPW, it only had 4 combat rims and the odd drop center rim, I was told by the rancher I bought it from said that that was what came with it from the government so I did a little studying and was told that these were common on the early GPWs, I was told that there was a shortage of combat rims, but I suspect that Ford managed to get the government to take a bunch of cheaper drop center rims to clear out his stock. Ford was know to be a bit tight.
It is true that jeeps were used all over the country, it seems that Fords made it to the west in greater numbers, the majority of jeeps I have encountered are Fords and most of them 1942s.
Last edited by Gustaf on Sat Jan 30, 2016 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Collector of WWI uniforms, weapons, equipment and related material
They are not dolls, they are action figures, with kung foo grip
M1917 Ford Model T ambulance
1942 Ford GPW (3)

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Gustaf
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Gustaf » Sat Jan 30, 2016 6:01 pm

Randy R. wrote:Thanks for that information. I had just assumed that it just came with it from the motor pool. It is dated 12/41 and I do use it as my spare, particularly since it came with my jeep and its military. Cool info. BTW Gustaf, was your Ambulance featured in army motors a couple years ago? Very Cool.
That ambulance is Dave O'Neal's, mine has only been published on the back cover of the book "Evacuation Ambulance Company #8 in World War One" but that is because I because I wrote the book:) The Model T has been a lot of fun, but it will take another life time to put as many miles on it as I have driven in Ford GPWs.
Collector of WWI uniforms, weapons, equipment and related material
They are not dolls, they are action figures, with kung foo grip
M1917 Ford Model T ambulance
1942 Ford GPW (3)

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Chuck Lutz
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Re: 42 GPW Barn find

Post by Chuck Lutz » Sat Jan 30, 2016 6:22 pm

Where exactly can I read in government documents that 1942 GPWs were sold to farmers for AG equipment? In 1944 and 1945 the government contracted out to have tired stateside vehicles rebuilt and many were in fact shipped overseas to suppliment the factory production or to save money.

If the government was PAYING to have worn-out jeeps rebuilt....are you saying that at the same time they were selling practially brand-new ones to farmers?

I too don't think all the stateside '42 GPWs were at training camps in southern California, they were used on bases all over the US for training and transportation and the War Assets Administration sales AFTER the war even list the bases they came from....and from the few I have seen, the majority of jeeps were in states OTHER than California....

If they WERE selling surplus jeeps....where are the brochures, the catalogs, the references to the AUCTIONS they were sold off?
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947


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