April '45 MB's with hood numbers

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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April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by ANDY » Tue Nov 15, 2011 3:28 pm

I just got Mb 435029 with hood 20701546...the green jeep in the pics. While looking thru my archive pics, I noticed my friends jeep is MB 434766 with hood 20701415.
Pretty neat to find such close numbers!. Have noticed that both jeeps have blue drab numbers over light olive drab. Also both jeeps were repainted and the numbers were covered with a darker olive green.
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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by 918jeeper » Tue Nov 15, 2011 3:48 pm

That's cool! I have MB433154 and my hood number was estimated at 20700497. Thanks for posting!
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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by 1945Willys6202 » Tue Nov 15, 2011 4:30 pm

Thanks for posting! These are pretty close to my 1945 Willys MB. I have MB # 424285! :)
1942 Willys MB Slat Grill 115707
1945 Willys MB 424285
1945 Bantam T3 Trailer
1944 MBT 1/4 Ton Trailer
1943 M5 Generator
1942 Ford GPW 42969

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by DanoZeman » Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:16 am

I guess we should start a April Club I have 435825
United States Army Police Officer 2003-2009
MB 16Apr45 serial #435825

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by ANDY » Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:37 am

Interesting to see that there are so many April jeeps out there...
I am posting a pic of the paint layers on the hood, hoping to get some insight on the individual colors. I am sure that the blue grey numbers are painted on top of the khaki green (see the number one digit with light sanding). The numbers and whole jeep was painted over in the darker olive maybe when sold to the public? (covered the numbers very lightly).
Wondering what is the rich olive color right over the black primer?

Thanks

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by GregB » Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:16 am

I have #433553, 4-7-45.
I haven't tried to get the hood numbers yet.

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by bazza46 » Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:14 am

Very nice jeep.
It's interesting. The blue drab numerals, which presumably are factory done, appear to be over, in turn, (1) greenish OD,(2)tannish OD,(3)olive OD, (4)black.
The turquoise, red and white/grey? are over the top of the numerals and so presumably, post war.
Is it possible that the tub, or the hood, received several coats of OD during its trip from the subcontractor and along the line at the factory, each being a slightly different colour due to variations in batches?
Normally, you'd just say that the olive OD was the factory colour and all the other colours over that were done in the field. But with the numerals that specific font and colour, they look like factory applied.
It has been known to happen that in factories, components get damaged slightly in handling but are straightened up and refinished perfectly and reused on the production line. Maybe this hood, for some reason, was refinished a bit before the blue drab numerals were applied?
Speculation, I know. We'll never know. Just a thought.
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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by wizigig » Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:29 am

Nice jeep, did you sand or strip the paint to get to the numbers? Just wondering, I'm trying to decide which to use.

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by 918jeeper » Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:55 pm

GregB wrote:I have #433553, 4-7-45.
I haven't tried to get the hood numbers yet.

Greg
Moundsville, WV

Hey your jeep was born on the same day as mine (MB433154)! Do you have your engine number? I'm pretty sure mine is the original and would lke to see if your's is close to mine to add more proof to my theory. 8)
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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by GregB » Thu Nov 17, 2011 5:27 pm

Hey your jeep was born on the same day as mine (MB433154)! Do you have your engine number?

Imagine that!
I have never looked at the engine number or body number on this jeep. I will try to get it for you tomorrow.
I should get both of those numbers and add them to the serial # list anyway.
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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by 918jeeper » Thu Nov 17, 2011 5:36 pm

GregB wrote:
Hey your jeep was born on the same day as mine (MB433154)! Do you have your engine number?

Imagine that!
I have never looked at the engine number or body number on this jeep. I will try to get it for you tomorrow.
I should get both of those numbers and add them to the serial # list anyway.
Greg
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That would be great! Thank You!
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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by ANDY » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:06 pm

Actually, the darker green OD seen between the digits was covering the numbers entirely....Looks like it was used during a complete vehicle repaint, hiding the hoodnumbers. There are only 2 shades of od under the digits, the light khaki, and the really rich olive.

If the civilian paint on the hood is dry and flaky, I use a sharp scraper and dental pick to remove the loose bits very carefully, followed by very light hand sanding where the numbers appear. Its good to draw a line across the hood with a straightedge where the top of the digits is, based on the first number you locate. Then you have an idea of where to look without sanding more then necessary, and if you also keep track of the spacing between digits that makes the process easier by narrowing down the surface area you concentrate on. Sometimes you can determine a number just by a few specks of grey or white paint in key locations mapped out by the top line you drew, and the number spacing.
The key is not to rush, but take time on each digit.

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by wizigig » Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:10 pm

ANDY wrote:Actually, the darker green OD seen between the digits was covering the numbers entirely....Looks like it was used during a complete vehicle repaint, hiding the hoodnumbers. There are only 2 shades of od under the digits, the light khaki, and the really rich olive.

If the civilian paint on the hood is dry and flaky, I use a sharp scraper and dental pick to remove the loose bits very carefully, followed by very light hand sanding where the numbers appear. Its good to draw a line across the hood with a straightedge where the top of the digits is, based on the first number you locate. Then you have an idea of where to look without sanding more then necessary, and if you also keep track of the spacing between digits that makes the process easier by narrowing down the surface area you concentrate on. Sometimes you can determine a number just by a few specks of grey or white paint in key locations mapped out by the top line you drew, and the number spacing.
The key is not to rush, but take time on each digit.
Ah, I will give that a try then, thanks.

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by GregB » Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:23 am

918jeeper wrote:
GregB wrote:
Hey your jeep was born on the same day as mine (MB433154)! Do you have your engine number?

Imagine that!
I have never looked at the engine number or body number on this jeep. I will try to get it for you tomorrow.
I should get both of those numbers and add them to the serial # list anyway.
Greg
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That would be great! Thank You!

I got the engine number, but I'm afraid that the body number will have to wait for the teardown. I can't make it out.
The engine is MB582043. How does that jive with your theory?
I doubt that I'll ever be able to get a hood number. The hood is pretty much down to the red oxide primer under the OD all over. I'd sure like to find a useable tub for this jeep.
Unfortunately, I was unable to update this in the serial # list though, due to some sort of syntax error(?). Couldn't change the picture of my other MB, either.

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Re: April '45 MB's with hood numbers

Post by 918jeeper » Fri Nov 18, 2011 6:19 am

Thanks for getting that engine number! My engine number is mb579994 so i'm pretty confident that both our engines are the original ones. Our jeeps are cousins! :D
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