1943 Ford GPW Build from Rescued 1943 Parts

[70th Division]

Yup, "Willy and Joe". The unsung heroes of every endeavor worth noting.

As always !

Bill Mauldin certainly portrayed the GI the way it was .

I have some of his books, and they have some good pictures in them of his jeep, and his illustrations.

His son sent the 70th Division Association, a few boxes of his books, that we used as gifts to people who donated to the 70th Infantry Division Monument that was built at Fort Benning a few years ago.

They were much appreciated, and went to a great cause!

Every name of the KIA were engraved in black granite on the reverse of the monument, to show the price paid for our Freedom by the Citizen Soldiers of WW2, and to remeber them.
Several family members of the KIA were there and greatly appreciated the monument, along with 70th Veterans in attendance who knew those named on the monument.

Ray

[Tuareg]

That is a good history !!

I am pretty excited about your trailer. Also very nervous if finally for any reason you can not pick up it.

In the photos I sent you, with more definition as the o es we can post here at the G, I think once you have the trailer at your home you can study the marks next to the door due to are quite clear in that photo.

Counting minutes…

[70th Division]

That is a good history !!

I am pretty excited about your trailer. Also not nervous if finally for any reason you can not pick up it.

In the photos I sent you, with more definition as the o es we can post here at the G, I think once you have the trailer at your home you can study the marks next to the door due to are quite clear in that photo.

Counting minutes…

Hello,

Yes , I am looking forward to getting it picked up.

I have to replace all 8 of the "new" tires on my trailer, before going to get it.
The tires I replaced in 2016 when we picked up my halftrack in Pennsylvania, that was an awesome road trip with a halftrack on the trailer !!

But tires go bad in about 4 years , whether they look good or not.
They just start owing out, so all need replacing, then it is off on a road trip !!


Best Regards,
Ray

[Tuareg]

That is a good history !!

I am pretty excited about your trailer. Also very nervous if finally for any reason you can not pick up it.

Sometimes the phone writes what it wants, I just correct it I am very nervous!! It was written “not nervous”

Jajjaja

Half track!! Love to se it!

The way of life in USA is a dream in Europe. Here everything is forbidden and after 11th September more difficult to own anything army related

[JAB]

Yes, "new" tires indeed. The sun and father time wear out trailer tires, not use. This happened shortly after buying my (used) trailer back around 2010. I replaced them shortly afterwards, so they're about 12 years old now.....and I just finished loading it up for weekend trip....oh-oh. A similar thread on a different forum reminded me (yesterday) how old these tires are, so yeah, time to go tire shopping I guess. Luckily this load is just lumber, not as heavy as a jeep and with a much lower center of gravity. If I have a (one) tire failure on this trip the consquences aren't as risky as having a high, heavy load.

[70th Division]

Yes, "new" tires indeed. The sun and father time wear out trailer tires, not use. This happened shortly after buying my (used) trailer back around 2010. I replaced them shortly afterwards, so they're about 12 years old now.....and I just finished loading it up for weekend trip....oh-oh. A similar thread on a different forum reminded me (yesterday) how old these tires are, so yeah, time to go tire shopping I guess. Luckily this load is just lumber, not as heavy as a jeep and with a much lower center of gravity. If I have a (one) tire failure on this trip the consquences aren't as risky as having a high, heavy load.

Jeff,

That is an awesome Willys Wagon !!!
Well done !
Willys made so many beautiful designed vehicles, and these and the pick up trucks are things of beauty !!
I have a prototype wagon that I found in Alabama, built on a jeep frame and running gear.
Will have to get it dug out and some pictures posted, as I think it is the only one ever built.

Yes those tires, as pictured on your spare, will blow with use, even on an empty trailer.
We replaced 1 recently on the goose neck trailer, so now will have to replace the other 7.
Don't take long or heavy loads with old trailer tires.
They just aren't made to last these days, and they will blow, and sometimes more than 1 on the same short trip !!
I got the current ones from Pep Boys, and they were made in USA, so will check them again.

Best Regards,
Ray

[70th Division]

That is a good history !!

I am pretty excited about your trailer. Also very nervous if finally for any reason you can not pick up it.

Sometimes the phone writes what it wants, I just correct it I am very nervous!! It was written “not nervous”

Jajjaja

Half track!! Love to se it!

The way of life in USA is a dream in Europe. Here everything is forbidden and after 11th September more difficult to own anything army related

Well,

You can always migrate to the USA, to keep the dream alive !!

Plus if you think about it, your Spanish ancestors discovered and settled most of the New World, including about half the USA,
all of South America, and brought civilization and explorations to new heights never realized before !
Spanish Missions were all up and down the California coastline, and into the Southwest.

Their is a great Spanish fortress in Saint Augustine, Florida that was even used during WW2 as a signal corps training site.
https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm
With many nice bars and restaurants in the old city across the street from the Fort.
Saint Augustine, is also the oldest city in the United States.
Even better, the jeep that my friend is delivering is coming from Saint Augustine too .
Also the famous Alamo in Texas, was an old, old Spanish Mission.
Florida was named Florida by the Spanish, before any other settlers arrived in the USA.

So plenty of great history is everywhere, and it I wish people these days would realize that, and enjoy what we have, and respect it, because people far better than them built what we have, and we must continue to build, and persevere in spite of any naysayers.

I am sure this is the case in many places, but we are in the "current time", and we have a duty to carry on, as those before us did !


Here are some pictures of my Halftrack when I drove it to a Veteran's Day Prayer Breakfast, at a local restaurant, along with my wonderful Mother.
She enjoyed the Halftrack, and we went on a long road trip to Pennsylvania to look at it, before I bought it.
Many great memories of that trip !
The Halftrack is an Autocar M-15A1 originally, maybe it will be converted back .

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=295077&p=1711213#p1711213
A link to the original post.

Here is the track at the Florida MVPA show, out front along the highway, and her first event in 2016

Best Regards,
Ray

[70th Division]

Hello,

I was able to make 2 nice patches from that original piece of rear panel that I removed from the hand crank bracket.

One for the inside rear panel patch.

One for the outside patch on the reinforcing plate for the jerry can holder.


I will get these, and the recovered hand crank mounting bracket, welded on tomorrow.

Best Regards,
Ray

[70th Division]

Hello,

The nice new 1944 GPW arrived today !!
I am very excited about this jeep !
Thanks Rob !!

I am very happy with it, and she will roll again.

He also brought me his old GPW body tub, he replaced with another original GPW body in great shape, and all the repair panels from Ron to repair the tub.
JMP made the panels.

The rear seat is in good shape and looks to be a Willys.
The front seats are F script and can be easily restored !

The jeep has been siting since 1976, America's Bicentennial,
in a lean to structure, so moisture and salt air got to it.

The light switch works like new !

The floors were rusted through from the coastal salty air and dew.

9-5-44 date of delivery, made in Louisville, Kentucky.
Note the negative battery cable attached to the front cross member.

Both wood blocks still on the hood.
There is a grease gun bracket under the hood, but no lube chart holder.

The 1942 Ford script tub, to go on my pile for future restoration.

The pile of body repair panels from Ron that came with the jeep for the Script tub.
One thing I do not understand is that on the rear floor panel, the shock absorber covers aren't installed .
Midwest Military's panels are exacting, and have the square shock tower boxes attached.



This will be a very enjoyable project to get in the restoration line up, and it is matching numbers, which is my first complete matching GPW.

( I did a few years ago get a 45 GPW frame with a matching engine so that would be a second matching GPW, someday, but all the rest is missing.)

One thing I have a question about is this jeep has an under dash radio filterette, and it also has the holes on the passenger side for the side mounted type 2 filterette.
Were both types used together ?
My late 1943 British jeep has the same set up, 2 filterettes.
Does anyone have any ideas ??


Now back to work !

Best Regards,
Ray

[Tuareg]

Look fantastic what a great pleasure is to restore a piece of history.

Restore G503 and others historic military vehicles are totally different than restore a civil classic car.

I am very happy for you!!

[70th Division]

Look fantastic what a great pleasure is to restore a piece of history.

Restore G503 and others historic military vehicles are totally different than restore a civil classic car.

I am very happy for you!!

Thanks !!!

She will be restored, and roll again !!
It is a very complete jeep, and the oil looks new still.

The body will need work, but they all seem to need that !

Tomorrow I will get back to work on the 43 .



Best Regards,
Ray

[conrod6]

Hello Ray - what a super GPW ! Lots on it (including - I think - an original Ford BOD light !) Regarding oil - on vehicles left standing for decades the dirt in the oil comes out of suspension and sinks to the bottom of the pan leaving crystal clear clean oil above. Seen it several times.

regards Barrie

[70th Division]

Hello Ray - what a super GPW ! Lots on it (including - I think - an original Ford BOD light !) Regarding oil - on vehicles left standing for decades the dirt in the oil comes out of suspension and sinks to the bottom of the pan leaving crystal clear clean oil above. Seen it several times.

regards Barrie

Hello Barrie,

Thanks, I am very excited to have been able to get this jeep, recovered by a fellow G member !!

I will get some pics of the BO light, it looks original, but the poor bulb is rusted away, and the outer ring is rusted through at the the top.
There were a few parts that I found in the glove box that are very nice as well, and will post pics.

I think I can get the engine running, having full oil is always a nice surprise.

Here are the pictures of the fender mounted BO light.

It looks like the 2 front bolts have star washers, and the 1 rear bolt has a regular washer.

This is what I found in the glove box, 2 original P brackets for the top bows.

Also some perfect working hood latches, that can use a restoration, but function like new.

Best Regards,
Ray

[70th Division]

Hello,

Back to working on the patches for the rear panel gas can holder.

After fitting the batch, I spot welded it in along the top of the patch, attaching it to the back of the horizontal hat channel.
This way it is hidden, and the hat channel will appear as it should looking at it from the inside of the jeep.

Then I welded it from the rear, and then the other side of the patch.
I cleaned the area, then primed and painted the repair to help prevent any future rust between the panel and gas can reinforcing plate.

I next primed and painted the backside of the outer patch.

Here the second patch has been fitted into position to weld in place.

Now it is welded in, and the rust damage repaired and eliminated.
I will buff it down some next.
Once blasted clean, a little metal filler, and it will look perfect .

Here is the next little patch, above the larger one, that will repair some rust through.

I cut out the pin holes, and fitted the patch.


Next I cleaned the opening, and primed and painted it.

Then welded in the patch .

Now I will grind both patches all smooth and have a solid repair .


Ray

[70th Division]

I also did notice a slight difference on the size of the rivet dome that is under the wheel well, as compared to the dome head on the side facing the interior of the jeep.

I had a hand bucking block made that slightly smaller size, but couldn't get a good swing of the hammer, to form the head, so used the air hammer bit, with the dome head milled into that matched the inside dome head dimension.

Best Regards,
Ray

That's the plan, thanks! I just placed the order.

Hello Jeff,

A little update on rivets, as the rivets I am using were based on a 8-42 GPW sear bracket in my jeep,
just to mention to others, it appears that on a mid late 1943 Ford built body, the rivet heads have slightly different dome head shape.

We are I believe a ok for the 42 GPW, but wanted to mention it :

Here are some pictures.

It is not much of a difference but it appears there is a little more of a straight edge on the dome head edges.

Maybe from the installation process ?

But as we say, close enough for government work !

Best Regards,
Ray