VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Feb, 1942 - GPW1 thru end of first contract, April, 1942 - GPW15000 NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
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VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Fabrizio » Wed Sep 05, 2018 12:38 am

Hi all!

A few months ago I was surprised to find out that the Ford radiator in my GPW 3606 was entirely painted black, with no remains of OD.

Yesterday, a G503 Facebook member showed pictures of his new VEP project, GPW 6735; that also clearly shows a black Ford radiator.

Have you guys found something similar?
Do you know of any factory or period pictures showing a VEP radiator?


My radiator has the original core, and has just black over the brass, the only repair I can see is a weld on the top tube, and it is unpainted.
GPW #3606 “LIBBY”
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Scott Douglas » Wed Sep 12, 2018 8:45 pm

My GPW12708 appears to have the original radiator and it is black, with no sign of OD on it at all.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Fabrizio » Thu Sep 13, 2018 2:06 am

Thank you Scott!

I also asked on the Fb G503 page, and what is amazing is that so far all VEP owners seem to have find black radiators
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Bart1015 » Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:21 pm

My 3/42 GPW is green, my 6/45 GPW has a Willys unit in black.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:09 am

I had an OD GPW Radiator, removed from a GPW. Gone now, long gone.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by m3bobby » Sat Sep 22, 2018 2:49 am

GPW 6008 has its original black radiator. Never been green.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by awddouglas » Sun Sep 23, 2018 12:46 pm

i thought the basic rule was ford = black, willys = olive drab....
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:55 pm

I have had a few OEM GPW radiators over thhe years in OD.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Fabrizio » Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:22 am

awddouglas wrote:
Sun Sep 23, 2018 12:46 pm
i thought the basic rule was ford = black, willys = olive drab....
Actually the commonly accepted is Willys radiator = black (even when factory fitted to a Ford like on 43, 44 and 45 ones), and Ford radiators = green.

I was surprised to find the (F) radiator of GPW 3606 totally black and not overpainted; but it now seems that a majority of the VEP guys have also found their original radiator to be black.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by 5280BeltFed » Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:05 am

Mine was black, but I painted it green, oops? Figured it was black because repairs were made to it and radiator shop painted it that way.

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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:49 am

And there is always the chance that a radiator change was done during WWII that resulted in a GPW radiator being installed in an MB and vice versa. Do the Willys or Ford Drawings indicate that only O.D. or Black be used or can they be substituted for each other?
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Chuck Lutz » Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:25 am

Here is one with a BLACK radiator fresh from the Richmond, CA Ford plant:
Richmond Jeep 20543697.jpg
Richmond Jeep 20543697.jpg (87.77 KiB) Viewed 3504 times
Note that the radiator metal top tube is BLACK and the air crossover and carb air horn are OD. Also note that the radiator cap is NOT PAINTED.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by YLG80 » Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:55 pm

Do the Willys or Ford Drawings indicate that only O.D. or Black be used or can they be substituted for each other?
The Ford GPW-8005-A2 radiator assembly drawing does not mention any color.
I've checked the fan drawing for the color.
It's only written : "Paint see paint specification".

Do you have information about that Ford paint specification that could also apply to the radiator assy?

Yves

PS My Ford GPA radiator is also black.
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by Fabrizio » Fri Sep 28, 2018 10:27 pm

Chuck Lutz wrote:
Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:25 am
Here is one with a BLACK radiator fresh from the Richmond, CA Ford plant

This one is a late GPW, with a Willys style radiator, far from a VEP.

If someone finds a VEP engine shot....I think I have seen none until now!
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Re: VEP radiator color: black or Olive drab?

Post by yorkshireman » Wed Oct 03, 2018 12:52 am

The very first ones had a Willys radiator on them,and also Willys style headlight arms...


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