Found Items

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OldPappy
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Found Items

Post by OldPappy » Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:18 am

While reading another thread suggesting cleaning under the fuel tank periodically I got to thinking about various things I have found under the tanks, and in the glove and tool boxes of old Jeeps over the years, mostly just garbage, but a few interesting things too. Thought it might be a fun topic.

I'll start with one interesting find. About 30 years ago I was restoring a M38, and was wandering around in a Jeep junkyard to get a few parts.

There were a lot of Jeeps in this junkyard from WW2 up through the 60s.

I always nosed around in the more interesting junkers, and in one Jeep I found a "Constabulary Troopers Road Map of the US Zone of Germany" in the glove box, wasn't in bad shape either. I didn't know enough about Army Jeeps then to know whether the Jeep I found it in was a GPW or a Willys MB, but it had to be one or the other. It caught my attention because I always liked the Army vehicles, and it looked nearly intact. It even still had military markings.

This map would have been what was issued to units during the post WW2 occupation of Germany.

My uncle Tubby was a part of that occupation (6th Cavalry), so I carried the map along with the parts I wanted back to the counter. The old guy let me have the map for free.

I told my father about it and he wanted it, maybe because it made him think of Tubby, so of course I gave it to him.

We have been cleaning out my parents house over the last few months, and I found that old map for the 2nd time stashed away in a cabinet.
A.C.Fults
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Mark Jesic
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Re: Found Items

Post by Mark Jesic » Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:40 am

Great story, i love hearing about stuff like this.

OldPappy
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Re: Found Items

Post by OldPappy » Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:37 pm

I am in the process of building a Willys MB Clone right now with a 48 CJ2A as the donor for frame and drive train. I found 13 22 Long rifle cartridges, 5 30-06 cartridges, various spent pistol cases, two rusty pocket knives, one fork, two fuel tank caps, bunch of beer bottle caps, various garbage, dirt, leaves, and gravel under the gas tank when I started disassembly. Nothing worth keeping.

I sure wish that Junkyard was still there. The old guy who ran it is still alive, so I called him, and he said he retired years ago and sold most of the good stuff, but I could come look at what was left. There wasn't much left. It sure was a cool place to dig around in back when he was in the business, rows and rows of old Jeeps, and trucks.
A.C.Fults
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None of us are as smart as we pretend to be.

Thunderbird712
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Re: Found Items

Post by Thunderbird712 » Thu Jan 10, 2019 4:17 pm

My Dad purchased our March 45 MB back in 2003. It had been bought surplus by a Fire Department in Maine. The Jeep had mods done but overall very original. To the point that we still have the factory installed brake drums. One of the mods was a water tank in the back of the Jeep. It cover the tool boxes since it had been installed in 46 or 47 I believe.

When we removed the tank we found a hub wrench, lug wrench, and jack all trapped in there. All never used. Additionally we found the crank handle still attached to the rear panel. It had been trapped between the tank and rear panel the whole time. You can see them here viewtopic.php?f=48&t=285944
TJ Zackman
1945 Willys MB, 430923, 3/28/45
Scored 98.375% at 2019 MVPA Convention York, PA

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Jeeps4Brains
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Re: Found Items

Post by Jeeps4Brains » Fri Jan 11, 2019 4:09 am

Helping a friend rebuild his M37 we found what was left of a C ration accessory package in the corner of the cab behind the seat. With another friend taking apart his half track we found a live 50 cal round under a panel.
45' MB, ??' MBT, 47' CJ2A, 48' CJ2A,
51' M38 #1, 51' M38 #2, 51' M100,
52' M37, ??' M101A1 (1st Gulf War Vet),
53' M38A1, 53' M211, 65' M151A1, 67' M416,
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Bart1015
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Re: Found Items

Post by Bart1015 » Fri Jan 11, 2019 6:26 am

I also have found some "treasures" in some of the vehicles I have restored in the past.

A 1960s movie ticket, 308 casing and a 1972 penny from under the tank of at 67 MUTT

Several 30-06 casings, .22 casings and a beer pull tab from under the tank on a 43MB

A church key can opener and a metal key ring inside the glovebox, wedged between in the the floor and the firewall in my 45GPW.

Brett
1942 VEP GPW, J-2 winch, BC-659, 1919a4
1945 GPW, 1943 MBT
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wreckless
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Re: Found Items

Post by wreckless » Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:42 pm

Back when Motor Gun Carriages could be imported from Bosnia we had a friend bring back a Russian diesel powered M36 Jackson TD. It had old repaired mine and RPG damage. While stripping her down for restoration a mummified human finger was found inside the crew compartment. That was definitely the weirdest.
Rob
Jersey Wrecking Crew
1943 Ford GPW G503

“In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress.“ John Adams

Beers
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Re: Found Items

Post by Beers » Fri Jan 11, 2019 4:39 pm

wreckless wrote:
Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:42 pm
Back when Motor Gun Carriages could be imported from Bosnia we had a friend bring back a Russian diesel powered M36 Jackson TD. It had old repaired mine and RPG damage. While stripping her down for restoration a mummified human finger was found inside the crew compartment. That was definitely the weirdest.
Yowza! :shock:
1943 MB 213301 DOD 2-22-43

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twinflyer17
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Re: Found Items

Post by twinflyer17 » Tue Jan 15, 2019 5:24 am

wreckless wrote:
Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:42 pm
While stripping her down for restoration a mummified human finger was found inside the crew compartment. That was definitely the weirdest.
Did he keep it?! :o
Sean

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

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wreckless
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Re: Found Items

Post by wreckless » Tue Jan 15, 2019 6:18 am

No...
Rob
Jersey Wrecking Crew
1943 Ford GPW G503

“In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress.“ John Adams

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twinflyer17
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Re: Found Items

Post by twinflyer17 » Tue Jan 15, 2019 6:46 am

:lol:
Sean

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

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