Willys MB 1942....

[AZPhil]

Lookin good Steve, So what time frame are we talking about for the rubber to hit the road?

Semper Fi
Phil

[Walkwolf]

My nephew has had it running tonight. Just a few more things.
Distributor cap and rotor, new spark plugs, brake work,
a new headlamp and a stop lamp. It should be ready
very soon and I am thrilled he took on the repairs
that it has needed for so long.

He sent me this pic just minutes ago - before and after:
The way it was, and the correct installation
of a stone guard.........

[earlymb]

Fortunately the wooden spacer is easy to make yourself.

According to Nabholtz the parking brake changed to the internal expanding type in mid-1944.

[Walkwolf]

Data plates with data ! - Many restorations have repro data
plates which are left blank. Mine were for 18 years
- but no longer.........

[Rossi]

Steve,

BRAVO and CONGRATS!!! From a Willy's Brother to Another I can totally agree with you. Data plates complete the rig like patina on a war relic. Here are my original 1945 dash and body frame plates that are so priceless. I remember 5 years ago meeting Frank Jansen at a Willy's Rally I was at. He said you have an original body 1945 right? I said yup! She is #10296 of #11800 as they only made 1800 in 1945. He said do you have original dash and frame plates? I said Yup! He grinned. Can i see um? I said sure. He said I will give you $3000 cash if you pull them off right now. He told me he had a 1945 body he was restoring to original specs and to have the plates to me would be great. I felt bad as he had no data plates for his. I said sorry I can't sell them even with my Willy's being cut up with a corvette engine, The body is still original. He said make it $4000? I swallowed hard and said I just can't. My Goodness that was stupid money. Every 6 months Frank calls me and checks in. I have promised him If I sell the Jeep he has first crack at it. I guess it is like having the right decal on an SS helmet or the proper Hangers for the Dagger to complete the rig. I worry the dash plates and body plates would get lifted before my rims

I applaud your work my friend and am very happy for you! It is great stuff!

Rossi

[earlymb]

Original plates are always a bonus! We still have the original plates from our jeep too, but since they indeed go for silly money (not $4K though ) I replaced them a few years ago with good quality reproduction plates since they are literally only attached with a few small screws. My dad keeps the original plates at home now.







If anyone needs any reproduction dataplates I can heartily recommend Robert de Ruyter from the Netherlands, his plates are universally regarded to be the best available anywhere; we got our repro set from him too and he custom stamped them in the original font with pics of the original plate as an example. I think he makes them for almost all jeep models up to the '70s and lots of WW2 vehicles: https://rdrnl.home.xs4all.nl/4UWPIntro2.html

Oh and it's Willys jeep, not Willy's jeep... unless the owner's name is Willy, ofcourse.

[Rossi]

Original plates are always a bonus! We still have the original plates from our jeep too, but since they indeed go for silly money (not $4K though ) I replaced them a few years ago with good quality reproduction plates since they are literally only attached with a few small screws. My dad keeps the original plates at home now.







If anyone needs any reproduction dataplates I can heartily recommend Robert de Ruyter from the Netherlands, his plates are universally regarded to be the best available anywhere; we got our repro set from him too and he custom stamped them in the original font with pics of the original plate as an example. I think he makes them for almost all jeep models up to the '70s and lots of WW2 vehicles: https://rdrnl.home.xs4all.nl/4UWPIntro2.html

Oh and it's Willys jeep, not Willy's jeep... unless the owner's name is Willy, ofcourse.

Great info. That Damn Y in Willys is broken on my plate and stamped hood and I will be darned if I cant stop making it Willy's jeep.

[Walkwolf]

Thanks Kirk. It's like a labour of love for both me and my nephew
who loves old cars, hot rods and Ford model A's. To me, this
jeep is like a tribute or commemoration to all who
served in WWII.

These last two posts above are some of the finishing touches that
I've simply neglected to do, and it makes me very happy indeed
to see these things completed.

When my nephew offered to help me out, I suggested 7 items
that needed to be addressed: New gas tank (leaks), tranny
leaks (need gaskets), correct crossmember install,
electrical (lighting and starting issues), brakes,
seat pan install and check horn (weak).
He's done all of them.

He made the wood spacer from some used, leftover solid oak
flooring that I gave him for his wood stove. There were
several other faults he corrected and I can't
thank him enough..........!

[Walkwolf]

Great info. That Damn Y in Willys is broken on my plate and stamped hood and I will be darned if I cant stop making it Willy's jeep.

My wife's grandfather used to drive a Willys car,
and her mother is old enough to remember it.
She pronounces it "Willis".........

[earlymb]

Your jeep looks beautiful, and the fun with jeeps is there will always be another chore to do on it.

Depending on the model, her grandfathers' Willys might have had the same engine your jeep has. It's after all one of the main reasons the Willys prototype was accepted for production.