A couple of years back I sold off my '48 Willys for something a little newer: a 1972 M151A2 MUTT. As is typical, it's an on-going project. (I'm currently fighting with the brake system. Just when I think I've got it fixed, something else goes. I've a leaky wheel cylinder so my MUTT is currently sitting in the garage; four wheel cylinders, one steel line, and two rubber lines, and I'll have a brand new entire brake system. The parts are on hand, but not the time right now.)
The M151 series was a replacement for the M38A1 (which replaced the M38, which replaced the Willys MB and Ford GPW.) Designed by Kaiser, the MUTT was initially built by Ford. Kaiser, and later AM General, eventually picked up production contracts. The M151 utilized a monocoque design and a four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs (as opposed to the traditional ladder box frame with live axles of the previous jeep family.) The US Army adopted the M151 in 1951 and finally replaced them with the HMMWV ("Humvee") beginning in 1984. A quick look at the suspension of the MUTT and HMMVW, and it's easy to see the family pedigree.
The M151A2 (my version) first came about in 1970. Ford made the M151A2 until 1971. AM General and Ford both made them until 1972, when AM General took over production entirely. The A2 version is easy to spot because of the unique front composite lights and dipped front fenders. As the Army began to dispose of the M151 series, they stopped surplusing whole vehicles because of the roll-over risk. (In a tight turn they can roll over, even at very low speed (i.e., < 20 mph.)) At first, the Army began cutting them in half and selling them as scrap. However, enterprising folks began welding the halves back together. The Army later tried cutting them into quarters, but with the same result. The Army finally settled on crushing them entirely before selling them off to the general public. As a result, it's fairly rare to find an uncut MUTT except for the early variations (M151/M151A1.) Uncut A2s are almost unheard of...not quite, but almost.
My MUTT, "Otto" (named after the mutt in Beetle Bailey), is an early AM General; it's titled as a 1972, but based on the combination light buckets and floor drains, it could also possibly be a 1971. Otto is a cut MUTT, too. Anyways, here's "Otto," my MUTT:
In winter dress,
and with the Willys (now gone to a new home) in the background.
In summer dress.
And totally topless.
(And Otto's namesake, for the uninitiated.)
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