GPW or MB Jeep?

[CptJericho]

I need some help here identifying if this jeep is a GPW or MB (or neither). I think it is a GPW because of the toolbox above the rear wheelwell and glovebox, but if Im wrong please correct me. also it was made in 1942

[griswold]

Hmmmm, That's a tough one. hmm i would say a a Good Ol' MB, just curious and specific reason for the question. planing on buying one. ?Linky?

[CptJericho]

Ya i think i may buy it, its just down the road from me ;D i need to know which model so i get the right parts for it.
www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=0&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=2204473

[troyluginbill]

go to the g503.com forums and ask this question. You will have an answer in seconds and probably five offers to buy parts from you after you buy it.

[Adler69]

The spare tire is mounted on the right spot for a WWII vehicle.
Did you see any "F" on any parts of it ? like fenders , main body ?
If it has an "F" then those parts are from a Ford GPW , any parts not stamped with an "F" are from a Willys MB.
I'll say go for it man , it looks great , some paint and a few things added to it and it's ready to go.
Well that and the Civi tires have to go ;D , but that's just the anal "collector" in me talking.

[CptJericho]

I didnt see any of the letters, but next time i know where to look and what to look for.

[2nd Bat]

looks like a nice restorable Jeep. (Assuming it's mechanically sound and there is no rust through on it anywhere) G503 can quickly give you an estimate on what you'd have to spend to bring it up to restored condition. (I hope you have deep pockets)

Be advised that 99.9% of the parts between an MB and a GPW are completely interchangeable. Willys parts do tend to be less costly as there were more of their parts produced since Willys continued to build them after the war. The Ford GPW parts as mentioned all had an "F" script stamped on them somewhere (right down to nuts and bolts.) Henry Ford was obsessed with a fear of reverse engineering by the Russians to whom we sent thousands of Jeeps (Including most of the original Bantam cars) This fear of being copied is ironic since essentially Ford and Willys did that with the original Carl Probst Design while he was working for Bantam. He designed the Jeep from blank paper to two fully functioning prototypes in 59 days! The Army (knowing Bantam couldn't produce them in sufficient numbers) handed the design to Ford and Willys and said "Here build this!" Bantam ended up with a small order and the contract to build Jeep trailers. Classic screw job, but probably necessary. The Iconic grill was essentially contributed by Ford as Willys initially had a slat grill otherwise it is all Willys as initially designed by Bantam. The obvious way to tell whihc it is is to look at the identification plate on the glove box (if it's still there.) Otherwise look at the front cross bar. If its rounded its a Willys and if it's flat angled bar its a Ford. All of this is quite moot since in 1942 (because of the frantic nature of facilitating speed of production) few, if any Jeeps were "all Ford" or all Willys. Mixing and matching parts between the two was extremely commonplace.

I have a fully restored 1942 Willys although the seats and several other parts have F script parts which would have been normal.

Every part needed to build or rebuild a Jeep are available from a variety of sources. Including the correct tires) It's all just a matter of money. Incidently the spare tire actually looks to be mounted more centered in the back than it should be?

A fellow here in the NW with more money and time than common sense spent $25,000 on a full restoration on one Jeep and $18,000 on a second. He did almost all of the labor so that expense was parts and outsourcing for mechanical work. He bought the base Jeeps in about the condition and cost of the Jeep you show and took them down to bare metal throughout literally redoing every cotter pin.

Good luck with it. Incidently I am the second owner of my Jeep (Unless you count the Army) It was bought from the Army from the fellow I bought it from in 1951 and has only 18,211 actual miles. I have owned it for 12 years now.

They are wonderful to own but entirely impractical to operate. Anthing over 40 miles per hour is pretty terrifying and they are not at all roadworthy by comparison to even the most spartan contemporary vehicle.

[CptJericho]

The reason im asking is because there is a difference between MB rear seats and WPG rear seats, and I dont want to get the wrong one (does anyone know the difference between the 2 back seats?). just asked the owner about the plates but the Nomenclature one was missing.

[deacon]

Thats an MB, the GPW has different windshield dimensions. If you look at the top rail of the windshield, it is taller than the GPWs.

[sarge12]

The Willys MB had a good body, but the Ford GPWhas a better engine (less repairs). Later in the war I'd say 43-45 the military mixed the Ford engines and Willys parts together making a better Jeep. I think the mixed jeep is the one you have. Usually the engine is marked with many F's,all the parts, and the Willys I don't think have much at all.

[sarge12]

heres a good parts site www.kaiserwillys.com/

[2nd Bat]

The engine whether it was an MB or a Ford was identical as the contract called for the Willy Go-devil four cylinder. Ford put their "F" stamp on the parts they produced but they were completely interchangeable. In fact very very few (If any) Jeeps were all F stamp or all Willys especially in 1942 when 70% of the total production was cranked out.

What is the status on the particular Jeep shown in the picture? Did you end up buying it? If so good luck with the project. You will learn a lot. I remember with my 43 MB I was told I needed a new steering box as there was about 2 inches of play in the wheel. (Disconcerting when you're going down the road!) My wifes uncle was a Jeep driver in Italy and France during the war and went ga ga over my Jeep and really opened up to me about experiences he hadn't shared with anyone. In the course of the show and tell and a quick drive he asked if I had one of those angled screw drivers (which I did) He took it reached down onto the steering box and with a few twists tightened the box. He explained that you have to do that about every 500 miles or so.

Easy rig to work on but they do require constant and on going attention. Vehicle design has come a long long way in 70 + years!

[CptJericho]

I'm still waiting for my paycheck so I can negotiate a deal.

[hairy apple]

Apr 1, 2010 12:53:14 GMT -5 2nd Bat said:

Vehicle design has come a long long way in 70 + years!

To a point... while modern cars are a lot nicer to drive overall, working on them is a bitch! There is something awesome about being able to work on your own truck without having to be a mechanic. I do love anything presmog, pre electronic. Maybe not as comforable, or reliable, but fun to work on.

[Adler69]

Also older vehicles will keep working after an EMP attack where modern ones will be dead where they stand.

[CptJericho]

Thats what I like about the Willys jeep, its a four cylinder, so its a very basic engine so if it breaks down on the road i could jump out and fix it with basic tools.

[troyluginbill]

unless you throw a rod, or crack the head, or cylinder. There still comes a time when you need a fully equipped machine shop to make her run.

[sarge12]

Or accidentally grind the gears or burn out your clutch. Transmission work sux.

[shadycadence]

I had a '51 Willy's CJ3A, the thing was a gas! Had 5.38:1 differentials. A 60hp engine, but it's got 120 ft/lbs. of torque. In low range, reverse, I could pull full size trucks in park. 2nd Bat's right though, it wouldn't go over 45 downhill with a tailwind and a sail!