1945 Willys MB "The Project"

kwc271 · Post by **kwc271** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 6:34 pm

Cool! I have your jeep's younger brother. I have a Willys 1945 MB dated 3-28-45 here in South Carolina

Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 7:48 pm

Nice! any pics? is it restored?

hell-fire · Post by **hell-fire** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:31 am

Real nice Jeep, I remember when it was first for sale here on the "G" years back, the inside was like new & the outside is really good as well, lucky day for this one having owners who cared for it. Good luck with it.

Fred Coldwell · Post by **Fred Coldwell** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 4:42 am

Niblet wrote:
Fred Coldwell wrote:
Niblet wrote: . . . I will have to grind this old lock off:
Niblet:

Before destroying that lock, which looks like a nice original tire lock, try opening it with a H700 key, which was the common key used for many WW II military locks. If you get the lock off, save the nut it was attached to as they are usually slightly larger than the standard MB lug nuts.
?? that's an original WWII item? huh looked like some aftermarket junk to me,,guess I better ask questions before I get the cutting wheel out! Thanks for the tip Fred,, I will try a H700 key as none of the keys supplied with the jeep unlocked it. Anyone know where i can get a H700 key?

Hi again Niblet:

I'm not sure it is an original WW II tire lock, I simply said it looks like an original WW II tire lock. The larger point I was making is this: when disassembling very nice original jeep, such as the one you just acquired, the far better procedure to ask first and destroy later as opposed to destroy first and ask later. The problem with the second approach is that due to the lack of knowledge every beginner starts with regarding WW II jeeps, you may intentionally but ignorantly destroy rare original parts that will cost you dearly to replace. I'm very glad to see you are asking questions about parts during disassembly; that is the wise approach. Use it often.

Another piece if unsolicited advise is this: don't let your disdain for non-WW II parts cause you to intentionally destroy them. As with the beautiful wood top you acquired with your jeep, it may also have other nice original civilian jeep parts that others (civilian jeep collectors) would find useful if not valuable. Rather than destroy those parts and throw that money away, carefully remove them and offer them for sale to others. Doing so might help reduce the costs of your restoration.

My understanding is that even the reproduction tire locks are keyed to work with H700 keys, so having such a key open your spare tire lock is not a guarantee of authenticity. OTOH, you jeep does not appear to have many reproduction parts on it, increasing the chances that spare tire lock is an original vintage one, either military or civilian.

I believe our G503.com host, Ron F, sells new H700 keys. Contact him to find out and hopefully purchase one. The small cost of a H700 key, if it works, will repay itself many times over.

Jeeps4Brains · Post by **Jeeps4Brains** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:35 am

Nice, the DOD on my MB is 4-3-45. Not in as good a shape as yours though.

Do you think there is a hood number under that paint someplace?

Alan

Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 9:17 am

Jeeps4Brains wrote:Nice, the DOD on my MB is 4-3-45. Not in as good a shape as yours though.

Do you think there is a hood number under that paint someplace?

Alan

Alan
I acquired the Hood number from the PO sales document from 1964. it states the HN on it
I put some stripper on a portion of the hood and it appears in that spot at least that whoever painted it white
brought it down to bare metal, then used a grey primer then the white.

When I do the sides of the hood I will use caution but I doubt that they are there.

Thanks Fred for the advice! much appreciated

hopps1945 · Post by **hopps1945** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:13 pm

Wow Niblet! Beautiful!! My MB is 3/12/45 - 425051. Do not have the original hood number though. The approx number that was figured out by others on this forum was: 20691584.

Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:28 pm

Very cool indeed,,,we'll have to get together sometime

Post by **Jon** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 11:06 pm

Niblet wrote:yes I have a stamped and cast pintle, I recently read that the stamped came into play in April or so of '45?? (Can someone confirm?)
so perhaps I will go with cast,,I like the look of those better anyway

From the Parts Colours page.

Welded Pintle hook Start according to Farley´s Standardized Wartime Jeep2 Page 139 - Contract W-33-019-1885 April 1945 Veh. No. MB 431301. Nabholtz Ver.2 Has the the fitting as Contract as W-7

Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 12:00 am

Jon
Thanks, so its the meaty, cast pintle I need then,,I like the looks of those better anyway
Thanks for confirming this for me
appreciate it!

Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:35 pm

Fred Coldwell wrote:
Niblet wrote: . . . I will have to grind this old lock off:
Niblet:

Before destroying that lock, which looks like a nice original tire lock, try opening it with a H700 key, which was the common key used for many WW II military locks. If you get the lock off, save the nut it was attached to as they are usually slightly larger than the standard MB lug nuts.

Unfortunately I tried a NOS H700 key and it didnt work,,anyone have any ideas? could a locksmith help me?

Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:13 am

So even though I have been unable to get that darn lock off, I removed my steering wheel for safekeeping:
A beautiful original wheel:

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Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:16 am

I removed the nut, Installed my handy correct puller,,and the wheel came off in less than 3 turns of the puller nut

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Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:18 am

I removed the wheel and placed the spring and nut back on the column so I don't loose them

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Niblet · Post by **Niblet** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:20 am

There is no substitute for having the correct tooling, I read on here guys using cheapo gear pullers and homemade jobs,
I don't cobble things together to save a buck, I found a correct style puller and it performed flawlessly and most important, NOTHING WAS DAMAGED
Here is my factory correct puller:

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