FZ-1 Marine Corps radio jeep?

[Fred Coldwell]

Well, things have been too quiet on this board, so to stir the pot and upset a placid summer evening I am posting the following photo which my good friend Bryce Sunderlin has just pointed out to me. It appears on page 43 in the 1981 book "The JEEP" by Jeudy and Tararine. The photo credit in the book is to Willys, so it very well might be a Willys factory photo (but I can't vouch for that). So, how much do we really know about WW II jeeps? Observations and comments are welcome.

[Mark Tombleson]

Hehehe, Fred, you are a couple of years behind the times.


viewtopic.php?f=4&t=100452&hilit=Ford+Radio+Jeep

[Fred Coldwell]

Hehehe, Fred, you are a couple of years behind the times.

. . . and I apparently used too short a spoon too!! Oh well, think of it as reviving an older thread for the good of the board.

[Mark Tombleson]

Ah, well... I did not remember which book John Barton got that photo from.

The questions I asked back in 2007 in the thread noted above were not really answered, however Tom was able to give what information is available on the GPWs of the period.

My memory is none too good but checking the dates leads me to believe Bryce talked to me about the same issue and I couldn't remember then where the photo came from.

It is possible the photo is a retouch... fabricated if you will, but I see no point in Willys doing that to an obvious Ford. There is no mistaking Ford springs, shock mounts, and channel cross member... even the bloody safety strap eye is horizontal. Not only that but the known USMC items of the period that should be on the jeep... hooks, rings, electric wiper are not there, but the antenna box is perfect and the radio boxes and rear seat look correct, but no ribs on the boxes. Even the 6 footman loops for the antenna bag on the windshield are there and the periods are square on the U.S.M.C.

My opinion is the jeep is real, with a correct USMC number. I do not believe this is a Willys contract tub from ACM as there is no hole in the cowl for the electic wiper wiring harness.

So, where is this Ford GPW, how did it come to be and where are the records on it?

[Fred Coldwell]

.... My opinion is the jeep is real, with a correct USMC number. I do not believe this is a Willys contract tub from ACM as there is no hole in the cowl for the electric wiper wiring harness. So, where is this Ford GPW, how did it come to be and where are the records on it?

Hi Mark:

Well, this is all speculation, but since the photo is attributed to Willys, there should be more factory photos from the same series. The Willys photo credit also suggests to me Ford had nothing to do with converting this Ford jeep into a Marine Corps radio jeep. A few thoughts come to mind. First, this project might have been a test fitting of the Willys 12 volt/55 amp between-the-seats auxiliary generator kit on a Ford jeep to make sure it fit with no or with minimal modifications (remember that modifications to the capstan winch kit were necessary for installation in Ford jeeps). This might have occurred during development of that kit. Second, there might have been a contract for Willys to fit "X" number of existing Marine Corps Ford jeeps with the auxiliary 12 volt/55 amp generator kits and/or radio sets around the time the MZ-1 was being produced (Willys installed both in the MZ-1 at the factory so was then doing that type of work). Perhaps due to budget/procurement constraints, the Marine Corps might have had Willys convert some Ford jeeps already in its inventory into needed radio jeeps. Once Willys had developed a full kit for that conversion, the installation work transferred to Navy or Marine Corps port of embarkation depots. Willys was the company that "developed" most other uses and kits for the jeep or specially fitted them for particular uses. For the most part, Ford seemed content to simply crank out standardized jeeps. Further thoughts?

[Mark Tombleson]

OK, Fred, you are thinking the Navy jeep conversion and conversion kit contracts with Willys-Overland may have included some GPWs for whatever reason?

We have documentation on the contacts for these conversions.

Or, if the contract was small it would not be shown on the War Contracts pages...

That would explain the usual Navy/USMC features that are missing and the radio system features that are correct. It also explains how the registration number is correct with correct font.

As you say... until we find other photos or documentation to confirm this was done to the GPW it is speculation.