Fat Albert's '43 MB 217048 Project Thread

[thidisbogus]

Ouch Dutch! Looks like you slinced your ring finger pretty good.

Thanks for taking the time to post so many pictures.

[Fat Albert]

Ouch Dutch! Looks like you slinced your ring finger pretty good.

Thanks for taking the time to post so many pictures.

Yes... I picked up a few scratches this week separating and loading up a trailer load of scrap. But it was well worth it! I sold enough to buy the sand blasting cabinet!

And concerning taking time to take pictures... well, it's pretty much a necessity for me. My memory stinks... bad. These pictures go along with notes of a sort to remind me how to put this jeep back together again! Without them I'd be lost!

Now for an update on the MB. I brought my engine and tranny home tonight! Woo Hoo! No pics... sorry, I was fighting time. But I did get it unloaded at the shop and covered up for the night. It's taken me a while to get it due to the sellers loader being down. He uses a bobcat to move his engines and stuff around... and the bearings in the axles went out. I went over earlier in the week thinking he would have it up and running only to find the wheels still off. He is an older gentleman and can't get around the best. So I spent almost 2 hours trying to help him put the wheels back on. But unfortunately the battery chose that moment to die! After much back and forth and jumping it off with cables we finally got it running only to discover the alternator is so loose that it wouldn't charge enough to keep the loader running without the jumper cables hooked up! Man o Man... talk about dissapointment. Having to get in my truck and drive home with NO engine! But today was a better day... he had the wheels on and we only had to jump the thing off twice before it would stay running! At least it stayed running long enough for us to load up the goods and me to high tail it out of there with my haul! So anyways... that's how my day went. It was a good day all in all.

Now... I can't STAND looking at it all silver like it is! I'm thinking after reading a few other threads here that my MB engine is supposed to be OD green! I got to check it out over on the color site. I'm not planning on tearing into it... according to the seller it was just rebuilt not long before he bought it. I'm taking him at his word for now. We'll see how it runs when I get it in the jeep finally! Soooo... can anybody help me out with suggestions on how best to get this motor and tranny ready to paint?

[Fat Albert]

Saturday has been pretty good for me today. I was able to spend a few hours on the MB in between working on the basement with a shovel! Needless to say I took a LOT of breaks and wound up spending more time on the jeep than on the trench! Don't tell the missus that though!

Anyways... here is some of the things I accomplished on the jeep. I started out with plans to take the smaller pieces off and strip and paint them as I go... as inspired by IlikePlanesToo in his resto thread. ( viewtopic.php?f=96&t=200539 ) But as my ADD is progressing from bad to worse I started just stripping and I can't wait to get the whole TUB off now!

So I started with the fenders... worked my way to the hood and then onto the windshield today! Here is the obligatory side shot without fenders...

Front view... looks nasty with the wrong engine in there...


I did manage to finally get the light assembly completely broken down and ready to go in the blast cabinet. Sadly the blasting is on hold due to lack of in-line air/water separator. Sand blasting does not work so well with moisture in the lines.

But because the blaster wasn't working it did cause me to find my first ORIGINAL and BEAUTIFUL OD on the light hanger! I had to go back to the wire brush and work on some of the smaller parts... I wish I could find more of this stuff! It is really inspiring! Wish I could make my whole restored jeep look like this.


What I believe to be the original generator shield... a little bent up.


Bubba's work on the spring brackets...


And speaking of the spring brackets... these are almost rusted all the way through!


Frame horns gone.



And I'll end with a question. I thought I had read that in January of 43, Willys went from the solid spoke steering wheel to the wire spoked version due to saving rubber for other needs. If that be the case then why does my March 43 MB have the solid spoke wheel? I'm assuming it is a replacement wheel from another jeep along the way. Wish I knew more history of my little MB!

[nick peters]

Hey Dutch
Seems like your moving on well with your project Regarding your steering wheel question. According to John Farleys book 'Standardised Jeep' the wheel change started around September 42. But that would mean a gradual change as stocks of the solid wheel were exausted. Most pictures from 43 seem to show thin spoke wheels.. So Maybe your wheel was changed at some stage. Maybe some other 503,rs will say what they have on their mbs around your date. Thereby forming a clearer picture for you.
regards Nick

[Fat Albert]

Thanks to VitoCapo I found a wonderful paint/bondo/rust stripping tool called the flap disc! It is an amazing work of man's ingenuity when fastened to a grinder! My ADD got the best of me again today. I wasn't able to work on my jeep during the day due to a nasty 4 letter word called WORK. By 9 I couldn't stand it any longer and I had to go out to the shop and see what the flap disc would do! All I can say is WOW. It is one mean machine. I was able to strip the cowl and half the drivers side to the metal. My previous plan was to remove the tub and begin with the frame. But I just couldn't wait to try out my new toy. Here are the pictures from tonight. I apologize for the lesser quality... pics are taken after dark with only a shop light and headlamp and the flash of the camera.

This is the cowl before I started. Check out all the rust.


Here is the after shot. The rust has pitted the metal pretty bad... and there are dips and swags all the way across.

Close up...


I think I discovered that my jeep is from the Philippines. All these crazy colors look like a Filipino Jeepney!


I moved over to the drivers side and began working down to the tool indents. Or at least what is left of them.


Here is the rest of the drivers side... its bad... really bad.

[Fat Albert]

I'm wondering if this rear fender section is salvagable or would it be better to order that section and just replace this one. But then I think of all the inside that is going to have to be replaced and then add this outside and who knows what the back is going to look like! If I start replacing am I really keeping the original tub or am I giving rise to Frankenstein!?

I told Dexter I really liked his project ( viewtopic.php?f=96&t=191385 ). He has been able to bring back the original OD... left the dings in. I think it really has character. But I got to face the cold hard reality that my jeep is NOT going to be like that. I have to remind myself that I'm not shooting for a preservation job... but rather just a restoration or facimally of what it originally may have looked like. Actually I don't know how accurate that statement is really. I honestly think I just want a sound and dependable, daily driver that is as true to the original WWII jeep as I can afford in time and plunder! Maybe later I can find another jeep with recoverable numbers and more of a history that I can work with.

I don't know... these are just some thoughts running through my head tonight. Tomorrow I may have another change of heart. You guys have a good night.

Dutch

[The Raven]

Dutch,
Work with what you've got. No matter what you do to bring it back will be better than its recent past. Flap disks are fun for sure, but be sure to hit that bare metal with some primer to prevent rust.

[thidisbogus]

Raven is right. Whatever you are doing now, you are doing better than bubba did. What I mean is you are going to try and put correct parts back on it and keep it more close to original. Regardless of how detailed you ake your restoration, you will be keeping this piece of history alive and running and not rotting in a field somewhere or in a smelter for scrap.

[Fat Albert]

Thanks guys for the encouragement. I really appreciate it. I'm enjoying the inspiration I'm getting off your threads!

Well today I slipped off to the shop off and on several times. I was able to finish removing the bondo on the drivers side and half of the back. All I can say is wow. My Bubba was one talented dude. How anybody could take that moonscape and turn it into a nearly straight piece is more than I can fathom! It seriously looks like someone took a 12 ounce ball ping hammer to it. There is not a square inch of metal that is flat. Seriously... what would cause such damage? I'd been eyeing 918jeeper's shrinking disc... But I think this is WAAAAY beyond that! I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow... I'm thinking I may have to replace the back all together. It's not that I want a perfectly straight jeep... as I've said before, I want Character! But this goes beyond the character stage to closer to decrepit!
I asked a friend of mine who restores older cars to come over and take a look. His first response was "Why are you removing the bondo?!" And when he got a look at the metal he told me to wrap it in sheet metal. I guess most people don't get it. He does some good looking work... But now I wonder whats underneath his shiny paint! And to think ive known him all these years and never knew his middle name was Bubba!
Oh well... Tomorrow is another day!

Dutch

[The Raven]

That's the great part about these old jeeps, it can be dented, rusted, scratched and abused....the more so the better. Try that with any other classic car. I've always wanted a classic mustang, but the maintenance would kill me.

[huskerjeep]

And to think ive known him all these years and never knew his middle name was Bubba!

Hahahaha! Classic!!

My bondo knowledge is limited but...would they have beat all those dents into the sheet metal so the bondo would have something to hold onto? Who knows...?

Keep up the vigilance. As you probably already know there are replacement panels available out there on various parts sights for just about every section of that body. Even if you only end up with about 50% of the body being original...its still better than the way you found it.

[VitoCapo]

I went back to the guy at TrueValue and thanked him for about 20 minutes for saving hours of my life with that flap disc! LOL! Looking good man! I know Ron (and others) sell pre-fab panels if you suddenly get the desire to cut out that section and weld in replacements. If you have a buddy thats a welder or if you do it yourself it might be worth it. Oh yeah, give that guy a smack for saying to re-skin it! After peeling my Jeep that just makes me want to cry

It's addictive isn't it? You see a little bare metal and think, "Just one more section... I'll do the rest tomorrow..."

Again I'm going to stress the safety gear. Eye doctor pulled a piece of "clear" something out of my eye yesterday and it sucked! In my case it wasn't from the Jeep but probably from a little sand storm we had last week, but still... safety safety safety! I was using the newer style safety glasses but I'm upgrading to the enclosed goggles now. What good is it having an old Jeep if you can't drive it because you're blind? Keeping that in mind, you're doing great work! I knew next to nothing about working on vehicles before I started this project and I've already learned volumes. Keep posting, keep going, and keep asking questions... oh yeah.. and keep having FUN!!!!

[Fat Albert]

You are so right about it being addictive Vito. We have been working all day getting ready for my niece's wedding this weekend... and all I can think about is not having time to strip more of that bondo off! It's terrible! Oh well... tomorrow is another day!

Dutch

[Fat Albert]

Just wanted to share what little I got done today on the MB. I stopped by an automotive paint supplier this afternoon and picked up some rust converter... I hope that's the proper lingo anyways. It is supposed to chemically change the iron oxide to some other material chemically. I'm sure most of you guys are familiar with this stuff... it was my first time using it. Here is what I purchased for $16.
Directions said to apply and let sit over night... tomorrow ready for paint! I WISH I were ready for paint! I also picked up a spray can of self etching primer for a temporary cover over the metal.

I also picked up a couple more 60 grit flap discs from Tractor Supply. I wanted to run back over what I had already "flappered" the other night.

Another close up of condition of the cowl area

Bear looking for a duck wing.

Back section

Hard to see... but the rust is changing into a chalky white after about 30 minutes

Man... 60 grit going who knows how many hundred rpm kinda hurts when it comes in contact with fingers!


Can't wait till I get some WHOLE days to spend on this project instead of just a little bit here and there!

[nick peters]

Hello Everyone
Looking at Dutch,s picture of the cowl area,which shows the layers of paint. Isnt that Navy gray on top of the original drab? Looks like it to me ,if im reading the layers correctly
regards Nick
Ps Dutch This is where the Phrase "Blood Sweat And Tears" comes from Guys rebuilding Jeeps You wait till a welding spark goes down your neck