GPW 264424 April 1945
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- G-Sergeant
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
GPW 264424 April 1945
Well, this is my first post on G503, only joined a day ago...
I've been a Jeep nut since I first learned to drive, mainly the later AMC era CJs but over the last two years I've done a from-the-ground-up restoration of a CJ3B.
I've been looking for a ww2 jeep on and off for ages, however every one that I'd seen in my price range was either so deteriorated I was looking at another full restoration (which I now just don't have the stomach for, right after the 3B) or had been restored but not all that well.
Finally I found what I was looking for - an unrestored ww2 jeep suitable for preservation rather than restoration.
Hardly anything on this jeep has been touched. The engine and data plate serial numbers are matching but I'm yet to confirm other details. Apparently this was delivered to the RAAF on arrival in Australia, with RAAF blue painted over the OD - you can see it wearing off in lots of places and some numbers are vaguely visible. It doesn't look to have been used all that hard; it starts and stops and is driveable. There are some obvious bits missing in the photos - spare wheel, hood bows and rear seat. These are still with the vehicle just not fitted. The yellow paint on the inner windscreen frame and LH front rim suggest (maybe) at some stage those parts came from a RAAF "follow me" jeep - ? I don't think it's yellow zinc chromate. Who knows...I'll get a closer look at it soon.
These photos are from the very nice gentleman farmer who sold it to me - I haven't picked it up yet so I can't take additional photos. When I do, I'll post some more.
The intent with this one is to make the minimum possible changes to obtain club reg, keep whatever changes I make reversible then store it clean and dry and use it carefully.
I've been a Jeep nut since I first learned to drive, mainly the later AMC era CJs but over the last two years I've done a from-the-ground-up restoration of a CJ3B.
I've been looking for a ww2 jeep on and off for ages, however every one that I'd seen in my price range was either so deteriorated I was looking at another full restoration (which I now just don't have the stomach for, right after the 3B) or had been restored but not all that well.
Finally I found what I was looking for - an unrestored ww2 jeep suitable for preservation rather than restoration.
Hardly anything on this jeep has been touched. The engine and data plate serial numbers are matching but I'm yet to confirm other details. Apparently this was delivered to the RAAF on arrival in Australia, with RAAF blue painted over the OD - you can see it wearing off in lots of places and some numbers are vaguely visible. It doesn't look to have been used all that hard; it starts and stops and is driveable. There are some obvious bits missing in the photos - spare wheel, hood bows and rear seat. These are still with the vehicle just not fitted. The yellow paint on the inner windscreen frame and LH front rim suggest (maybe) at some stage those parts came from a RAAF "follow me" jeep - ? I don't think it's yellow zinc chromate. Who knows...I'll get a closer look at it soon.
These photos are from the very nice gentleman farmer who sold it to me - I haven't picked it up yet so I can't take additional photos. When I do, I'll post some more.
The intent with this one is to make the minimum possible changes to obtain club reg, keep whatever changes I make reversible then store it clean and dry and use it carefully.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
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- G-Staff Sergeant
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
What a great find!
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- G-Brigadier General
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- MechTech
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Very nice find Dom! A worthy subject of preservation and historical scrutiny. Looking forward to more photos.
Welcome to the forum.
cheers
Bill.
Welcome to the forum.
cheers
Bill.
Member of G503 since 1999
GPW-178721 Under restoration.
GPW-178721 Under restoration.
- Chuck Lutz
- Gee Addict
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Welcome aboard Dom....!!!
I think it is safe to say that 98% of the jeeps bought in the last 5-10 years were no where NEAR that original/complete/in such good condition!
You got a winner there!
I think it is safe to say that 98% of the jeeps bought in the last 5-10 years were no where NEAR that original/complete/in such good condition!
You got a winner there!
Chuck Lutz
GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947
GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947
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- G-Lieutenant General
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Gee, a slightly beat-up jeep but the front bumper somehow escaped the damage! Amazing! I have to say, even though it's a Ford, I'm OD with envy!!
Is it true real Jeeps have flat fenders?
Alone cannot you it resist!
Alone cannot you it resist!
- hell-fire
- G-Major General
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
It's a beauty, needs only a few cosmetic things to have it all squared away, Just goes to show how a caring post war owner can look after these things.
John
Australia
Member VMVC #192
1942 Willys MB-BRT 135673 D.O.D. 4-16-42 Now 97% finished
Australia
Member VMVC #192
1942 Willys MB-BRT 135673 D.O.D. 4-16-42 Now 97% finished
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- Sergeant Major of the Gee
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
As good as it gets!
Great find. I hope you do as little as possible, so as to preserve that wonderful patina.
Who replaced the bumper and horns (assuming that they have been replaced)? The seller?
Dan
Great find. I hope you do as little as possible, so as to preserve that wonderful patina.
Who replaced the bumper and horns (assuming that they have been replaced)? The seller?
Dan
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- G-Sergeant
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Thanks one and all for your great comments and the welcome...
Hell-fire I think you've said it right - it's a credit to the farmer that owned it for the last 45 years. Given that many jeeps found on farms have had a tough life, been cut and welded and daubed with whatever paint was to hand, I won't be complaining too much about a painted front bumper! As mentioned I'm yet to pick it up (Saturday I hope) so I hope I get some time to talk to the previous owner to understand why he bothered to care for it so well, long before it was worth anything to anyone and when the exigencies of living on the land demand the opposite.
Dan, yes, my intent is to do as little as possible to it. I'll need to give it a good look over; all I have so far are the same images you've seen. There's a small amount of rust visible so I'll need to determine whether spot repairs are achievable with minimal impact. If I don't need to fix it, I won't.
What I'd like to do is use exchangeable assemblies - I don't want to replace that broken windscreen pane so if possible I'll source a complete replacement inner screen assembly for road use and keep the original for display. Same with seats etc. Given tyres are a safety issue I'll have to replace those but I'll keep the old carcasses if I can.
Not sure but perhaps being a RAAF jeep it might never have had pioneer tools, first aid kit, extinguisher etc. I'd still like to put these in but again they're changes that are easily reversed.
Hell-fire I think you've said it right - it's a credit to the farmer that owned it for the last 45 years. Given that many jeeps found on farms have had a tough life, been cut and welded and daubed with whatever paint was to hand, I won't be complaining too much about a painted front bumper! As mentioned I'm yet to pick it up (Saturday I hope) so I hope I get some time to talk to the previous owner to understand why he bothered to care for it so well, long before it was worth anything to anyone and when the exigencies of living on the land demand the opposite.
Dan, yes, my intent is to do as little as possible to it. I'll need to give it a good look over; all I have so far are the same images you've seen. There's a small amount of rust visible so I'll need to determine whether spot repairs are achievable with minimal impact. If I don't need to fix it, I won't.
What I'd like to do is use exchangeable assemblies - I don't want to replace that broken windscreen pane so if possible I'll source a complete replacement inner screen assembly for road use and keep the original for display. Same with seats etc. Given tyres are a safety issue I'll have to replace those but I'll keep the old carcasses if I can.
Not sure but perhaps being a RAAF jeep it might never have had pioneer tools, first aid kit, extinguisher etc. I'd still like to put these in but again they're changes that are easily reversed.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
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- G-Colonel
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Great find! It looks very much like the Feb 45 GPW I found some time ago. Unfortunately, I subsequently put a coat of paint over the original after I'd repaired the pioneer tool side.
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt"..Bertrand Russell
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- G-Brigadier General
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
I'm curious if the reflectors Arrowlite 217. Would you verify when you get your wonderful GPW home?
Jim Mulligan
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Hi Bazza,
Yes it does look similar, right down to the paint - is yours ex RAAF as well?
G'day Jim,
Happy to check it out. Hopefully this weekend. I note from reading other posts that the reflectors seem to be the subject of quite forensic analysis...hope I can help.
Yes it does look similar, right down to the paint - is yours ex RAAF as well?
G'day Jim,
Happy to check it out. Hopefully this weekend. I note from reading other posts that the reflectors seem to be the subject of quite forensic analysis...hope I can help.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
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- G-Colonel
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- Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:28 pm
- Location: Sydney, Australia
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Although the paint looks the same in the picture, it's not RAAF blue. It's aged Aussie army bronze green. But it's in such similar condition and it's close to mine in date, I wonder if they were both delivered near the end of the war and did not get much hard use. When I go to Canberra I''m going check the ARN for details.
You're so lucky to get one in such original condition today. Most have rusted away or been restored.
You're so lucky to get one in such original condition today. Most have rusted away or been restored.
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt"..Bertrand Russell
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- G-Sergeant
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:28 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Thanks Bazza,
If you're checking serials could I please impose upon you to check mine too, when you go?
Yes, I was lucky to just happen to come across it just after it went on sale. I'd been tempted to pay too much for a wreck on eBay a month ago, but held off.
Is it just me, or are those initial photos showing up as cut in half? Seems to display properly on a desktop but not iPad etc...? If so, I'll try to re-post them.
If you're checking serials could I please impose upon you to check mine too, when you go?
Yes, I was lucky to just happen to come across it just after it went on sale. I'd been tempted to pay too much for a wreck on eBay a month ago, but held off.
Is it just me, or are those initial photos showing up as cut in half? Seems to display properly on a desktop but not iPad etc...? If so, I'll try to re-post them.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab
- hell-fire
- G-Major General
- Posts: 3443
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:06 am
- Location:
Re: GPW 264424 April 1945
Dom,
Photos aren't cut off to me.
Photos aren't cut off to me.
John
Australia
Member VMVC #192
1942 Willys MB-BRT 135673 D.O.D. 4-16-42 Now 97% finished
Australia
Member VMVC #192
1942 Willys MB-BRT 135673 D.O.D. 4-16-42 Now 97% finished
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