GPW 264424 April 1945

If you have an unrestored WWII jeep, we would like to see pictures, and hear your comments. NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
Dom
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GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Dom » Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:41 pm

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.


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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


David McElreath
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by David McElreath » Mon Jul 15, 2013 5:27 pm

What a great find!

Jim M
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Jim M » Mon Jul 15, 2013 5:46 pm

Congratulations, beautiful GPW.
Jim Mulligan

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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Bill M » Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:25 pm

Very nice find Dom! A worthy subject of preservation and historical scrutiny. Looking forward to more photos.
Welcome to the forum.
cheers
Bill.
Member of G503 since 1999


GPW-178721 Under restoration.

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Chuck Lutz
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Chuck Lutz » Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:55 pm

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!
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

Fortyeight2A
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Fortyeight2A » Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:31 am

Gee, a slightly beat-up jeep but the front bumper somehow escaped the damage! Amazing! :lol: I have to say, even though it's a Ford, I'm OD with envy!! :D
Is it true real Jeeps have flat fenders?
Alone cannot you it resist!

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hell-fire
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by hell-fire » Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:05 am

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
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1942 Willys MB-BRT 135673 D.O.D. 4-16-42 Now 97% finished
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by dct » Tue Jul 16, 2013 2:54 am

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

Dom
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Dom » Tue Jul 16, 2013 5:17 am

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.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab

bazza46
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by bazza46 » Tue Jul 16, 2013 6:27 pm

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.
Image
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Jim M
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Jim M » Tue Jul 16, 2013 6:30 pm

I'm curious if the reflectors Arrowlite 217. Would you verify when you get your wonderful GPW home?
Jim Mulligan

Dom
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Dom » Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:32 am

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.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab

bazza46
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by bazza46 » Thu Jul 18, 2013 2:13 am

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.
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt"..Bertrand Russell

Dom
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by Dom » Thu Jul 18, 2013 2:53 am

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.
1942 Willys MB
1945 Ford GPW
1958 Willys CJ3B
1984 Jeep CJ7
1985 Jeep CJ8 World Cab

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hell-fire
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Re: GPW 264424 April 1945

Post by hell-fire » Thu Jul 18, 2013 2:59 am

Dom,

Photos aren't cut off to me.
John
Australia
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1942 Willys MB-BRT 135673 D.O.D. 4-16-42 Now 97% finished
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