Dads GPW

[David Neale]

After the war, my father bought a GPW and Bantam trailer through a GI purchase program. He put a hand pump snowplow and a half cab on it during the winter. In the summer we used to run around town without the top. I remember rideing around sitting on the back fender wells. I am the little kid in the one photo. Photos from 1957 and 1958.

[Bob at Warsaw]

Do you still have the GPW

[David Neale]

No, he sold it to a friend of his in town in 1961, and bought a tractor with a loader. A few years ago, the man that bought it in 1960, his father died, and as he was cleaning out the barn to settle the estate, discovered an extra Ford engine and a box of parts that he had bought from my dad, along with the GPW. He said he gave my father $60 for the engine and parts, and if I was interested in them, give him the $60 back. I couldn't get over there fast enough. My dad laughed about it. Cheap storage for 50 years, then back in our garage.

[Tom Wolboldt]

Hello David,

Do you have the serial number of the spare GPW motor ? Thanks!

[gtbpappy]

great photos! thanks for sharing!!

[David Neale]

The Engine number is GPW247242

[clintm20]

Cool pictures David. Your brother reminds me of Ralphie of Red Ryder BB gun fame from the movie 'A Christmas Story'.

You'll shoot your eye out!

Clint

[gstone]

>>Your brother reminds me of Ralphie of Red Ryder BB gun fame from the movie 'A Christmas Story'. <<

I was thinking the exact same thing!

So what became of the Jeep?

gstone

[David Neale]

He traded it too a guy in town for a Ford tractor with a loader, as dad was building a new house and needed something with a bucket. We live in a small town, about 2,000 people town and village. Fast forward 40 years, the guy who swapped the tractor for the jeep in 1960, his dad died two years ago, and he was cleaning out the place to sell, found 3 big boxes of extra parts and an extra GPW engine he had given my dad 60 bucks for, along with the swap deal. Anyway he found the boxes in the barn, they had forgotten about them all these years. He called me up because he knew I had a GPW, and said if I gave him the sixty bucks back, I could have the boxes and engine. My dad says that it was cheap storage for 40 years. I went right over and paid him his 60 dollars as soon as I set the phone down. I needed the GPW engine, because I had aquired the GPW I have now from the Army Letterkenny Depot in 1975, and it had been upgraded with an MC engine with all the waterproof stuff. I was happy as a clam to get that call.
The jeep is lost to history. It probably got plowed and rusted to death.

[JAB]

Nice story, thanx for sharing!

What's a "hand pump" snow plow? Don't tell me that to raise it you had to actually pump a handle on the dash!?!?!?!?!?!?

[David Neale]

It was mounted between the front seats.

[JAB]

It was mounted between the front seats.

"You got pump, Franz!" "Yes Hans!"

My '55 Willys pickup that I use for plowing my driveway had the ram literally rotted out with what looked like worm holes in a piece of oak. It was a dealer installed option in 1955 when the truck was new & it was made right here in Milwaukee (Western Plow). The serial number was 00016. I always wondered what they did sixteen numbers prior WOW!

Looks like 'ol #16 might have been one of their first products as they've only been around since about that time (55 years ago). http://www.westernplows.com/company.asp

[Halsey]

Neat pics!! Looks like the jeep was a sort of a member of the family!!
Like a good dog sitting in the background behind the kids!!


Very cool!


Thanks for posting!

Chris

[Wolfy]

Great stuff, I thought of the kid in Christmas Story too!!