"Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
- seacon
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"Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Hi everyone
I am looking into making my own British Airborne Jeep... starting from the front bumper. Looks like there are two different styles (maybe early and late?). Who can elaborate a little about how these bumpers were made?
Thanks
Marcello
I am looking into making my own British Airborne Jeep... starting from the front bumper. Looks like there are two different styles (maybe early and late?). Who can elaborate a little about how these bumpers were made?
Thanks
Marcello
Last edited by seacon on Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
- horrocks
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Marcello, you could save yourself the trouble. There is someone selling repros on ebay UK.
Toby
Willys MB 3/13/42 127415
Willys MB 1/9/45 404620
Willys MB 3/13/42 127415
Willys MB 1/9/45 404620
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
OK, folks
I am back...
Quite a few things happened since the last entry to this thread. First and foremost, I got a reprinted copy of Rob & Monica van Meel book. Not exactly what I was hoping for but it is a good starting point. The contrast in the photos in my copy is so dark that it is very difficult to make out the details. The drawings are OK, though. I have decided to build a replica of an airborne jeep as used by the field artillery units. Too bad I have not been able to locate a single photo of a suitable "original" specimen to copy... Next, I bought some iron stock in the size and shape needed to fabricate some of the details. A cheap repro F marked front bumper was obtained as were all the electrical bits to move to the dash the horn button (a nice repro off eBay), fit the rear axle floodlight (not lucky here: the floodlight was broken in the sealed NOS box!!!) and trailer connection (all NOS).
The idea is to assemble GPW 56798 (unproperly backdated to a Ford script body) with the following "british" airborne mods: shortened front bumper with provision to carry the pick, front spare wheel fittings, BO markers moved to the fenders, rack for 75mm how shell containers, quick releasable steering wheel, horn button on dash, three jerrycans holders, towing "triangle", no side handles, spare wheel carrier and right headlight, provision for a couple of rifle holders on the cowl.
Well, that's it for now. I am off to the drafting table. I will post my progress and a few photos...
ciao
m
I am back...
Quite a few things happened since the last entry to this thread. First and foremost, I got a reprinted copy of Rob & Monica van Meel book. Not exactly what I was hoping for but it is a good starting point. The contrast in the photos in my copy is so dark that it is very difficult to make out the details. The drawings are OK, though. I have decided to build a replica of an airborne jeep as used by the field artillery units. Too bad I have not been able to locate a single photo of a suitable "original" specimen to copy... Next, I bought some iron stock in the size and shape needed to fabricate some of the details. A cheap repro F marked front bumper was obtained as were all the electrical bits to move to the dash the horn button (a nice repro off eBay), fit the rear axle floodlight (not lucky here: the floodlight was broken in the sealed NOS box!!!) and trailer connection (all NOS).
The idea is to assemble GPW 56798 (unproperly backdated to a Ford script body) with the following "british" airborne mods: shortened front bumper with provision to carry the pick, front spare wheel fittings, BO markers moved to the fenders, rack for 75mm how shell containers, quick releasable steering wheel, horn button on dash, three jerrycans holders, towing "triangle", no side handles, spare wheel carrier and right headlight, provision for a couple of rifle holders on the cowl.
Well, that's it for now. I am off to the drafting table. I will post my progress and a few photos...
ciao
m
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
First question for the experts:
I was wondering if the "early" modified front bumper retained the wood stiffener?
Who can shed some light on this?
ciao
m
I was wondering if the "early" modified front bumper retained the wood stiffener?
Who can shed some light on this?
ciao
m
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- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Little update:
Had the 4x6" reinforcement plate for the front bumper cut from a 3/8 plate. Now it needs the hitch and cranking handle hole. The little triangle hitch was cut from .50" plate. The braces for the towing bars came from the appropriate angled stock. These were heated up and hammered to shape to create the hinges. Will finish up those later. While I was at it I prepared the parts to assemble the front spare wheel carrier and clamp. These were done following Rob's book drawings and ... look very thick when comparing to original photos.
Still haven't worked out if the wood stiffener was left inside the fabricated part on early airborne jeeps. It looks too thin when is made with 1/8" plates. There is something that has to addressed here...
More later
ciao
m
Had the 4x6" reinforcement plate for the front bumper cut from a 3/8 plate. Now it needs the hitch and cranking handle hole. The little triangle hitch was cut from .50" plate. The braces for the towing bars came from the appropriate angled stock. These were heated up and hammered to shape to create the hinges. Will finish up those later. While I was at it I prepared the parts to assemble the front spare wheel carrier and clamp. These were done following Rob's book drawings and ... look very thick when comparing to original photos.
Still haven't worked out if the wood stiffener was left inside the fabricated part on early airborne jeeps. It looks too thin when is made with 1/8" plates. There is something that has to addressed here...
More later
ciao
m
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
The wood filler was removed. As you can tell from the picture and the drawings you referenced, you have to allow for the back of the coupling pintle that was added to the front bumper. It actually pivots and was used for the jeep to be towed by another or to pull a trailer from, or to push something into, the glider. The Para's had no provision for repairs in the field so they had to recover everything they could and cannibalize. Weight was everything to the gliders so very little allowance for spares, the priority went to ammo and combat related supplies. This info is based on a reference manual for British Airborne Ops, seeing actual Airborne jeeps in the UK, and talking with a couple of veterans...hope this helps.
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Thanks for your reply
The front bumper mods in the book are totally different than those in the 1944/45 vintage photos. Under a mechanical point of view I doubt that the filler was removed in the early version. Towing even the lightest load without any bracing would have bent (if not ripped) the whole bumper. The size of the plate used to encase the wood filler would have done very little. With the filler in place could have contributed to spread the strain of the hitch, at least to a certain extent, moving the torque axis closer to the bumper brackets. The later modification (the one depicted in the van Meel book) addressed this problem adding the long upper stiffener. This engaged both the upper bumper brackets, dividing the load between both frame rails (and in fact preventing the rails to bend inwards). This are just my "educated" assumptions as I have never seen an original airborne modified jeep. I am trying to replicate an airborne jeep in the best possible way. Please correct me if I am wrong!!!
ciao
m
The front bumper mods in the book are totally different than those in the 1944/45 vintage photos. Under a mechanical point of view I doubt that the filler was removed in the early version. Towing even the lightest load without any bracing would have bent (if not ripped) the whole bumper. The size of the plate used to encase the wood filler would have done very little. With the filler in place could have contributed to spread the strain of the hitch, at least to a certain extent, moving the torque axis closer to the bumper brackets. The later modification (the one depicted in the van Meel book) addressed this problem adding the long upper stiffener. This engaged both the upper bumper brackets, dividing the load between both frame rails (and in fact preventing the rails to bend inwards). This are just my "educated" assumptions as I have never seen an original airborne modified jeep. I am trying to replicate an airborne jeep in the best possible way. Please correct me if I am wrong!!!
ciao
m
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Well, here it is, ... almost!
Too bad this is a Willys, but it is the closest (original jeep) to my project I have seen so far. Definitely a Light Regt vehicle. This a detail from another photo of the same jeep. Any comment is very welcome!!!
ciao
m
Too bad this is a Willys, but it is the closest (original jeep) to my project I have seen so far. Definitely a Light Regt vehicle. This a detail from another photo of the same jeep. Any comment is very welcome!!!
ciao
m
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
I have just noticed that the spare wheel carrier is different than the one on the van Meel book! Sob! I will have to figure that out too!!! Is there an original 1944/45 airborne jeep anywhere in the world to look at (and maybe take a few photos)?
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
"Definitely a Light Regt vehicle." ..... under new ownership!
43 Ford GPW 92098
53 Dunbar Kapple M100
Sold: 61 CJ-5, 41 T207 WC-1 Dodge closed cab pickup
MVPA #8266
USMC Tanker (1811, 1812), 85-93
ASE Automotive Master tech, former Chrysler-Jeep Level 4 Mastertech, CA state EA smog license
53 Dunbar Kapple M100
Sold: 61 CJ-5, 41 T207 WC-1 Dodge closed cab pickup
MVPA #8266
USMC Tanker (1811, 1812), 85-93
ASE Automotive Master tech, former Chrysler-Jeep Level 4 Mastertech, CA state EA smog license
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Nothing out of the forum... yet! I decided to start with what I have and make corrections later.
This is my very own inpression of the Airborne jeep front bumper as used in the fall of 1944.
The test reinforcing plate was torch cut from a 3/8" piece of scrap. This was easy. I figured out the dimension using a drawing program and an original photo.
Rob's book is open on the relevant, but useless in this case, A.F.D.C. Mod. No 4. The only thing I can use from this plate is the location of the two "strap eyes" of Mod. No. 14. In the other photo is the towing eye plate (torch cut from .50" plate). Yes, I am working on the living room Uzbek rug. The one rug that my wife keeps reminding me how much it cost...
ciao
m
This is my very own inpression of the Airborne jeep front bumper as used in the fall of 1944.
The test reinforcing plate was torch cut from a 3/8" piece of scrap. This was easy. I figured out the dimension using a drawing program and an original photo.
Rob's book is open on the relevant, but useless in this case, A.F.D.C. Mod. No 4. The only thing I can use from this plate is the location of the two "strap eyes" of Mod. No. 14. In the other photo is the towing eye plate (torch cut from .50" plate). Yes, I am working on the living room Uzbek rug. The one rug that my wife keeps reminding me how much it cost...
ciao
m
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Started cleaning up the frame. Lots of repairs to do. Hopefully I will be able to reassemble it before I deploy. Enjoy the pics!
ciao
m
ciao
m
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- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
n/t
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- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Very little progress done. Predeployment training is taking up most of my time... Still looking for all the bits and pieces. Fabricated the spare wheel carrier while I am still researching how the front bumpers where made.
ciao
m
One of the front spring hangers was welded back in a way that I will never get it out and restore.
Will try to get somethingh done before I go...ciao
m
- seacon
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Re: "Do it yourself" a WWII British Airborne Jeep...
Oh, well!
I am back from Afghanistan and I am planning to spend some quality time resuming working on this project.
This week I had the chance to pay a very quick visit to the Royal (Belgian) Army Museum in Bruxelles and took a few photos (unfortunately with my cellphone, so the definition isn't too high) of what, to my knowledge, is the only original existing late WWII SAS jeep in the world.
Being interested in British Airborne modifications, I focused on a just few of the specific features sported by this rather unique GPW. This is it, as a part of the Belgian Airborne display.
Bullet holes and MG drum magazines supports on the hood and cowl.
Detail of the spare wheel carrier (very similar to that used on the grill commonly seen on Abn jeeps).
More will follow soon!
ciao
m
I am back from Afghanistan and I am planning to spend some quality time resuming working on this project.
This week I had the chance to pay a very quick visit to the Royal (Belgian) Army Museum in Bruxelles and took a few photos (unfortunately with my cellphone, so the definition isn't too high) of what, to my knowledge, is the only original existing late WWII SAS jeep in the world.
Being interested in British Airborne modifications, I focused on a just few of the specific features sported by this rather unique GPW. This is it, as a part of the Belgian Airborne display.
Bullet holes and MG drum magazines supports on the hood and cowl.
Detail of the spare wheel carrier (very similar to that used on the grill commonly seen on Abn jeeps).
More will follow soon!
ciao
m
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