Iowa Willys MB Project

If you have an unrestored WWII jeep, we would like to see pictures, and hear your comments. NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by 70th Division » Thu Jul 27, 2017 6:37 am

Hello Toby,
Do you know the origin of these British Rear Grab Handles ?
When did they go into service?
Were they used on all British Jeeps, or ones that were rebuilt in Germany ?
I can't figure out the reason to change them from the US standard, a standard that was also used by WOF and Hotchkiss in their jeep production.

I have no idea, and I doubt it, but is it possible that these smaller handles came from the US as a spec change by the British Army ?
I know that Canadian jeeps had some slight interesting changes done at the factory.
I think that they were just changed out during a REME rebuild, but why ?
There must have been a reason.


Ray
USA


MadCoLars
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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by MadCoLars » Thu Jul 27, 2017 7:15 am

Ray, does your Jeep have the convoy light under the rear floor aimed at the rear axle? If so, can you post a pic of how it is mounted? Also, do you have the light at the rear similar to the one in this photo? I have one that is below the license plate. I will get a pic of it tonight. Might need to find some replacement lights if mine are too far gone.
Attachments
lucaslight_zpsyiowv61b.jpg
G503 photo by CharlieGPW - Rear Lucas Light
lucaslight_zpsyiowv61b.jpg (126.06 KiB) Viewed 2525 times
lucas light.jpg
G503 photo by Emil Bruce - Convoy light - Original British location?
lucas light.jpg (8.28 KiB) Viewed 2525 times

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by 70th Division » Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:15 am

Hello,

My under floor light is missing, unless the light that is there was the actual under floor light, relocated ?
The mounting hole is there for it under the rear cross member.
I have one that is like yours, but it is actually mounted with a bolt to the bottom of the spare tire carrier.
It was whacked as well, and the tube missing, with only the mount and base the same, and a bulb base in the socket.

The light in your picture of that restored jeep, facing to the rear, I do not have.
That may be an added light.

The holes on my rear cross member where I think the lights were mounted are like the picture of this British jeep.
to the left and right of the pintle hitch.

http://www.britishjeep.com/uploads/4/6/ ... 2_orig.jpg

I do not have any holes in the rear "A-Frame Part " of the frame where the small pic you posted has a light mounted.


The rear end differential cover was painted white, I just confirmed !
I sprayed some Ace Hardware Lube-E spray on the cover and axle looking for the OEP 220 stencil.
I found it ! Interestingly ....... it is painted in small black letters , on the upper part of the actual differential cover "bump out", on the rear end.
We discover something new everyday !

Now.... I have some software issues with my I-phone so I can't email pics to post them here via a hosting site.
I will work on that little issue soon !
If you want to PM me your cell number I will be able to text you the pictures I take and you can post them here.

I have been spending all my free time completing my jeep barn, so haven't been working on my jeeps, but this will start very soon !!!!!
The Florida heat this summer has been very intense ! 8)

Ray

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by 70th Division » Thu Jul 27, 2017 5:29 pm

Hello,


Here is some interesting information on 23 Base Workshop where your jeep engine was rebuilt:


http://www.baor-locations.org/23BaseWorkshop.aspx.html



Ray

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by MadCoLars » Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:08 am

Just ordered a JMP carb from Ron's along with a full brake rebuild kit and other parts needed to get the Willys freshened up and hopefully ready to run. Picked up a CAT 6V battery (8C-3629) from the Zeigler CAT dealer here in Des Moines. Going to pull the fuel tank this weekend and see what kind of shape it is in. If it looks salvageable I plan to bring it to a radiator shop and see if they can boil it out for me.

What replacement fuel tanks are recommended (proper fit and function)? I have looked a few that are sold online, but I want to make sure I buy the right (good) stuff the first time if I need a new tank.

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by artificer » Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:45 am

Most fuel tanks can be rescued with POR15 if done correctly. Not done right & the fuel pickup can be blocked/plugged up.
John GIBBINS Member Institute of Automotive Mechanical Engineers [Ret], ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck & Auto Technician USA -2002 Licensed Motor Mech NSW MVIC 49593 Current 2015
TO DIAGNOSE, TROUBLESHOOT OR FAULT FIND ANY AUTO SYSTEM....
Understand how system parts interact with one another. GOOD parts can then be established & the NOT GOOD problem/s part/s isolated for repair or replacement.

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by CharlieGPW » Sat Jul 29, 2017 5:15 am

Good Afternoon,

Sorry for the delay in posting these but you can see there are lots of similarities. I'd say these came from the same batch, this one luckily spent most of it's years inside and hasn't been altered since release. (Credit must go to Jim M for rescueing and preserving it).

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

regards
Charlie

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by 70th Division » Sat Jul 29, 2017 8:34 am

Great pictures Charlie !

Is this the jeep that Jim had in the USA and is it now in England ?

I wonder how many Ex- British jeeps are in the USA that served in Europe during the War ?

I know of 3 including yours, and maybe one other that someone on the G had mentioned he has in a post.

Some people have mentioned they have jeeps with factory BRT Willys data tags, but are not certain if they went to England, or stayed stateside.

I have one in Florida, MadcoLars has one, and yours (now in England)
When I got my jeep, it had been scavenged from, as in, the front grill, fenders, hood, and engine were gone.
Fortunately :D I have just found the possible original engine that was in it, over a year and a half later , as the found engine has a REME 1947 21A Workshop rebuild tag on it, and was originally found , just as a lone engine, up along the New York / Pennsylvania border.
I bought the jeep from an upstate NY seller, and the engine a few weeks ago from a seller in Pennsylvania.

My jeep was rebuilt at 22 Heavy Workshop which was in Hamburg, Germany
It also has a data plate on dash above the YH data plate that states " this jeep belonging to the 5th Armored Detachment has a "new" engine
placed in it at a cost to the public of 78 pounds.

I texted pics to MadcoLars to hopefully post if possible.


Ray
USA

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by CharlieGPW » Sat Jul 29, 2017 10:41 am

Hi,

Yes that's Jim's old Jeep, when he decided to downsize I jumped at the chance to bring it back to the UK, I'd really admired the Jeep for ages as I have another YH Bristish jeep but sadly it has been 'restored' over the years. There aren't many left in this condition.

Unfortunately the one important data plate on this one is missing which is the small rebuild plate on the dash so very hard to know when it was rebuilt, it does though have a rebuild plate on the engine. The quality of the work on the rebuild is excellent and it's still the smoothest jeep I've driven, especially as it's only done approx. 3000m miles.

What you must remember is that quite a few of these YH Jeeps were rebuilt after the war so certainly parts of them would have served during the war. For instance this one has a Willys chassis but almost everything else is Ford with a new chassis number stamped in the same place as a GPW.it would have been rebuilt from refurbished parts giving them a further 8-10 years in service.

I'd been very interested in seeing some pics, what is your YH number?

Image

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by Mark Jesic » Sat Jul 29, 2017 11:48 am

A, nice interesting jeep Charlie, where abouts in Gloucstershire are you located ?

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by 70th Division » Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:00 pm

Hello Charlie,

I am sure your jeep had a great life in America after it was sold off as surplus,
but I have no doubt it had a happy and noble homecoming returning to England !!
It belongs there, at home, as it was a British Army Jeep, used in the Great Crusade,
against the greatest Force of Evil that the world has ever seen !!
These jeeps helped win the Victory, and secure that Victory, by winning the Peace, during the occupation and rebuild of Europe,
that all these many decades later we all still enjoy.
I marvel at what was achieved by our Greatest Generation, and those that followed
them, in restoring a free Europe and maintaining it.

I just hope that the younger generations realize what they were given .
Maintaining and restoring these jeeps honors that Greatest Generation, and honors the victory and the lasting peace that was achieved
when all was in danger of being lost.

My British jeep is 91 YH 98, the M number is 6078995, sold surplus by BAOR on January 31, 1957
It is a Willys MB. 157765, with a GPW frame and has all its interesting data plates.
I send pictures to MadcoLars to try to post on this thread.

I have 2 tail lights.
one looks just like your driver's side rear light and is made by Dietz,
and the other is exactly like MadcoLars , a Tiger Ey.

I bought the data sheet from the Royal Achives and got all that great info !!!
But my jeep data plates had a lot of the same info, as well as one saying that the jeep belonged to the 5th Armored Detachment.
The big frame data plate has it being rebuilt at the 22 Heavy Workshop, which I have discovered was in Hamburg, Germany set up after the war.
Now I don't know how 22 Heavy got its name, but I do know that the British 7th Armored Division had a 22 Heavy Armored Brigade, and a
5th Royal Tank Regiment, and that they captured Hamburg, and they occupied that city and Northern Germany for many years after the war.
They were also known as the Desert Rats !!!


Best Regards,

Ray
USA

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by MadCoLars » Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:14 pm

Charlie, thanks for the photos. Your Jeep looks great and provides good detail on some of the British mods. There are many similarities as you noted. As I get further into the Jeep I will certainly have more questions for you.

I will post Ray's Jeep pictures when I get to my computer.

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by MadCoLars » Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:21 pm

Charlie, i looked closer at your photos that show the hood. I didn't see any bolts for the lube chart or grease gun. Can you confirm these are not installed?

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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by MadCoLars » Sat Jul 29, 2017 3:30 pm

Photos of Ray's Jeep with his notes.
Attachments
Frame plate.jpeg
Frame rebuild tag from 22 Heavy in Hamburg, Germany
Frame plate.jpeg (185.32 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Dash plate 2.jpeg
Big plate with lots of historical data - Notes a "new" engine for 5th Armored Detachment for a cost of 78 pounds - Ray believes this is 5th Royal Tank Regiment, 22 Heavy Armored Battalion, 7th Armored Division, The Desert Rats
Dash plate 2.jpeg (236.47 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Dash plate.jpeg
YH data plate with large plate above
Dash plate.jpeg (223.34 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Dash switches.jpeg
British switch
Dash switches.jpeg (241.38 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Dash instruments.jpeg
Dash instruments.jpeg (233.63 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Shifters.jpeg
Red paint on dash and shifters - Seen this on several British Jeeps posted online
Shifters.jpeg (230.58 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Fire Ext mount.jpeg
Location of fire extinguisher mount behind driver seat
Fire Ext mount.jpeg (221.65 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Corner reflector.jpeg
Driver side rear corner, reflector may be British origin as it is not the normal US WW2 production
Corner reflector.jpeg (247.74 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Tail light passenger.jpeg
Dietz tail light on passenger side
Tail light passenger.jpeg (243.36 KiB) Viewed 2420 times
Tail light driver.jpeg
Tiger Ey tail light on driver side
Tail light driver.jpeg (214.05 KiB) Viewed 2420 times

MadCoLars
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Re: Iowa Willys MB Project

Post by MadCoLars » Sat Jul 29, 2017 3:44 pm

More photos of Ray's Jeep with his notes.
Attachments
Corner handle 2.jpeg
British grab handle
Corner handle 2.jpeg (238.77 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Corner handle.jpeg
British grab handle
Corner handle.jpeg (237.75 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Gas can strap.jpeg
British strap for the 5 gal gas can - Note this is British made, a Brit canvas maker had a flat tire one night and after we got it swapped out I showed him this Jeep - He said that the British buckle had the space cut into it, but the US one did not
Gas can strap.jpeg (238.2 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Gas can holder 2.jpeg
Gas can holder 2.jpeg (239.7 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Gas can holder.jpeg
Gas can holder.jpeg (242.26 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Rear panel.jpeg
Rear panel - Previous Owner relocated the spare tire mount
Rear panel.jpeg (233.85 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Spare tire foot.jpeg
Spare tire foot bracket has what remains of a British light bolted to it
Spare tire foot.jpeg (238.68 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Convoy light.jpeg
Light attached to spare tire foot bracket - Bracket appears different than MadCoLars and Charlie's Jeep - Has a stamped folded edge as compared to the "flat" style - Variation due to year or British mod?
Convoy light.jpeg (209.9 KiB) Viewed 2419 times
Rear axle.jpeg
Rear axle with OEP 220 marking on the cover (hard to see)
Rear axle.jpeg (244.28 KiB) Viewed 2419 times


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