Episode Six: All Second World War jeeps were not created equal.

Thank you for all the wonderful positive comments, all very much appreciated. For those few who seem a tad confused, and to save your need to post: Yes, we're all aware of Bantam's significant role in the history of the WW2 jeep. No, this particular video does not focus on Bantam but rather on the two jeeps that are physically featured in the video. Enjoy!

Look, no lifts or huge tires.

Don't ever think you are going to bore this community with details. More the better!

Like a lot of equipment designed and manufactured during war, it is easier to see that the initial design and manufacturer was probably based on the capabilities of and equipment used within the initial manufacturer. The capital cost of buying a "Press" to stamp out the grill for the Willy's jeep would not have been justifiable given the initial low production run. Ford, when taking over production would have already of had a Press capable of making the Grill and would simple of had their "Machine Shop" make a different die to stamp it out. Excellent video by the way

The first vehicle I ever owned was a 1952 M-38 A1 (I believe) milsurp Jeep with the rounded windshield. I bought it in the crates, and under my uncle's supervision I put it together and rewired the 24V system to 12V. I ran two 12V batteries in parallel for extra cranking power. I obtained a rag top, then later built a hardtop from sheet steel. I kept the RT-70A radio because it was on the six meter Amateur Radio band and I used it for hilltopping comms. I had that Jeep for twenty years or more before I got bored with it, and in 1988 I stupidly sold it. I wish now that I had never parted with it as they now sell for over $10,000 in unrusted shape with the original glass windshield. I loved that Navy painted grey Jeep, and it took me places that most trucks could never go because trucks are too wide and too long for off road use. If you have a Jeep, keep it up, take care of it, and never sell it because you will regret it later as I have regretted selling mine.

Those Two Jeeps look better than All the cars in the background!

I think it's important for WW 2 Jeep restorers to understand that during and immediately after the war, Jeeps were pretty much considered to be made from pretty much entirely interchangeable parts by the mechanics who worked on them. My father worked for the American Army in Germany immediately after the war and new parts were often harder to get than broken or damaged Jeeps. So parts were commonly swapped to make one working jeep from multiple damaged jeeps. The same was true of other military vehicles too where possible. Obviously, when new parts were available, they were used, but also with disregard to who made them. Expediency, fit and function were all that mattered. So.... it is very possible that you may find a Jeep that may not be factory correct, but was very much operationally correct. I mean that the way you find it is the way it actually served during and after the war. By restoring the vehicle to factory correct specs and parts, there is a good chance that you might be destroying it's actual provenance. In other words, the grill may have been replaced in Normandy and the gas tank may have been replaced in Hamburg before or shortly after the war ended. Historically the Jeep would have been "most correct" the day it left military service, not the way it left the factory. I'm not saying that finding a Jeep in pristine, as it left the factory condition wouldn't be nice. But I would tend to be suspicious that that Jeep either never actually saw service or has been restored after the war. I'm not suggesting that a mix and match Jeep is better than a factory correct one, but before you write off a Jeep that doesn't look right, consider that it might actually be a veteran that gallantly served it's country in the precise configuration you find it in. Just a thought to ponder.

Great story and video, Steve! Some time ago, a rich-but-dumb guy I was working for bought (for way too much money) what was purported to be an "all original" 1941 GPW Jeep. He did ZERO due-diligence. After a while, he wanted to sell it (and make a profit!), and so tasked me to come up with an ad and a price. Doing a little research, I quickly discovered that Ford put their little script "F" on just about every part on the vehicle. Lo and behold, I found precious few "F's." Most of the parts on the Jeep were repros, and some (front bumper) were not even correct. The data plate on the dash was an aftermarket restamp. I had to give my boss the bad news: He'd been had. His "all-original" Jeep was basically...you know...not. We put a cleverly-worded (but not dishonest) ad with pictures up on the internet, and people started contacting us from near and far. Savvy buyers knew the right questions to ask. Nobody bought it. My boss ended up just taking it up to his hunting camp and using it as a runabout. Last I heard, it was still there. Moral: Even rich guys who think they're very smart sometimes get taken by shysters.

I had a '54 Willys in high school and drove it all over the woods of north Florida in 1971. A few years ago I bought a '47 CJ2a and now do the same thing on my property in Montana. They must have built quite a few GO-DEVIL engines during WWII because that's what was put in my '47. In case nobody has mentioned it already, Ford gave Willys permission to use their 9-slot stamped grill until the war ended. The grill was so iconic by then that Willys wanted to continue using it postwar but Ford said no, so Willys came up with the 7-slot grill instead.

There was a guy in Georgia that had some earlier jeeps than these. Even had a Bantam prototype. Nice guy, pretty much gave a tour and let me go through his stock to find what all I needed. Had lots of nos parts. Visited him when I was rebuilding my T84. Ron Fitzgerald was a great help as well. Been out of it a while now, sold my GPW to put a down payment on my house.

You're not boring us! Love WW2 jeeps

Loved my '51 Willys Jeep. Was the first vehicle I drove to high school. Not a chick magnet lol

I drive my 42 Willys MB on, almost, a daily basis during the summer. In years past, I would be frequently approached by WW II veterans, who would relate their “Jeep stories .” Sadly, that no loner happens, as all of those heroes have passed on. I am so proud of my 82 year old “veteran.”

My friend has a GPW serial #906 I was borrowing it for the National Military Vehicle show and guys were crawling all over it and they were all in agreement that it WAS serial#906 .

Never understand why the US military did not keep a small versatile vehicle like the jeep. The Humvee is nice but large and expensive so there are far fewer. My dad was the company clerk and radio operator situated in the middle of Guam at the main comm receiving station for the Pacific theater the last 6 months of the war. The unit had so many jeeps he had one assigned so he could go to the air bases on company business. He was very popular with all the rest of the men since he could get them out of the jungle and to civilization. Also my Uncle was an Army jeep acceptance officer who went to work for Post Office after the war when they were getting surplus jeeps.

Very much enjoyed your video. I purchased my first vehicle in 1967, a 42 Willys MB. Through life's twists and turns I was somehow able to keep my beloved Jeep, though life often demanded its sale to keep my domestic life afloat. With todays availability of accurate replacement parts I hope to do a frame up restoration soon. In the mean time I will continue to drive a piece of history that, as I drive, removes all the negatives of life.....

Jeep = Just Enough Essential Parts 👍🏻🇬🇧

This jeep is the most beautiful creation of man in this world.

I was told that they had no keys during the war. Didn't want people running around trying to find the key when it was time to move out fast.

I read or heard somewhere that the German army believed that each soldier being outfitted was issued a jeep!! there were so many of them. I found that amusing since they still used a lot of horses. Great video! My father was in WWII starting 2 mos after Pearl Harbor. He was put into the Army Air Corps and went on to stay through Korea and Vietnam beginning, 24 years in the USAF. I have a pic of him here on my desk posing next to his jeep, sometime in WWII in Europe, and he has just got himself a rabbit for dinner!