1942 MB my newest project. Jeep Guru needed.

[Blueduce]

Hey fellas,

My latest project is a 1942 MB found and brought home to Dallas last month from Austin. It's a bit rougher that the deuce I just finished but I couldn't pass it up for the price. In getting her home and starting the preliminary cleaning and pressure washing I have noticed a few things I'm stumped on and could use some advice. First of all it's a "WILLYS" script tub with a data plate marked 7-20-1942 and a serial number of 160240.
To my amazement the data plate on the frame matches the tub. All is well so far. Then I noticed it has a GPW stamped block with an "F" script head. Block number GPW <-> 2766. I know that throughout WWII production (especially later in the war) Ford and Willys parts got used on both. Is there any way of telling weather or not this engine is original.

Then I noticed the frame does have the " U.S.M.C. style ram horns" attached to the front of the frame. after the pressure washing I saw some old stenciling above the drivers side grab handle that sparked my interest. As you can see the U.S.M.C. stenciled above the the drivers side grab handle and a very faint outline of a 4 below. The color paint, fount, and square periods looks period correct from the pictures I've seen so far. I first thought it may have been a Marine radio jeep but nothing else is there. The hole in the glove box nor the holes in the floorpan where the PTO generator would have gone are missing. Therefore it's not a radio jeep?

Unfortunately I have no bumperetts or front bumper to confirm anything. Also there is not enough paint left on the cowl, hood, or passengers side to help at all. If anybody can help me with some explanation or guide me to the research I need it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[m38inmaine]

Best to post this on the G503 site they are the gurus on WWII jeeps. The engine was replaced at some point which was common.

 

[NDT]

Almost certainly a true USMC script Willys. The Ford engine is not original. Engines were swapped without regard to manufacturer. That is a rare Jeep you have there. Should be an easy restore.

 

[RodUSMC1962]

Congrats on your find! The g503 site has lots and lots of info on these jeeps.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

MB chassis since it has a pipe front cross member and not a stamped one.

 

[Blueduce]

In my research I have seen where they put GPW tubs on MB frames and so on, I was wondering if they did the same with the engine's as well. Wondering if there is a way to find out from the block castings what year this GPW block is. If I can not find that info was wondering if leaving the GPW engine would be okay or should I consider finding an MB engine/head to replace it.

Best to post this on the G503 site they are the gurus on WWII jeeps. The engine was replaced at some point which was common.

 

[61sleepercab]

At a Army motor pool , an engine is a engine and probably no effort to keep Ford and Willys stuff pure. Consider rifles that were rearmoured to mixmashed monsters.

 

[papabear]

In my research I have seen where they put GPW tubs on MB frames and so on, I was wondering if they did the same with the engine's as well. Wondering if there is a way to find out from the block castings what year this GPW block is. If I can not find that info was wondering if leaving the GPW engine would be okay or should I consider finding an MB engine/head to replace it.

That's a decision you'll need to make based on what you want the final product to be. If you want it to be an MVPA type "perfect" jeep then you should find an MB engine.
If you want it to be a super nice jeep from the era then just use the engine you have since that engine very well may have been put in the jeep by the military when it was still on duty.

There's not a dime's worth of difference in the engines as far as durability/performance.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

I agree with PB. When I originally started the restoration of my GPW I wanted it to be exact in every way. Unless you have an unlimited budget and are extremely lucky, you will not find all the parts original to the GPW. Remember, even the bolts are marked differently. I now am trying to keep it correct where practical and it will look perfect and run well when I am done. Good luck with yours.

 

[Blueduce]

An unlimited budget would be nice but I think I will follow your lead on this and go original whenever practical. Honestly, I'd like to have a show winner but I don't fancy dropping that kind of coin on a resto only to put it in front of the Jeep Nazi's so they can pick it apart and point out every flaw or incorrect bolt.

Obvously I'm gonna have to replace the front floor pan in this tub. I've heard of several companies that do the re-pops is any one better than the other?

I agree with PB. When I originally started the restoration of my GPW I wanted it to be exact in every way. Unless you have an unlimited budget and are extremely lucky, you will not find all the parts original to the GPW. Remember, even the bolts are marked differently. I now am trying to keep it correct where practical and it will look perfect and run well when I am done. Good luck with yours.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

For overall quality I would recommend Midwest Military. You can find them online and John Bizal is good to work with. Also, Ron Fitzpatrick and VintageJeeps.com is also super to work with and has good pricing. Free shipping on most items until the end of the month. Good luck.

 

[Blueduce]

Thanks for the heads up. By the way, does anybody know what the deal is with the cost of repairing radiators or is the issue just in the Dallas area. I took the small little radiator out of the 48" CJ to get it cleansed and pressure tested. When it came back as failed the pressure test due to multiple holes in core. They wanted to obviously re-core it. For that little radiator I was expecting $200-$250 parts and labor. The quote came back at dang near double that. I almost fainted. (and this was the cheaper of the two shops I took it to in my area. I have a M43 Ambulance with a bad core. I took it at the same time and they wanted almost $700 to re-core that one.

For overall quality I would recommend Midwest Military. You can find them online and John Bizal is good to work with. Also, Ron Fitzpatrick and VintageJeeps.com is also super to work with and has good pricing. Free shipping on most items until the end of the month. Good luck.

 

[clinto]

I would assume that's because the core is an expensive oddball. My local shop that I've always had good luck with quoted me nearly a thousand bucks to recore a deuce radiator and they said a big chunk of that was the weirdo core.

I suspect that since the modern service world pretty much replaces radiators versus recoring them that recoring them is becoming a thing of the past and therefore much more expensive.

I too like Midwest Military.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

My recore estimate was $650 for a local San Antonio shop. That was the lowest and my radiator was in pretty decent shape. I ended up buying a reproduction from Brent Mullins Jeep Parts in College Station, Texas. I was around $450. I looked everywhere and it was about the same and higher. Good luck.

 

[Torisco]

Thanks for the heads up. By the way, does anybody know what the deal is with the cost of repairing radiators or is the issue just in the Dallas area. I took the small little radiator out of the 48" CJ to get it cleansed and pressure tested. When it came back as failed the pressure test due to multiple holes in core. They wanted to obviously re-core it. For that little radiator I was expecting $200-$250 parts and labor. The quote came back at dang near double that. I almost fainted. (and this was the cheaper of the two shops I took it to in my area. I have a M43 Ambulance with a bad core. I took it at the same time and they wanted almost $700 to re-core that one.

I am restoring a 1943 GPW that had a V6 Buick engine installed and am adding a overdrive unit. The only change to the original jeep is a different transmission cover (for a T-90 trans) and the addition of two motor mounts to the frame (without removing the original 4 cylinder motor mounts) that allow a original engine to go right back in place.

I also had a real radiator problem. Total recore and repair of the upper and lower tanks with no finish painting came to $450.00. This was about 8 weeks ago. I live in a small California town near Mammoth Lakes, California but found that the price was still the about $375.00 to 500.00 to get the job done....I feel your pain.