Good ole Jeep ...

[cooper9411]

Used to be neat going around the original Willy's plant looking at the history. Unfortunately all that's left now is what was the center smoke stack. Sure was a big uproar in the area when the decision was made to demolish the whole site for redevelopment. That was in the mid 2000's, and what is there now?
Nothing, just an empty lot where vehicles that are involved with the 75 project get parked.
Just another one of those things that make you go hmmm!

[Warbird Kid]

If you can't afford a warbird, a Jeep is the next best thing!

Brother... you sure said it! My father and I have had a grand time with our 1942 Willys/Ford "FrankenJeep"... dedicated to my grandfather and his squadron. The 90th BG....


Most recent addition to the Jeep, the 1941 Columbia along with the custom rack.

Last edited by Warbird Kid on Tue Oct 27, 2015 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[p51]

I don't think I've ever seen another vehicle so abused, misused, overloaded and just beat that kept going, going and going!

Actually, Jeeps were considered disposable and were expected to last in combat no longer than 90 days.
Many parts on a Jeep are quite fragile. Transmissions can go out pretty easy and they can overheat easy as well.
Anyone who says a WW2 Jeep can go anywhere and do anything has never owned one for very long. When I display mine (a unrestored 1944 MB), and people say that, I answer with, "Sure, it'll go anywhere... once. Then you needed to do a rebuild or get a new one."
A WW2 Jeep is like a light airplane in that you always have to do a walkaround and each operate differently.

FYI, one of the 2 companies that made them was Willys, not, Willy's. It was a family, name, pronounced like, "Willis," and not, "Willies", something hardly anyone seems to know today... Ford also made them, and people often forget that, too.

[Duggy009]

Radio Jeep of The 391St Bomb Group In England 8 April 1944.

Mobile-Radio-jeep-323rdBS-Bassingbourne-22-May-43

And my FAV photo -Radio-Jeep-383rd-FS-364thFG

[wendovertom]

Here are a couple of the Wendover Jeep - and yes - it needs lots of love!





Guess who is sitting with me in the first shot!!

Tom P.

[Chris Brame]

If you don't mind something a bit newer, here's a late '54 model M38A1 at a current GSA auction in Loveland, CO:

I wonder if this is the oldest Jeep still in government use? Here's the auction page:
http://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/auci ... CI16023027

(UPDATE: Sold 10-31-15 for $4000.00)

Last edited by Chris Brame on Sun Sep 22, 2019 3:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[maxum96]

Loveland is right next door to me. I'd love to score that jeep and restore it back to a military configuration. But I have too much on my plate already.

[Versatile]

My dad was a merchant Seaman. IRRC he talked about what to him were like little valleys and one was filled with Jeeps in crates and another stacked with tires. They thought the Japanese were coming so they torched the whole thing.

[JohnB]

The auction M38A-1 reminded me of mu first driving experience. when I was about nine, circa 1964.
When I was a kid at RG AFB, our neighbor across the street was Lt Col Del Light. He had a surplus M38A-1 complete with blackout light on the front fender. It was painted a pale blue. Having nothing but boring four doors in our household, the idea of an open jeep was seen by me as just this side of a Ferrari.

He had to go to the base stables to take care of his horses, and I'd go along. Since they were out in the boondock by the ammo dump, he's let me drive it.
Well, I'd steer and work the pedals, he's do the actual shifting. loved that Jeep.

Years later, he went to SEA and flew RF-101s...picking up the Silver Star.
Later he was the wing commander at Cannon with F-111s.
Quite a guy.

[p51]

The WA state of transportation had a 1944 MB configured as a APU vehicle, running at the Olympia airport well into the 2000s. It had a metal top which looked like it was original to the 40s or 50s. The whole vehicle was painted red and I heard it'd been a Navy Jeep.
I have a photo somewhere of it next to my own 1944 MB.
It got sold at an auction and none of the local collectors can say they ever saw it or know what happened to it...

[flightsimer]

Had to be one of the best all-time vehicles created simply by this photo alone ...

Pshhh... That's chump change





Our tug was dead this past Winter after we had moved it outside for our hangar dance...

[Scott Rose]

Images restored

[Chris Brame]

Images restored

Same here.

[JohnB]

I've been thinking about buying a military vehicle.
Originally, I was looking at a HMMWV, but the People's Republic of Washington won't licence one for various bogus reasons (I've had several conversations and emails with state police and licencing officials).

So I've been looking for an M38A1...at any rate, there are some great websites out there as well as local/state clubs.
They seem to be a great group of guys and real history buffs.

So if you can't afford a warbird, you might consider a vehicle.

[bdk]

Originally, I was looking at a HMMWV, but the People's Republic of Washington won't licence one for various bogus reasons (I've had several conversations and emails with state police and licencing officials).

I had an M998. No more reliable than a Military Jeep, screaming at 60 MPH unless you have a later one with the overdrive transmission, hearing protection required at highway speeds, and parts are very expensive. It probably won't fit in the garage and is hard to park due to its size (they are really wide).

The Willys varieties are even slower though. I think the best all around compromise is an M151A2. Possibly more prone to rolling than a HMMWV, but much more maneuverable on and off road.