FORDS
======
I know that GPW serial numbers are stamped on the left frame rail by the
engine mount (below the fuel pump & carburetor).
Question 1 - Do ALL GPW serial numbers in the frame start and end with a
star to ensure that one finds the WHOLE serial number as some are very short
numbers? e.g. GPW4 unlike the Willys serial numbers which werre always 6
numbers long.
Question 2 - Do Ford GP jeeps have their serial number stamped in the frame,
and if so, is it in the same place?
Question 3 - Do Ford GPA amphibious jeeps have their serial number stamped
in the frame, and if so, is it in the same place?
WILLYS
=======
Frame serial number plates
____________________
The small tags inside on the left front frame rail: On early MB jeeps (e.g.
119021 made Feb 11/42 which I used to own) there is NO "MB" prefix on the
frame serial number. However, later on it is there by mid-war (e.g. the
preserved jeep named "Vixen Tor" has it I believe). By the end of the war,
the Willys MB jeeps had the frame serial number plate moved to the RIGHT
inside frame rail, and it was larger and said "JEEP WILLYS SCOUT CAR MB
_______ WILLYS OVERLAND MOTORS INC. TOLEDO, OHIO U.S.A."
Question 1 - WHEN did the "MB" prefix start appearing on the left frame
dataplates? Note that it appears in the manuals from day one that way I
believe.
Question 2 - WHEN did Willys change to the larger frame ID plate on the
right frame rail, why, and were all the data plates there of this new larger
size?
1952 Date
________
Question 3 - I have seen an ex-Norwegian Willys MB (now in a privatye
owner's hands in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) with what appeared to be an
ORIGINAL Willys glove box data plate dated for 1952. I know that a lot, if
not most of the jeeps sent to Norway, by USA, UK and Canada I believe, were
sent in the late 1940s and early 1950s as part of post-war aid such as aid
to a NATO ally. All references seem to indicate that construction of the MB
stopped in 1945. Rebuilds continued post-war. No indication on this data
plate that jeep was a rebuild. Did Willys do any rebuilkds in 1952, and if
so, would they have stamped a new date on itAny info out there on the
post-war date? ? WHY 1952 date?
Colin Macgregor Stevens
NOTE: I lost about 100 messages in early April, 11 or more messages on 2001
APR 30/May 1 and about 10 more on May 16, about June 01 and again on June
13/14, and about 6 messages on June 29/30 due to a server problem. If you
sent me a message during that time that was not answered, please resend it.
Thanks.
MVPA Member 954 (since 1977)
Editor: "Maple Leaf Up!" newsletter & Webmaster
of Western Command Military Vehicle Historical Society
(Established 1977)
Pitt Meadows (East of Vancouver but not beyond Hope)
British Columbia, CANADA
Owner of:
1944 Willys MB jeep (ex-Norway)
1942 BSA airborne bicycles (2)
Personal web site: http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net
E-mail: colin@pacdat.net
Club web site: http://www.westerncommand.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 05 2001 - 00:40:38 PDT