Military Vehicles, February 1997,: RE: Vehicle judging
RE: Vehicle judging
Todd Paisley (paisley@erols.com)
Thu, 27 Feb 1997 17:24:59 -0500
> When you have your jeep or other vehicle judged the first thing to make
> sure of is that it runs!! and that it will start on demand. The judges
> are looking for a smooth running vehicle. (when my jeep was judged I
> was so nervous I flooded the engine!!) They also check to see if all of
> the gauges work. Next thing they check is that ALL of the lights work
> including the blackout marker and driving lights. The horn must work.
> They inspect the color of the paint to make sure it is correct, and the
> markings are also checked for correctness. the engine compartment is
> gone over with a fine tooth comb for correct parts and accessories.
> This includes such things as spark plug wires (black for willys,
> "snakeskin for ford), having suppressors where required, etc.On a side
> note many of the parts being reproduced are not "correct" even though
> they are sold as such. A prime example of this is the radiator
> deflector hair on the MB/GPW many people use a felt carpet pad material
> (myself included) and this was judged as "incorrect". They also check
> to see if your jeep has all of the correct on board equipment; tire
> chains, toolkit, fire extinguisher, decontaminator, tire pump, hand
> crank, first aid kit, manuals, spare tire, spare parts, gas can,
> headlight covers, top, windshield cover, half doors, lube chart, etc.
> Extra points are also awarded for accessories such as camo nets,
> communication equipment, personnal gear, etc. Now the part that is
> really interesting is the originality versus condition. as an example,
> my 1944 MB has the original safety glass dated 1942 in the windshield.
> Now being 50+ years old the glass has a couple of small bubbles around
> the bottom edge. For judging purposes I got the maximum points for the
> windshield on originality (for example ten out of ten points), however
> on condition I was marked down because it didn't appear new ( for
> example 7 out of 10 points). this originality versus condition is
> judged on everything. Another thing that is looked at is whether the
> jeep has correct "late" or "early" parts and accessories (for example:
> slat-grille=round muffler, mid-production=oval muffler under passenger
> seat, late=deep mud exhaust) You also have to look at the judging
> categories themselves; factory basically means a jeep that is not driven
> and is trailered to events, Motor-pool ready means that you jeep is
> driven and basically looks like a jeep in the military would. If your
> jeep has any special features (such as the original windshield glass)
> those features can be pointed out to the judges as well. If you have
> any photos, documentation or ANYTHING that you used as a reference for
> your restoration, BRING IT, you will need these things to back up your
> restoration and why you did what you did. This especially holds true
> for any out of the ordinary markings or field modifications that you
> left on the jeep. I would also have to say that the judges who judged
> me were very gracious, patient, and helpful to me. I had no idea what
> to expect when my jeep was judged and they helped me through this
> process. I hope this will be a help to those of you interested. I am
> very proud of the fact that my jeep took first place in its class. I am
> also very proud of the fact that my jeep has been "judged" , although I
> don't know if I would do it again!! If anyone has any other questions
> or comments please let me know!!!!!
>
> Tony Standefer
> 1944 Willys
> Seattle, Wa
Tony,
I think when people work long hours and put a lot of love into their
vehicles, probably any type of criticism is taken harshly by the owner.
I wouldn't let this first experience sour your interest in restoring your
MB. I would take the recommendations on what was wrong and
be on the look out for those parts. I think the goal of the judging
in the factory class is to help preserve these vehicles in the state
in which they were produced. If there wasn't a high standard to
strive for, then you might see "improvements" such as engine
swaps. Where do you draw the line? The factory class standards
are almost a unachievable goal because they will always be
something that is not right. (Even NOS parts are not always the
SAME part that was on the vehicle when it was produced.) To these
people, the hunt for parts for the ultimate restoration is part of the
fun. It takes a lot more time tracking down, researching and locating
a correct part than buying repro parts out of a catalog. But even
original parts can be flawed. Your glass is a prime example. You
may have original glass, but it may not be perfect. Or you might
find NOS leather axle seals, but they are worthless as actual
seals. People will make trade offs as to what they want to get
out of the hobby. If you want a totally authentic vehicle that judges
very high, then you will have to strive to find those original parts in
pristine condition. If you want to just drive them as they did back
50 years ago, then there is a combat class for those vehicles.
It all depends on what you want to get out of the hobby. The
group of people are rather diverse and you just have to figure out
what makes you happy. The idea of bringing documentation is
a good one. The judges do not always know all the finer points
of some of the details. Being able to document that something
is correct is important! Good luck with your MB!
Todd Paisley