Dashboard Switches

Posted on November 8, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

Dashboard switches

On the dashboard of a Willys Jeep, you have several switches that control everything from the lights, the engine choke, engine throttle (think of it as an ‘early cruise control’), the panel lights, etc. The Jeep was missing most of the switches including what’s known as the ‘push/pull’ switch that could controls all sorts of the lights based on how you pull the main knob. I removed all the switches that were incorrect and purchased new ones including a vintage push/pull switch. I then removed all the switches on the dash and did a test fitting of them all (not hooked up).

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Headlight Restoration Begins…

Posted on November 7, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

Headlight Restoration Begins…

Every night I’ve been taking on a new project and continue working on it once previous projects hit a pause (like waiting for a weekend to use loud power tools). I started the process of removing the headlights from the Jeep including undoing all of the wiring (in prep for the new wiring harness). It wasn’t too complicated of a process, though I had to un-solder the wiring to the headlights internally. After some sandblasting and then some red oxide primer, they are ready for OD Green paint!

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Fuel Filter Restoration Begins

Posted on November 6, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

Fuel Filter restoration begins

While going through the engine, I noticed the fuel filter was bypassed. An inline clear window fuel filter was instead added and extra fuel lines were installed so the filter wouldn’t be needed. I decided to take apart the fuel filter and give it a good cleaning and try to get it back up and running. I’d still be using a clear window in-line fuel filter as it’s a good idea since modern fuels are different than WW2 ones. After soaking the parts in vinegar for a day, I used a wire brush to scrape the rust off then went out and bought a sandblaster to get it nice and clean!
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Work begins on the Jeep

Posted on November 4, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

Work begins on the Jeep

One of the first projects I wanted to get started with on the Jeep was the Windshield. It has several issues, including a make-shift inner windshield with plexiglass as windows. The windshield is two parts, the outer windshield that is the frame with the arms that attach to the Jeep, and the inner windshield that contains the glass. The inner windshield can flip upwards with an adjusting arm so the driver/passenger could ‘shoot’ through the windshield without shooting the glass. The other issue was 7 layers of paint that needed to be removed. I decided to take this down to the metal… but hand. It’s been a few weeks of weekend wire wheeling, sanding, and scraping but it’s getting closer. See the photos for more info on each step.

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A familiar Jeep…

Posted on November 2, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

A familiar Jeep…

Ironically, before I owned GPW #208102, I’d actually seen it quite a bit and even rode in it several times. I’ve seen his Jeep at many airshows throughout Southern California that Mike used to bring it to including the Riverside Airshow, Gillespie Airshow, Planes of Fame Airshow, etc. I’ve even photographed numerous times at these airshows and events! Never did I imagine that I’d end up owning the Jeep one day. My friend Andrew actually had his first Jeep driving lessons in this Jeep, and I recall a fond memory of riding in it as we drove through a fast food place after an airshow was over, which was a super thrill for me! Continue reading →

Bringing the Jeep home

Posted on November 2, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

GPW #208102 as she arrived at the house October 7, 2018!

Bringing the Jeep home

OCTOBER 7 – FIRST DAY

I first got the Jeep on October 7, 2018. A friend, Michael Wilgus, who was a member of the 82nd Airborne Living History Association (LHA) reenactment group was looking to part with his Jeep. It was a tough decision, but he was moving out of California and felt the Jeep wouldn’t be appreciated for what it is stuck on a ranch in Arizona. I mentioned I was interested, and about a month later I had sealed the deal completing a 20 year wish of mine to someday own a Jeep.

Mike brought the Jeep to the house on October 7th, 2019 along with a few boxes of spare parts and some pieces he had intended to replace. At the time, the Jeep had been sitting for about a year in a garage and was in need of some work. She wasn’t running, although the starter and engine would turn over. After giving her a quick bath later in the day I rolled her out onto the driveway and took some ‘before’ photos. I should have taken all angles of the Jeep that day, but I was on cloud nine being a new owner of a World War 2 Jeep! I wasn’t sure yet what exactly I was going to do with the Jeep, be it just a quick tune-up and new paint job, or a full frame-off restoration. In hindsight, knowing how much I document every little thing with this restoration, I wish I’d taken tons of photos!

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Welcome to the GPW #208102 Restoration Blog!

Posted on November 2, 2018March 15, 2021 by Britt

WELCOME TO THE RESTORATION BLOG!

Welcome to the restoration blog! I will be documenting the re-restoration of my 1944 Ford built GPW Jeep! I purchased the Jeep in October of 2018. When I first got the Jeep, it was in okay condition and was up and running with a little work. It had sat idle in a garage for a year since it last ran. After reviewing the entire Jeep, I decided it needs work to get it to an accurate restoration. So I decided to give it a frame-up restoration. Follow along as I slowly re-restore it with updates every Friday on the progress until I finish the restoration!

2021 UPDATE: This all started as a page on Facebook (https://facebook.com/1944gpw) but after nearly two years of getting more and more followers, it became clear finding specific posts of the restoration updates wasn’t easy on Facebook. So I had the idea to convert the entire page over to a WordPress blog so it was easy to search and look up information from the restoration. It would also be cached by google, so people googling specific questions as they restore their Jeeps might find their way here. It’s a slow process as at the time of copying everything over from Facebook, there are well over 400 updates with thousands of photos and captions!

My hope is that this blog will help people who were in the exact same position I was, with no automobile knowledge nor military vehicle knowledge, but have purchased a Jeep in need of a full restoration. Continue reading “Welcome to the GPW #208102 Restoration Blog!” →