1943 Jeep MB
Picture of an original MB & what mine will look like after restoration
Jeep MB & GPW Specifications Cartoon by Bill Mauldin
I have been thinking about restoring a military Jeep for a few years.
Well... November 9, 2011 I bought a 1943 MB and now I'm into another project.
Here are some pictures after I just got it home. (just click on these thumbnails to see full size)
Frame tag # Body # Engine #
Frame number = MB 222308
Body number = 124078
Engine number = 8175
Turns out from the frame number it was made in April 1943.
Well, it had been sitting in a shed for some time so the battery was dead. I charged it over-night and the next day I went out to try and start it. I used an oil can with some gas in it and squirted some in the carburetor, hit the starter and it fired up and ran. The oil pressure came up to about 40 cold... the generator started charging. After warm up the oil pressure dropped to 20 at an idle. It sounds like the tappets need some adjusting and it leaks some engine oil out the rear main. It had antifreeze in the radiator and I didn't see any leaks. Temp gauge did not come up. (may be bad) The brakes seem to be there and it moves forward & backward. What more can you ask for ?
The windshield frame & glass are a mess. I think that will have to be replaced. It has a drivers seat but I will need one for the passenger side and a back seat. The glove box lid is missing, so I have no data plates. All the lights are missing. Steering wheel will need replacement also. I find no body rust and the all the body bolts have been replaced with new mounting rubber. The fenders are in great shape and even have the belting between the fender & body. Everything in the engine compartment looks factory.
To see the progress on the Jeep... with pictures
List parts needed on this Jeep
Windshield 
Passenger seat
All lights & tilt brackets for headlight buckets
Two dash gauge lights
Emergency Brake handle & cable
Glove Box lid & nomenclature plates
Back seat
Speedometer
Spare Tire bracket
Gas Can bracket
Good Steering wheel
Left front fender blackout light & guard
Stock front bumper
Both bolt on spring bumpers for rear
Horn
One more Combat Wheel
5 Tires, 5 Tubes & 5 Liners
Pictures from internet of stock parts
-a.jpg)
Where I have ordered parts and got good service
http://www.jeepdraw.com/ drawings for proper placement of parts
http://www.tm9ordnance.com/ For proper paint
http://www.kaiserwillys.com/ for tires, tubes & flaps
http://www.g503.com/parts/ for windshield frame and other parts
Mike's Jeep link from the Reid family history
Gib & Eileen Reid bought a surplus Jeep in late 1946. Dad made an aluminum top for it and they drove it up the Alaska Highway in 1947 from Chicago.
Near as I can tell the Jeep was a 1943 GPW judging from the front cross member. Also the front bumper has two holes in it just inside the frame horns.
The MB frame only had one hole right in the center for the engine hand crank.
More information about the trip
Alaska Highway Convoy 2012
This would be fun for Mike...
Just can't afford this trip... I figured about $3000.00 just for fuel in the two vehicles. Jeep = 3500 miles in convoy + F350 diesel Power Joke with camper = 1596 miles to Dawson & return + 3500 miles in convoy = about 717 gallons (at 12 mpg) of fuel at an average of $4.00 per gallon...
MILITARY VEHICLE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION
Alaska Highway Convoy 2012
The Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) is proud to announce plans to conduct a
70th Anniversary Convoy on the famous Alaska Highway in August of 2012.
http://www.mvpa.org/
http://mvpa.org/ALCANconvoy/docs/AC12Plans.pdf
Links to other sites about the 1943 MB
Excellent page for proper placement of parts onto a Jeep JeepDraw Home Page Jon is great to work with. Thanks for help Jon !
Welcome to 1943mb.com. This site is dedicated to the 1943 WWII Willys MB Jeep restorer.
Willys MB History From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Information I have gathered about the Jeep
Other interesting information on the Jeep
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