And-- Something that didn't give rip about the environment

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Tuercas viejas

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The Jeep of WW2 era.
As a preamble we are re-building the engine from a 1947 CJ2a for a family who inherited it from their granddad, a business neighbour of mine .who passed away last year.
The engine was full of coolant due to a head gasket failure that had locked itself up, and had been left for several years in that state.
I had the apprentice and female intern remove it and tear it down, which for teenagers was a foray into motor vehicle design of the 1930's & 40"s yesteryears .

Now the CJ2a was Willys' continuance of postwar production and emergence of a Civi version of the GPW & the predecessor experimental Ford based Bantam, which all ended up & copied by Landrover's concept with the MK1
One thing about observing this side valve engine in bits is a term we have forgotten, QUALITY of the component materials used.
Like a huge crank /camshaft HELICAL drive gears all made with a good I would imagine carbon ally steel unmarred from being submerged in a mix of oil & coolant.

Now enter the story of my late dad wartime 6th Airborne Para who used the Willys Jeep as a Recce /light tactical attack vehicle , often driven out of a Horsa Glider with Bren/Vickers machine guns.
Apart from being a post war small repair shop owner my dad was GM nut. If it had GM, GMC Vauxhall Bedford on the grill it was the best and all the rest was $chit expect for the Willys .
I could tell he had a special connection to the vehicle as a British soldier.
We boys over the dinner table would get him going about Jeeps and Jeep history, of Ford and Willys,
So the other week i stumbled upon this article which also cover the lawsuit claims the Frenchman who claimed he designed the Jeep well before WW2!
Interested ?
Then read on :-
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/20...cades-claiming-he-invented-the-willys-mb-jeep

Its useful to look at D Day invasion spec Jeeps with the Airborne.
One thing of visual interest is that British soldiers lopped about 12" off the ends of the front bumper ,this to clear the hinges of the glider cockpit as it was swung upon to drive it out.
That mod became a standard on production in the USA plus stretcher mods et el for casualty transport
Take a look at the Airborne Paras web site to see Jeeps in action.
All fascinating auto trivia stuff from yesteryear .
Tuercas viejas
 
OK a quizette
How can you at an instant spot the difference between a wartime Jeep and a 1947 CJ2a
Tuercas viejas
p,.s
post soon , A further a true story of WW1 & the British Army using an American Mil truck as described my my late Grandad (Sydney) of the Northern Cyclist Battalion & Lancashire Fusiliers.
T/V
 
The answer is simple use your eyes
The wartime Willys had multiple grill segments, when in comparison the Civi CJ2a & CJ3 versions had only seven grill spaces to improve cooling.
British soldiers including the 1st & 6th airborne mounted the spare wheel against the the multi fin grill as base structure on WW2 versions and used it as a shrapnel shield.
The headlight on all WW2 Mil Willys Jeeps were sunken 6 inchers into the grill panel, whereas the CJ2a & CJ3 had 7" surface mounted 7" headlamps & bezels.
Beware of imitations at car shows .
Tuercas viejas
 

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