I think it would maybe buff out. Amazing find! Imagine it brand new. All jokes aside. I really can’t believe something like this would be in a burn pit. How can people be so cruel to such an iconic piece of American history. It’s unbelievable that there is as much of it left after being burnt and left to the elements for so long. If you brought it back from the dead would be nothing short of a miracle. I want to see what you do with! Waiting anxiously
The older generation seemed to leave a bunch of vehicles in the woods when they broke down, had trash piles in their backyards, burried metals, etc. I'll never understand it. Probably has to do with the great depression and not wanting to get rid of anything.
@@TurnNBurn I live in north ga and there was an old, and I mean the real deal Holyfield , old junk yard that had cars from the late 20’s to the late 50’s just littered in all the woods that lined the road and was loaded with valuable pieces and whole cars and grills that would make a man cry knowing it’s all gone now. When the old man who owned it died, his kids saw it as a hassle and they just saw dollar signs in scrap metal. They scrapped it all. It lined the road just off hwy 115 in Cleveland in the woods for about a 1/4 mile and was at a minimum a man cave builder’s wet dream! It’s just a shame to see history sent to the waste bin of time. I’m working on a 48 Cj2a that was completely roached out but has so much character to just let it be thrown away. I’ve patched the floors and I plan to clear coat the patina and fix it mechanically and drive it. Your channel is so inspiring and you are one of the best on RUclips in my opinion. Thanks for all the great videos and the information it provides! Keep them coming!
Wow that's sad indeed, but it makes even the roughest survivors worth saving today. Thanks for watching my videos. They aren't the greatest but I'm happy to work with what we have!
@@TurnNBurn hey I don’t know if you have done a video about wiring exclusivity, but could you find an old Cj2a Jeep that basically needs a complete rewire and do a video on that. I feel the way you explain how to even start such project and how to do stuff like that step by step would video gold! There aren’t any videos that start from beginning to end how to do it that’s relatable. It’s either broken up too much and leaves a bunch of stuff out or there’s a starting video and no follow up video. Then there are so many different ways to start. It would be nice to have one wiring video to rule them all. I feel you could do that for us wiring dummies out here looking for good detailed info on how to even start then during the the last thing to do. Thanks so much if you would!!
@@leerleerdrinkabeer I've had a ton of requests to do this, and actually have that video planned for uploading in late December or early January. It's going to cover the basics to test fire a Jeep, then more in depth such as headlights, fuse box etc. The Jeep is waiting with no wires right now.
@@kman-mi7su it will take many many hours and materials of fabrication. Majority of the stuff would have to be made. It basically boils down to how much time and money he wants to invest.
Such a shame it was left to rot on it's side. 😞 Makes you wonder if it was still in decent shape when it was pushed on it's side. Glad your friends still saved it. I hope you can salvage some parts like the transmission and transfer case. That grill is neat looking for sure! 🔧
My dad bought one of the 41 Ford jeeps in the early 60's. I drove it more than he did so I considered it mine but (not). It had that unique welded grill and I have never seen another one like it. Now I know! Thanks
The early Willys MB also had the slat grille until early 1942. Your jeep was likely one of those. I have one. It is in very rough condition. They are also very rare.
@@jimhumphrey The Ford GPW was built using license-built Warner Gear T84 transmissions with Ford F-script markings. Same with the Dana-Spicer 18 transfer cases. These components were directly interchangeable with the Willys versions because the Willys MB and the Ford GPW (General Purpose-Willys) were built to the same basic Willys design. Original Ford-designed GP "Pygmy" jeeps like this one are almost impossibly rare. Nearly all of them went to the Soviet Union and other Allies under the lend-lease program. I'm not saying you didn't actually have one, but it is highly, highly unlikely if it was. From what I've seen, it is more likely to have been an early Willys jeep with a Ford-built Warner T84 tranny. Slat-grille Willyses are extremely scarce themselves. Somebody who knows more than me told me that there are only about 200 of them left.
Thank you for saving this piece of history! You're free to do what you like with it, but if you had to replace most of it to repair it, I would just stabilise it and leave it unrestored. Even unrestored, it has a story to tell and it shows how much abuse these vehicles- conceived only to last the duration of the war- have withstood in more than 3 quarters of a century after the conflict ended.
I have no doubt a very creative welder with a few decades of experience could bring the frame back to life. As far as nuts and bolts coming free, time and patience. I’ve been there. If both left and right springs are damaged equally, something extremely forceful happened to the axle, severe heat would have caused them to flatten out. A worthy project.
Marvelous find! Super to get it from the junkyard. Hopefully it will be restored! Here in the Netherlands we have several jeeps still running done by volunteers Association named: ' keep them Rolling '. Greetings from the Netherlands! 🇳🇱
I'm reading a lot of hopeful commentary on this vehicle's resurrection. However...despite the very low production numbers, IF this were able to be brought back to life (and that's a VERY big IF, considering all the costs involved) you might want to think about how much of its originality would have to be discarded in the process. Restoration would leave it as little more than a replica, with some original parts and that would also be a shame. Which brings me to option 'B'. I'm thinking this vehicle should be kept in its present condition and displayed as a cautionary tale. Its story is more interesting than just the vehicle itself and I'm thinking it would do far better if shown as a traveling display in places where jeep lovers and military vehicle aficionados congregate. That would certainly involve stabilizing the machine in some ways so that the bumps and bruises during shipping don't reduce it to nothingness. If you have any doubt of the Plan B, you might want to ask the Corvette Museum if visitors flocked to their site after the giant sinkhole swallowed their showroom (and wrecked many important cars). People sometimes like to see the results of what time has wrought. I wish you luck with this.
I thought about building a rolling exhibit to bring it to shows, but the metal is so weak it wouldn't survive a road trip. Just bringing it home 1 hour inside the enclosed trailer, its hood and cowl collapsed as seen in this video. Who knows how long the frame pieces would hold. Also thought about a museum, but nobody seemed interested in it. Not even my aircraft starting APU Jeeps. At least this video serves as a digital museum for all of us to enjoy.
I restore medieval armour for a living, and I have never seen corrosion like that? If I could have a bottle of that acidic perfect-storm I could change the world! (Cue maniacal laughter and lightening). Very interesting video. I admire your courage Sir and I wish your right elbow long life! Best wishes from an Englishman in a French forest. 🇬🇧⚒️🇺🇲
i'm really looking forward to the video's of the restoration. i know its gonna be a hell of a lot of work but it would be amazing to follow your progress
Ford got in trouble for putting there name on the gp. Bantam invented the jeep or gp(general purpose) willies took the credit for many years but Batam was finally giving the credit for inventing the jeep.
This is a piece of history…military, automotive, and 4x4 world history. Preserve it as found, except kill the rust chemically, and clear coat it to keep it from rusting any more. Great find!
We were just talking about this on G503 the ford GP had a tractor engine. A guy I know restored a GP in similar condition of this junkyard find and won best of show at the MV show
The actual Ford prototype for the Jeep competition did NOT have a Ford tractor motor. It had a 4 cylinder, all aluminum, overhead valve, overhead cam motor. I have a friend who had one, and I had offered him $500.00 for it any time he decided to get rid of it. Aside from some paint issues and a little surface rust, it was a 5 digit odometer reading. The board who decided these things chose to use the Willys design because the Ford engine was too advanced for the recruits to repair, as few vehicles had overhead anything. RDemember, JEEP stood for Just Enough Essential Parts. I happened by one day to visit and found that his father had sold it for $50 to the crusher and had driven it there.
It's going to need a ton of Rustoleum! There is a Ford GPW in England. It featured in TV series "Car SOS"'. Oddly enough, it too had been burnt. It was parked in its garage, when the garage caught on fire. The Jeep looked to be beyond salvage, but it was eventually restored. Sad to see a jeep in this condition, especially ones that survived the war.
In the late 1940s, my dad and his high school buddy managed to get 1 of 3 prototype Willy's convertibles that was never made for production. They drove it like any high school kids would, and finally got tired of having to have a mechanic custom make parts....so they got rid of it. Oh, how I wish they had kept it. I don't even know if any of the 3 survived. I think my dad still has a couple pictures of it.
Ford 9N tractor was rated at 17HP. I hadn’t heard the camshaft story before. Ford did use the 9N motor in delivery vans from 1939-1941. It was the lowest HP motor option available and they didn’t sell a lot of them. The generator looks like the tractor type “C” generator introduced before 1942, replacing the lower power output “B” generator. It still has marginal power output compared to todays alternators. It could power the headlights and charge the battery at the same time but that’s about it.
I grew up on a ranch & learned to drive using two surplus Jeeps. That's when there were ads in almost every magazine for new, in the crate, surplus Jeeps for $50. The most expensive was a '53 m38a1... in the crate, for $300. The other, a flat fender was maybe $200ish but it too was new. My dad complained forever that he paid too much lol. One even came with a trailer. We worked those poor Jeeps so hard, they were worn out by the time I left for Vietnam. Not abused, just used as trucks, tractors, you name it daily... for years. So... the rumors were partially true.
I knew a guy who has a detailing business, I've seen him work miracle before I believe this can buff out. I'm just joking. Thank you for saving this Jeep.
Ford GP means Ford and plant called Giant Production of its assembly line making many includes Smith and Wesson Thompson gun company from Garand fabrication and fabricator of sheet metal roll that was brought to the GE Powerline assembler union and fender bender was also named Ladish or Dake in Milwaukee Forge with big tools - Press-machine except construction tractor and earth mover.
Ford GP was my first car and I had only instructions from Willis MB. I had to guess the rest. I launched it and exists to this day, although he is not mine anymore. Regards from Poland and I wish you good luck in the restaurant of this unique monument
I had a Ford GP put a snow plow on it and had it for a while till the clutch went out. My Dad made me sell it because “it’s too much work to put a clutch in a 4 wheel drive” so he sold it to a friend of his who kept it till 2020 when he died and his kids got rid of it. It had an aluminum cab.
Most people are gonna think I'm nuts but here goes. I got 2 living rooms in my house one upstairs and one in the basement that jeep would look GREAT in my living room. Clean all the dirt off along with as much loose rust as possible and sit that thing right in the middle of my downstairs living room I already have 3 really rough looking motorcycles in my living room alone with a ford 302 engine displayed on a engine stand with a 289 and a Chevy 396 of course the motorcycle and v8 engines are all clean of dirt and loose rust without any fuel or oil smells. That old jeep would look sweat in my living room I don't have a big house I just finished my basement into a living room it might sound crazy to some having things like this in ones living room but I think it looks great I could imagine seeing that jeep with the morning sun popping through my living room windows glistening on that beautiful jeep. Yep I might be a little crazy
I’d leave it exactly as it is as a part of history and art. Restoring it would mean chucking 85% of it in the bin. Also think it’d be a shame to take parts off this to put on other jeeps. Nice find either way
I think id do one of two things .... a/ keep it like that, make minor repairs to get it back to a static display as it is. Eg weld a broken frame or do bare minimum to getbits shape back. Or B/ id get it back to a recognised shape, swap out all the bits you cant see , engine, transmission, and get it running and driving as a rusty wreck, no other restoration. And.. it would look good behind a bar in a pub with lights illuminating it.
I watched the video 11 times to make sure I wasn't mistaken... I think it's prolly just outta gas. Getcha a bottle of Heet and drive her around for about half an hour. 🤣
Until a permanent plan for the long term survival of the jeep develops I would recommend you display it on your property in such a way that it can be viewed as an objet d’art with head lights and tail lights that turn on at dusk automatically,maybe solar powered.Install a metal roof over it to prevent further degradation…
Reading all the comments it’s astounding how many people come up with the old saw that the Model A engine went into the tractor. For once and for all, that’s nonsense. The 9N tractor engine is half of a Ford flathead V8. I ought to know as I restore the N series tractors and, including parts tractors,own a dozen of them. The tractor engine was used basically as is, and not in the heavily modified configuration used in the Ford Jeep, in the Moto Tug aircraft tugs of WW2. Ford built around 3,200 of them. There was also an austerity version of the engine produced in 1942 only for a cheap, steel wheels, austerity, minimum strategic materials used version of the tractor. The engine had no starter or generator and used a magneto driven by a shaft geared to the crankshaft. The farmers looked askance at it and Ford was given permission to drop it from the line and just produce the standard tractor. The austerity tractors are real collectors items today.
It would be more correctly called a pre-standardized jeep. There were 5,756 Ford GPs built. Going back to the beginning, Bantam was the first company approached and was involved in the gestational parts of the quarter-ton 4x4 development. In fact, they helped the Ordnance Department Subcommittee flesh out a spec for what was then an entirely new type of vehicle.... what became the truck, quarter-ton, 4x4. Bantam built a single pilot model, which was tested, and passed the tests. The company was rewarded with a contact to build 70 pilot/test models. Based on all that development work, design parameters were created and an invitation to bid was sent out to 135 manufacturers. Each of the three original bidding manufacturers, Bantam, Ford and Willys-Overland submitted pilot models for testing, Bantam having developed a revised version of their original unit. Both Ford and Willys had ample opportunity to see those first Bantams in action before they finished their pilot models, so they benefited in large and small ways from Bantam breaking trail. Contrary to popular belief, they WERE NOT tested against each other in some kind of "duel to the death" scenario. They were merely individually tested to be sure they generally met the needs of the service. If they did, and the controlling authorities deemed the company capable of fulfilling a contract, their manufacturer was allowed to bid for contracts. Initially, the Willys pilot models DID NOT meet the requirements due to being so overweight vs the other pilots and the military specs. That decree was changed when W-O made assurances it could meet the weight spec. There was some political infighting in Congress to "bring home the bacon" and military infighting between the branches in the Army (Infantry, Ordnance, Cavalry and Quartermaster) and the various branches each liked some features of each pilot model ,but not all, and they also were unsure exactly how a vehicle like the jeep could be used in service. It was decided that each manufacturer would build 1,500 improved models that could be tested with actual Army units in all the various arms. Ford and Bantam quickly fulfilled their orders and were given subsequent contracts for more (which were given to Allies under Lend-Lease), Bantam building 2,605 BRCs in two series and Ford building 5,756 GPs. Willys barely met the deadline with the MA and only 1,555 of those were built. The revised models were tested, both by actual Army units (who filled out questionnaires), and by Army testers at Camp Holabird and other places. All that helped the military to put together a spec for a standardized jeep with features from all three manufacturers. At that point, the three manufacturers submitted more bids for a big 16,000 unit contract for a standardized model and W-O won that bid. Ironically, the only time an organized test was made that pitted the three pre-standardized models against each other was AFTER W-O had won the contract. The standardized quarter-ton had features from all three manufacturers. The powertrain was the same on all... axles and transfer cases from Spicer. Engines varied in the pre-standardized models., and FOrd used their own transmission. Bantam and Ford opted for smaller, lighter engines to meet the Army's (ridiculous) weight spec. Willys opted to shave weight on the body (the MA had tin-can thin bodies) so their more powerful and heavier engine could be used. The MA was just a couple pounds under the weight limit. In the end, the standardized jeep had a body most like the Ford (with many familiar jeep features being designed by them), the engine came from Willys, of course, and the powertrain was basically the same mix of Spicer and Warner Gear stuff as had been in the the pre-standardized models (except the Ford). W-O correctly predicted the low weight spec would be raised and the standardized jeep porked up to about what the original W-O pilot model had been and the bigger W-O engine was welcome. FYI, the GP and BRC were just as fast as the heavier standardized jeep due to being about 500 pounds lighter. The MA, which met that weight spec but had a lot more power, was a relative barn burner compared to the others... though the spare tire had a bad habit of falling off the body due to the thin sheet metal.
Bantam was the company that designed the original but it's definitely a early ford version I don't think it could be restored but it's a interesting conversation piece if nothing else.
I know someone that could fix that as crazy as it sounds and he is not that expensive. Those leaf springs are savable. They just re-heat, arch and temper them. Very interesting find.
It's cool and rare, but it's not restorable. There's nothing to start building from. Where's the part that you keep? I'd try to tack it together enough so that it doesn't fall completely apart and just display it as is.
I thought about building a rolling exhibit to bring it to shows, but the metal is so weak it wouldn't survive a road trip. Just bringing it home 1 hour inside the enclosed trailer, its hood and cowl collapsed as seen in this video. Who knows how long the frame pieces would hold. Also thought about a museum, but nobody seemed interested in it. Not even my aircraft-starting APU Jeeps. At least these videos serve as a digital museum for all of us to enjoy.
I would keep it as close to original as possible. Make it drivable, use clear plastic molding or resin to get it into the right shape and have the craziest patina ever.
Sometime in the early 1990s, my father was part of a group of soldiers who shipped vehicles that he described as looking like a cross between a Jeep and an HMMWV south of the border.
Look up "m151" on Wikipedia or the internet, they replaced the "M38a1" (the military version of the CJ5 Jeep). The M151 was used along side the traditional jeep during Vietnam, they look kind of like a Hummer and a Jeep had a love child and in the 1980s and 1990s they were all being phased out because of the new Humvee.
I got an old 61 vw type3 squareback that I'm trying to restore, forgot outside by my late great uncle (it's previous owner) and badly rusted. Never gonna be original again cause my family and I don't have that kind of money but if we can get it stable again and someone wants to turn it original, I would definitely let them. Since it's an import most the parts my great uncle got don't work so it's pretty much going to be a Frankenstein summer car due to a lack of a heating setup and the wrong shape rocker panel Since the heater runs through that. The roof is surprisingly in great condition, same with the doors, but below the glass, about halfway down where the door would sit is where the serious rust damage starts, though thankfully and unfortunately mostly only in the areas that are covered by the fenders.
There appears to be enough there to fabricate a new tub. The same goes with the frame. I suspect the transmission, transfer case and axles are salvageable. As you mentioned, a rebuildable engine would be easy to come by. I wouldn't waste a single bolt until you have a replacement in hand. In any case, bad as it looks, I'd restore it. While I haven't done one quite this bad yet (very close) I'm certain I could. By fabricating all the parts yourself, the cost wouldn't be much... it's what you charge yourself per hour that could be expensive. Still... no question, I'd go for it.
Well, this would be about the only one that probably exists that would make sense to turn into a woods truck for some welder with a new project burning a hole in his pocket lmao
I thought, that I recognized that engine. I have a 1940 9N tractor, which I still use. Fun Fact: The Model A's 4 cylinder engine, wasn't robust enough for a tractor, so they based the 4 cylinder 9N tractor engine off of the flathead V8. Maybe I should soup up my tractor by putting the same hot camshaft, that's in this Ford GP?
You may want to contact Jay Leno, with his antique restoration shop and funds will make it like new as he did complete restoration to '39 fire truck and gave to fire dept (original owner).
My two cents on this: figure out the internals of the engine/transmission/transfer case, and if they're any good at all, then take it apart to individual components, and repair/replace parts one by one. Amazing to see that there's still any of these out in the wild, and even better to see that it's been saved
Hi I would like to see you do something with it such a waste. That said and I do mean it I would like it to remain all together that is what can be saved, but if you decide to part it out I would be interested in the short rear axle '' left side '' please,. Really like your vids keep them coming. Cheers from Sydney Australia. Gary
I'm currently retrieving a 41 GP(ford) from a river bank she was left there in the 50s after rolling down the bank and blew the moter got in a bind the rode went out side but looks intact but kids shot it up over the years plans are lift it onto a trailer and box it in and lift it as 1 out the bank
@@TurnNBurn I'm planning to film it and do a restore video too if the ford 9n motor can be wedged in and tranny looks right basicaly a running driver but survivor
Send the wreck to Carrington serwis in Poland, they are going to make a new jeep out of it!!! If you can provide rhe original parts, body can be fixed there... Takes time of course....
If there is not enough left to do a restoration with I would say just straighten as much of the body as you can, fix as much as you can then do a metal preservation treatment on it and put it on an indoor display as part of history. Trying to do a 100% restoration is going to destroy almost all of its historic value because so much of the original metal could not be saved.
She's rough, but a great piece of our nation's history. Nice find
its a rusty pieve of shit
I think it would maybe buff out. Amazing find! Imagine it brand new. All jokes aside. I really can’t believe something like this would be in a burn pit. How can people be so cruel to such an iconic piece of American history. It’s unbelievable that there is as much of it left after being burnt and left to the elements for so long. If you brought it back from the dead would be nothing short of a miracle. I want to see what you do with! Waiting anxiously
The older generation seemed to leave a bunch of vehicles in the woods when they broke down, had trash piles in their backyards, burried metals, etc. I'll never understand it. Probably has to do with the great depression and not wanting to get rid of anything.
@@TurnNBurn I live in north ga and there was an old, and I mean the real deal Holyfield , old junk yard that had cars from the late 20’s to the late 50’s just littered in all the woods that lined the road and was loaded with valuable pieces and whole cars and grills that would make a man cry knowing it’s all gone now. When the old man who owned it died, his kids saw it as a hassle and they just saw dollar signs in scrap metal. They scrapped it all. It lined the road just off hwy 115 in Cleveland in the woods for about a 1/4 mile and was at a minimum a man cave builder’s wet dream! It’s just a shame to see history sent to the waste bin of time. I’m working on a 48 Cj2a that was completely roached out but has so much character to just let it be thrown away. I’ve patched the floors and I plan to clear coat the patina and fix it mechanically and drive it. Your channel is so inspiring and you are one of the best on RUclips in my opinion. Thanks for all the great videos and the information it provides! Keep them coming!
Wow that's sad indeed, but it makes even the roughest survivors worth saving today. Thanks for watching my videos. They aren't the greatest but I'm happy to work with what we have!
@@TurnNBurn hey I don’t know if you have done a video about wiring exclusivity, but could you find an old Cj2a Jeep that basically needs a complete rewire and do a video on that. I feel the way you explain how to even start such project and how to do stuff like that step by step would video gold! There aren’t any videos that start from beginning to end how to do it that’s relatable. It’s either broken up too much and leaves a bunch of stuff out or there’s a starting video and no follow up video. Then there are so many different ways to start. It would be nice to have one wiring video to rule them all. I feel you could do that for us wiring dummies out here looking for good detailed info on how to even start then during the the last thing to do. Thanks so much if you would!!
@@leerleerdrinkabeer I've had a ton of requests to do this, and actually have that video planned for uploading in late December or early January. It's going to cover the basics to test fire a Jeep, then more in depth such as headlights, fuse box etc. The Jeep is waiting with no wires right now.
If you decide to restore it, I'll definitely follow your journey. It will definitely be a lot of time and money but it won't lose its value if you do.
There is nothing worth restoring on that Jeep, its too far gone.
@@kman-mi7su it will take many many hours and materials of fabrication. Majority of the stuff would have to be made. It basically boils down to how much time and money he wants to invest.
@DucknCoverin That's what I was thinking, leave it as is and make it a proper display piece.
@@montymatth2409 it would not be the same car, it's like using a template to build a new one
@@mrsnezbit2219 definitely would not be same. Not like when ford made it back then.
Such a shame it was left to rot on it's side. 😞 Makes you wonder if it was still in decent shape when it was pushed on it's side. Glad your friends still saved it. I hope you can salvage some parts like the transmission and transfer case. That grill is neat looking for sure! 🔧
why not conserve the whole thing, it would be cool saved just like it is and not broken down for parts
My dad bought one of the 41 Ford jeeps in the early 60's. I drove it more than he did so I considered it mine but (not). It had that unique welded grill and I have never seen another one like it. Now I know! Thanks
Oh man I hope you still have it. Those welded grills are 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
@@VinnyMartello I only wish! In 1969 my dad traded the 41 for a 67 cj5 with the alum v6 and it is still in the family.
The early Willys MB also had the slat grille until early 1942. Your jeep was likely one of those. I have one. It is in very rough condition. They are also very rare.
@@rescue270 It had a ford transmission and transfer case so I'm pretty sure it was ford built. I had to rebuild the transfer case.
@@jimhumphrey
The Ford GPW was built using license-built Warner Gear T84 transmissions with Ford F-script markings. Same with the Dana-Spicer 18 transfer cases. These components were directly interchangeable with the Willys versions because the Willys MB and the Ford GPW (General Purpose-Willys) were built to the same basic Willys design.
Original Ford-designed GP "Pygmy" jeeps like this one are almost impossibly rare. Nearly all of them went to the Soviet Union and other Allies under the lend-lease program.
I'm not saying you didn't actually have one, but it is highly, highly unlikely if it was. From what I've seen, it is more likely to have been an early Willys jeep with a Ford-built Warner T84 tranny. Slat-grille Willyses are extremely scarce themselves. Somebody who knows more than me told me that there are only about 200 of them left.
Thank you for saving this piece of history! You're free to do what you like with it, but if you had to replace most of it to repair it, I would just stabilise it and leave it unrestored. Even unrestored, it has a story to tell and it shows how much abuse these vehicles- conceived only to last the duration of the war- have withstood in more than 3 quarters of a century after the conflict ended.
I have no doubt a very creative welder with a few decades of experience could bring the frame back to life. As far as nuts and bolts coming free, time and patience. I’ve been there. If both left and right springs are damaged equally, something extremely forceful happened to the axle, severe heat would have caused them to flatten out. A worthy project.
Don't tell coldwarmotors see this GP! Jokes aside, that man's got the talent to fix this.
but its too far gone I mean 40% of the car is missing or rusty and parts are hard to find, right?
Marvelous find! Super to get it from the junkyard. Hopefully it will be restored! Here in the Netherlands we have several jeeps still running done by volunteers Association named: ' keep them Rolling '.
Greetings from the Netherlands! 🇳🇱
Ben? It’s Kevin DeVos
@text6152 umm…..no, go find someone else to scam.
I'm reading a lot of hopeful commentary on this vehicle's resurrection. However...despite the very low production numbers, IF this were able to be brought back to life (and that's a VERY big IF, considering all the costs involved) you might want to think about how much of its originality would have to be discarded in the process. Restoration would leave it as little more than a replica, with some original parts and that would also be a shame. Which brings me to option 'B'. I'm thinking this vehicle should be kept in its present condition and displayed as a cautionary tale. Its story is more interesting than just the vehicle itself and I'm thinking it would do far better if shown as a traveling display in places where jeep lovers and military vehicle aficionados congregate. That would certainly involve stabilizing the machine in some ways so that the bumps and bruises during shipping don't reduce it to nothingness. If you have any doubt of the Plan B, you might want to ask the Corvette Museum if visitors flocked to their site after the giant sinkhole swallowed their showroom (and wrecked many important cars). People sometimes like to see the results of what time has wrought. I wish you luck with this.
Ahh, the old "Ship of Theseus" angle.It wouldn't be the same, sadly.
I thought about building a rolling exhibit to bring it to shows, but the metal is so weak it wouldn't survive a road trip. Just bringing it home 1 hour inside the enclosed trailer, its hood and cowl collapsed as seen in this video. Who knows how long the frame pieces would hold. Also thought about a museum, but nobody seemed interested in it. Not even my aircraft starting APU Jeeps. At least this video serves as a digital museum for all of us to enjoy.
I restore medieval armour for a living, and I have never seen corrosion like that?
If I could have a bottle of that acidic perfect-storm I could change the world! (Cue maniacal laughter and lightening).
Very interesting video. I admire your courage Sir and I wish your right elbow long life!
Best wishes from an Englishman in a French forest. 🇬🇧⚒️🇺🇲
i'm really looking forward to the video's of the restoration. i know its gonna be a hell of a lot of work but it would be amazing to follow your progress
Wow, you really know your Jeeps. I'm glad it's in your hands.
Ford got in trouble for putting there name on the gp. Bantam invented the jeep or gp(general purpose) willies took the credit for many years but Batam was finally giving the credit for inventing the jeep.
I would just part it out. Let those parts live on in other GP jeeps. There's no restoring this jeep, half of her already went back to earth.
This is a piece of history…military, automotive, and 4x4 world history. Preserve it as found, except kill the rust chemically, and clear coat it to keep it from rusting any more. Great find!
I've been ruined I now associate this type of music only with Dankpods videos and this is certainly a nugget
Seems you are at every corner of the internet.
We were just talking about this on G503 the ford GP had a tractor engine. A guy I know restored a GP in similar condition of this junkyard find and won best of show at the MV show
Great job 👍👍👍
Very interesting find! Thanks for the history lesson.
That's awesome find sir it's part of history and you can't erase that
Nice video. Going to be EXPENSIVE!!!
The actual Ford prototype for the Jeep competition did NOT have a Ford tractor motor. It had a 4 cylinder, all aluminum, overhead valve, overhead cam motor. I have a friend who had one, and I had offered him $500.00 for it any time he decided to get rid of it. Aside from some paint issues and a little surface rust, it was a 5 digit odometer reading. The board who decided these things chose to use the Willys design because the Ford engine was too advanced for the recruits to repair, as few vehicles had overhead anything. RDemember, JEEP stood for Just Enough Essential Parts. I happened by one day to visit and found that his father had sold it for $50 to the crusher and had driven it there.
I'll bet you bought a dozen Jeeps in a crate after the war for $50 too
It's going to need a ton of Rustoleum!
There is a Ford GPW in England. It featured in TV series "Car SOS"'. Oddly enough, it too had been burnt. It was parked in its garage, when the garage caught on fire. The Jeep looked to be beyond salvage, but it was eventually restored.
Sad to see a jeep in this condition, especially ones that survived the war.
@text6152 THIS IS A SCAM MESSAGE - I DO NOT RESPOND TO SCAMMERS......
Great find and nice save even in such rough condition.
I would follow every step of this restoration
What an incredible find
The GP series grill looks like one I saw on a beach in Guam after a typhoon washed up old war wreakage
In the late 1940s, my dad and his high school buddy managed to get 1 of 3 prototype Willy's convertibles that was never made for production. They drove it like any high school kids would, and finally got tired of having to have a mechanic custom make parts....so they got rid of it. Oh, how I wish they had kept it. I don't even know if any of the 3 survived. I think my dad still has a couple pictures of it.
Wow. Thing needs to be put in a museum
I knew a guy that had 4 of these. I believe he got rid of all of them unfortunately.
It exceeded all expectations
I had a decent 1 of those that had lots of spare parts ,engines ect in the late 90s. They are rare
Ford 9N tractor was rated at 17HP. I hadn’t heard the camshaft story before. Ford did use the 9N motor in delivery vans from 1939-1941. It was the lowest HP motor option available and they didn’t sell a lot of them. The generator looks like the tractor type “C” generator introduced before 1942, replacing the lower power output “B” generator. It still has marginal power output compared to todays alternators. It could power the headlights and charge the battery at the same time but that’s about it.
I grew up on a ranch & learned to drive using two surplus Jeeps.
That's when there were ads in almost every magazine for new, in the crate, surplus Jeeps for $50.
The most expensive was a '53 m38a1... in the crate, for $300. The other, a flat fender was maybe $200ish but it too was new.
My dad complained forever that he paid too much lol. One even came with a trailer.
We worked those poor Jeeps so hard, they were worn out by the time I left for Vietnam. Not abused, just used as trucks, tractors, you name it daily... for years.
So... the rumors were partially true.
I knew a guy who has a detailing business, I've seen him work miracle before I believe this can buff out. I'm just joking. Thank you for saving this Jeep.
glad it's been saved even in the condition it's in. too much history has been lost to time.
The best thing you can do with this fine example is nothing, extremely valuable as it is, display it as it is. To try and fix it would destroy it.
Ford GP means Ford and plant called Giant Production of its assembly line making many includes Smith and Wesson Thompson gun company from Garand fabrication and fabricator of sheet metal roll that was brought to the GE Powerline assembler union and fender bender was also named Ladish or Dake in Milwaukee Forge with big tools - Press-machine except construction tractor and earth mover.
Ford GP was my first car and I had only instructions from Willis MB. I had to guess the rest. I launched it and exists to this day, although he is not mine anymore. Regards from Poland and I wish you good luck in the restaurant of this unique monument
I had a Ford GP put a snow plow on it and had it for a while till the clutch went out. My Dad made me sell it because “it’s too much work to put a clutch in a 4 wheel drive” so he sold it to a friend of his who kept it till 2020 when he died and his kids got rid of it. It had an aluminum cab.
Nice save, we wanna see a will it run vidjah next!
Most people are gonna think I'm nuts but here goes. I got 2 living rooms in my house one upstairs and one in the basement that jeep would look GREAT in my living room. Clean all the dirt off along with as much loose rust as possible and sit that thing right in the middle of my downstairs living room I already have 3 really rough looking motorcycles in my living room alone with a ford 302 engine displayed on a engine stand with a 289 and a Chevy 396 of course the motorcycle and v8 engines are all clean of dirt and loose rust without any fuel or oil smells. That old jeep would look sweat in my living room I don't have a big house I just finished my basement into a living room it might sound crazy to some having things like this in ones living room but I think it looks great I could imagine seeing that jeep with the morning sun popping through my living room windows glistening on that beautiful jeep. Yep I might be a little crazy
I’d leave it exactly as it is as a part of history and art. Restoring it would mean chucking 85% of it in the bin. Also think it’d be a shame to take parts off this to put on other jeeps. Nice find either way
I agree. It’s art now. Just place a Tin-Tin figure and snowy the Terrier next to it.
Seen a completely mint one in the museum of the infantry in fort Benning Georgia
I think id do one of two things .... a/ keep it like that, make minor repairs to get it back to a static display as it is. Eg weld a broken frame or do bare minimum to getbits shape back. Or B/ id get it back to a recognised shape, swap out all the bits you cant see , engine, transmission, and get it running and driving as a rusty wreck, no other restoration. And.. it would look good behind a bar in a pub with lights illuminating it.
I watched the video 11 times to make sure I wasn't mistaken... I think it's prolly just outta gas. Getcha a bottle of Heet and drive her around for about half an hour. 🤣
Until a permanent plan for the long term survival of the jeep develops I would recommend you display it on your property in such a way that it can be viewed as an objet d’art with head lights and tail lights that turn on at dusk automatically,maybe solar powered.Install a metal roof over it to prevent further degradation…
Reading all the comments it’s astounding how many people come up with the old saw that the Model A engine went into the tractor. For once and for all, that’s nonsense. The 9N tractor engine is half of a Ford flathead V8. I ought to know as I restore the N series tractors and, including parts tractors,own a dozen of them.
The tractor engine was used basically as is, and not in the heavily modified configuration used in the Ford Jeep, in the Moto Tug aircraft tugs of WW2. Ford built around 3,200 of them.
There was also an austerity version of the engine produced in 1942 only for a cheap, steel wheels, austerity, minimum strategic materials used version of the tractor. The engine had no starter or generator and used a magneto driven by a shaft geared to the crankshaft. The farmers looked askance at it and Ford was given permission to drop it from the line and just produce the standard tractor. The austerity tractors are real collectors items today.
any data plate or serial number on it???
It would be more correctly called a pre-standardized jeep. There were 5,756 Ford GPs built. Going back to the beginning, Bantam was the first company approached and was involved in the gestational parts of the quarter-ton 4x4 development. In fact, they helped the Ordnance Department Subcommittee flesh out a spec for what was then an entirely new type of vehicle.... what became the truck, quarter-ton, 4x4. Bantam built a single pilot model, which was tested, and passed the tests. The company was rewarded with a contact to build 70 pilot/test models. Based on all that development work, design parameters were created and an invitation to bid was sent out to 135 manufacturers. Each of the three original bidding manufacturers, Bantam, Ford and Willys-Overland submitted pilot models for testing, Bantam having developed a revised version of their original unit. Both Ford and Willys had ample opportunity to see those first Bantams in action before they finished their pilot models, so they benefited in large and small ways from Bantam breaking trail. Contrary to popular belief, they WERE NOT tested against each other in some kind of "duel to the death" scenario. They were merely individually tested to be sure they generally met the needs of the service. If they did, and the controlling authorities deemed the company capable of fulfilling a contract, their manufacturer was allowed to bid for contracts. Initially, the Willys pilot models DID NOT meet the requirements due to being so overweight vs the other pilots and the military specs. That decree was changed when W-O made assurances it could meet the weight spec. There was some political infighting in Congress to "bring home the bacon" and military infighting between the branches in the Army (Infantry, Ordnance, Cavalry and Quartermaster) and the various branches each liked some features of each pilot model ,but not all, and they also were unsure exactly how a vehicle like the jeep could be used in service. It was decided that each manufacturer would build 1,500 improved models that could be tested with actual Army units in all the various arms. Ford and Bantam quickly fulfilled their orders and were given subsequent contracts for more (which were given to Allies under Lend-Lease), Bantam building 2,605 BRCs in two series and Ford building 5,756 GPs. Willys barely met the deadline with the MA and only 1,555 of those were built. The revised models were tested, both by actual Army units (who filled out questionnaires), and by Army testers at Camp Holabird and other places. All that helped the military to put together a spec for a standardized jeep with features from all three manufacturers. At that point, the three manufacturers submitted more bids for a big 16,000 unit contract for a standardized model and W-O won that bid. Ironically, the only time an organized test was made that pitted the three pre-standardized models against each other was AFTER W-O had won the contract. The standardized quarter-ton had features from all three manufacturers. The powertrain was the same on all... axles and transfer cases from Spicer. Engines varied in the pre-standardized models., and FOrd used their own transmission. Bantam and Ford opted for smaller, lighter engines to meet the Army's (ridiculous) weight spec. Willys opted to shave weight on the body (the MA had tin-can thin bodies) so their more powerful and heavier engine could be used. The MA was just a couple pounds under the weight limit. In the end, the standardized jeep had a body most like the Ford (with many familiar jeep features being designed by them), the engine came from Willys, of course, and the powertrain was basically the same mix of Spicer and Warner Gear stuff as had been in the the pre-standardized models (except the Ford). W-O correctly predicted the low weight spec would be raised and the standardized jeep porked up to about what the original W-O pilot model had been and the bigger W-O engine was welcome. FYI, the GP and BRC were just as fast as the heavier standardized jeep due to being about 500 pounds lighter. The MA, which met that weight spec but had a lot more power, was a relative barn burner compared to the others... though the spare tire had a bad habit of falling off the body due to the thin sheet metal.
Excellent post, thank you. You saved me the time of correcting the rather vague and improper history given in the video.!!!
Hello Jim Allen. I've got several of your Jeep books. Great sources of old Jeep info!
Found in Michigan? My home state!
Anyways despite what it's gone through I hope something good can be made for it! This is a great piece of history!
Bantam was the company that designed the original but it's definitely a early ford version I don't think it could be restored but it's a interesting conversation piece if nothing else.
I know someone that could fix that as crazy as it sounds and he is not that expensive. Those leaf springs are savable. They just re-heat, arch and temper them. Very interesting find.
It's cool and rare, but it's not restorable. There's nothing to start building from. Where's the part that you keep? I'd try to tack it together enough so that it doesn't fall completely apart and just display it as is.
I thought about building a rolling exhibit to bring it to shows, but the metal is so weak it wouldn't survive a road trip. Just bringing it home 1 hour inside the enclosed trailer, its hood and cowl collapsed as seen in this video. Who knows how long the frame pieces would hold. Also thought about a museum, but nobody seemed interested in it. Not even my aircraft-starting APU Jeeps. At least these videos serve as a digital museum for all of us to enjoy.
Keep it as it is. Prevent any more deterioration. Build as close as possible, a replica to display with it.
No point in restoring it because 90% will need replaced After that it's no longer an original GP Ford
Hello from Butler Pennsylvania the Birth Place of the Jeep and the Bantam Car Company. Bantam designed and came up with idea for the Jeep.
I would keep it as close to original as possible. Make it drivable, use clear plastic molding or resin to get it into the right shape and have the craziest patina ever.
Bantam actually won the design for the military vehicle, but the government took the design and gave the production contract to Ford and Willys.
Well done video, enjoyed it.
Sometime in the early 1990s, my father was part of a group of soldiers who shipped vehicles that he described as looking like a cross between a Jeep and an HMMWV south of the border.
Look up "m151" on Wikipedia or the internet, they replaced the "M38a1" (the military version of the CJ5 Jeep). The M151 was used along side the traditional jeep during Vietnam, they look kind of like a Hummer and a Jeep had a love child and in the 1980s and 1990s they were all being phased out because of the new Humvee.
I got an old 61 vw type3 squareback that I'm trying to restore, forgot outside by my late great uncle (it's previous owner) and badly rusted. Never gonna be original again cause my family and I don't have that kind of money but if we can get it stable again and someone wants to turn it original, I would definitely let them. Since it's an import most the parts my great uncle got don't work so it's pretty much going to be a Frankenstein summer car due to a lack of a heating setup and the wrong shape rocker panel Since the heater runs through that.
The roof is surprisingly in great condition, same with the doors, but below the glass, about halfway down where the door would sit is where the serious rust damage starts, though thankfully and unfortunately mostly only in the areas that are covered by the fenders.
There appears to be enough there to fabricate a new tub. The same goes with the frame.
I suspect the transmission, transfer case and axles are salvageable.
As you mentioned, a rebuildable engine would be easy to come by.
I wouldn't waste a single bolt until you have a replacement in hand.
In any case, bad as it looks, I'd restore it.
While I haven't done one quite this bad yet (very close) I'm certain I could.
By fabricating all the parts yourself, the cost wouldn't be much... it's what you charge yourself per hour that could be expensive.
Still... no question, I'd go for it.
I think the salvageable parts are pretty valuable :)
I remember at pick a part in El Monte there was a Oct 41 slat grill ....which they crushed
I have a friend in Thailand that has one....same grill....he has a 41 and 44....I have driven both..and they are both registered...
Well, this would be about the only one that probably exists that would make sense to turn into a woods truck for some welder with a new project burning a hole in his pocket lmao
I might be able to source some sheet metal and I have a friend that is trying to learn welding if you need a hand.
I thought, that I recognized that engine. I have a 1940 9N tractor, which I still use.
Fun Fact: The Model A's 4 cylinder engine, wasn't robust enough for a tractor, so they based the 4 cylinder 9N tractor engine off of the flathead V8.
Maybe I should soup up my tractor by putting the same hot camshaft, that's in this Ford GP?
You may want to contact Jay Leno, with his antique restoration shop and funds will make it like new as he did complete restoration to '39 fire truck and gave to fire dept (original owner).
Unique find👍
My two cents on this: figure out the internals of the engine/transmission/transfer case, and if they're any good at all, then take it apart to individual components, and repair/replace parts one by one. Amazing to see that there's still any of these out in the wild, and even better to see that it's been saved
Hello, not sure where you live. But send some pictures to Gilmore car museum, in hickory corner Michigan.
It will make cool yard art that’s abt it!
Do you can get that Engine start and run. do it have fun
On this episode of "this old jeep"
If it where my Jeep I'd try to bring it back and take it to shows and show the American history of the prototypes
Selling any parts? Looking for a few to finish GP 9203
Willys rhymes with Phyliss - it gives one the willies to hear it called willies.
I'd replicate each part and rebuild a great piece of history.
I thought there was a few hundred with the slat grill
YARD ART. WELD A TON OF ANGLE IRON. GET IT STRAIGHTISH. WOULD STILL BE KOOL TO LOOK AT. 🤘😎👍
Take a lot of pictures and put the usable parts back into the market. Or find a museum who will take it as is.
Hi I would like to see you do something with it such a waste. That said and I do mean it I would like it to remain all together that is what can be saved, but if you decide to part it out I would be interested in the short rear axle '' left side '' please,. Really like your vids keep them coming.
Cheers from Sydney Australia. Gary
There use to be one of those in Prescot Az ...
Looks like its been under water somewhere for decades
I'm currently retrieving a 41 GP(ford) from a river bank she was left there in the 50s after rolling down the bank and blew the moter got in a bind the rode went out side but looks intact but kids shot it up over the years plans are lift it onto a trailer and box it in and lift it as 1 out the bank
Please film that! It'll be like the Suzuki LJ20 from Matt's Off Road Recovery
@@TurnNBurn I'm planning to film it and do a restore video too if the ford 9n motor can be wedged in and tranny looks right basicaly a running driver but survivor
At this level of self destruction , it should be exposed in a modern art museum as " formal destructuration in its post modern environment".
Send the wreck to Carrington serwis in Poland, they are going to make a new jeep out of it!!!
If you can provide rhe original parts, body can be fixed there...
Takes time of course....
If there is not enough left to do a restoration with I would say just straighten as much of the body as you can, fix as much as you can then do a metal preservation treatment on it and put it on an indoor display as part of history. Trying to do a 100% restoration is going to destroy almost all of its historic value because so much of the original metal could not be saved.
I'd put it in a Museum just as it sits. That is ART there are enough restored old jeeps this one tells a Story
Epoxy resin is the new craze,
Have that sucker encased and preserved forever lol.
Be like 200 gallons of resin lol
I hope u try to restore it
it's way beyond saving, but can at least be put behind glass
It’s a cool find but it’s to far gone sadly I don’t think it will ever run again
Get rid of the body and try and salvage some of the engine chassis axles and trans, make a replica body for it
Hope you can fix it ?
David Tracy could get it running and headed for moab in 4 weeks! 😄
Can you fix it?