> I’m the guy with the GPW frame and engine and MB body.
> I want to thank everybody who has responded to my query about after
> market bodies.
> Here’s what I have currently:
> 1 GPW frame serial number GPW61615 (taken from the top left side of the
> frame next to the shock mount).
> The other items are on a complete jeep that has a GPW frame that is
> totaled in the front. The jeep is complete, all the gauges, steering
> wheel, etc are there. This is a list of the bigger components.
> 1 GPW engine. I don’t currently know the serial number. It supposedly runs...
> 1 MB body in good/OK condition It was manufactured in Feb of 45.
> (taken from the plate on the glove box. I didn’t write down the SN.)
> Various parts are both MB and GPW. The glass in the windshield is Ford,
> I haven’t been able to tell about the fenders, hood, seats, etc.
> It also has some funny after market overdrive installed in it that you
> work from a lever on the dash.
> So any suggestions as to how I should proceed? What year should this
> project be?
> 1. Sell it all and buy another project.
> 2. Use what I have and make a ‘Jeep Salad’.
> 3. Trade/sell the MB tub and get a GPW tub and use what I have.
> 4. Get the best after market body I can find and go from there.
> 5. ???
> I am more than willing to trade the MB tub for a GPW tub. I live in San
> Jose CA and would be willing to travel some to meet somebody 1/2 way. I
> am also planning on attending the Big Bear show this year in September.
Hi, Rick,
I've already put in more than my two cents' worth, but I hope you don't mind a couple
more... There is certainly merit in reconstructing a vehicle in as original a form as
possible, BUT on the other hand, I'd consider the practical realities: (time, money,
personal satisfaction, and your own tastes). If fitting into the 'MV Community' is
important, then I'd put that under the 'personal' category.
Anyway, you have several options:
For example, IF you have the patience, time, and money to spend on seeking exact stock
replacement parts, rebuilding the original components, or purchasing an 'original' vehicle
to serve as a base for your project AND you have your heart set on an original, then sell
your stuff (or keep it for parts) and get a good restorable vehicle to work with. Or get
enough additional parts to build up what you have into a highly authentic vehicle. You
might want to use your good MB body as a basis for the project. See if you can find a good
MB chassis to go with it. It's usually a lot easier to find a usable chassis than a usable
body. I've also heard of people swapping a part or two (such as the front cross-member)
of a GPW chassis to 'create' an MB chassis.
OR, if you like a challenge, and creating a 'perfect' likeness of an original vehicle is
not your highest priority, then work with what you've got. Naturally, you still may have
to find additional parts to complete the project, but that can be an interesting sort of
'treasure hunt' in and of itself.
OR, buy the additional parts required to make two vehicles. Maybe one of them could be
your 'original' project and the other could be a 'tossed salad' sort of thing.
Other readers can probably think of some combinations that I haven't mentioned here.
Pardon me for being redundant, but if it were me, I'd do whatever gives you the most
personal satisfaction. While some people restore/rebuild vehicles strictly for themselves,
others do it to fit a particular market niche or to gain acceptance within a community of
similar-minded people. The interesting thing is that either way, it's still a matter of
what you want. If you want acceptance within that community, then that acceptance is
obviously something that will give you pleasure or satisfaction from your project.
Likewise with purely personal motives, such as building a 'custom' rig.
As to doing what is 'right,' I have definite leanings towards authentic restoration, but I
am NOT a fanatic about it. There are many thousands of MBs and GPWs that have been
faithfully restored for future generations to examine and enjoy. As I mentioned in a
letter to someone else recently, I also have an appreciation for ingenuity and the
individual creative process, hence I love to look at street rods and radically modified
vehicles as much as I do the perfectly restored classics.
I"d say the ball's in your court. Have fun with the project and let it be a learning
process for yourself.
Good luck,
Alan
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