<< Sorry this is so long, but to the guy who originally posted the
message: I hope this helps you to come to a decision. I will not curse
your name if you opt for the repro. I'm just glad you're interested in
old jeeps, rather than late-model Camaros!
Regards,
Mike >>
When it is finished my 72 Suburban will be gloss black and chrome and be far
more attractive than it was when it was new. The big difference is this, the
chances of my customized restoration disappointing some young, bright-eyed
purist 72 suburban buff 50 or 100 years from now are very slim. It is a safe
bet that no one will give a fat half a damn what I do with or to this truck
now.
My jeeps are another story however. WWII will be studied by thousands of
historians to come for the next several thousand years. The uniforms and
weapons will rust or rot some day. Jeeps, trucks, and planes will be crashed,
parted out, or neglected by this and future generations. Museums and private
collections will burn, flood, be robbed, or break up over time. But so long
as some people try to preserve these items a few can be expected to survive
for a great long time. Wouldn't it be a bit of a shame if the only jeep to
survive had CJ wheels, lockout hubs, and nylon seat covers? I can tell you
that I have already personally felt this disappointment. Just a few years ago
I got into WWII reenacting, I have been a WWII buff as long as I can remember
and was very enthusiastic about my new hobby. I had always wanted a WWII army
jeep and would gladly have killed or died to own one. I had no idea how to
tell a WWII jeep from any other old jeep. I honestly thought they were ALL
WWII jeeps! I never noticed the differences that now make it possible for me
to easily identify an M-38, M-38A1, M-151, or whatever. Then the great day
came. I was a grand old man of 18 and I had never seen a real WWII army jeep
up close but now I was going to. The reenactment unit leader told me that
after the first meeting at his house he would take me for a ride in his jeep.
I had recently learned that Ford made jeeps during WWII and was shocked to
learn that Willys had not made them all. Well to shorten this story we will
jump to the grand and glorious day. I finally saw it. It was green with white
stars. It had brown canvas seat covers. It had those cool military tires! It
looked and sounded just like the jeeps on MASH!! It was everything I had
always wanted. I sat on the rear seat and marveled that I was actually
sitting in a real WWII army jeep!!! What a rush. Not too many months later I
stumbled on an opportunity to buy two WWII jeeps from a fellow in Kansas. I
did. Later I started noticing differences between my two jeeps and the jeep I
had first ridden in. I asked why this was this way and that was that way and
was told that the 42 GPW I had first ridden in was a thing called a "CJ2A"
that had been modified to look like a WWII
jeep. It fooled me then but it disappointed the hell out of me later. This
damn CJ2Thing wasn't even made until after the war was over!! He still tells
folks that the vehicle they are looking at is a 42 GPW. But I know better.
===
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