Eugene and list...
MB/GPW repro tubs come from various sources and have changed
over the years in quality and detail.
In the late 1980 some were offered in France. If I remember
correctly, these were produced by people who obtained the
tooling kits from the Hotchkiss plant.
But as since then I did not hear anything further, these might
also just have been surplus Hotchkiss M 201 tubs from the
original production in the 1950ies.
I have, however, never seen these in real, just pictured in an ad
in ARMY MOTORS / SUPPLY LINE.
Worthwhile noting, that the French military ordered a production
run of MB blocks in the mid 1980ies !
A Dutch surplus dealer, REOMIE, had something going with a Company
in the Phillipines. I am not sure if it was a joint venture or a branch.
Anyway, this company was called GENMARC. They produced the
full range of MB type panels and tubs. The early ones were of poor
quality. The steel gauge was too thin, the primer and steel quality was
no good. It was advisable to sand blast the new tub and apply a
better primer so to avoid disappointment. I heard from people, that
they had trouble fixing it on a frame, as the holes did not match.
This might have been due to the frame not being 100 pct, but as I
heared the same story from many who tried it, it seems that the holes
in the early GENMARC bodies might not have been very accurate.
These bodies were copies of the CB (late) WWII bodies.
Later, these bodies were produced with script WILLYS and FORD
rear panels, but other features typical for the early bodies were not
incorporated, so you got a CB body with a W or F script. As these did
not sell so well due to the obvious mistakes in the design, a Dutch
GPW enthusiast travelled to the Phillipines with the REOMIE boss, and
the design was changed. So, after that, you could get either W or F
script tubs with other correct features (e.g. GPW tool box lids and foot
rests) and the common late CB body. I am not sure if mid production
GPW and WILLYS bodies are available also. But it could well be.
If I remember correctly, they also had CJ2A and M38 A1 bodies.
This company also produced Combat Rims (with slight mistakes) and
replacement frames...Ford and Willys. The frames, so I have been told,
also sometimes were slightly off specs (too short !).
Apperently, GENMARC stopped production some years ago. All their
repro panels and parts (handles, spare wheel carrier etc.) are marked
"GM and a triangle"...the late items had improved in quality.
A new company in the Phillipines is now offering the range of tubs and
panels. They are called BEMAK. I have not seen their products and
can not judge on quality and accuracy. Someone said that BEMAK
is indeed the old GENMARC outfit.
A further company in the Philipines is dealing with Jeep tubs. I thing
they are called "CENTRAL something". They advertised in SUPPLY LINE
and I enquired several times, but never received an answer from them.
SO, I do not know about the quality of their products.
So, it seems there are at least 3/4 different repro tubs available. GENMARC,
BEMAK, ex FRENCH and CENTRAL....I am sure there are more. In the
UK there is a guy who offers very good panels, but no tubs. His name is
Len Jones. His are among the best parts for sheetmetal replacements and
repair you can get, from what I have seen sofar. Also, there is the Jeep
panel master in New Zealand, the name I have forgotten, but he is a
legend among Jeep enthusiasts !
So, Eugine, there is no straight answer to your question. There are differences
in the original tubs as well as in the repros. Some are correct, others are
not right. It really depends on what you have. If you ordered a GPW body,
they should have supplied one or told you that they only have a common
CB body....
Are there more repro MB / GPW bodies around from other sources ???
It seems that everything is being reproduced for the MB / GPW except
engine blocks, axles and gearboxes...disregarding the vast Hotchkiss
stock of same being still readily available in Europe.
Lars-Uwe Rudek
MVPA # 14836
MVT # 8119
T.E.A.M. # 2
<RUDEK@SHH-HAMBURG.DE>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 05 2000 - 22:42:16 PST