jarheadjeep.com

My 1943 WWII Willy's jeep In 1978 a dear friend, Dean Cook and I started re-building my jeep and completed the job working evenings over a 3 year period. Dean did most of the work; I was the assistant and gofer. Starting with all the bits and pieces, we opted for the best. Unfortunately, we threw away some military parts and now realize the folly of our actions. But we built a neat hunting jeep (and grandkid magnet!). Recently two new friends, Pat Walker and Curt Covington of Lincoln, CA. encouraged me to bring jarhead back to its original state. They’ve been here for me, offering advice and instruction and correction, answering hundreds of questions, and generally looking over my shoulder to make sure I did it right. To Curt and Pat, your resourcefulness is invaluable; I appreciate you guys! I hope you enjoy the pictures and progress-to-date as much as I have enjoyed working on my JARHEAD. Description Image1 Image2 Image3 Image4 Here we go. Pat Walker (left) and Curt Covington working on the to-do list to bring my jarhead back to life. Should be a piece of cake (they keep saying!!!). Note: 1945 MB in background belongs to Curt and is very close to 100% condition. Good for hunting and CCC trail riding. Painted it beige with black trim; Dodge van seat worked well. Loved that Willys CJ 2A hood. Threw away the original hood. Live and learn. Moved rear tire, modified holder to rear center. Attached it to frame for durability, added turning signals and large brake lights. Custom seat frames made for comfortable rides and durability. Seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Dean Cook is an artist. Dean added channel iron around body for strength when climbing rocks, or just navigating wilderness areas. Dual military ??? mirrors worked well for checking out traffic. but too large. Didn't keep engine as clean as I should have. Dean would croak if he saw it this way: he was always telling me to "keep my jeep nice and sanitary"! Didn't save many parts at the time we rebuilt the jarhead. But used the best parts we had available. In April of 2004, Curt and Pat convinced me to put jarhead back in shape, and as Pat says have fun! So the first thing I did was re-install axe/shovel hardware. New hood from Archer Bros., seats from Ron F. g503, canvas products from Weebee (all of these folks are so helpful). And of course lots of measurements and assistance from Curt and Pat. New tires from Lucas Tires makes jarhead come alive. New combat rims (what makes me sick is all of the rims we took to the dump when we rebuilt him in the late 70's). 5 gallon Jerry can bracket, bow hardware and black out light installed. Seats and crash pads installed. Again so grateful to Pat and Curt for their guidance on what goes where and how to re-install these parts. Rear seat fits nice and snug. Note: the body is MB! Dash needs major re-working. Still have original speedometer and will install soon. Note: brass tag "Moore Equipment Division in Modesto, California, Reconditioned in 3/1945 contract # W-04-200-Ord-620 W.D. S.B. 9-2". Glove box had a hinge set-up, Data plates still look great! Wow! Look at that Weebee summer top and Ron F. black out light. Jarhead is coming alive! Fourth of July parade in Lincoln, California. This is jarhead's first parade in many years, but certainly not the last. Curt, Pat and I had a great day in the parade. Everyone loved Pat's GPW, Curt's MB and the jarhead jeep salad. Rear shot, looking good. Driver seat was a real challenge. However not for my jeep expert Pat Walker. Thanks Pat! Combat wheels complete. Found 3 orginals locally and purchased 2 re-productions from Brent Mullins. The originals needed straightening, but were in great condition. Windshield cover looks great too. Lots of holes have to be welded. Even the bumpers were in the wrong place. Tail lights, trailer plug assembly, and reflectors add details. 15 y.o. grandson, Jacob (on left with gramps) is learning, and loving, what it means to be "ever faithful" on a recent Foothills jeepers convoy. Semper Fi! More to come.

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