Any Willys/Ford WW2 Jeep drivers here?
Any Willys/Ford WW2 Jeep drivers here?
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Discussion

kurt535

Original Poster:

3,560 posts

146 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
quotequote all
Hi

Am considering putting a new gear box in my one as the current one really is a frankenstein. Im wondering if there is a specific go-to person to buy a reconditioned one from in the UK at all?

ty

aeropilot

40,526 posts

256 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
quotequote all
Take your pick from half a dozen places......probably depends on whereabouts in UK you are based.

Two of the three people I'm still in occasional contact with that are MB/GPW owners have both use Dallas Auto's for the past decade or so, but as both live in the Thames Valley region, Dallas is their closest established specialist.
The other one lives out in Essex and I believe has used Jeeparts in Colchester for years, although I've not been in contact with that guy for some years, although I believe he still has his Willys.


kurt535

Original Poster:

3,560 posts

146 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
Take your pick from half a dozen places......probably depends on whereabouts in UK you are based.

Two of the three people I'm still in occasional contact with that are MB/GPW owners have both use Dallas Auto's for the past decade or so, but as both live in the Thames Valley region, Dallas is their closest established specialist.
The other one lives out in Essex and I believe has used Jeeparts in Colchester for years, although I've not been in contact with that guy for some years, although I believe he still has his Willys.
Ty for that. I toy with he idea of rebuilding a bag of bits or just buying a rebuilt one but am wary of the patent parts quality ive come across.

RJG46

980 posts

97 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
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kurt535

Original Poster:

3,560 posts

146 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
quotequote all
eh?

aeropilot

40,526 posts

256 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
aeropilot said:
Take your pick from half a dozen places......probably depends on whereabouts in UK you are based.

Two of the three people I'm still in occasional contact with that are MB/GPW owners have both use Dallas Auto's for the past decade or so, but as both live in the Thames Valley region, Dallas is their closest established specialist.
The other one lives out in Essex and I believe has used Jeeparts in Colchester for years, although I've not been in contact with that guy for some years, although I believe he still has his Willys.
Ty for that. I toy with he idea of rebuilding a bag of bits or just buying a rebuilt one but am wary of the patent parts quality ive come across.
Well, that's the issue now with pattern parts. Despite the vast stocks left around after the war and beyond, at some point original spares were going to dry up, and getting parts made isn't cheap, so quality suffers, given that a lot of it is likely made in China or India etc.
I can remember seeing NOS gearboxes and transfer boxes and other stuff still in their WW2 greased wrappings at militaria fairs/shows, but that was 25 years ago!! When that dried up, people turned to the post war made Hotchkiss M201 stuff, as the last French Army M201's didn't get taken out of service until well into the nineties.
I'd rather use a NOS Hotchkiss gearbox (if you can find one) than a rebuild using a hotch-potch of pattern parts? But, I suspect that even the French parts stocks are drying up now?



RJG46

980 posts

97 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
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kurt535 said:
eh?
Posted in the wrong thread

Mr Ian

40 posts

167 months

Wednesday 19th September 2018
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As said there are a few people out there, have you considered doing it yourself ?
As to quality of parts etc when I did mine I bought everything from Jeeparts, most of it was branded named American, if not NOS.
The T84 is a relatively basic box, if you are ok with spanners etc it's more fiddley than difficult to rebuild.
Identifying what needs replacing is probably more difficult, if you do not have a way of measuring wear !
Message me if you fancy having a go yourself I can help with wear measurement !

kurt535

Original Poster:

3,560 posts

146 months

Thursday 20th September 2018
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Guys

fabulous posts from you all! i sometimes kick myself why i like owning things over 70 years old that can breakdown! Ive got a little C-85 in the front of my aeroplane that was rebuilt by the recently retired guru Rick Isenberg and that got me feeling guilty about how bad the Jeep box was.

If I had a workshop id have a go at a rebuild but its beyond me although id really love to learn how to do do it.

I may investigate possible leads in this country and also cast the net further afield to Merrykay.

For the moment, its done the business again this year but i know its a ride away from something very terminal!!!

Mark A S

2,091 posts

217 months

Thursday 20th September 2018
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Try Cliff at Universal Jeep, Milford. Top bloke who is always happy to help at a fair price.