• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

What have you done to your JEEP today

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
Decals applied, makes it waaaay cooler! Those little things add the "pop" to the almost finished project. 20210119_180018.jpg20210119_180037.jpg20210119_180055.jpg

Seat frames painted finally, new covers arrived, slipped them over the existing cushions just to get a idea of the look it will have when they get finished up. 20210117_154036.jpg20210109_121401.jpgs-l400.jpg

Rear seat is being fabbed up by @river_ridge_4x4
cushions coming in today for that. Ruby will be able to ride a little more comfortably once that's all installed. I hadn't intended on doing a rear seat this soon, but looking at prices and the small amount of work it will take, I figured I may as well do it now. Brackets from Midwest Military arrived, need to do a little metal massaging before I can get those in.received_395512768206411.jpegreceived_118240576824354.jpegreceived_849215372543348.jpeg
 

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
Now that you got the hang of it, I'd like to get in line if you're thinking of tackling another one (for sale)...
The wife would probably disavow me! Because she knows I'd have a difficult time saying no. I've got a buddy in Minnesota that picked up a M37 recently and decided since I'd mentioned I liked those and it would be a fun vehicle to have, he needs to find me one to start reworking. I'm being smart and saying no to that. I need a trailer and a better pickup first.

And thanks, all the little steps add up.
 

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
I have a rear seat! I hadn't planned on putting one in this early, but decided I may as well. Brackets and all the fixins were cheap enough, got both cushions off ebay for a decent price, so why not? Cleaned and tapped all the bolt holes in preparation for the seat frame, which I had built by Bryan down at River Ridge 4x4. 20210123_094036.jpg20210123_095001.jpg
I welded the front brackets in, it looks like the originals were ripped off, literally. Had to do a little redneckery to get everything flush(ish) before I tacked them up. received_1115039022300584.jpeg
They're definitely not the most comfortable seats! But, it's in, top cushion is affixed. Bottom one I'm waiting for a canvas cover to arrive, it currently has leatherette and looks totally put of place. received_167575331554834.jpeg
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,999
4,556
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
They're definitely not the most comfortable seats! But, it's in, top cushion is affixed. Bottom one I'm waiting for a canvas cover to arrive, it currently has leatherette and looks totally put of place. View attachment 825092
Just read somewhere (not 3-4 days back) that NO G.I.'s ever sat in the back seat of Jeeps.

And that when Piper was pulling off his surprise Battle of the Bulge offensive (with captured U.S. uniforms and vehicles),

that THAT was the giveaway to U.S. troops of the infiltrators:

- So (apparently) any (seemingly) U.S. Jeep with four troops seated in it was fired on, figuring that those in it were a part of Piper's troop strength

Wish I could remeber where I saw that, Quora?
 

Maverick1701

Well-known member
1,433
181
63
Location
Lubbock, TX
I had been searching for some spare wheels for a while now and actually found a guy in town with "5 old jeep wheels for sale" for $200. So I picked them up today and when I arrived the guy actually had six wheels with one being an M151 wheel...so that's neat.
All 6 had rubber on them but only one held air...which is what I expected for 20+ year old rubber (I was really buying for the wheels anyway)
My plan is to pull off all the old rubber, sand them down, paint and get them ready for new rubber/tubes.
 

Attachments

Maverick1701

Well-known member
1,433
181
63
Location
Lubbock, TX
Radius and contours on those things, THAT will be a nasty sanding job.

Wonder if you could find a shop to sandblast them cheap?
Yea hand-sanding wheels is horrible & I'll never do it again. The last jeep wheels I did I used a wire brush in my electric drill. It knocked off all the rust, and scuffed-up the surface enough for paint to hold w/out any issues. I'll probably do the same thing with these.
 

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
Yea hand-sanding wheels is horrible & I'll never do it again. The last jeep wheels I did I used a wire brush in my electric drill. It knocked off all the rust, and scuffed-up the surface enough for paint to hold w/out any issues. I'll probably do the same thing with these.
Pretty much how I cleaned off my rims. And I recognize your post from FB!
 

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
Been a lot going on, so I've missed a few days. But, the Jeep has new shoes! No, they're not NDCC's though, I went with NDT's. 20210308_164213.jpg20210327_152346.jpg

And, I happened to get my bumper designations on! Well, at least on the front bumper. I had a buddy ask me last summer what I was going to use,I had no idea at all. Then it hit, why not use dad's unit? These were still in use when he served, and since he's now gone, what better way to remember him and his time? So, after poring over a couple of websites trying to make heads or tails out of military shorthand, I came up with this:20210327_111649.jpg
5th Army
Ft. Leonard Wood
United States Army Training Center

B Company
Special Troops

I didn't put a vehicle number on and pulled the bridge plate off the grille, it's not relevant anymore since it's marked as a base jeep.

I printed off the unit markings, mounted them to a stash of stencil board I got from an auction last summer and went to town! Even made my hood numbers while I was at it. I'll still need to do the TP, fuel, underhood and maybe max speed ones at some point.


received_468345224481282.jpeg20210320_231519.jpg

It's getting closer to being in a finished state, paint will hopefully be laid down within the next month or so, no later than mid-May at the latest is what I'm shooting for. Then I suppose I'll have to start looking for bows and a top to wrap things up!
 

Attachments

Maverick1701

Well-known member
1,433
181
63
Location
Lubbock, TX
My jeep engine rebuild saga looks like it's FINALLY coming to an end. I got tired of waiting for parts to arrive. A few days ago I found anF134 for sale some-what locally. This morning I drove 2hr each way up to Amarillo to pick up the motor. If all goes well it will be installed in the jeep by next week.

This guy had a super COOL place. He owns a TON of jeeps in various states ranging from fully restored to project status. I was in jeep heaven. Here are pics of my motor, video of it running, and a video of one of his fully restored CJs. It a beautiful restoration!. enjoy
jeep motor 1.jpg
jeep motor 2.jpg
attachThumb69707


Motor running::
Restored CJ:
 

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
I'm consolidating a couple days worth into one post lol!

Today, after waiting for almost two weeks for a muscle in my back to stop throwing a hissy, I finally got out and did some work. Cleaned up my rear crossmember, bumperettes and lift brackets. 20210531_175802.jpg

Now I can start disassembling everything and start prepping for paint!

I also stripped all the CARC paint off my shovel today. I really like the natural look and don't want to paint it now!
IMG_20210531_155701.jpg

A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to make my slave/jumper cable setup. I'd bought the end a few years ago with the intent of doing this, use a set of jumper cables, cut the clamps off one end and attach the male end of a two pin slave cable onto them. Yes, they work, my port is hooked to my battery and it is live. The only odd thing that came out of this project is the positive and negative poles on the plug are opposite of the port, which I didn't catch until I'd already finished, talk about annoying.
20210522_082532.jpg20210522_085538.jpg20210522_090020.jpg20210522_093008.jpg20210522_093434.jpg20210522_094548.jpg
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,999
4,556
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
View attachment 835685

The only odd thing that came out of this project is the positive and negative poles on the plug are opposite of the port, which I didn't catch until I'd already finished, talk about annoying.
Don't feel too bad, DeetFreek, the project gods play that game on everybody:

- It's how they use us mortals to get all their laughs

What did you use to strip the painbt off everything? Looks great:

- Wire wheel on a grinder?
 

DeetFreek

Well-known member
219
351
63
Location
New Sharon IA
What did you use to strip the painbt off everything? Looks great:

- Wire wheel on a grinder?
Yup, wire wheel of death on an angle grinder. I learned early on to wear my welding apron, those wires come flying out with some force and let me tell you, it's like someone flicks you in those important parts. Not enough to bring you to your knees, but enough to get you a little queasy! Gone through about ten of them so far and have only ripped my knuckle open once throughout the entire process! I know, unbelievable, but true.
 

fasttruck

Well-known member
1,265
633
113
Location
Mesa, AZ
Reference post 506: One rainy day in Vietnam I was waiting by the PX for a ride when up comes a M151 jeep with the top, doors, and side curtains on it. Marked for the ARVN. The door opened and at least 10 Viets climbed out.

Jeep: photographed it on Memorial Day.
 

Attachments

Top