Indholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2021 i Military Vehicles

In 2020, the Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society Museum in Eastpointe Michigan had a special exhibit on “The Jeeps of Ford.” Sadly, due to the pandemic, very few people were able to see it. Therefore, Military Vehicles Magazine is proud to be able to “bring the exhibit to you.” THE JEEPS OF FORD In 1940, the US Army posted a requirement for a new vehicle that met the following requirements: *36” maximum height *1000 Lbs. maximum weight *Ability to carry at least two men, one machine gun and 3000 rounds of ammunition *Four wheel drive, and cross country ability *Face armor for the driver *Amphibious ability desired but not required The Bantam Car Company of Butler Pennsylvania, delivered the first prototype on 23 September 1940; Willys-Overland delivered two vehicles…

Back in November 2020, I took my 1963 M151 MUTT to a car show in a nearby town. On the way home, I noticed the clutch was acting up only when shifting. While in gear, everything was fine. The following Monday, I got out my manuals to find out how to fix the clutch. I called a few friends to discuss the process. It turns out, you have to pull the complete engine assembly just to repair the clutch! I researched this and found a YouTube video describing how to remove the engine — a 1961 military training video! It seemed pretty straight-forward and looked easy. So, that week, I pulled off the grill and disconnect the fuel lines, electrical connections, and clutch linkage. Then I disconnect the main drive…

This is to expand on the comments in David Brownell’s recent article on the rough terrain forklift deployed by the Army during the 1960-80s (“Rough Terrain Fork Lifts,” Feb., 2021, pp 72-73). These versatile machines were known during that period as “RTFLs” or more simply, “RTs.” In my experience, the most common variant was the Chrysler Pettibone unit equipped with the “screamin’ jimmy” 4-53 2 cycle Detroit diesel engine. Hearing protection was definitely called for when operating one of these machines. In later years, improved mufflers reduced the noise of the engine. Post-Vietnam Roll Over Protection Systems (ROPES) were also improved but the unfortunate characteristic of making the machine top heavy and easier to roll over. Most front end loaders are “center steer” and pivot in the middle. They have…

Although this article is intended as a primer for historic military vehicle (HMV) transfer cases in general, it will focus mainly on the Dana Spicer 18 as found in most U.S. military jeeps, including the WWII Ford GPW and Willys MB, as well as the M38, M38A1, M170 and M606. The Dana Spicer 18 was also fitted to Willys/Kaiser civilian jeeps, such as the CJ2, CJ3A, CJ3B, CJ5 and CJ6, as well as used in four-wheel-drive Willys pickups, station wagons, and the FC-150 and FC-170 Forward Control vehicles. Additionally, it was used many foreign-licensed Jeep models, including those built by Mahindra Jeep in India, and Mitsubishi Jeep of Japan, as well as in early model International Scouts. WHAT IS A TRANSFER CASE? I bought my first jeep, an M38, when…

Willys Corporation’s first standard production jeeps had grilles that consisted of over 30 parts that had to be bent and fixture welded — a time consuming process. When the Ford Motor Company was contracted to assist in jeep production in early 1942, they made several changes to the jeep to simplify production and save valuable war materials. The most visible of these changes was to the grille. Ford designed a stamped steel grille that was made up of less than 10 major parts. This became the standard production grill for the bulk of the wartime production jeeps. Yes, the iconic jeep grille was actually a Ford design.…

In this article, we will concentrate on one of the most serious concerns for a CCKW and Chevy owner: brakes. Properly functioning brakes are essential for enjoying any historic military vehicles (HMVs). When you think about the brakes on a CCKW, remember following: *You have about 30 feet of steel brake lines. *You have 6 flexible brake hoses. *There are 6-wheel cylinders of 2 different types. *There is a single master cylinder *There is a singlevacuum brake pressure booster. Now the most important thing to remember about all the above list of parts: *If any one part of the system has a catastrophic failure, you will look your ability to stop your 10,000-pound pride and joy. Therefore, maintenance, inspection, and in my case, modifications are incredibly important. There are many…

My Dodge M37 was built by Dodge Trucks, a division of Chrysler Corporation, Detroit and was delivered on May 22,1951, with the serial number 80008470, therefore being production sequence 2458. There is a wee bit of a gap until 2006 when she was purchased in three trailer loads from by Pat Underwood of Mount Vernon, Ohio. He spent three years restoring her. The M37 participated in some or all of the 2009 MVPA Transcontinental Motor Convoy before New Zealander Boyd Mitchell purchased her. He drove the truck in the 2017 MVPA Route 66 Convoy. Boyd and the M37 were pictured in the Military Vehicles Magazine article, “After the Convoy,” in August 2020. In November 2017, the M37 was imported into New Zealand. After a full engine rebuild, in March 2018,…

History has recorded how essential Jeeps were to the war effort during WWII. Authors have written many books about identifying or restoring Jeeps to their original condition. But few talk about how the Jeeps were used after the war. Since I was only 3 years old when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, my experience with WWII Jeeps has been on the postwar home front. A LIFELONG PASSION My interest in Jeeps began during WWII when I was a small child. Life Magazine was my primary source of information and inspiration. There was just something about the style (or, as I like to think of it, “the attitude”) of the Jeep that deeply impressed me. In addition, my father and uncles, who were serving their country at the time, referred to Jeeps…

I found this vehicle in 1984 on the lower east side of Santa Barbara, Calif. It was completely deteriorated. But what caught my attention were the three data plates on the glove box lid — originals made of brass. Upon further investigation I discovered the serial number on the frame which matched the data plate. I had to have this Jeep. It took some time, but I found the owner. He sold it to me on October 4, 1985, for $750 in cash. I towed it to my garage where it sat for the next 15 years unmolested. Finally, I decided to restore it. I did not want to do a frame-up restoration all by myself. Therefore, I contracted with a Southern California Military Vehicle Collector Club (SCMVCC) club member…

The Midwest Dream Car Collection in Manhattan, Kansas, recently honored our military with a special display. The Fort Riley Museum generously loaned their traveling display pertaining to the history of the 1st Infantry complete with a photo wall, military uniform exhibit, and some artifacts in display cases. There were also four military vehicles on display throughout the month The month also featured guest presentations from Dr. Robert Smith, Director of Museum Complexes at Ft. Riley who talked about military mechanization with emphasis on tank history. CSM (Ret) Lowell May discussed the history of military jeeps. The museum has been open just under two years. This was its first year to feature military vehicles. It was so well-received that the museum plans on holding it every year in November with an…

We love to see and share photos of our readers’ HMVs. Here are few that appeared on our Facebook page. To see more, share your own photos or to simply “join the conversation,” log onto your own Facebook page and type “Military Vehicles Magazine” in the search bar at the top of the page. “LIKE” us to receive the most recent news and hobby chatter. Follow us on Facebook: Join Facebook.com and search for Military Vehicles Magazine…