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My 1942 Ford GPW serial number 10423 is all matching from the data plate on the glove box to the frame number and title. There is some debate on the DoD of 3-8-42, some say it looks like an over strike and is probably 3-30-42. I hope that cleaning of the data plate will help confirm the DoD. Unable to recover original serial as it appears the hood was refinished.
Originally bought and used on a ranch in Colorado, they butchered Baby a little in cutting out the back panel and the lovely FORD script. They also decided she needed more horses and put in a straight 6. Now I have to temporarily replace that with a 1950 L134 flat head.
The body tub is pretty much shot. The floors are almost gone, they hacked a hole in the driver side and the side panel channel is totally rusted. The firewall is cut up from the straight 6 wedged in there. I have decided to save the body and restore it. This will include new floors as the biggest piece of non-original steel. Everything else I'm going to do the old fashioned way and patch it. NO BONDO! The seats, tool box covers, glove box cover, fenders, hood, windshield and grill are good to go. So at least a good 70 or so percent of her will be original.
Frame is great with the typical front horn damage but nothing that can not be fixed. The front horns are going to stay as is, one is all original with a bit of angle iron inside as additional support. The driver side horn was gone and the original owner replaced it, rather nicely with a large piece of angle iron. With some grinding the gussets and shackle all fit well. It now looks like a "field" repair. The original front cross member was shot and hacked out, so I have replaced it with a replacement. The rest of the frame is pretty good and just needs a good cleaning and repainting/sealing. THe rear cross member has been replaced with some new tabs being welded on the frame rails, as the old ones had been cut off.
I am hoping to have the frame and running gear completed by early summer. Then the body work will begin. I will also be doing a side rebuild of a GPW block and head to put in Baby in another year or so. In the meantime, a Willy's L134 will do the job nicely.
As I said in my blurb, part of the fun is the restoration, but the best part of it is driving my Baby.
Andy
