Military vehicles?

[MauldinFan]

I ran out of time to test drive it last night, but my 1944 MB's brakes are all replaced (cylinders, shoes, springs and all the lines that looked bad), adjusted, bled and it's off the jack stands for the first time in over a month.
Just need to tinker with the parking brake (having issues with the clip holding the end of the tube underneath the Jeep and pound the dust caps onto the hubs once there appears no reason to get back into the brakes for now, but it's essentially done...

I do plan on eventually stripping the hood and starting over, recreating the hood markings for the Jeep (probably a late 1943 one) that was issued to Bill Mauldin personally by the 5th Army (though not recreating the other markings) and bumper markings for the PR section of the 12th Army Group that handled the war correspondents in Europe.

 

[Micawber]

^^^ Nice work that man! Fortunately all the lines, hoses, cylinders, shoes etc have all been replaced on my '43 MB but I did have to jigger about with the parking brake back in 2020. The external band design was never the best, the later drum and internal shoes are so so up until the output seal starts to weep as they all do!

MY MB is sick, or rather the T-84 gearbox is. I was out for a spin on a hot summer day a couple of weeks ago when the box started to feel a bit iffy. She jumped out of gear [first time ever] but I put that down to my error but a few miles further on she suddenly stuck fast in second gear meaning a somewhat slow journey home. I stripped out the transmission cover and top off the 'box to find what I suspected, failed synchro. The gearbox has always needed careful changes and double de-clutching and I had planned to drop the transmission, strip and rebuild over the winter of 2020/21. I've rebuilt T-84's and other transmissions before so no big deal - that is until The Big C suddenly struck October 2020 and hospitalised me for weeks followed by months of chemo that left me initially unable to climb the stair let alone mess with gearboxes. Time has passed an I'm still not physically up to doing the job so she is booked into a GPW & MB specialist mid Sept to have the work done. This is giving me mixed feelings, frustration at no longer physically being able to actually do the work myself, I'm also feeling oddly guilty about it too. On the other hand I'm relieved that they could fit the job in and won't run the risk of making things worse health wise.

Waffle over.

 

[ausreenactor]

I ran out of time to test drive it last night, but my 1944 MB's brakes are all replaced (cylinders, shoes, springs and all the lines that looked bad), adjusted, bled and it's off the jack stands for the first time in over a month.
Just need to tinker with the parking brake (having issues with the clip holding the end of the tube underneath the Jeep and pound the dust caps onto the hubs once there appears no reason to get back into the brakes for now, but it's essentially done...

I do plan on eventually stripping the hood and starting over, recreating the hood markings for the Jeep (probably a late 1943 one) that was issued to Bill Mauldin personally by the 5th Army (though not recreating the other markings) and bumper markings for the PR section of the 12th Army Group that handled the war correspondents in Europe.

That is an impressive jigger.

 

[MauldinFan]

Did the test run Sunday afternoon after some adjustments, and the brakes are better than they've been in all the time I've owned it.
Still need to work on connecting the parking brake tube underneath the Jeep and pound on the dust caps to the front axles, but it's road worthy for the first time in a while...

...just as the show season has ended.

 

[Ritchy]

Mine is a 44 Willys MB.

 

[Pa12]

Entering the Land Rover in the big British car show tomorrow in Oakville Ontario. First one in 3 years thanks to Covid. Going to be a big one. Estimating 1200 plus vehicles.

 

[leper-colony]

Mine was an August 44 MB, years ago.

 

[MauldinFan]

Mine was an August 44 MB, years ago.

Mine was delivered August 28, 1944...

 

[Micawber]

Blast from the past, the 1943 Dodge WC 54 meat wagon I used to own. Four stretchers to kip on and a heater made this a nice vehicle for shows but there was always a bit of an atmosphere in the back. It was popular for veteran rides and I well remember the time I had a number of ex Group execs in the back giving them a tour of their old base and way over, at the furthest point of the perimeter the it spluttered, coughed and juddered to a halt. Fifteen minutes of me spanner wielding to no effect saw the natives getting restless and eventually the whole lot decamped and boarded other vehicles. A few minutes later the old girl decided that she had enough of making me look like a tit and was back to running like a sewing machine.

 

[MauldinFan]

Great MB, Michael!
I never sought to put a wire cutter on my own, as everyone I know who had one here didn't have them for long because they got tired of a lengthy history lesson each time anyone walked up and asked what it was for.

I well remember the time I had a number of ex Group execs in the back giving them a tour of their old base and way over, at the furthest point of the perimeter the it spluttered, coughed and juddered to a halt. Fifteen minutes of me spanner wielding to no effect saw the natives getting restless and eventually the whole lot decamped and boarded other vehicles. A few minutes later the old girl decided that she had enough of making me look like a tit and was back to running like a sewing machine.

It never fails that at each show my group attends with our vehicles, some member of the public always comes up and declares they're going to get a military vehicle to use as a daily driver. We usually snicker and I tell everyone that having something like my '44 MB is like owning an airplane or steam locomotive; each time you start it up, you just can't know if it's going to complete your journey or even move at all (even when it ran like a Swiss watch every other time you've run it).
You can never, EVER count on them running as you would your new 'daily driver' car. Steve's experience is that of anyone who ever owned one for any timeframe.
I'll never forget a 4th of July parade I had my Jeep in, I was by myself and without the guys in my group. I started out, got 100 yards and the thing just died. I had no clue what was going on, I pushed it aside, threw the hood open and just didn't see anything wrong. A random guy walked up, pointed out the center line from the distributor had somehow disconnected. I just didn't see it from that angle but he could. Easiest fix ever. I thanked him quickly, hopped in, fired it up, and passed everyone who had gone by to take my correct place in the parade!

 

[Pa12]

This is why I have my limits when it comes to keeping original on my old stuff. I want some dependability. My old Land Rover hasn’t let me down once in 13 years. I don’t believe this is normal for type

 

[Micawber]

This is why I have my limits when it comes to keeping original on my old stuff. I want some dependability. My old Land Rover hasn’t let me down once in 13 years. I don’t believe this is normal for type

Hmmm don't agree with your normal for type observation. Bear in mind the 200Tdi retro fitted to your Series has been obsolete for many years. Over more decades I care to remember I have had more old and new Land Rovers (various models) than you can shake a stick at. I still Co admin a long established and independent online forum dedicated to the marque with a membership in the tens of thousands, I therefore have a reasonable insight into the idiosyncrasies of the make.

 

[Pa12]

Hmmm don't agree with your normal for type observation. Bear in mind the 200Tdi retro fitted to your Series has been obsolete for many years. Over more decades I care to remember I have had more old and new Land Rovers (various models) than you can shake a stick at. I still Co admin a long established and independent online forum dedicated to the marque with a membership in the tens of thousands, I therefore have a reasonable insight into the idiosyncrasies of the make.

Interesting. They seem to be problematic over hear. Perhaps the cold and road salt. Mainly defenders as series are few and far between now .

 

[Micawber]

Interesting. They seem to be problematic over hear. Perhaps the cold and road salt. Mainly defenders as series are few and far between now .

All the 'Defenders' [more like pre Defender 90 & 110's] are going to be long in the tooth as well as they were not able to be legally imported for donkey's years

 

[Pa12]

All the 'Defenders' [more like pre Defender 90 & 110's] are going to be long in the tooth as well as they were not able to be legally imported for donkey's years

Yes. They’ve been importing them like crazy in recent years. To the point where a series is now more valuable then the defenders over here.

 

[Pa12]

I actually prefer the starkness of my series 2 , with the banjo steering wheel. All my life when I’ve thought Land Rover, it’s always been a 2 or 2a.

 

[Pa12]

Speak of the devil. Just went past my house on a flatbed

 

[Pa12]

What are the odds. Surprised if I see 2 Land Rovers in a year here. Better grab a lottery ticket.

 

[Micawber]

The 79 year old T-84 transmission in my '43 MB failed a few weeks ago but after a total main and transfer box rebuild she is now back on the road...

 

[Pa12]

The 79 year old T-84 transmission in my '43 MB failed a few weeks ago but after a total rebuild main and transfer box rebuild is now back on the road...

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79 years. Guess it didn’t owe you anything. Wish they could do that to us