My GPW 204556
Rebuilding a legend
First Day
bringing home my jeep on May 18, 2008. She was found in Bendigo.
Jeeps for Australia
1943 Shipment of Jeeps lined up at the 4th Australian Ordnance Vehicle Park, AIF, Mount Gravatt, awaiting distribution to the Australian Army.
Repairs in the Field
Bougainville 1945. A Craftsman from 3rd Division, using a spray gun to recondition a jeep.
Reinforcements
Brisbane 1943, jeeps lined up at 4 Ordnance Vehicle Park, Brisbane, ready for issue to units.
Gallery
Each of the thumbnails link to a Gallery of photos. To return to this page, use the Back Button on your browser.
My GPW 204556
Purchasing a GPW
After a couple of months looking for a jeep that was roadworthy and a suitable candidate for a restoration, I heard of a project jeep that was located in Bendigo.
With the help of some members from VMVC, we traveled up to Bendigo and recovered the vehicle back to Melbourne. The Chassis was located in one shed, and the Tub in another. We loaded up all the parts we could find in the sheds and returned to Melbourne.
Holy Tub
I was fortunate to get the original tub, a ACM2, with my GPW. The tub was showing the normal wear and tear of an old girl.
It has some 'interesting" mods by the previous owner. The glove box and Firewall were cut to all the GPW to be converted from left to right hand drive.
Also, many of the standard holes in the body had been filled. The rear lights, Brake inspection hole, switches had all been welded over.
Windshield Frame
The tub did not come with a winsheild frame. I purchased the outer frame at Corowa Swap meet in 2009, and the second inner frame in 2010.
The photos in the gallery show the frames prior to repairs.
Speedo Restoration
The only instrument I received with this vehicle was the Stewart-Warner Speedo. Based on G503 data from Jeepdraw, I was fairly certain that the speedo was original to the vehicle.
The unit was restored by a wonderful craftsman, Laurent, who lives in France. We agreed to scope of work, and he undertook a conservative restoration of the speedo. The original face was maintained, the Needle repainted, internal parts checked and calibrated; and the case cleaned.
Chassis Assembly
The original chassis was in very good condition. The previous owner had taken the chassis to a Bendigo Trucker Repairer and had them straighten the chassis.
I had to replace the front bumper, the upper gussets, and a major repair to the rear pintle hook area.
Rifle Rack Repairs
My vehicle did not come with either the windscreen or Riflerack.
I purchased one from a Darcy Miller, the owner of MV Spares. The rack was in good condition, with just a small amount of rust on the base and a couple of layers of paint.
Other Galleries
These galleries are not from my vehicle, but they do provide extra resources for restorers and history buffs alike.
NOS GPW Engine
With over 600,000 jeeps manufactured during WW2, there is a wealth of data available to help the restorer. Yet, there are still arguements about what as 'correct' for a wartime jeep,
Having access to NOS parts, manuals and drawings are a major help. This gallery of photos are sourced from England, the motor was purchased by Tony Sudds.
Uncrating GPWs in Rockhampton, Queensland
Here is a great collection of wartime photos of GPWs being uncrated in Rockhampton, Queensland.
The photos are a great source of detail showing the vehicles, the tools used, and the people undertaking the work.