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Disassembled the Black & Green Race Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

A couple days ago I took disassembled some of the black and green race jeep. The cage for the narrow body is tool small to be useful for me. So, I will bend my own cage, built for the yellow parkette body, and outboard the rear springs while I am at it. I will also swap out the current swing pedals for the ones on the yellow racer. Hopefully, I can get this project done by August, in time for Summer Convention. We will see….

Here is a comparison of the Parkette full-size body vs. the narrow body. The difference is enough to give a person more room at the feet (more room for gas, brake and clutch). The narrow body would probably work better for an auto transmission with just a gas pedal and brake (I prefer to have enough room to the left of the clutch to help brace myself.

The narrow body seems better built, perhaps a slightly thicker fiberglass job. The Parkette needs some reinforcement in my opinion (which I will do).

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Her’s the narrow body racer without the body. Thankfully, unlike the other racer, this cage was bolted, rather than welded, to the frame.

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Well, the seat support piece was welded to the rollcage and to the frame, but it was easy to cut. I will have a different setup for the seats. Note the broken driveline ‘safety’ loop, that wasn’t very safe. I have a much stronger one from the other chassis.

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Here is a trail run of Parkette body on the racer.

2022-06-02-race-jeep-2Besides the new roll cage and the rear springs being out-boarded, the side bar will need replacing (it was built for the narrower body). A new firewall needs to be built (it will be wider, thanks to the wider parkette body, than the current one). The steering wheel needs to be angled differently and will have a tilt column (my preference).

Thankfully, the power train can remain in tact, as will the front spring setup. So, that saves a bunch of work.

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More from the Willys Rally

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Bill Norris shared a few pics of his jeep following the trail ride. It looks like they found a little mud. He said they had a great time.

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Chris recorded a couple more videos. Many thanks to him for doing this!

You may need to tilt your phone or computer sideways to better see this video.  This group of drivers is heading out for a trail ride.

This group of drivers is heading out for a road excursion. This one you don’t have to tilt your head…

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Video From 2022 Willys Rally

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features, videos This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Thanks to Chris Rutherford for shooting this video showing Friday morning at the Willys Rally. In the video I saw a few familiar folks, including Cowboy near his Jeep truck and Russ’ wagon, along with Barney manning his parts booth.

For some reason, when Chris spins the camera part way through, the video doesn’t spin, so some of the video you have to tilt your head to see. No matter, the effort is greatly appreciated!

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1943 Letter From Soldier Run Over by Jeep on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Documents, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This letter, written by PFC Carl W. Eklund in 1943, describes how he was lying under a plane, trying to get some rare rest, when a jeep ran over his legs just above the knees. The injuries weren’t very severe and he felt he’d be recovered after a few days of rest.

Carl went on to serve as an aircraft mechanic in North Africa, then in Italy. In 1945, he received an honorable discharge and returned to Texas. Unfortunately, his brother Rudolph, who was captured in Java in 1942, died in Burma in 1944 while still in captivity.

Carl was living in Kenedy, Texas, as of 1969. I could find no updates about him after that.

View all the information on eBay

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Short Dualmatic Hub Video on FB

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Brian shared this video. I don’t have away to embed it here, so you’ll have to view it on FB. The narrator notes that the jeep has been sitting since 1994, but it only required a little oil to make them work again. The narrator concludes that because of this the design was a good one.

My only caveat on that compliment is that near the end there’s a closeup that shows how bent one of the arms is. For better or worse, the bending of the levers has been one of the weak spots of these of this design.

https://www.facebook.com/17841402371748118/videos/1430888580667593/?fs=e&s=m

Closeup of bent lever:

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