William, the President of the Tennessee Flat Fender Club, recently contacted me with some kind notes about my book. I told him I had been planning to do a post about the club, so he provided me some information.
Features Research Archives
Pima Air and Space Museum MBs in Tucson, Az
Jim forwarded me the following images he took of the MBs at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Az.
Jim writes, “The 390th Bomb Group Museum has a B-17 flying fortress on display, a long with a MB that has been restored and donated to the museum. It needs a fuel tank flush, new radiator hoses, and I bet a carb rebuild. I hope to assist them on this the next time I make it home. There is also a MB on display in another hanger that is part of a display dedicated to the Red Tails fighter group. I am sending a few pics of them. They have one of the largest aircraft display’s around!”
Here’s the 390th Bomb Group MB:
And this is the Red Tails fighter group MB:
James Breaks the Oil Line Fitting — Could use some suggestions . . .
Well, we all eventually arrive at one of these places where the unexpected happens, inevitably followed by the ‘what do I do now’ question. That’s where James is at and he needs a few suggestions. You might remember James from when I visited his father and him in Denver back in October.
“I was replacing the old inlet oil line into the engine (below the fuel pump). I was loosening the oil line that went into the 90 degree brass fitting oil line bracket (Walck4wd part number 384569) and accidently torqued the bracket. The fuel line came off, but the thread from the 90 degree brass fitting oil line bracket broke off inside the engine in the oil inlet. Great.. So, I bought an extractor from Sears and have been trying to extract the remaining thread left inside the oil inlet (below the fuel pump) with no luck. There is hardly any room to hammer the extractor into the block. So now here I am, stuck. Any idea how to remove the remaining thread? Thanks, James DeBartolomeis”
Here’s a pic:
“JEEP” means WILLYS Ads
Paul forwarded this. I have a variety of brochures & Ads, but not this one. The slogan “JEEP” means WILLYS is an interesting intellectual property strategy. Just another way to intertwine the two meanings.
Year? Mitsubishi Annapolis, MD **Status Unknown**
UPDATE: Status Unknown. Was $5700.
“I purchased this jeep 5 years ago in Washington State where I restored it and used it on mountain trails, hunting/fishing while based at Fairchild AFB near Spokane. After being transferred to Andrews AFB it’s spent most of its time in my garage, other than trips into town, etc. It has a very efficient low mileage (under 45,000 miles) 4DR6 2.7L diesel engine mated to an iron 4speed manual transmission and transfer case. The steering is right hand drive as is typical for these late model willy’s from Japan. It’s been well maintained but shows some wear for its age such as repairs in the soft top, worn seats, etc. I also have the driver, passenger, and rear doors that are included in the sale. About 3 years ago the windshield wiper motor stopped working, so I’ve relied on the back up manual wiper in its place. I don’t have the time to research a new wiper motor or have it rebuilt, which is why I’m letting my jeep go at such a low price… While doing some research on this vehicle I discovered through discussion boards that individuals are paying up to $14K for these jeeps by the time the import cost, taxes, and all other expenses are calculated. It’s never been driven in the rain/snow here in Maryland due to rust concerns. This jeep has proven extremely reliable to me and capable of anything I’ve put in its path, you won’t be dissapointed.
Since I’ve owned it I’ve addressed the following:
-New windshield
-5 new 8 ply tubeless tires
-resealed the front and rear axles
-replaced all of the brakes (11″ drum brakes)
-installed new rear driveshaft
-replaced driveline parking brake
-eliminated rust from rear fenders by removing old sheet metal and welding in new
-Water pump was rebuilt 1 month ago
-New fan/alternator belt last month
-replaced thermostat & hoses
-installed inline coolant block heater
-M38 speedometer (replaced old unit that was in kilometers per hr)
***note*** speedometer works great but odometer recently stopped working
-installed turn signal control (unit was missing when it arrived from Japan)
-new pintle hitch with 2″ ball
-new shovel, axe, & jerry can
-installed farm jack on front bumper
-new M38 mirrors
-installed passenger seat from a CJ-5 (seat was missing when it arrived from Japan)
-installed Warn Locking hubs for the Dana 30 front axle
-engine oil & filter have been changed every 3,000 miles or 6 months (which ever comes first)
****the engine is barely broke in at 45-50K miles, burns no oil, and there are absolutely no leaks from the engine or drivetrain components.Yea”
2012 Memorial Day Parade in Yakima, Wa …. Happy Memorial Day
I hope everyone is enjoying Memorial Day Parade. A big thanks to all the veterans out there and the ones that have passed. I shall make sure to give my vet an extra kiss tomorrow, after all, sacrifices must be made 🙂 !
Thanks to Tony for forwarding these pictures of the Memorial Day Parade in Yakima, Wa. Tony writes, ” The first M38 belongs to Randy Adams. The next 3 are mine and the M38 A1 aim driving. I am taking it to Dawson Creek and will be doing the Trail of 42 w/converto trailer.”
1962 FC-140 (?) Livermore, Ca eBay
Vince spotted this one. I’m not sure why this is called a FC-140, but it sure has seen some mods!
“1962 Jeep FC 140 351 Ford Cleveland engine, Automatic trans, Independent rear suspension with disc brakes. New Holley carb. HEI ignition. Front air bags, rear coil overs. Fuel cell, Hydraulic bed and touno cover. Unbelievable amount of power. This cars draws alot of attention. Alarm system. digital gauges, tach. Very rare Jeep. Electic Sun Roof. Power windows. any questions please call Perry at 925-455-6666 must sell while i still have a drivers license. Milage is unknown. I reserve the right to pull car out of auction at any time because car is advertised locally.”
Marx Surrey Jeep Langhorne, PA **SOLD**
UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $376
Steve spotted this one.
“For sale is a Louis Marx&co. Surrey Jeep battery operated with remote control. In great condition with original box(a bit beat up).”
Mark Smith’s Jeep Museum in Georgetown, Ca
I learned today that Mark Smith opened a museum a couple months back in Georgetown, Ca, at what I believe is the Jeep Jamboree Headquarters. At this point, it isn’t so much a museum as a collection of some rare jeeps, but they are nice looking jeeps. According to the Jamboree website, Mark organized the first Jeep Jamporee in 1954, traveling across the Sierra Nevada Mountains by way of the Rubicon Trail. It sounds like he is still going strong!
You can view all of them here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150857454023765.513239.143647533764&type=3
Play Jeep at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Illinois
If you visit the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Illinois, and have kids, make sure to stop by the Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum in the basement of the building. Here’s a pic of it form the State Journal-Register and a story, too.



























