No Restoration Needed – A 1944 Willys MB in Utah

I bought this Jeep in 1965. Four guys I worked with heard about a lot of 5 Jeeps that were being sold by the government at a location near us. They wanted a 5th guy to bid with them, I went in for $500. We got the bid, went to the location each with 5 gallons of gas and a 6-volt battery and drove the Jeeps home. During late 1960’s I worked for the Utah Highway Dept on the I-80 Interstate Highway across the famous Salt Flats. East of the salt is 32 miles of mud flats; the Jeep was the only vehicle light enough to carry our survey parties as we surveyed the alignment for I-80. 1969 I was sent to southeast Utah to survey the road into Hall Crossing Marina on Lake Powell. Again, the Jeep was used to carry the crew across the desert sand and rock to find the road alignment.
After I retired from UDOT I realized the Jeep looked a little rough from wear and tear. It needed new brakes and break cylinders which Kaiser Willys provided along with the hoses and fittings. While getting the jeep ready to repaint you could tell the previous colors were the original OD followed by gray, blue, green and an odd brown. Kaiser Willys provided the original OD Green Flat Drab paint as well as various decals. Windshield wipers and hood blocks, etc. were also needed from Kaiser Willys to complete the paint project. The top is original that came with the Jeep. The bumper numbers are from the National Guard unit and my position as First Sergeant when I retired from the guard. I use the Jeep in parades and all over the forest and desert trails in southeast Utah. My Kids and grandkids like to fight over who gets to drive it.

Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Hugh Kirkham

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