~ Sent to us by Robert Notman, check out his website at 42fordgpw.com
I’ve owned “Frankie” since about 1981. 12 Volt. CJ 4-134 L with a Ford head! New Kaiser Willys manifold/exhaust. Has had a Warn overdrive since 1983. The body is a Filipino replica from about 1981. I added a roll bar in 2018. I’ve towed the Jeep all over the US while I was in the USAF. We were stationed in North Dakota and drove it in the winters while there. But even more fun was driving the GPW at -45F in the North Pole, Alaska (it’s near Fairbanks, AK). It was a bit scary but a lot of fun driving at that temperature. There’s a lot of ice fog and you can’t see six feet in front of you. So if you see tail lights you have likely hit someone!
I rebuilt the engine during the winter while I was stationed in Alaska. Kerosene stove to keep me warm enough to work on it. What a blast. When I was stationed at Tyndall AFB, FL, I drove the GPW to work almost every day. Now that I’ve retired from the AF and live in Tallahassee, I don’t drive it so much as these civilian drivers are crazy! However, I have found a more or less back way to work where the traffic is a wee bit more tame.
Willys Jeep Life Story – Robert Notman
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Noticed you had somethings on “Frankie” that caught my eye. Looks like you had some kind of a “deftoster system on each side of your windshield. Does it have a name? Where I might get some for my CJ3-A? Living in E. Washington we could sure use them in the winter. Please contact me at my e-mail – dartmouth@nwi.net. Thanks – Bob – Wenatchee, WA
Noticed you had somethings on “Frankie” that caught my eye. Looks like you had some kind of a “deftoster system on each side of your windshield. Does it have a name? Where I might get some for my CJ3-A? Living in E. Washington we could sure use them in the winter. Please contact me at my e-mail – dartmouth@nwi.net. Thanks – Bob – Wenatchee, WA
Frankie is a fine looking vehicle, nice to see it is/was a daily driver!
Well done, happy retirement and thank you for your service!
Frankie is a fine looking vehicle, nice to see it is/was a daily driver!
Well done, happy retirement and thank you for your service!
First of all “Thank you for your service” ! What a nice jeep! Glad you added turn signals!
The Bustle Basket’s is also a great looking accessory! May you have many great years of
fun with your beautiful jeep! God Bless! Dave in New London,Ohio
First of all “Thank you for your service” ! What a nice jeep! Glad you added turn signals!
The Bustle Basket’s is also a great looking accessory! May you have many great years of
fun with your beautiful jeep! God Bless! Dave in New London,Ohio
Great looking Jeep, my son Ben and I rebuild his1962 CJ-5. We are just up the road in Thomasville!
Great looking Jeep, my son Ben and I rebuild his1962 CJ-5. We are just up the road in Thomasville!
Great looking rig. I had a question on the towing. Did you do anything special to it to handle all the towing. We just set up our ’61 cj6 for flat towing, but have had a lot of people say different things about drive lines, speed or simply don’t do it.
Great looking rig. I had a question on the towing. Did you do anything special to it to handle all the towing. We just set up our ’61 cj6 for flat towing, but have had a lot of people say different things about drive lines, speed or simply don’t do it.
Bill W, I never towed this vehicle. The tow bar was a WW2 innovation to allow two jeeps to tow a heavier field piece. Something like a 105mm gun instead of the original 37mm anti-tank gun.
Bob P, Yes! Those were defrosters. In WW2 this was a part of the winterization kit, available in 6 or 12 volt, depending on the vehicle application. I used those in the winter when I was stationed in Alaska. Driving at -40F actual was quite a treat. Ice fog was even more of a treat. No idea where you can get those today. Try around the various jeep surplus dealers. Back in the day in the late 80s. These were only $30 a pop. Last time I saw them, they were a lot more than that. Good luck!
Bill W, I never towed this vehicle. The tow bar was a WW2 innovation to allow two jeeps to tow a heavier field piece. Something like a 105mm gun instead of the original 37mm anti-tank gun.
Bob P, Yes! Those were defrosters. In WW2 this was a part of the winterization kit, available in 6 or 12 volt, depending on the vehicle application. I used those in the winter when I was stationed in Alaska. Driving at -40F actual was quite a treat. Ice fog was even more of a treat. No idea where you can get those today. Try around the various jeep surplus dealers. Back in the day in the late 80s. These were only $30 a pop. Last time I saw them, they were a lot more than that. Good luck!