1943 Ford GPW ‘Jeep’ – Project Profile

Military vehicles are cool, there’s no getting around that. Cars, trucks and motorcycles that have been built for a purpose and that have been built to be durable, tough and truly ‘go anywhere’. Our man Dale did a cracking article on military vehicles, which we would encourage you to go and read. They came in all shapes and sizes, which makes sense as you never know what the battlefield will throw at you. However, in civilian life, a big 6×6 truck isn’t ideal. Instead, if you want something with military kudos that you can use on the road without driving over entire villages, you need to go small. Say, a Jeep. Or, in this case a Ford GPW, which is a Jeep, but isn’t, but still sort of is.

The history of the Jeep is broad, and something that could easily be an article all on its own. Long story short, however, is that Bantam, Ford and Willys were all in contention to build a military vehicle for the U.S Army. The Bantam was good, but the company had no way of ever meeting the Army’s required volume. Ford went guns blazing (no pun intended) and built nearly 5,000 pre-production small off-roaders, but even so, the offering from Willys was the outright winner. However, in a strange twist, Willys also couldn’t meet the demand, and so Ford was brought in to build the same vehicle to Willys specifications. Ford did want to use its own engine, but the U.S Government declined, as it wanted parts to be interchangeable in the field. With all that in mind, not every Jeep of this era you see is a Willys. Some are Ford, and that’s what we have here.

What is it? 

What we have here is a 1943 Ford GPW. It looks like a Willys Jeep, it can share parts with a Willys Jeep, but it is not  Willys Jeep. As we touched on above, Willys simply couldn’t keep up with the orders from the Government, and so Ford was offered the opportunity to build it, too. Ford did want to use its own engine, but in doing so it would have made it a different vehicle, which would have posed huge logistical and supply chain issues when in the field. The GPW needed to be, bolt for bolt, the same as the Willys, and so it was. Ford paid no licence, nor did Willys make any money out of the deal. They both just built Jeeps and sold them to the Government. Troops loved it, lauding the Jeep for its ability go anywhere, and to also get out of danger quickly. Many would stay in service for decades, and the shape would become synonymous with all things military.

Why is it a project? 

This one is a bit… basic. There are three gauges, a steering wheel, some panels, a chassis, an engine and four wheels and that’s about your lot. There doesn’t look to be any wiring, there are no seats, nor any roof frame or any of the accessories you might associate with such a vehicle, like tools and fuel cans etc. It’s very, very basic. And that’s saying something, as the GPW wasn’t a complicated vehicle to begin with. It was the cheese sandwich of vehicles. This one, given how stripped down it is, is just bread.

But on good bread can be built a feast, or something. This GPW has come from Arizona, so it’s solid as a rock. The crucial parts are all there, too. So while it’s not got a lot, what it does have matters. This is the perfect blank canvas on which to build your dream Jeep. You could go full ‘in period’ military specification, you could build a trials car out of it, you could add some comfy seats and even make it a cool (fair weather) daily driver. The choice is yours. The name Jeep is said to come from GP, meaning general purpose. So lean into the notion of that, and build it how you see fit.

Five things to look for:

1) Rust 

According to the seller, this GPW has come from Arizona, and thus is a pretty rust-free example. That certainly looks to be the case, as the simplicity of it means we can see pretty much all of it in the pictures. However, check for any corrosion in tight areas, check the chassis and the floors and so on. It’s all simple to repair, but better to know what’s needed first.

2) Chassis

The GPW was built to be a hard working vehicle, and this means it may well have been bounced off the odd rock or tree. No problem, as the GPW was built to take it. However, you should still check the chassis for any obvious damage, any buckling and also check things like the hangars and areas where the body mounts to it.

3) Body 

The body of this GPW is a simple, pretty flat affair, and as such, it’s all easy to replace. The only problem is, a lot of the panels (and smaller parts) will be stamped as Ford, and that’s what buyers like to see. You don’t want to lose all of that in the act of restoring it. So make sure you can use as much of the body as possible.

4) Driveline

This GPW isn’t running, but there is an engine, transmission, transfer case and front and rear axles present. Check the condition of these. It’ll just be a visual inspection at this point, of course, but you’ll be able to check fittings and fixings, you’ll be able to see any leaks and you’ll be able to see any cracks or breaks in welds or castings.

5) Engine

The seller states this GPW has an MB engine fitted, and the numbers are period correct. They also state that the engine looks to have been wired up, so may well have been running in this chassis at some point. It’s not running now though, and given it’s so simple it will probably be a full-rebuild job, because ‘when in Rome’. But check what’s there, look for leaks and cracks, take an endoscope camera paired to your phone and have a look down the bores.

What should you do with it? 

On the one hand, it’s a Ford GPW version, and these are sought after in military vehicle circles. On the other hand, it’s a very tired example, so there is no pressure to return it back to original specification. If you did want to though, you’re in good hands. Parts are pleasingly common, as are highly knowledgeable specialists and owners groups. With a bit of effort, this could be wearing the spades, the jerry cans, the radio and so on that it would have had in period. It could be a really cool thing,