Norman D. Landing

[Johan Willaert]

Owner's description and more photos

 

Serial Number GPW258913, Date of Delivery 3-16-1945, U.S.A. Registration Number USA 20725066 S

This Jeep was in storage until May of 1945 when it was surplussed by the War Asset Commission with only 30 miles in new condition. It spent its working life in the trucking business in south west Pennsylvania. It was stored indoors and was used for hunting and to plow snow. The original owner died in 1998 and sold it with his estate. At that time, the odometer only showed 05817 miles. It still had its original Goodyear tires. (As many of you know, this was the contract in which Jeeps were delivered with no spare tire due to the rubber shortage at the time.) The spare is not matching but is still the same vintage. The Jeep still has the original paint, canvas seats, and crash pads. War Assets Commission and the date it was surplussed are both still stenciled on the cowl. The U.S. registration numbers are visible as well, in blue drab on the side of the hood. The original lube chart can be found under the hood. Since the previous owner installed a push bumper with a snow plow lift arm, the front bumper and upper bumper gussets were replaced. There is also three holes in the center of the floor for a snow plow lift (hand pump), two for the mounting pump and one for the hydraulic line. There is some very minor floor rust by the gas pedal, inside the glove box and under the seat, which can be seen in the photos. The GPW now shows 05958 miles on the odometer. Some other items that are included are the door curtains, windshield cover, tool bag with some original tools and top. It runs and sounds like a fine Jeep with 6,000 miles on it!

The Ford GPW has been shown at the Hershey AACA fall meets since 1999 and has the AACA H.P.O.F. (Historical Preservation Original Features) award. It is truly on of the rarest and untouched original Jeep out there today! This is a must have for the serious Jeep or Ford collector or museum.

 

 

[everforward]

7 minutes ago, Johan Willaert said:

That is Frank Buck's original unrestored Ford GPW 258913, delivered on 16th March 1945.
Absolutely lovely example and also featured in the new MVPA published GPW Restoration Standards...

While it is not uncommon to find a Willys type radiator on a 1945 GPW, it seems it was a postwar replacement on this particular Jeep.
I've seen it a couple of times and the sticker hasn't always been on the windshield.

Here are more photos...

 

 

Johan, this is the same Jeep that I took pics of. How cool is that..!! This show was held out the Buck's farm.

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

6 minutes ago, everforward said:

 

 

Johan, this is the same Jeep that I took pics of. How cool is that..!!

 

 

 

Yes, I'd recognise it anywhere.... Have studied it in detail to get the details right on a friend's 45 GPW...

[Johan Willaert]

11 minutes ago, Johan Willaert said:

That is Frank Buck's original unrestored Ford GPW 258913, delivered on 16th March 1945.
Absolutely lovely example and also featured in the new MVPA published GPW Restoration Standards...

 

A must-have for the GPW restorer....
Order from https://www.mvpahistoricalarchives.org/books-other-than-manuals/ford-gpw-restoration-standards-1942-to-1945

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

12 minutes ago, Johan Willaert said:

 

Yes, I'd recognise it anywhere.... Have studied it in detail to get the details right on a friend's 45 GPW...

 

Here it is, all matching numbers 31st May 1945 GPW270404 with the original hood number...
This one has the deep mud exhaust in the rear and no fuel filter on the firewall....
Restored to perfection!!!

 

 

 

[Dogsbody]

9 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

And back to the museum visit . . . . . . 

 

I love the blue & white enamelled road signs and always check out flea markets for examples  ( the museum has about five examples )

I believe the museum is a private collection displayed there. The replica P-47 used to be stood outdoors to represent the American use of the 

A-10 advanced landing ground post D-Day, it sits well indoors now as a crash landing.

 

.

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 25  2022.

 

...

 

That loaf of bread in the second picture looks like it's on fire 😮

[General Apathy]

32 minutes ago, Johan Willaert said:

That is Frank Buck's original unrestored Ford GPW 258913, delivered on 16th March 1945.
Absolutely lovely example and also featured in the new MVPA published GPW Restoration Standards...

While it is not uncommon to find a Willys type radiator on a 1945 GPW, it seems it was a postwar replacement on this particular Jeep.
I've seen it a couple of times and the sticker hasn't always been on the windshield.

Here are more photos...

.

Hi Johan,

 

thanks for all the additional images you posted, I always like to see engine shots on any Jeep ( quite off-putting when people advertise a Jeep for sale and only ever show exterior body shots and no engine bay shots )

 

Anyway did you look through the screen on the image ' everforward ' posted, there's a 29th division GMC Clubmobile in the background.

 

.

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 25  2022.

 

...

 

 

[Johan Willaert]

6 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

Anyway did you look through the screen on the image ' everforward ' posted, there's a 29th division GMC Clubmobile in the background.

 

 

 

Yep, here's a full shot of it..

[General Apathy]

.

and back to the museum again . . . . . . 

 

.

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 25  2022.

 

...

 

[General Apathy]

.

More museum . . . . . .  including one of their more recent items a German Enigma machine

 

.

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 26  2022.

 

...

 

[General Apathy]

On 7/21/2022 at 2:25 PM, manayunkman said:

Are there other pictures of the dioramas?

.

Hi Peter,

 

we went to the museum on Sunday and the advertised re-enactor camps didn't really appear, there were several large tents erected but a distinct lack of personnel around them, sorry to say I didn't get any diorama shots, just the indoor museum shots.  

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 26  2022.

 

...

 

[manayunkman]

4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Peter,

 

we went to the museum on Sunday and the advertised re-enactor camps didn't really appear, there were several large tents erected but a distinct lack of personnel around them, sorry to say I didn't get any diorama shots, just the indoor museum shots.  

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 26  2022.

 

...

 

Ken, I certainly appreciate the photos you’ve posted.

 

[cutiger83]

On 7/25/2022 at 4:29 AM, General Apathy said:

.

Victory Museum visit yesterday . . . .

 

there was a military vehicle open day at the museum yesterday so a couple of us took our vehicles along and also went into the museum. Currently there is a temporary exhibit on loan there, a rare example of a German amphibious car potentially only four or five known survivors. 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 25  2022.

 

...

 

Ken,

 

This is very interesting. I have never seen one of these. Thanks for posting!

 

...Kat

[General Apathy]

7 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Ken, I certainly appreciate the photos you’ve posted.

 

 

6 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

This is very interesting. I have never seen one of these. Thanks for posting!

 

...Kat

.

Hi Peter & Kat,

 

thanks for commenting that you are enjoying the museum display, here is a display of sports equipment, and the Wrigleys chewing gum box is phenomenal with it having color to the outside, great advertising.  Also a hand-made child's wooden articulated truck, this is a rarity can't recall seeing any articulated made ones before.

 

. 

 

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 26  2022.

 

...

 

[manayunkman]

That truck is awesome.

 

I just got home from rooting out a basement which is no small feat at my age.

 

Bought a small load of Halloween things from the 50s and 60s amongst other things.

[manayunkman]

Voila 

[General Apathy]

9 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Voila 

.

Hi Peter,   

 

Just in time to get them sold for October . . . . . and more wedge in your sky-rocket . . . . . . . . .

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

 

[General Apathy]

.

more from the museum, a few images of recovered items . . . . . . 

 

.

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

 

[General Apathy]

On 7/25/2022 at 9:09 PM, Johan Willaert said:

Owner's description and more photos

 

Serial Number GPW258913, Date of Delivery 3-16-1945, U.S.A. Registration Number USA 20725066 S

This Jeep was in storage until May of 1945 when it was surplussed by the War Asset Commission with only 30 miles in new condition. It spent its working life in the trucking business in south west Pennsylvania. It was stored indoors and was used for hunting and to plow snow. The original owner died in 1998 and sold it with his estate. At that time, the odometer only showed 05817 miles. It still had its original Goodyear tires. (As many of you know, this was the contract in which Jeeps were delivered with no spare tire due to the rubber shortage at the time.) The spare is not matching but is still the same vintage. The Jeep still has the original paint, canvas seats, and crash pads. War Assets Commission and the date it was surplussed are both still stenciled on the cowl. The U.S. registration numbers are visible as well, in blue drab on the side of the hood. The original lube chart can be found under the hood. Since the previous owner installed a push bumper with a snow plow lift arm, the front bumper and upper bumper gussets were replaced. There is also three holes in the center of the floor for a snow plow lift (hand pump), two for the mounting pump and one for the hydraulic line. There is some very minor floor rust by the gas pedal, inside the glove box and under the seat, which can be seen in the photos. The GPW now shows 05958 miles on the odometer. Some other items that are included are the door curtains, windshield cover, tool bag with some original tools and top. It runs and sounds like a fine Jeep with 6,000 miles on it!

The Ford GPW has been shown at the Hershey AACA fall meets since 1999 and has the AACA H.P.O.F. (Historical Preservation Original Features) award. It is truly on of the rarest and untouched original Jeep out there today! This is a must have for the serious Jeep or Ford collector or museum.

 

 

.

Hi Johan

 

Here's a message I received from a UK Jeeping friend . . . . . . 

 

Hello Ken,

              I have seen this Jeep "in the flesh" so to speak. It was in 1997-99 i think, at the big AACA antique

car show in Hershey PA. I spoke with owner Frank Buck a well known Jeep collector from New Jersey. He told

me he had bought it from a guy who had owned it since coming out of the army at end of WW2. Original owner was

given a certificate to take to the local army depot, upon depositing the certificate in the office he was taken to a

compound and was told to go and pick himself a Jeep, which he did and used it on his farm for a couple of years

until getting something larger. The Jeep was then parked in the barn until Frank bought it in the nineties.

              

I have several photos of it ---- somewhere!. I will have to trawl through several 1000 pics and try and find 

them. It looks to be in exactly the same condition as when I saw it. he also had another totally original Jeep on his stand.

Better than this one. He also had an original crated engine on display, all original. He was selling Jeep parts from his stand 

I recall. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

 

[manayunkman]

2 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Peter,   

 

Just in time to get them sold for October . . . . . and more wedge in your sky-rocket . . . . . . . . .

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

 

Headed to the flea market this weekend for sure.

 

More wedge in your sky-rocket, never heard that before.

[cutiger83]

6 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Johan

 

Here's a message I received from a UK Jeeping friend . . . . . . 

 

Hello Ken,

              I have seen this Jeep "in the flesh" so to speak. It was in 1997-99 i think, at the big AACA antique

car show in Hershey PA. I spoke with owner Frank Buck a well known Jeep collector from New Jersey. He told

me he had bought it from a guy who had owned it since coming out of the army at end of WW2. Original owner was

given a certificate to take to the local army depot, upon depositing the certificate in the office he was taken to a

compound and was told to go and pick himself a Jeep, which he did and used it on his farm for a couple of years

until getting something larger. The Jeep was then parked in the barn until Frank bought it in the nineties.

              

I have several photos of it ---- somewhere!. I will have to trawl through several 1000 pics and try and find 

them. It looks to be in exactly the same condition as when I saw it. he also had another totally original Jeep on his stand.

Better than this one. He also had an original crated engine on display, all original. He was selling Jeep parts from his stand 

I recall. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

 

Ken and Johan,

 

I have a question for both of you.  I understand completely about the awe of an untouched WWII jeep.  However, all of the rust would greatly worry me.  Does anything need to be done to prevent further rust damage before it is too late? I saw a lot of rust but maybe it is not as bad as my eyes see in the pictures. 

 

...Kat

[General Apathy]

3 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken and Johan,

 

I have a question for both of you.  I understand completely about the awe of an untouched WWII jeep.  However, all of the rust would greatly worry me.  Does anything need to be done to prevent further rust damage before it is too late? I saw a lot of rust but maybe it is not as bad as my eyes see in the pictures. 

 

...Kat

.

Hi Kat,

 

Johan could well answer this question better than I as I believe he's actually seen it.  I suppose that one would expect a Jeep with just 6,000 miles on the clock to have been in a better condition, however for the first owner it was a working vehicle on his farm and would possibly be treated as accordingly.  It wasn't until the late sixties that Jeeps began to become a cult status, the present owner obviously no-longer works it and probably never takes it out or leaves it outside in the rain. 

 

The look and condition is subjective to each owners wishes, some like them looking factory fresh, and most are like that (some maybe even more so than factory fresh ), others like myself like some appearance of a used vehicle and not a trailer queen taken to shows. 

 

Almost any condition of Jeep can be recovered with expert welding and replacement of rotten parts, or these days just about any part of a Jeep is now available as a reproduction, ( there would be many fewer Jeeps in collectors hands or on the road without all the parts that the post-war Hotchkiss company produced in France for the post-war French army )

 

Many years ago an author on Jeeps Ray Cowdry offered a substantial reward for anyone to come forward and bust the myth of there still being a crated Jeep somewhere in the world, I believe no-one ever collected that reward.  Obviously it's the ultimate dream to find a crated Willys or Ford example, in doing that it could be reasonably assured that no parts have ever been exchanged or repaired as the army was want to do when they had Jeeps rebuilt at repair facilities.

 

A UK Jeep owner I know of has posted on line that his Jeep started life as a Ford GPW but was so badly damaged in 1944 that during the rebuild his numbered GPW chassis was rebuilt using a Willys chassis of an entirely different number.  This amuses me a lot as the GPW chassis number he gives is the exact chassis number of the one that I own and drive, which has matching engine number to the chassis  !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So that's my take on Jeep ownership, I could probably write more but I don't have ten years left tonight it's already 20h32.

 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

[General Apathy]

On 7/26/2022 at 3:27 PM, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

This is very interesting. I have never seen one of these. Thanks for posting!

 

...Kat

.

Hi Kat,

 

There is plenty on line about Bletchley Park where the Enigma codes were broken, take a look at this overview on Wikipedia . . . . . 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bletchley_Park

 

Here's a two minute taster for the film about Bletchley Park called ' The Imitation Game ' starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turin the leading code breaker at Bletchley Park.  I have met many of the veterans that served at Bletchley Park most went to their graves never revealing the secrets that they dealt with there. 

 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  July 27  2022.

 

...

 

[mikie]

9 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Headed to the flea market this weekend for sure.

 

More wedge in your sky-rocket, never heard that before.

Just to add fuel to your flea market fire, here is my latest discovery at my local one a couple of weeks ago.  If I'm not very much mistaken, its a BAR oil can.  There are no markings on it anywhere that I can see.  Sadly, there is almost nothing about these online. So no idea if it is from 1918 or 1968, or even if it's US.

Good luck on finding some good fleas at the market!  

Mikie   

[General Apathy]

35 minutes ago, mikie said:

Just to add fuel to your flea market fire, here is my latest discovery at my local one a couple of weeks ago.  If I'm not very much mistaken, its a BAR oil can.  There are no markings on it anywhere that I can see.  Sadly, there is almost nothing about these online. So no idea if it is from 1918 or 1968, or even if it's US.

Good luck on finding some good fleas at the market!  

Mikie   

.

Hi Mikie,

 

here's the company with a lot of parts for the Browning Machine Guns, they show an unpainted can like yours under the 1918 section . . . . .