UPDATE: Part 2 has been published here.

Tom and his son are rebuilding an MB and video documenting their work. They’ve published the first of four parts. Here’s the story behind the jeep:

“My parents have a summer cottage in Northern Wisconsin. Our neighbors, who have passed away with the daughter living there now, had an old MB jeep. It was painted violet because at the time Janet’s dad asked her what color he should paint it as a little girl.

The jeep sat in her garage for years and each time we went to visit we tried to get her started. The mice had made it their home, eating all the electrical wires. The radiator leaked, brakes and clutch did not function and we realized we never had enough time to truly spend on getting her running whenever we visited. We asked for permission to bring her back to our garage in Wisconsin, fix her up and return her to Janet.

Janet’s dad served in WWII in the Army and I know he would be proud to see Janet driving his jeep today.”