Paul’s made some progress on his Willys. You can read past posts about his jeep, Knardly Rolls, here: http://www.ewillys.com/tag/paul-m38/

Paul writes, I’m using thin poster board to make patterns for the interior panels on the Willys. Since the reinforcing structure for the top and doors will be visible from the inside and not covered by upholstery I’ve had to make 33 individual paper patterns so far. After adjusting the fit of these patterns I’ll transfer their measurements to 3/4 inch thick high density foam and then it’s time for the upholstery wizards to work their magic. Fourteen yards of fabric are on order so that should be enough to cover everything but the floor. All of the top and side wall panels will be covered with a silver gray fabric and this same fabric will be used on the seats with the exception of blue insert panels covering the center of the seats. That’s the plan right now. I still need to buy some thick upholstery foam so I can begin cutting out the padding for the seats but I wanted to finish with the patterns first.

More pattern pictures. To have enough room to make the patterns and install the upholstery pieces it was necessary to remove the fuel tanks and both front seats. The more work I can do myself the lower the cost will be to get the upholstery done so I don’t mind constantly climbing into and out of the Willys all day long. Things would be a lot easier if the Jeep was just a little bit bigger or I was just a little bit smaller. Oh well, I guess I need to call a Waaaaaaaaaambulance. Paul

Paul gives an update on his jeep build. (View past posts by Paul here)

“I’ve been making some progress on the Willys this winter but my wallet can’t keep up with my plans so I’ve had to scale my work back to consist of lower cost but necessary tasks which must be done but aren’t the flashy jobs that get noticed. One of these simple items was fabricating a license plate mount on the front bumper. I didn’t want to mount the plate on the grille where it would restrict the airflow heading toward the radiator and attaching the plate right above the bumper could restrict the visibility of the front turn signals. Hanging the plate below the front bumper would expose the plate to damage by snow piles and make it more difficult to see so I ended up mounting the plate on the center of the front bumper with some 1/8th inch thick angle stainless providing the needed support. These angle sections were cut so they were slightly wider and taller than the plate, the edges were filed and contoured to match the plate and riveted to a 16 gauge stainless sheet which fits just behind the license plate for added support.”

“With these parts together I riveted this assembly to the upper and lower surfaces of the front bumper. All rivets were flush head style which not only look smoother but prevent interference with the mounting of the license plate. The attach hardware for the license plate ended up being too close to the bumper structure so I had to hand file four openings in the bend radius of the reinforcing angles to allow clearance for the washers and nuts. The license plate mount is pretty sturdy and doesn’t restrict airflow or visibility so I like it. I’ve attached pictures of this mod so you can make sense of what I’m talking about.

By the way, the license Rolls is an old joke which began in either late 1972 or 1973. With the original four cylinder engine and the 5.38 axle ratios this poor Willys was slow. I drove many miles down the shoulder of the roads while faster vehicles (furniture vans, garbage trucks and kids on bicycles) zoomed past me. Naturally, my friends seemed to notice how slow my Jeep was and were often surprised to see a speedometer in the gauge cluster. They thought since the Willys was so slow I’d use a calender to measure my driving speed. Somehow the general opinion came to believe this Jeep was not built by WillysOverland but by a company called Rolls Knardly because the Jeep Rolls down one hill and Knardly make it up the next one. The name stuck and I paid extra to have Rolls as a personalized license plate much to the enjoyment of my friends. I still have the plate and someday I hope to have the all new and improved Rolls Knardly back on the Alaskan roads, I might even try to pass someone!”

Paul wrote to share his experience unwrapping some old parts as he continues his M-38 rebuild.

Paul wrote, “One of the first jobs on my Willys rebuild list from many years ago was to overhaul the axles. Naturally all bearings and races were replaced with new, new ring and pinion gears with 4.27 ratios were installed along with a complete set of 11 inch backing plates and brake drums. Well, sometime during the past 25 or so years the new steering knuckle seals failed due to old age. Geeze, I haven’t even driven this thing yet and now I’m having to replace the replacement parts which are still new but old.

Oh well, it was time to go shopping once again. I was able to purchase a set of heavy duty steering knuckle seals from the local parts store (that can even be rebuilt when necessary) in addition to an extra set of replacement rubber seals for future use. Today I installed one seal kit on the left front knuckle with no problems, everything fit like factory, nothing was missing and the quality was perfect but that’s just what I’d expected. You should understand that these steering knuckle seal kits were packed by Willys Overland Motors for military use in May of 1952. The package had never been opened and all the parts were still coated with a preservative grease like coating, which required lots of paper towels to remove.

I can’t imagine whoever packed these parts so long ago had any idea that 60 years into the future some guy in Alaska would need these parts for his M-38 but I’m sure pleased the packer did such a good job protecting these seal kits. I took pictures of each step as I opened the package and the final photo shows the clean, new parts visible for the first time in over 60 years.”

Paul’s been eagerly awaiting the completion of his frame’s powder coating.  I told him that it was too pretty to put under the jeep.  Instead, he ought to hand it in the house.  No response to that idea so far . . .

Paul writes, “Early this morning (to retired folks it seemed real early) I traded a fist full of cash to a local businessman and in return I received a beautiful black powdercoated Willys frame fresh from the curing oven complete with that new frame smell. Quickly hauling it home I positioned the frame inside the connex slightly ahead of the body while leaving enough room to safely install the springs and axles. I needed to somehow support the frame high enough to allow the axles to fit underneath while not damaging the new coating and still allow the frame to be easily raised and lowered. Did I mention this proposed support structure had to be cheap?

While the connex is incredibly strong the metal roof is way weaker than the weight of the snow we receive during a normal winter so years ago (to prevent the roof from collapsing) I reinforced the roof structure with full length headers bolted to the connex sides and 2X4 doublers positioned right below the original roof bows. With all this structure just waiting for me to use I attached the ends of four ratchet straps to the headers and hooked the opposite ends to the Willys frame. By adjusting the tension of the straps I was able to position the frame level and at the height necessary for clearance of the wheel and axle combination. I normally carry four ratchet straps in the truck (you never know when you’ll run across something that’s just too good to pass up so I’m ready to load it up, cinch it down and head for home at a high rate of speed before anyone changes their mind) they were quickly removed and became the Poor Folk Deluxe Adjustable Lift. This worked GREAT! Total cost…nothing!”

Paul sent this to my inbox today. A couple days ago he removed his stainless steel body from his frame so he can complete the work on his frame.  It’s a good thing he listened to his intuition!

“I spent a few hours yesterday in the connex cleaning up my mess and double checking the security of the Willys body resting on the 2X4 support framework.  For the most part I felt the body was safely held three feet above the floor but my mind kept coming back to the thought “Would it stay in position during an earthquake?”  Since it’s much faster and easier to add additional support structure than it is to repair damaged stainless body panels I fitted eight more bracing legs to the existing body holder.  I really didn’t think any additional strength was necessary but I’d sleep easier with this bit of overkill engineering and the cost in time and money was negligible.  

While taking a shower this morning I was surprised when the house started rocking back and forth as several sharp jolts announced the arrival of an earthquake.  The quake was a small one, only about 4.6 but it was close to Anchorage (about ten miles away) and it was over quickly.  After getting dressed I hurried to the connex, opened the door and viewed a beautiful sight. The Willys body was safely resting on the framework undamaged and perfectly aligned on the supports.  

I realize rebuilding Jeeps can be an experience in frustration when money and time conflict with dreams but I really could do without adding earthquakes into the mix.  I’m slow enough as it is, I don’t need Mother Nature increasing my heart rate with exciting special effects.  On the other hand I’m happy the Willys is safe, the body support held and I don’t have to repair any damaged body panels.  Now all I have to do is to hurry to get the frame work accomplished and reattach the body to the chassis before anymore earthquakes visit my workspace.”

Paul made good progress recently with the radiator installation.  I’ll let him explain …

Paul writes, “During the past few days I’ve been busy scrounging metal, making parts and playing with the welder but the end result is the Willys has an M 151 radiator installed along with a V type firewall to radiator brace and a hood hold open rod.  I also picked up my new radiator from the local military surplus yard in addition to a used shroud and the necessary lower mounts.  The new radiator will reside safely in the house until it’s time to be installed after I quit taking things apart for modifications and redesigns but the size of this radiator is just about perfect for the room available under the hood.  I’ll have to spend some time at the local autoparts store mixing and matching coolant hoses before the engine is plumbed to the radiator and I also have to go shopping for a low profile electric fan (a puller is what I’m hunting for) but both of these tasks can be solved with reasonable amounts of money so I’m feeling pretty good with my progress so far. ”

If you haven’t yet read about Pauls M-38 project, go to installment 1 and installment 2.

Paul, take it away …

Paul Bierman again with a few more pictures of the never ending Willys project.  I didn’t want a rear seat (Who can fit back there anyway?) so I fabricated a storage box which spans between the rear wheel wells and is divided into two sections.  The half behind the passengers seat is the new battery location along with the circuit breaker panel, the master relay and circuit breaker and most of the switch relays.  The half behind the driver’s side is the home of a now vintage (but it’s still brand new, I bought it quite a while ago) ten disc cd changer with some room left over for an out of view storage compartment.  I’ve replaced just about all of the wiring with new (there’s some original wiring on the gas heater still but I’ll get to that sometime) with some fancy pants, super flexible cold weather wiring which stays flexible down to 55 below zero F.  Boy, doesn’t that just make you feel dandy.  If it’s that cold I’ll wait till spring, besides I try to draw the line on outside work when the temperature drops past 40 below zero F, nothing’s worse than having to take a leak when you’re wearing multiple layers of clothing eight inches thick and Little Mr. Wizzard shrunk up to an inch and a half.  No matter what you do you know at least one of your boots is going to get wet.

Moving the instrument panel above the windshield caused still more problems but the most annoying one was how I could get all the wires from the gauges down to the main body without my work looking like crap.  I was at work thinking this over (Ok, I was in the bathroom but I do my deepest thinking sitting down) when I happened to glance over at the wall and saw a beautiful stainless steel handle just the right size with curved ends, satin finished and everything!   Problem solved, until I mentioned this great solution to my boss and his exact response was, “Touch it and die.”  Geeze, guess I’ll have to spend my own money and purchase some handicap grab handles.  The local home supply store had quite a selection of stainless handles but I ran into a problem with an over enthusiastic clerk wanting to help me with my bathroom remodel.  He’d never heard of a 52 Willys bathroom renovation.  The handles worked out great, you can see them on the pictures of the windshield/instrument panel photos by the door posts.

Winter was late getting here (I love global warming!) but I have lots of cold dark days ahead of me so the Willys will get a great deal of attention before this latest batch of snow melts.  Next week I’ll have the side and rear window glass cut and then I’ll have to make patterns for the door window glass and they’ll be ordered when my wallet says it’s ok.

PS …  I’ve really enjoyed the comments left by fellow Willys wackos, the concern about welding above the jerry can was nice but the can had never been used and I threw it out after I’d made the gas can mount.  If I was to worry about welding safety I should have thought about the beef and bean burrito (with cheese and onions on top) I’d eaten for lunch, not so much for the flamability aspect (the poor garage just isn’t that tightly sealed) but the thrust developed after lunch could have blown me off those fancy bucket workstands!

If you didn’t see the first round of pics, go here.  These are a second round of pics that Paul generously provided. Thanks again Paul and great work!

No stories with these pics, just eye candy 🙂

Here’s the steering:

Click on the link below to see more pics …..

Continue reading →

UPDATE: See the second round of pics here

A reader named Paul contacted me today.  He mentioned he was working on a stainless jeep.  Would I like to see some pictures?

By now you know my response … of course I would!  Well,  was I in for a treat.  Paul has got that unique combination of patience, welding talents, and ingenuity (check out his shifter knobs made from $5 stainless cups from a chinese restaurant).  He also seems to be a victim of the dreaded Willys sickness, which seems to coincide and peak with the dark Alaskan Winters.  So, for the last 23 years, Paul has been treating his Willys sickness by following the beat of his own drum as he rebuilds his (and his father’s) 1952 M-38.  Here’s his story and pics (Thanks for sharing Paul!):

My father bought an all original 1952 Willys M 38 in 1964 from a local guy here in Anchorage who purchased three Jeeps as military surplus.  The M 38 my father bought came with a full aluminum top and doors (commonly but incorrectly called an Arctic Top), a 20,000 btu Southwind heater with all the heating ducts, a built in gas fired engine and battery heater, and a 24 volt waterproof electrical system all coated with numerous layers of olive drab paint.  This was my dads everyday driver for eight years until it was finally replaced by a new pickup truck in 1972 and the Willys passed into my ownership for the sum of ONE dollar.  I got screwed on this deal, here it is 37 years later and I’m still dumping money into this never ending project.  Boy, if you want to really mess with a kid give him a Jeep and he’ll be twisted for the rest of his life!

I drove the Jeep off and on (it broke alot and money was tight) until fall of 1985 when just about everything broke, quit working or caught fire but it did get me home one last time.  It was decision time, should I scrap it or perform a rebuild to end all rebuilds?   January 1st, 1986 was the day I decided to rebuild the Willys and make some much needed modifications so I could keep up with traffic and even have brakes that worked.  Geeze, this thing was so slow (5.38 axle gears and an anemic flathead engine) bus loads of Nuns were giving me the finger.  Everywhere I went it looked like I was leading a parade and I couldn’t take back roads because there aren’t any.  We’re lucky to have the limited road system right now and there are no extra roads planned in the future.

I’d been drooling over Acme Truck Parts advertisements showing Stainless Steel Jeep bodies (I still have the magazine) so I ordered the complete body (tub, windshield, front fenders, grille, tailgate and floorboards) for the gigantic sum of $5,000 dollars paid upfront.  Lots of delays, problems and denials later the body finally arrived along with a new steel frame for $500 bucks plus shipping.  To condense this story down I spent the first five years rebuilding the body so the parts would fit before I modified the windshield to a vertical mount to match the original aluminum top.

The more I inspected the top the more hidden damage I found so I cut the top apart and duplicated each 50 thousandth thick aluminum piece in 50 thousandth thick stainless steel keeping the outside appearance original but modifying the interior so I’d fit in it better.  Since I’d duplicated the top it made sense for me to duplicate the doors, window sliders, hinges and door handles from stainless also.  I’d purchased stainless seats but I made my own fuel tanks and I put one under the passenger side instead of the original storage compartment.  That’s why the Willys has a recessed fuel filler on each side.  I know, the original M38 had huge fuel caps but the only stainless caps I could find were normal sized ones so the filler neck is much smaller in diameter and the recessed fillers were built accordingly.

When I sit in the Jeep the top of the dash is below my knees so I moved the instrument panel above the windshield and fabricated an overhead center console filled with a CD player and lots of switches.  Between the seats is a pair of stainless cup holders (1/4″ thick so I don’t worry about them getting damaged), the ignition switch and a bunch of shift levers.  The normal three speed, Warn overdrive, four wheel drive and high/low range … I call it a four on the floor!  The engine was replaced with a Buick 225 odd fire V 6, 11 inch drum brakes with hanging clutch and brake pedals, a hydraulic clutch slave and master cylinder and of course a five position stainless steel tilt steering column complete with a leather wrapped stainless steering wheel custom made by Ididit in Michigan.  The steering column alone has a heck of a story about it but that will wait for another time.  I’m just trying to give you a brief overview covering the last 23 years.

I’m not done, I’m getting closer but there’s still lots of items left on my to do and to buy list but at least I’m closer to being done than I was 23 years ago!  Normally I don’t like to say anything bad about my mom but I have to admit it appears she raised an idiot.

[Editor’s Note:  Paul comments on the roof corners. The next four pics show the creation of a corner]   It took me four tries to make the first successful rear corner on the Willys top, the initial three attempts just irritated the metal and burned my fingers.  By the time I finally stumbled on the magic formula for making compound corners in stainless each successful corner took twenty hours to build.  The left rear corner (drivers side) is corner number four and the right rear corner (pass. side) is corner number five.  Naturally I had stupid people visit to see the progress on the Jeep, look at the corners and ask “What else have you done?”   I’m pretty sure it’s ok to kill the really stupid folks among us, don’t dumb people cause global warming or something?

[Editor’s Note:  Below is the stainless cup transformed into a shifter knob]

The Goddess (that’s my girlfriend, her name is Deborah but many years ago she told me to call her the Goddess so I do and she’s still here) wanted to go out for oriental food since she didn’t feel like cooking so we went to an All You Can Eat and Keep Down Chinese buffet.  Naturally she wanted tea but I had a Coke which I just about blew out my nose when I saw the waitress setting down double wall stainless steel tea cups on the table.  Not only were these tea cups the perfect size for gearshift knobs, the bottom of the cup had an embossed ring slightly larger than a nickel.  With a stainless nut welded to a stainless fender washer and this assembly welded to the teacup, the welds ground down and buffed, the new shift knob installed on the lever I finished this installation by attaching a Buffalo nickel in the embossed ring.  I really did buy these teacups from the buffet folks, it’s kind of difficult to steal four cups from a table with only two people sitting there but I only had to give them five bucks each!  What a deal !  The big knob on the transmission lever was some kind of float for a pump operating in caustic chemicals which another friend found and gave to me.

[Paul didn’t explain these, but this shows the transformation from stainless pieces into a door handle]

[Editor’s Note:  You can see the old aluminum doors (right) and new stainless doors (left)]