New to Forum - '47 Jeep Truck

[AndyB462]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and am enjoying catching up on all the great info. I just moved my grandfathers '47 pickup from its previous home in our family farm in central IL to my home in southwest Ohio.

Planning to do a ground up restoration and plan to share progress along the way.

Look forward to discussing more. Here's a picture!

8841

[bmorgil]

Sweet looking start to a restore Andy! That should turn out very nice. Love those Willys Trucks. LarrBeard will be a great resource if you need him. It is awesome that it has a family history.

[LarrBeard]

WOW!

That is nice - it looks a lot better than where I started with the '48. It's a 4WD, so you will have a few more things to look at than I did on the 2WD '48, but it will be great to have another pre-1950 1/2 truck on the Forum.

[tmonelo]

Sweet truck. Looks like a great project.

[TJones]

Welcome Andy!!!!
You definitely came to the right place for any question you may have, Larrbeard has a pickup he restored and like bmorgil said he has a long history to go along with his.
You have a Beauty to start with that's for sure!!!!
Keep us posted with pictures along your journey please, we love pictures and progress reports.

[LarrBeard]

I have some requests before you tear into things:

A. What is your VIN?

B. Would you post a picture of your instrument cluster? There a number of different cluster styles and I am looking for examples.

C. Could you post a picture of your horn button on the steering wheel. I suspect it will be the "flat" version, not the "domed" version.

D. Finally, do you have the Timken (clamshell style) differential or a Dana style unit? Are your U-joints open or enclosed in a sleeve?

[gmwillys]

Welcome AndyB462,

Great looking truck! We look forward to seeing your progress.

[bmorgil]

Geez Senior Chief Larry B, would you like fries with that? Ha ha it looks like you peaked Larry's interest that's for sure! Looking forward to your project Andy.

[gmwillys]

Yep, you knew Senior Chief would be all over it! At least it isn't a wagon equipped with a dead goat....

[AndyB462]

VIN: 10081 -> I think this means this is the 81st truck ever made? Wow, if that's true.

Not sure about differential or u-joints. Will look later and post info.

Pics below.

8842

8843

8845

[AndyB462]

Pic of rear end

8846

[LarrBeard]

Geez Senior Chief Larry B, would you like fries with that? Ha ha it looks like you peaked Larry's interest that's for sure! Looking forward to your project Andy.

Wise Apple..

The only thing more rare than Jeepsters in their original state are early trucks, and I could make a case that the old trucks are even more rare because they got beaten to death or got modified into something not at all like their original state.

Harumff...

[LarrBeard]

That is the "heavy duty Timken differential", commonly called the clamshell rear end, same as on the '48 2WD.

Different parts books show that there might have been two different differentials used. I recommend splitting it apart, look closely at the bearings for cracked rollers and check the safety wires on the ring gear. Really bad juju Bwana if a roller comes apart or if a bolt head breaks off and escapes the safety wire.

[LarrBeard]

A. By every reference I can find, 4-T (4WD Truck) # 10087 would have indeed been the 87th truck to come down the line (if they didn't get the serial plates juggled in the box ...). We saw one earlier than this about a year ago, I don't recall the exact number - maybe in the teens - but it seemed to be fated to be cannibalized (er, customized).

B. The cluster would be called the 'engine turned, white on white - long pointer cluster". Note that the oil pressure gauge goes to 80 PSI - they were really optimistic. By '48 they had gone to a 60 PSI gauge.

C. And, you do have the flat horn button. Be careful taking it apart - parts and pieces for that style just aren't available because of the relatively short life of that style.

D, Last of all - do you know if there is a 1 or 2 in front of the 67-thousand some odd miles on the odometer. My '48 had an unseen "2" in front of the 50K and it showed it when we got into it. You have a lot of metal to work with.

I finally have a brother on the Forum in the midst of all of these CJ's and wagons!!!!!

[bmorgil]

That is a super nice start on a restore that's for sure! The 87'th built, in that good of condition is rare for sure.