Hull M4 Compass

July 28, 2021July 28, 2021 fordgpw

Many of us like to have a few field mods on our jeep; it promotes great conversations at car shows and the like. One of the cool additions to a jeep is a compass. Pre-WW2 there were quite a few manufacturers of compasses suitable for auto use. One of the most popular was made by Hull in Warren, Ohio. The military, WW2 M4 compass was basically a Hull Streamline, painted in olive drab, with special rubberized mounts for military vehicles. It has been noted that some military Hulls remained in their original brown or black Bakelite colors.

Here are a few war-time jeeps with a dash-compass installed. They were also found mounted to the windshield vertical posts, both driver’s side and center.

Hull Streamline compasses are easily found on ebay, but what’s hard to find are the proper mounting brackets, especially the militarized ones. These military brackets should have some form of rubber shock mount.

To the left you can see the two common rubberized mounts. This image is taken from Ray Cowdery’s classic All-American Wonder, Vol II, p212.

The top image shows the mounting rod inserted into a rubber cylinder, which is then held by the dash mount.

The second type has the mounting rod embedded in a rubber ball, which is then held by a clamp.

Here’s are two excellent resources for restoring a Hull compass:

1. Restoring a Hull compass, from 1945GPW.com

2. Restoring a Hull compass from Team-BHP .com

Personally I have found it very difficult to restore these compasses. I have several, and it’s tough to open the brass and glass bowl to clean and replace the fluid. After more than 70 years the thin brass is very brittle, and I’ve torn one of them trying to open it. I’ve been talking with a lot of folks about 3D printing or otherwise casting a replacement threaded section, but to no avail. It’s one of those things, though, which I intend to keep trying.

Here’s my best compass, mounted to my GPW on the center windshield post. It’s nearly flawless, but it really does need a rubberized mount. Without it, there is excessive vibration in the unit. I’ll add to this post when I find a solution.

Reproduction (?) M2 Decontaminator

July 25, 2021July 25, 2021 fordgpw

I picked up this Fyr Fyter M2 Decontaminator from a fellow G503 forum member. It came with an original bracket for $150 and, seriously, I couldn’t be happier with the deal.

This M2 has an inlet chain and decal rather than brass tag. Originals came with and without the chain and decal, so all of this is fine.

This unit and bracket are not likely to be an original WW2 M2, however. It’s more likely that this is actually a 1.5 quart Fyr Fyter fire extinguisher, repainted and decaled to look like the original. Here’s an excellent G503 post from AZ Jeff about the similarities and differences between the Fyr Fyter M2 and Extinguisher. Fyr Fyter M2 vs Extinguisher.

As you can see below, my M2 does not have a slotted nozzle. Additionally, the bracket does not have the depression for the nozzle dimple and the holes for mounting to the tub are smaller.

Here’s my installation. I put the bracket though the blast cabinet, being careful to protect the rubber pads. The original flat head 10 x 32 mounting bolts in the ACM II tub are 3/8 inch and are too short. I used modern 5/8″ and they fit perfectly. I also used friction tape to protect the M2 from being scratched by the bracket strap. Overall, I’m very happy with this addition to my GPW.

WW2 Jeep Liscence Plate Bracket / Holder

July 21, 2021July 21, 2021 fordgpw

One of the challenges in presenting a WW2 jeep is where to place the license plate. We’ve all seen jeeps with extra holes shamefully drilled for the plate. Some restorers put it the plate on their spare tire carrier, others on the bumperettes. Since my GPW is not a script jeep, I’m happy to put the plate underneath the jerry can holder, but it’s a tight fit. I measure the usable vertical space between the jerry can holder and the left bumperette as 6 3/8″ and the horizontal space between the left taillight assembly and the pintle hook safety chain loop as 14″.

The State of California has a pretty cool program called the Year of Manufacture, or YOM Program. You are allowed to mount license plate(s) from the year your vehicle was made, as long as those plates are out of the current DMV system. Here’s a link to a pdf about the program. It’s a great resource because it lists the size of the plates for each year, along with photos and a bit of history.

Prior to 1956, each state could size a plate as it wished. For example, a 1945 California plate is 6 1/8″ x 13 7/8″. In 1956 the federal government standardized all license plates as 6″ x 12″. Also to note, in 1945, vehicles were only required to mount a rear plate.

By the size of the 1945 California plate, you can see that there’s not much room to mount it under the jerry can holder, but it will fit. I decided to weld up my own holder, designed so that it could take both a modern plate and an historical California plate from 1945. I used 1/4″ x 3/4″ angle iron, cut to length and mitered at 45 degrees. The tabs above the frame will mount it to the lower bolts which hold the jerry can bracket. They’re 16 gauge and welded proud so that the actual frame sits rearward. The tabs inside the frame will hold my current plate, a California 1963 black and yellow plate. The extra vertical pieces welded inside the frame will improve the look when using the shorter, 12″ long plate. When I find a 1945 plate that I like, it should fit just right.

I used All-Metal on the visible portion to hide weld seams and grinder marks. Here she is painted semi-gloss black. I added welting to the back on the corners to protect the tub. These fit well because the attachment tabs were welded proud and give the space.

WeeBee GPW Canvas Summer Top

July 18, 2021July 25, 2021 fordgpw

I like to purchase all of my canvas from Dave and Donna Pizzoferrato at WeeBee Webbing. http://www.odcloth.com/products.html. They produce the finest American-made canvas you can purchase, period. The canvas weave, weight, color, and smell are a near-perfect match to WW2 originals. The cut, edging, stitching, fit and hardware are excellent.

I purchased my summer top back in 2012 and it has held up well, despite the bird poop. Dave included C-clips at the end of the straps rather than the incorrect D-clips which are often seen. The top is sewn to GPW specs, with three panels / two seams running the length, and it has the sewn hole to allow the jerry can strap to pass through.

Here it is installed on my GPW without cinching and with the rear bow in the pocket. I was worried about the fit after restoration as I have a different windshield, with a new, thicker windshield-to-cowl seal, but all original top bows, brackets, etc. Turns out I did have something to worry about. The new windshield arms have a significantly reduced radius, or curvature, meaning the top of the windshield sits about an inch further towards the rear. This then has compromised the fit of the top. Bummer.

One fix is to heat up the arms to cherry red, then fit a pipe over the end of the arms and bend them into a tighter radius. I have a number of jeeping friends who have done this. Another option is to thicken the rubber cowl seal, and this is what I have done. I purchased 1/4″ thick, 1″ wide Buna-N rubber sheet with adhesive strips from McMaster-Carr. It fits perfectly under the stock cowl seal, and the adhesive strips hold it securely. This addition has elevated the windshield and it’s nearly invisible from the front and rear.

Here’s how she came out. The top still requires a firm cinch at the rear, and the top bow is slightly out of the pocket, but she’s taught and stable.

As far as I know, WW2 factory GPW tops did not come with stencils, such as part numbers and Ford logos. One tends to see a lot of these wild, large stencils at jeep events, however. Not a good look, in my humble opinion.

I love how the rear sides display the characteristic folds, a hallmark of WW2 jeep summer tops.

Dave and Donna made my top as close to GPW spec as possible. For me, when you consider the price and all of the little details, WeeBee makes the finest canvas. I wholeheartedly recommend their products.

XX Corps Artillery

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 fordgpw

I’m marking my GPW to honor my father who was a WW2 combat veteran. Dad served as a heavy gunner in the 689th Field Artillery Battalion, XX Corps, Third Army. The 689th used the 155mm Long Tom howitzer which was towed by the M5 High Speed Tractor.

The XXth Corps, commanded by Major General Walton Walker, was the tip of the spear for George Patton’s Third Army. The Germans referred to the XXth Corps as the Ghost Corps because they frequently engaged in combat where they were not expected to be. Here are a few good books and resources about the XX Corps:

The XX Corps, Its History and Service in World War II – This is the official history published in 1946.

Patton’s Ghost Corps by Nathan Prefer

Visions From a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton’s Ghost Corps by William Foley

XX Corps Website

XX Corps artillery was used organically. Units like the 689th FABN were frequently moved to support different divisions, such as the 90th Infantry and the 7th and 10th Armored. Here are a few documents about XX Corps Artillery. The first is the unit history of Dad’s 689th Field Artillery Battalion:

The second document is a pdf of the history of all XX Corps Artillery.

Painting My Bumper Markings

July 11, 2021 fordgpw

I’m marking my GPW to honor my father who was a WW2 combat veteran. Dad served as a heavy gunner in the 689th Field Artillery Battalion, XX Corps, Third Army. Dad went ashore at Utah Beach on August 20th, 1944, and he stayed through the occupation of Bavaria and Austria, returning home to California for Christmas of 1945.

The bumpers of the GPW read 3A – 689F Star C-4. This represents the 4th vehicle in Battery C. The C-4 also represents my family’s last name and my mom’s favorite number. Luckily, it would appear that this is valid based on the Table of Organization for motorized 155mm howitzer batteries.

I used stencils from Scott Watson at Ron Fitzpatrick Jeep Parts. The paint is Rustoleum’s 7790 flat white enamel from a tin, thinned with acetone and shot though a modeling airbrush at 20 psi. I practiced a bunch with thinning ratios, pressure and heaviness before I shot the real thing.

Here’s the passenger side front stencil. I located the GPW bumper’s tooling hole so that it would not be under a painted area. This then put the lower bar of the “F” directly over the bumper’s F-mark. I tried to move the tooling hole to the space between the 6 and 8, but the 3A would have shifted very near the left edge of the bumper and I didn’t like the look. Fortunately Scott’s stencils are high quality and they snuggled down nicely for painting.

The rear bumperettes and stars came out just as nicely. I highly recommend Scott’s stencils. They performed flawlessly.

Hood Mounting

July 7, 2021 fordgpw

The hood hinge mounts to the cowl with five bolts. On my late-war GPW, three of these are Sems recessed heads, 1/4 x 20 NC x 7/8″, with integral internal star washers. The other two which hold the bond strap are flat head, of the same dimension, and with the weird “scratched A” markings as seen on many other of my jeeps original bolts. These two bolts have two internal / external star washers each, one one each side of the bond strap. Finally, the bolts that hold the bond strap to the hood are 3/8 x 20 NC, 3/4 inch long, with one star washer under the bond strap. This is how the jeep came to me and how I’ll keep her.

There is lateral adjustment capability built into the mounting system. In my case I first pushed the hood all the way over to the passenger’s side, and this is reflected in the photos below. I then moved it fully to the left so that the center seam is in the middle and there’s nearly equal gaps on each side. This, however, causes one of the canvas top fasteners to strike the driver’s side hood block. I’ll have to figure this out.

I frequently drive with the windshield down. Here’s the fitment.

Painting My Hood Invasion Star

July 4, 2021 fordgpw

During WW2, GPWs and MBs were delivered from the factory with only their USA numbers painted on the hood. These were generally painted in blue drab, with only Willys changing to white hood numbers very late in the war.

Hood and body tub stars, along with unit IDs on the bumpers, were painted at the service level once the jeep was assigned to a unit. Here’s a great video where you can see brand-spanking new MBs roll off the production line, without stars or markings: Toldeo MB Production Line

AR 850 is the administrative regulation document which covers the markings applied to military vehicles, amongst other things. Here’s a link to JeepDraw’s AR 850-5 pdf document. AR 850 states that the hood star on jeeps should be 15 inches in diameter and placed an inch and a half from the edge of the cowl, so that the star can be visible with the windshield both up and down. Here’s a great example which follows the AR perfectly.

Invasion stars, with the star surrounded with a solid or broken circle, were introduced for the invasion of Sicily and Italy. They were designed to provide Allied Air Forces with stronger recognition of Allied vehicles when strafing and bombing. These invasion stars where carried over to the invasion of France. During the war there were at least five types of stars painted on our jeeps’ hoods. Here’s a good summary from the G503.com forums. Correct Invasion Star Size on Hood.

There were many combinations of both solid and broken invasion stars mixed with both the factory original blue drab USA numbers as well as with white service-painted USA numbers.

My GPW is painted in honor of my father, a heavy gunner in the XXth Corps’ 689th Field Artillery Battalion of Patton’s Third Army. Without any information on the actual hood painting for his jeep, I like the look of a broken invasion star and original blue drab USA numbers, something like the photo below. Another reason is that I enjoy photography and the history of blue drab numbers and black / white film is quite interesting.

Here’s how she tuned out. I’m using a 20″ stencil which I purchased from Scott Watson at Ron Fitzpatrick Jeep Parts. The paint is Rustoleum’s 7790 Flat White Enamel in a can. I thinned the paint with acetone and sprayed through a Harbor Freight air gun at 40 psi, but turned way down on pressure and paint volume. The hood was painted while laying flat with 4-5 thin passes, waiting for the paint to flash off before each successive coat. I screwed up when removing the stencil and it folder back on itself, marring the finish. No worries, though. I gave the paint a few days to harden, masked off the affected area, wet sanded with 600 grit, and re-shot the area with a modeling airbrush.