Moving on.

Okay.. Time to come out of the closet! The reason I bought the Jeep in the first place, and now a second one, is to take both of them to Egypt and drive the pistes once driven by The Long Range Desert Group. This blog will now, seamlessly change into a new one to be found here!

A week in the life.

Progress on the second Jeep ‘Willy’ is progressing at a brisk pace. The body tub was soon off and I have been over to Jeeparts, in Shrewsbury, with a big - ish, shopping list. I dropped a careful off at the Matt Savage Overland Preparation Barn last week and, as I type, brakes are being rebuilt, wheel bearings replaced and repairs started to the floor panels. Meanwhile, back in the jungle, I took the original Ford Jeep, ‘Henry’ for a 320 mile round trip to Betws y Coed for a spot of fun on some old Droving Roads. It was 16 hour day, but worth every minute. The Jeep ran perfectly and managed to cruise at a respectable 50 -55 mph. There will be a couple of small issues to attend to before I can truly sign it off as ‘finished’, but they can wait a while.

Up and running.

The latest folly arrived at The Matt Savage Overland Preparation Barn today and we thought it might be worth trying to start it to see just how good, or bad, it was, before ripping it apart. A can of petrol appeared, a battery and a spot of hot wiring and with a tentative shove of the starter button the engine burst into life. First signs are good. No smoke and ran well. A run up the test track indicated all was well in the transmission too. All it needs is............

Irresistible

It was September 2007 when I started this Blog, having bought a 1943 Ford Jeep in need of a full rebuild. That Jeep has now been on the road for 18 months and recently had it’s second MOT test. It therefore made perfect sense to buy another one! This time it’s a Willys Jeep. Also made in 1943. There are a few very small detail differences between the Ford and the Willys. Back then, Willys came up with the best design, but lacked the manufacturing facilities to supply the big military contract, so the building was shared with Ford. I bought this Jeep from the same guys I bought the last one from as they had ‘a few’ when I phoned them up. A deal was struck and it will be up at the Matt Savage Overland Preparation Barn within the next two weeks. First inspection indicates that it should need less work than the first one. It has an engine!

I need help.

A couple of busy months and I feel a weakness coming on. Someone please stop me! The whole rusty tale could be about to start a new chapter. Watch this space...............

Hot new rubber.

Remember my Jeep? Not mentioned the old girl for a while, but it’s still here, ready for combat at the drop of a flag. I’ve finally dug deep and bought a new set of tyres. The ex (very ex) Range Rover 205-16’s wobbled their last wobble a week ago to be replaced by Michelin ZXL’s. Pals dave and Roger Tilton helped out on Bank Holiday Monday and we wrestled with black rubber all afternoon. A test run at about 5.00 confirmed they were a delight and no trace of wheel wobble. When we removed one of the old tyres it transpired I had trapped a section of inner tube between the halves of the rim. So, no wonder they could not be balanced. My fault and not repeated this time. Split rims are a learning curve. Not sure about them yet, but they are fine right now.

Wait a minute. It's the same work bench! Look at the handle on the drawer. We must have had that bench for 40 years. Good bench.

A big clear up.

When you reach the point that it is quicker to go out and buy a new screwdriver/spanner/hammer/flange sprocket, than find the one you know you’ve had for years, it’s time to clear out the garage. Will and I did just that this weekend, helped by our pal Ian and his 10 year old son, Casper. A load went to the tip and the rest was sorted out into boxes scavenged from the road side and recycled. It was very rewarding as I’m sure like minded readers will appreciate.