As a child, like most boys of the 70s, he attached "rattles" to his cherry bike "Veterok", and very importantly "rattled" along the roads, imagining that I was going to "Java". I liked going to the garage with my grandfather - there was a "Swallow" (Muscovite M-401), and listen to how the grandfather was authoritatively telling other car owners about all sorts of incomprehensible cars: "Bussing", which he drove before the war, "Lorry" in the war, and after wars "Hansa", "Ganomag", "Ford 8". The interlocutors nodded their heads, scolded the mechanical brakes of "Fords", which were freezing in winter, said that "Dodge three-quarters" and "Willys" ran better. “What beautiful cars, if they have such magical names,” I thought. In the evening, the garages were closed, the tired men went home. I also came home in my Java and dreamed. I dreamed that when I grow up I will drive a Bussing, a Hansa or a Willis, well, at least a Mercedes, like Stirlitz.
Childhood - school - military service - institute - family - birth of sons - work ... and now I am already 30 years old, and childhood dreams are pounding in my head: “Where is Java? "Where's the Hanomag?" And I am always for "making dreams come true" and started with motorcycles. By 2004, he had collected and partially restored (of course, with the help of other enthusiasts) more than 20 motorcycle rarities released before 1945,
and of course the old woman "Java 350/360".
Then it was the turn of the car - he began to look for "Willis". There were no "Willis" in the city - I had to collect information on the region, call my friends, re-read all the newspapers, advertise the purchase. After a while, offers for sale began to arrive. I came to some distant village and in most cases saw "GAZ 67B" or a miracle - yudo - an odd fellow. If it was a "Willis", then it was an all-metal station wagon with new sidewalls, doors from "GAZ 69" and a body lengthened by a meter. From "Willis" - only "muzzle". Engines from "M-408", "GAZ 69", "Pobeda", once even with an engine from the Polish minibus "Nysa". Our Ural men made from small, blown by all the winds "Willis", good-quality cars, which housed 5 people each, there was a stove, and an all-metal body saved from the winter cold. Having experience in restoration, I understood that nothing would come of these "Willis".
Once they offered to look at the "Diamant" moped. Came, looked, got into conversation with the owner. He turned out to be a fan of GAZ 67B, out of the seven cars he bought, he made one and finished the second. - "And I dream about" Willis "!" - I said; - “Take it away from me, I bought it recently, all the same, my hands will never reach”; -"Go!"; -"Let's do it tomorrow. It’s already dark and he is outside under the snow ”; - "No, let's go!" We came to a large pile of snow, took shovels, brooms, cleared the snow .... Hooray!! My second dream has come true! Here he is, small, powdered with snow, rotten through and through, standing and waiting for me. Thank you, the unknown former owner, who did not drive in the winter, sat on uncomfortable seats, did not screw anything, did not know how to use wrenches and a welding machine and was not a relative of Ivan Petrovich Kulibin. I bought it without bargaining, and two days later the Willis was at my work.
Began to complete and …………. for two years I have found practically nothing. In 2007-2008, the details I needed finally began to appear on the Internet, and then I decided to start the restoration. They measured everything - measured it, decided to take the floor of the body shop as a "base" and first make the body. They removed the body, unscrewed everything from it, measured the slipway on the platform (new "base") - replaced 80% of the floor, all amplifiers, completely made a new right side.
Found on the back of the license plate (according to the documents, almost all "Willis" w / n - w / n) - definitely "Willis"!
We put the body on the frame beforehand and I realized that I had not started with that. The body did not "sit" on the frame. Still, a frame car needs to start with a frame.
We started all over again: dismantled and cleaned the frame, removed the front bumper,
spring brackets, bumpers and everything that was not riveted. There were many cracks on the frame, two shrapnel "wounds". We put the frame on the platform of the slipway, and it became clear - the diagonals had a difference of 32 mm, the right side in the area of the internal combustion engine "went" inward by 25 mm and there was a "screw" of about 8-10⁰. The geometric dimensions of the frame were restored on the slipway, all cracks and "wounds" were welded, completely new attachment points for the rear and front spring brackets were made.
But the frame was from Ford GPV! Found the frame number, checked - exactly, GPV 1944. I took out all the parts that I had with the "Willys" and this is what turned out to be: -From "Ford GPV": frame, front seats, spare wheel mounting bracket, steering wheel, steering gear, "half" of the front axle (one drive "Bendix - Weisse ", and the second" Tract ") and the hood; -From "Willis MV": body, back seat and pedals. I could not identify the rest. I was surprised at such a "compote" and began to ring up understanding people. Received the following information: all "Willis" are like that; somewhere near Nizhny Novgorod, at an auto repair plant, they made major overhauls and put them back together without looking at where "F" and where not "F"; after repairs, usually all "Willis" came out w / n - w / n; all "Willis" and "Ford GPV" were registered with the military registration with the name "Willis", and "Ford GPA" was registered as "Ford 4 amphibian"; "Jeep" is supposed to be identified by the engine frame, and not by the body. That's it. I had a Willys and was gone, but a 1944 Ford GPV appeared. Now I knew for sure that I needed to complete the Ford GPV, not the Willis. After the frame, they took up the body again. Made a new right side (again). The welding seam goes along the upper outer edge of the body, the body reinforcement is "native". The bottom of the rear is also new. The welding seam is hidden in the area of the internal reinforcement of the body. The upper part of the rear panel was "gouged" and made a partial replacement of the metal - especially under the canister mount.
The right side was "gouged" and the entire lower part was made anew.
Completely made a "basin" for a gas tank.
The fenders were "gouged" and made a partial replacement of the metal. The windshield frame was restored. After everything was done in the "hardware", once again assembled the body with the frame.
The body, brushed to metal, looks very unusual.
But why are there such large gaps between the hood - fenders - "muzzle"? Again I overlaid myself with literature, photographs, called my friend's lover in Rostov-on-Don - it turned out to be the way it should be. Between the fender and the hood 5-8 mm. So everything is all right.
As for the complete set and restoration of the car, in my opinion, the following is necessary:
1. Literature. We used the well-known "Willys Car" (Military Publishing 1947), "Maintenance manual for Willys Truck" as well as the Czech albums "GPW Jeeps in Detail" and "Jeeps in Detail" from the Wings & Wheels Publications series. They can be purchased at the auto-moto retro markets in Poland and Germany.
2. Frame templates.
3. Live communication with owners and restorers. Most colleagues communicate adequately, although they also meet with a "spear in the head". Problems with units and rims. Bridges, checkpoints and RK made a pretty good first impression. Having two front and one rear axle in stock, two RC and spare parts for the gearbox, I thought that this was enough for assembling and repairing units. But disassembly and troubleshooting showed that the wear of these units requires the installation of all new friction and rolling bearings, the restoration of many bearing bores, the installation of all new oil seals and the adjustment of gears. In addition, annoying incidents are constantly encountered: I received new gearbox synchronizers, measured it and it turned out that the shaft cones were machined to a smaller diameter (I had to sharpen homemade synchronizers); RK bearings came, in the best housing, in which they planned to assemble everything, the bore holes were deployed under an incomprehensible diameter, etc., etc. And thus, it took more time to wait for spare parts, fix alterations and manufacture new parts than direct assembly, disassembly and adjustment of units. Only the Tract drive and, which surprised me very much, the steering gear, did not need restoration. All steering parts were very well preserved, except for the steering arm and the longitudinal link - they required replacement. Wheels in good condition, as well as in bad condition, are very difficult to find. In four years I found eight discs and spent 2,000 USD on the purchase. All discs are in a terrible state - crooked and rusty, but the worst thing is that the mounting holes are broken and welded with an electrode many times. Some discs even had 10 such holes. The disks were treated as follows:
1) disassembled
2) cleaned up
3) welded extra holes
4) bore existing holes for a larger diameter
5) made "inserts" - one diameter for a re-bored hole, a larger diameter for the inner surface of the disc and an inner hole for the stud
6) put the "inserts" on the drum (like a jig), then put the disc on the "inserts" and pre-welded the "inserts" with the disc along the outer surface
7) removed the product from the "conductor", scalded inside and out, and turned. We did not find another way to restore the mechanical properties while preserving the appearance.
It remains to assemble the discs, roll them on a disc straightening machine and paint. They did not experiment with painting and preparation of parts. Since the body, fenders and other parts have a lot of patches, welds, hidden cavities and oiled parts of the metal, we used "acid" primer "SIKKENS" - it has the highest adhesion properties and "bites" into any material. Consumables for preparation for painting were used by SIKKENS and 3M.
The selection of paint color was carried out according to the average value between new-made parts, remnants of the original paint on the body and the color of the H.DAVIDSON WLA 42 motorcycle (our Harley is a multiple winner in the "Safety" nomination of the motorcycle release before 1945). As of today, October 2009, about 80% of the car has been painted and, don't be surprised, it took 8.5 liters of paint. This is due to the large number of small parts that are painted on the wires - stretch marks and more paint flies by.
And one more tricky moment - the paint on the car should be with a matting additive, and it is not resistant during storage. Therefore, take your time to paint, try to prepare as many details as possible and paint them at a time. Parts of my "Ford GPV" were painted in three passes and, accordingly, received three different shades of paint and three degrees of opacity. Not everyone can see this, I will not repaint, I hope that during the operation of the car the paint will fade in one tone. The appearance of the car is simple, understandable and well-known. Therefore, until all the caps, brackets, chains, locks, seals, latches, belts and antenna appeared on the body, it did not calm down. Without all these little things, the car looks unfinished.
The steering wheel spokes of my Ford GPV were painted with an incomprehensible paint - it was not "taken" by ordinary solvents. We tried modern paint removers and stopped in time - the removers dissolve not only the paint, but also the plastic of the steering wheel material, so the steering wheel was very carefully cleaned with a "thousand". After all the paint was removed, the following inscriptions appeared on the steering wheel: "A. Tabakov", "Victor Mikh. Year prize. 1955 February",
and two times "Tanya". For some reason, these inscriptions were of great interest to my employees. Soldiers and soldier's love 55 years ago, romance + .. And my "Ford GPV", it turns out, was a strong soldier - more than 11 years in the army. The car was released from May 19 to June 10, 1944. For a very long time I could not put the release date on the plate - I could not remember any significant date for this period. I asked my wife and she immediately answered: - "May 28"; - "Why?; -" So you served in the border troops. "This is how the date" 5-28-44 "appeared. All my equipment is divided into" he "and" she. "For example," BMW R75 "is" she " - she was courted for 3 years, she is very beautiful, but sometimes she is capricious and constantly demands attention. "HARLEY DAVIDSON" is "he", got together in six months and does not ask for anything else. "DKW" and "NSU" are all "she", " ZUNDAPP "and" JAWA "are all" he. "It turned out that where the abbreviation is" she ", and where the name is" he. " November 2009 (early November 2008) Hopefully, we will be in time, or we will be a couple of months late, but it is an incomparable pleasure to "drift" on the Ford GPV on the winter roads of the Urals.
Well, that's it! The first trip was made at the beginning of April - in winter it was not possible to “drift”. The restoration took a full 16 months. The assembly of the body did not present any difficulties. The brakes failed a little - they flowed along all the threaded connections. I had to collect on a special sealing thread "LocTiTe". The electrical wiring was made from completely authentic wires. True, there were some deviations: 1. Onboard voltage 12V; 2. Redesigned the taillights so that you can change the bulbs; 3. The most "terrible" - they installed the head optics VAZ-2106 "near-far" with a lamp H4: lamps 6V 35 / 35W 6V and 45 / 45W do not shine at all. All this was done because I plan to travel along the roads of the city and even to the dacha, and it is rather difficult to find a supply of six-volt equipment and lamps.
The first official departure was on May 6 to the ceremonial formation of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The car in our Yekaterinburg stream behaved quite tolerably: there was a little lack of dynamics and a sooooo large turning radius - the only inconveniences. I was surprised that the spring suspension and hard rubber are not felt - the little car rides very softly along the rails and pits, one might say “Comfort mode”.
At the parade and rally dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Victory, the car drove with full load, at the stops of the rally, spectators got into the car to "steer" and take pictures. After that, everything that should be worn - rubbed, what should be scratched - was scratched, and the car took on the appearance of not a museum exhibit, but a completely "live" and combat jeep.
P.S. I would like to thank the co-participants of the project: A. Menshchikov, V. Tulaev, S. Spondar, Y. Cherepanov, A. Kondakov, E. Bobin and express my special gratitude to Vladimir Bystritsky - without his advice and help, the restoration would have dragged on for another five years.
Jeep Willis MB is a car with special charisma, there is a certain aura of victory in it, which undoubtedly exists in Soviet technology, this is the force that helped our people go forward and made the fascist scum run back. Since 1942, the Americans have delivered 52,000 of these cars to the USSR via Lend-Lease, and many of them drove through the wrecked Berlin. A lot of time has passed since then, but Jeep Willis is held in high esteem all over the world to this day, many young Americans, and our drivers too, would like to drive a similar stylistically, but more comfortable car - this created the preconditions for the release. Willis not only helped us win 
war, he still has a significant impact on the modern automotive industry.
Even before the start of the war, the American military command became interested in the idea of a light SUV that could be lifted by only four soldiers and which could 
use not only for transporting military personnel, but also for towing light artillery. In tests, Overland Motors 'Willys performed better than competitors' cars, and even better than a Ford SUV. But the war that began soon forced Overland Motors to share an order for the release of their own Willys s. According to some experts, the quality of the Ford cars was even better. Together, these two American automakers have produced 659,000 all-terrain vehicles. Excellent cross-country ability, maintainability, versatility, mobility and reliability made it possible to effectively use this SUV on the fronts of the Japanese - American war. He will devote these lines to Willis, a car that you will not see on public roads today, but which you can see at some auto show.
Take a look at the photo of Willys MB, can't you see this simple beauty in it? Willis MB was not equipped with doors, 
Imagine that you are driving a car that has come under fire, you need to leave the car as soon as possible and hide in a shelter, and you can do it in a car without doors as quickly as possible. The windshield can be folded forward, a very useful "feature" in Africa, but besides the fact that the removed glass acts as an "air conditioner", it also lowers the contour of the car, which is very important when you need to hide. It is worth noting here that Willys MB was painted with paint that did not shine in the sun - this is a clear plus to camouflage. The curb weight of such a car is 1020 kg, as for a car with a length of 3 378 mm, this weight may seem quite impressive, but still it is worth remembering that this is an all-wheel drive car. The ground clearance of 220mm with a wheelbase of 2032mm seems very impressive, it is not at all easy to put the Willys "on the belly", but of course in front-line conditions it is quite possible.
It is very interesting that the gas tank of this American all-terrain vehicle is located 
under the driver's seat. If you look at the photo, you will immediately understand that there can be no talk of comfort here. The salon is so utilitarian that even the "wipers" on the windshield seem to be something that could well be dispensed with. It is better to hold the slim three-spoke steering wheel more firmly off-road so as not to lose it from your hands.
Jeep Willys MB Specifications
As a power plant for Jeep Willis MB, a four-cylinder, lower-valve engine with a volume of 2.2 liters and a capacity of 54 hp is provided. This engine is designed for 66th gasoline and is capable of accelerating the all-terrain vehicle up to 104 kilometers per hour. The gearbox is three-speed, mechanical. The suspension is spring-loaded both front and rear, a fully hydraulic braking system can cause interest, in those years, and even for such a utilitarian car - this is actually what you should pay attention to.
Jeep Willys MB Price
How much can you buy a Jeep Willys today? Very few people are interested in the price of a car like Jeep Willis. The fact is that most drivers need a much more practical vehicle, we have it, or not too expensive new foreign cars. Lovers of off-road driving are more likely to buy Niva, but not Willis. Of course, just finding such a car in the vastness of the former USSR is no longer an easy task, today the Internet will help those who wish, and earlier such searches would have been extremely difficult.
Jeep Willis is a great car for the soul, while driving such a car you can think about what it was like for the soldiers who saved the world in 1945, and it's very good that there were such cars, because they also brought our victory closer.
During the Great Patriotic War, the American automobile brand Willys became a household name in our country - this word was used to refer to cars of a type never seen before in the Soviet Union.
The history of the Willys brand began in 1908 in Indiana, when John Willis, deciding to make a business selling cars, invested in a small car factory Overland. A few years later, the Willys Overland brand announced itself the beginning of the conveyor production of inexpensive cars - in this D. Willis took an example from Henry Ford. In the 1920s and 1930s, Willys consistently produced passenger cars of various models, but its business was not always successful. The Willys especially had a lot of problems as a result of the Great Depression crisis. The finest hour of this enterprise came with the outbreak of World War II, when its administration decided to participate in the competition announced by the command of the American army for the best small-sized off-road vehicle.
The military sent out a proposal for cooperation to more than a hundred American firms, but only three car manufacturers - American Bantam, Ford Motor and Willys Overland - decided to develop cars that meet the technical specifications in order to put them up for competition. According to the requirements of the command, the new car had to develop a maximum speed of at least 80 km / h, overcome a ford of up to 29 cm, have an entry angle of 45 and an exit angle of 35 degrees, have a curb weight of only 585 kg, but at the same time carry at least 270 kg ... And most importantly, he was obliged to have a four-wheel drive, new for the world automotive industry of those years. The wheelbase of 2032 mm, the track of 194 mm and the ground clearance of 60 mm were also regulated. It is interesting that the customer himself has repeatedly reviewed the weight of the car, both in a smaller and a larger direction.
Outstripping the competition, in September 1940, a prototype of the car was presented by the Bantam company. Willys Overland and Ford Motor completed their prototypes two months later. The first options were significantly different from future production cars. The Willys model was called the Quad (Quarter), the Ford model was called the Pigmy (Pigmy). By the summer of 1941, all three vehicles were tested by the US Army, and were deemed fit for service.
By the way, a sample of Ford's "Pygmy" soon after its birth came to the USSR for testing, and the designer of GAZ Vitaly Grachev wrote to the management a memorandum on the advantages of the car "Pygmy" over a motorcycle with a sidecar, on the need to create a domestic model of this type. As a result, in the Soviet Union in the pre-war months of 1941, the same competition was held as in America - GAZ and NATI took part in it. The Gorky prototype GAZ-64 was created under the leadership of V.A. Grachev, and A.F. Andronov, the future Chief Designer of the MZMA plant.
Meanwhile, in the first months of 1941, the Willys Overland company finalized its prototype, and the new version of the MA (in modern sources this abbreviation is usually deciphered as "Military, Model A"), the US military recognized the best of the three samples. He also had the lowest price of $ 738 74 cents.
However, the army needed a large number of cars in the shortest possible time, so the order was placed on all three firms. American Bantam owned a small car plant, so it managed to produce very little - only 2,605 copies of the original Bantam BRC40 cars designed by Karl Probst. True, some of these machines were even supplied to the Red Army. Among the Soviet military vehicles "Bantam" received the nickname "Bantik". Assessing the limited capacity of its production capacity, Bantam decided to make a business of supplying the army with truck trailers for the cars of competitors Willys and Ford, and switched to their production.
At the same time, Willys mastered the final version of its car with the MB index ("Military, model B"). It differed from MA in the headlights, which were not installed separately on the wings, as was customary in those years, but carried over to the lining, under the hood. The headlights were placed on swivel brackets. In the case of engine repairs at night, the headlight can now be turned around its axis and direct the light onto the engine. The length and width of the machine have also increased slightly. The model year change, traditional for the American car industry, once touched the Willys MV. The modernized version of 1942 differed from its predecessor in 1941 with a stamped cladding instead of a striped one and an additional headlight on the left wing.
At the same time, the Ford Motor company decided not to lose a lucrative order for the mass production of cars needed during the war. But the military agreed to purchase exactly the same standard vehicles. Therefore, Ford had to buy a license from Willys to manufacture the MB model. From the assembly line in Detroit, an identical car went under the Ford GPW brand. The first two letters of this designation gave rise to the colloquial word "Jeep".
All cars were equipped with a 4-cylinder 441/442 engine developed by Willys throughout the war. It had solid power and impressive torque in the lower rev range. This significantly increased the dynamics and maneuverability of the vehicle, and made it possible to use it as a tractor for heavy artillery pieces of large caliber. The Americans called this motor Go-Devil - "go to the devil." But in the Red Army there were problems with the operation of such engines, since there was a catastrophic lack of gasoline with an octane rating of at least 66 and oil of a suitable quality. In the Soviet Union, Willys engines had to be sent for overhaul after 15 thousand kilometers. True, in the conditions of hostilities, not every car had time to "live" to such a run.
The parts of the Willys car were as simple as possible, suitable for repair in the field. At the heart of the machine, of course, lay the usual sturdy ladder-type frame. The power unit was completely within the wheelbase. This made it necessary to abandon any rear luggage compartment and place the rear seat between the wheel arches, but it provided an advantageous weight distribution - the distribution of weight between the front and rear wheels.
The gearbox is, of course, a mechanical three-speed. However, unlike, for example, GAZ cars, it had a second and third gear synchronizer. The transfer case was docked directly with the gearbox. The driver controlled the transmission with three levers. One, as usual, changed gears, the other two controlled the transfer case: connecting the front axle and changing from the main stage to the lower stage. There was no center differential, simple symmetric bevel axle differentials were not blocked. Therefore, it was not recommended to connect the front axle on paved roads. In the 30-40s, the hydraulic brake drive was considered more advanced than the mechanical one. But in the war, brake fluid was not always available.
A light compact car stuck off-road could be pushed out by the crew on their own. For this, metal brackets were welded to the sides. Willys overcame a ford up to half a meter deep, and with special equipment - up to one and a half meters. In order not to scoop out the water that got into the box body, a drain plug was provided in the bottom. The appearance of the "Jeep" is unthinkable without the standard equipment of a shovel and an ax on the left side and a canister on the rear. Like other American military vehicles, light reflectors - reflectors - were installed on the body.
Under the Lend-Lease agreement, Willys vehicles began to be delivered to the Red Army in the summer of 1942. Usually the cars arrived half-disassembled in transport wooden boxes. However, it was not a semi-finished product. Before shipment, wheels and equipment were removed from the run-in cars - a compact package was obtained. The assembly in the USSR was carried out by the Kolomensky plant No. 4, the automobile plant in Gorky and other enterprises.
According to official data, a total of 350,349 Willys MB and 277,896 Ford GPWs were produced. 104 430 units were delivered to England, 50 501 to the USSR, 9736 to France. Willys also sold a license for the production of such machines to a French company. Hotchkiss.
After the war, the design solutions embodied in the Willys MB formed the basis of numerous models of military and civilian jeeps produced by automobile manufacturers around the world.
Technical specifications
| Number of places | 4 |
| Carrying capacity | 250 Kg |
| dimensions | 3335x1585x1830 mm |
| Base | 2030 mm |
| Ground clearance | 210 mm |
| Engine | gasoline, carburetor in-line, four-cylinder |
| Working volume | 2199 cm 3 |
| Power | 60 h.p. |
| Curb weight | 950 kg |
| Maximum speed | 105 km / h |
| Fuel consumption | 12 l / 100 km |
Acquired Willis stood in the garage waiting for our decision - what and how to do with it. I was not a professional restorer or even a car repairman, I did it in my free time - it was my hobby. Technical creativity, my hobby, which I have been doing all my life with great pleasure, so I myself was looking forward to the day off,
to inspect the vehicle and draw up a recovery plan.
And finally, this time has come, the car was thoroughly examined, all the results are described in detail. Due to severe corrosion, it was required to reinforce the frame with replacement of the front part, replacement of the floor and the lower part of the sides of the body, replacement of fenders, repair of the hood and front grill, repair and restoration of bridges, cardan shafts, springs and much, much more. It’s easier to say that all the details of the car demanded attention. In addition, it was necessary to find the native engine and gearbox - (they were from GAZ 69), find the rear seats, awning arches, etc. In short, the work on restoring this car required a lot of time and effort, which we did not have enough. This did not bother us, since there was a desire to do it and there was no time limit.
Work began in the spring, as it was uncomfortable to work in an unheated garage in the winter of 2000. The car was completely disassembled to a screw, all the parts were numbered and put on the shelves, additional defects were revealed. Literature on the repair of this car was obtained. This was a quick guide to the 1945 Willys car.
The first technical document we found for a Willys Jeep.
Then they found another manual, more detailed, other materials and photographs necessary for carrying out the planned restoration work.
The first work began on the restoration of the frame. All measurements were made according to conditionally control points - a serious deformation was detected, a diagram was drawn up. The front of the frame had multiple foci of perforating corrosion, traces of rough repairs, and significant metal thinning. The middle and rear were more or less bearable, but with a thinning of the metal, so the whole frame required reinforcement, the front end had to be replaced and the rear elements rebuilt.
Willis fitting the body on the frame.
All rivets were cut, the frame was disassembled into elements. To strengthen the vertical shelf of the C-shaped profile of the frame, plates are cut out of metal with a thickness of 3 mm along the contour profile. The front frame elements (spars) were made from the engine mount, rivets and other missing parts were made. Everything was cleaned of rust, sandblasted and primed, ready for the most important frame operation - assembly. The frame was assembled for the May holidays. It was collected, riveted, measured and riveted, "washed". 
Willis made replacement of the entire bottom and sides.
The next stage is the restoration of the chassis. The bridges were dismantled and inspected. All the details required attention, and some, such as the front axle shafts, the front axle gearbox and the front cordan, were absent altogether. Fragments of missing parts were selected from the "spare parts" attached to the purchase, which were used in the work. The search for the rest of the missing parts has begun. The springs were disassembled, aligned, some of the sheets were replaced (they came from Gas 69), cleaned, painted and assembled. New spring attachment assemblies have been manufactured. The rear axle was the first to be restored, which was immediately hoisted onto the frame. Then, without internal filling, the front axle was restored, which also took its place on the frame. The entire structure was temporarily put on wheels from Gas 24. The steering gear and shock absorbers were restored and installed. All this already had an impressive look and inspired for further work. The body was brought to the frame and thrown
Having measured the body on the frame at the points of attachment and junction of the nodes, a diagram was drawn up. The work on the restoration of the body began with the removal and replacement of rusted areas, which accounted for more than 50%.
More than 50% of the body "iron" has been replaced.
After welding, the body was completely sandblasted and primed. The most difficult and longest work began on finding and restoring the engine, gearbox and other missing components (the purchased car had an engine and gearbox from Gas 69). It took years. An engine with a gearbox were found in a remote village of Kalmykia, where they performed a responsible role, propping up the corner of a dilapidated barn, preventing it from falling apart. The stories of finding other details were similar and could be the topic of separate stories. 
Jeep front wheel hub.
The engine we found was a huge piece of solid rust, in which the contours of a car engine were hardly recognizable. I still can't figure out how we found it. But it really was him, as the owner of the barn and once the car of Willis claimed. In addition to the engine with a gearbox on this "estate" we managed to "profit" and other details of this legendary car.
First of all, the lump of rust delivered to the workshop was sandblasted, having previously plugged all existing holes. It was pleasant to watch as before our eyes this lump acquires the crisp silvery features of the coveted engine. After cleaning, the motor looked like new, but we knew that an autopsy would show what work still awaited us. After disassembling, we made sure that everything inside is much worse than outside ... A long, painstaking and creative work lay ahead.
Willis 1942, gearbox and transfer case.
The engine was disassembled to a screw, all channels and passages were thoroughly cleaned, the cylinders were bored and polished, new pistons were made for the Gas 51 rings, the crankshaft was welded and polished, the main and connecting rod bearings were made from Gas 51 parts, the valves and guides to them were made from Zil parts , the valve seats are machined and ground in - the springs are matched to them, the camshaft is polished, the surface of the block and the head junction is polished, etc. everything, everything ... In short, there is not a single part of this car that our hands have not "caressed" about. After assembly and painting, the engine looked like a factory.
The engine for our Willys MB is original.
The same work was done with the gearbox as with the motor. We made a new gear block, replaced bearings, clamps, shift forks, etc. I really wanted to assemble a power monoblock consisting of an engine, a gearbox and a transfer case as soon as possible, and put it on the frame. However, the assembly of the monoblock was preceded by work on the manufacture of the clutch mechanism, the parts of which were partially available and the fit of the transfer case to the frame. Finally, the monoblock is assembled and installed on the frame, the cord shaft is installed.
After the body was installed, the active assembly of the car began. By this time, almost all of the car's components were already in stock and were prepared for installation. The work began to boil with greater vigor. 
Willis 1942 front axle.
And in the spring of 2008 the car was ready for the first test. The engine started from the first start, it worked clearly, smoothly, as if there had not been many years of oblivion in his life. It was very joyful to hear the confident powerful rumbling of this resurrected 60-horsepower engine - Go Devil (forward, devil!), For which it received this name. In parallel with the start-up and adjustment work on the engine, work was carried out to fine-tune the rest of the components and assemblies for the main tests. After running in the engine, sea trials were scheduled.
And so, before the May holidays, sea trials were started. The engine, which had grown stronger after running in, habitually rumbled, the car tensed in anticipation of movement, majestically flaunting in the bright spring rays of the sun. It was a soldier returning after being treated for severe wounds, not yet fully strengthened, but already eager to fight. 
Willis 1942 rear axle.
The design of the car is simply impeccable. The car is arranged almost perfectly. The body today has a unique charm. It is beautiful, as beautiful as a thing corresponding to its purpose - neither subtract nor add.
I decided to conduct the test myself. Squeezing into the driver's seat and looking at the readings of the instruments, I squeezed the clutch and turned on the first gear, increasing the engine speed, smoothly released the clutch. The car moved forward slowly but surely. Adding gas, immediately felt the dynamics, accelerated easily. I accelerated to 50 km / h using all three gears - the course is normal. Having made three laps on a 100-meter site, he stopped. I was satisfied.
Willis 1942, hood with military insignia.
Over the next three months, restoration work continued: the car was painted with matte olive paint, a canister, a spare wheel, an ax and a shovel were installed, and much more needed for its combat equipment. By the end of summer 2008, the car was ready for demonstration. 
Willys is ready for a public show.
The first start of the engine after restoration, the first drive and the test of our jeep is captured on Video... Public demonstration of a car - a soldier "Willys MB" 1942, was not long in coming ...
Toledo USA 1916-1963
The American company "Willys-Overland" became famous as the manufacturer of the most famous light four-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle "Willys-MV" (4x4) during the Second World War, which went down in history as "Jeep". Meanwhile, for most of its life, the company was engaged in the manufacture of civilian cars and small trucks. It was founded in 1909 by John North Willys, who acquired a small company, Overland, which had been producing cars since 1905. Willis Overland began producing its first army pickup trucks at the height of the First World War. At that time, they were part of a small standardized family of light trucks of the US Army and were produced by three companies at once. All cars were equipped with a 38-horsepower engine and a 3-speed gearbox.
Willis Kwod, 4X4, 1940
Willis-MA, 4X4, 1941
Willis-MV "Jeep", 4X4, 1943
This was followed by a long hiatus in the military history of Willis Overland, which lasted until June 1940, when the US Army Quartermaster Corps proposed to develop a lightweight 3-seater four-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle with a payload of 250 kg. A car with a simple open body without doors was supposed to carry a machine gun, have a wheelbase of 80 inches (2032 mm) and reach a speed of 50 mph (80 km / h). Its dry weight was originally estimated at 1200 lb (545 kg), then it was increased to 1275 lb (580 kg), and subsequently increased to 2160 lb (980 kg). The prototype was to be submitted for testing in 49 days, and over the next month, 70 more vehicles were to be produced. Such invitations were sent to 135 American firms, but only two, including Willis Overland, responded positively. By that time, the firm was in a state of severe crisis, and the prospect of receiving a large state order could have saved it from bankruptcy.
In due time, only a small company, American Bantam, which had long cooperated with the military department, presented its car. The first Jeep prototype, developed by chief engineer Delmar Barney Roos, entered trials only on November 11, 1940. The car was named Quad and outwardly resembled the car of the main competitor, Bantam. Its power unit was a reliable and time-tested 4-cylinder Willys-441 engine (2199 cm3, 54 hp), which worked with a 3-speed gearbox and a 2-speed transfer case. "Kuod" was equipped with a spar frame, spring suspensions of both continuous axles, drum brakes with a hydraulic drive, electrical equipment with a voltage of 6 V and wheels with 6.00 ~ 16 tires. The car was built in two copies, and one of them also received rear steered wheels.
The prototype "Pygmy" of the "Ford" company took part in the November tests of 1940, which was declared the winner of the competition, and the "Willis Kood" turned out to be the heaviest: it weighed 1100 kg - 120 kg above the norm ... As a result of this refinement and weight reduction, a second Willys-MA model appeared with a flat radiator grille and a more angular hood, which weighed 980 kg and turned out to be the most suitable for mass production. To avoid unhealthy competition between the three firms, in early 1941, a commission chaired by President Roosevelt decided to issue each of them an order for a batch of 1,500 cars. The production of "Willy-sa-MA" began in June 1941. In addition to the multi-purpose version, it was offered as a sanitary version and as a T54 anti-aircraft gun with a coaxial 12.7-mm machine gun. Meanwhile, the raging World War II in Europe and the prospect of the United States joining it forced the US military to intervene in this work and instruct to urgently launch the mass production of new cars. On July 1, 1941, contrary to the hopes of the "Ford" company, which built an improved version of the GP, the modernized "Willis-MV" was taken as a basis. Serial production of the car at the Willis plant in Toledo, Ohio, began on November 18, and Ford began producing it under the GPW index only at the beginning of the next 1942.
Repair shop on the chassis "Willis-MV", 4X4, 1944
Armored car T25 on the chassis "Willis-MV", 4x4, 1943
Willis-MV "Jeep", 4X4, 1942
Willis-WAC, 4X4, 1943
Willis Super Jeep, 6X6, 1943
The Willys-MV was a versatile, durable and reliable vehicle that could be easily adapted for a variety of military needs, transportation and installation of various military equipment and weapons. Externally, it differed from the MA model in the headlights, transferred from the wings to the radiator lining, and in body parts. Technically, the 4-seater Willis-MV was practically identical to its predecessors, although it received a modernized 442 engine, which developed the previous 54 hp.
It had a wheelbase of 2032 mm, a track of 1230 mm, an overall length of 3378 mm, a width of 1574 mm and an awning height of 1778 mm. Its dry weight was 1108 kg, full -1657 kg. The maximum speed is 105 km / h, the average fuel consumption is 11-12 liters per 100 km. This car made a real revolution in military affairs and automotive technology, it is not without reason that the popular Willis-MV received the title of "Automotive Hero of the 20th Century", but it is best known under the name "Jeep". The origin of this word is still not known exactly, but the main version is that it was a modified version of the pronunciation of the abbreviation GP (General Purpose) - "G-Pi", which denoted a new class of "general purpose multi-purpose vehicles".
The legendary Willys-MV was produced mainly in a universal design with an open body and a tarpaulin awning. During the war, a huge number of different options were created on its basis: staff and ambulances, with various weapons, armored, airborne, 10-seater long-wheelbase, tracked, half-tracked or on a railroad track. The most famous combat vehicles on such a chassis were the T47 self-propelled guns with a 12.7-mm machine gun and the T21 with a 75-mm recoilless gun, an 8-round TZb multiple launch rocket system, SAS anti-aircraft systems and light armored vehicles of the T25 series. In the USSR, the lightest Katyusha was tested on them - the BM-8-8 rocket launcher with 8 80 mm missiles. At the height of the war, prototypes of Willys-MBL or Pilot ultralight jeeps with a 5-speed gearbox and wooden bodies, weighing about 700 kg, as well as Willys-WAC (Willys Air Cooled) or "Jeeplet" of a special design with a motorcycle 2-cylinder 24-horsepower motor, air-cooled center, independent suspension and aluminum body panels. The mini-jeep's weight was only 450 kg. In 1944 it became the base of the WAC-3 light open transport carriage, the predecessor of the equally famous Mechanical Mule. At the same time, work was underway to create heavy machines MLW (4x4) with a carrying capacity of 750 kg and a 1-ton Super Jeep 6x6 with a 60-horsepower engine. On its basis, a batch of ambulances, half-track artillery tractors T29 / T29E1, 37-mm T14 anti-aircraft guns and T24 armored vehicles with an open top and a 12.7-mm machine gun weighing about 2.5 tons were manufactured.
The Willys-MV became the most massive vehicle of the Second World War, the world's first serial four-wheel drive vehicle and the most popular light military vehicle of all time.
In total, until August 1945, Willis and Ford produced 626,727 jeeps under government orders, of which 348,849 were Jeeps, and taking into account other deliveries, 359,851 vehicles. With the advent of Willis-MV, almost the entire batch of MA series machines produced by that time was delivered to the USSR under Lend-Lease. During the war, they were joined by another 52 thousand Jeeps "Willis-MV" and "Ford GPW", some of which were assembled in Kolomna and Omsk, and ammunition and aircraft components were also produced at the "Willis".
Willis CJ2A, 4x4, 1948
"Willis-MO (M38) with a recoilless gun M27, 1953
"Willys-MD" (М38А1С) with anti-tank missiles "Dart"
The end of the war was a harbinger of difficult times for the Willis company, which is firmly attached to the production of army jeeps. With the cessation of the flow of large military orders, she was never able to develop anything new and for a long time modernized her version of the MB, turning it into another military and civilian model, whose fates were closely intertwined. Back in 1944, Willis developed the CJ (Civilian Jeep) or CJA off-road vehicle, which was produced since 1946 in an improved version of the CJ2A, which entered the US Army two years later. The needs of the armed forces for such machines and the habit of wartime jeeps turned out to be so strong that in the winter of 1950, the production of a new Jeep "Willis-MS", better known under the military designation M38, began on the civilian G3A chassis. It got a reinforced chassis, 7.00-16 tires, a one-piece windshield, turn signal guards, 24-volt electrical equipment, a front winch and weighed 1250 kg. Until 1953, about 60 thousand of these machines were manufactured, in the production of which the Canadian plant of the "Ford" company also participated. One of the few variants of the M38 series was the experienced Aero Jeep or Bobcat, which weighed 700 kg.
Almost simultaneously with the M38 jeep, the company developed a more solid version of the Willis-MD or M38A1. It featured an overhead valve Hurricane engine of the same displacement, producing 67 hp. and defined a higher bonnet location, a 1-inch longer wheelbase (2057 mm), wider 7.50-16 tires and larger dimensions. In 1952 "Willis" started its serial production and produced this jeep until the last days of its existence. The reinforced М38А1С chassis was used to mount recoilless guns, anti-aircraft guns and Dart anti-tank missiles. Since 1954, the program included the Willys-MDA long-wheelbase 6-seater jeep (base 2565 mm), the chassis of which was used mainly for M170 ambulances. In total, cars of the M38A1 series were built about 100 thousand copies.
Since 1953, the M606 army jeep has been manufactured on a civilian, CJ3B chassis with an overhead valve 62-horsepower engine, intended mainly for export and assembly under licenses in many countries of the world. In turn, the military series MD and MDA served as the basis for the civilian off-road vehicles CJ5 and CJ6, which remained in production until the mid-80s, and in the late 50s. the CJ5 model became the basis of the updated M606A2 jeep. Since the end of the 40s. the US armed forces received the same modified versions of civilian all-wheel drive pickup trucks and utility vehicles "Station Wagon" (Station Wagon).
Such a deep interchangeability and variety of models, which practically did not differ from each other, reflected the plight of the "Willis", which was unable to independently create fundamentally new four-wheel drive vehicles.
Willis М274А1 "Mechanical mule", 4X4, 1960
Willis XM676 (FC170), 4X4 1958
Willis XM443E1, 4X4, 1958
On April 28, 1953, it was bought out by the industrial corporation Kaiser Industries, turning it into its Kaiser-Willys Division, but retaining the old trademark. The influx of large financial resources allowed "Willis" to engage in the creation of a fundamentally new military equipment. The development of experimental work at the end of the Second World War became a landing transport cart "Mechanical Mule" 4x4 with a carrying capacity of 500 kg with a wheelbase of 1448 mm, a tubular aluminum frame, two or four steerable wheels. The folding steering wheel could be installed both in the front and rear of the cargo platform, or to the side of it, and under the machine, which allowed it to be steered by following or crawling under the vehicle, which was only 685 mm high. The prototype ХМ274 appeared in 1951, and the serial production of the "Mechanical mule" М274 began only in 1956. In the rear part under the platform there was a 4-cylinder boxer engine "Willis AO-53" (876 cm3, 15 hp) of air cooling and 3-speed gearbox.
The M274A1 variant received a 17-horsepower engine with enhanced cooling. The development of the "Mechanical mule" in 1958 was an experienced multi-purpose cabover utility vehicle XM443 with a payload of 750 kg, equipped with a 4-cylinder liquid-cooled boxer engine (2.7 l, 72 hp), located in the central part of the chassis, an independent spring suspension and open aluminum body. The XM443E1 variant was also offered as a multipurpose cart. A series of multipurpose military vehicles based on the standard 1-ton cabover FC series (4x4) did not actually leave the experimental stage. In the late 50s. on FC170 chassis with 4-cylinder diesel engine, 3-speed main and transfer case
Willis produced prototypes of the XM676 and XM677 pickups (with a double cab) and the XM678 / XM679 vans with all-metal bodies, which were tested in the US Navy.
With the advent in the early 60s. Better and cheaper SUV M151 of the "Ford" company, the financial position of "Willis" began to deteriorate sharply. The brand ceased to exist in 1963 when the Kaiser-Willis division was reorganized into the Kaiser Jeep company. Subsequently, it was taken over by the American Motors concern, and Jeep, a subsidiary of Daimler-Chrysler, is now Jeep's direct successor.
