1967 M151A1 from MD to WV

[Rustman]

This was supposed to be an easy project. A little bondo I was told by my friend. But he never crawled under the truck. But I digress... I do know that the engine ran about two years ago but that the carb was all gummed up so my friend sent the carb out for a rebuild. The radiator reportedly leaks. I know the brakes work. The ROPS is only fastened front and center. The rear legs rest on top of the wheel wells and aren't even tacked down. The machine gun pintle located in the passenger's crotch is a nice touch. Along with the 40mm ammo can glove box. Looks like I'll be unbolting a bunch of stuff from this one.

Below are a bunch of pictures. Thanks to Mutt Guru and a post on G503 I now know this to be a 1967 Ford built M151A1. I'll post more as I unload and begin restoration.

Matt

[Rustman]

Of rust and men...





Looks like I'll be shopping for an underbody repair kit and some panels from M151bodypanels.com. Guy your thread on your 68 is what gave me hope for this one after my heart sank when I crawled under it in my friends driveway.

Matt

[Rustman]

Two years ago in anticipation of moving Jeeps and having to move my wife's horses I planned on combining tasks with a 14ft horse/stock trailer. The MUTT just squeezed between the opened up center partition.





The escape door was also of no use to my buddy. He got to climb out the back after steering it in.

Matt

[fergrn37]

Looks like a 'normal' beginning of a typical project. Don't forget to post up some in progress pics as time goes by.

[SturmTyger380]

Who gave it the hood nick name of - Loose Screw?

[Rustman]

Who gave it the hood nick name of - Loose Screw?

That was the owner previous to my buddy. My friend bought it pretty much as you see it. Only thing he did was rebuild the carb (or had it sent out actually) and pull the radiator. For the last two years it's been in his driveway covered in white shrink wrap like they use on boats. With the tow bar turned up, under the plastic, it resembled a rhinoceros. Taking on the nickname of "The White Rhino". My wife asked if it was going to keep that name. Since she has better handwriting then me I told her I'd hand her a paint marker and she can put that below the windshield.

Matt

[Hambone]

Invest in a 41/2" grinder and some .040 cut off wheels, will make life easier, make sure you wear safety glasses.

[rickf]

And a plasma cutter.

[Rustman]

I have 4" and 6" angle grinders and a Lincoln 140. Compressor is up and running now so next on the list are a smaller pneumatic "grinder" and pneumatic saw. Plasma is on the wishlist as well. I don't have my shop setup yet. So not a lot of traction will occur on this project for a few months. I travel for work and I'll be gone all of February. Then March is shop setting up month. Then it's travel in April. Then it's Aberdeen! Travel in June... July. July is when I hope to be able to truly get into this. I hope to do a little here and there before then. But I'm honestly looking at July as my target for full disassembly.

Matt

[rickf]

Aberdeen, this may be the first year in 35 years I don't go. I am thinking of trying for Findlay, Ohio this year. They eliminated our spots last year and said they needed the space for "traffic control". I took a picture of a million dollar camper in our spots instead of "Traffic control". I helped prepare the steak dinner last year in the rain and there was little turn out for that so I am not sure if Scrounger is even going to do that this year.

[Rustman]

Update. MUTT is out of the trailer and in front of my shed. (Shop isn't set up yet) In between cold or wet weather I was able to begin uncovering some former numbers on the bumper. Also below is the incorrect data plate.









Looks like she was in the Maryland National Guard and before that was in:

??? DIV 10 1/4

I need to get more acetone and continue the slow removal process. That seems to be doing the trick best. I ran out and tried some other chemicals I had around the home, but they either merely cleaned the paint well or simply froze. The acetone was working. So I'll stick with it. Curious to see if anything comes up from the hood. And here's the "58 Willeys" data plate.



On the passenger rear fender is the standard M151A1 weight and dimensions tag, but my photo of it is blurry. That's about it so far. Spent some time yesterday removing Bondo. Some of it was even backed up with hardware cloth.

Matt

[rickf]

That was an aftermarket data plate that was stamped with the data for a title that he probably already had. Looks like it has been on there for a long time but I can see it was not the original, overspray does not match. As far as finding the numbers you are better off using sandpaper. I use 400 or 600 wet sandpaper. Just go slow and you will easily see the different layers as they appear. Chemicals are not going to cut it especially if CARC paint was used.

[Rustman]

I figured the "Willeys Co" and having CJ2A in the serial line was a pretty big hint at the BS of the tag. Still it matches a MD title I have for this. So I guess I'll keep the tag and just rivet it out of sight somewhere. I mean Willeys ?? Not even the correct spelling of the wrong company... As for the paint. I'm pretty sure no CARC was harmed in the former owner repaints of this. The acetone was working like a charm cutting through the Wal-Mart spray paint or whatever was used. I just ran out of acetone, can was nearly empty when I started. And this weekend coming up is supposed to be above freezing so attempts at wet sanding may be made. But more recently that would have just frozen to the hood.

Matt

[rickf]

If you do the wet sanding do it with a sanding block so that you get things down to an even layer. The original markings will be on the first layer which will be even. As you go down through the layers you can go to gently hand sanding on small areas to bring up one or two letters but then go back to the block for the next layer. Once you are down to that point you want to go to finer paper, nothing more than 600 and maybe even finer. It all depends on how bad you want those original numbers and how patient you are. Patience is everything when it comes to this task. Not really something that is conducive to freezing weather. You can dry sand it with the same paper, just go lightly and tap the paper clean frequently. It is harder to see the numbers though.

[m3a1]

I don't want to tell you your business but I think maybe you ought to start by having Rick eliminate the section of this post regarding the data plate. It's painfully clear what is going on with this truck numbers-wise. It's in your best interest not to advertise it because, now you have no deniability. Sell it with those numbers on it and you may very well find yourself being sued. Frankly, you may even have a cause of action of your own against the former owner.

We all know what the score is with these trucks. Many of them have had their identity removed, probably by the government that sold them, in an attempt to keep them off the highways but, when it comes right down to it, you risk a great deal with your truck having something like that amateurish data plate which is so plainly false.

May I suggest an alternative? First, get rid of the plate and absolutely forget about whatever title you may have gotten with it. It's an utterly worthless piece of paper. Go through the process of titling it which is not as horrible as you may have been lead to believe -or- get it running and make sure the mechanicals are right and while you are doing that, look for a better truck, body-wise; one that has a better provenance and a real title or simply be satisfied to use it without a title.

Under the present circumstances, what you have gotten yourself into with this truck is extremely risky and even though I don't call the shots here on the G838, I must say that publishing a vehicle here; one that has had its identity changed (which is illegal in all fifty states) certainly degrades the habitual truthfulness of the site and it's members because now, we are all a party to it.

Cheers,
TJ