Willys Jeep Update...

 

March into April has seen a lot of lovely high pressure weather with clear blue skies and while we have been making the most of the conditions and doing a lot of cycling when were both off work though it has been real cold at nights and a lot of frosts, and so  a lot of road salt still going on roads which is not ideal for any car never mind something old, So I have been busy with the Jeep inside and swapped out a few more parts to add to the look I want, The French Blackout light and windscreen adjusting knobs were swapped for reproduction American items along with hand operated windscreen wipers and a rear view mirror  that all bolted straight on and the sand coloured canvas bucket I bought at the recent trade stalls at the open day at Military Museum Scotland was fitted after a few coats of Olive Drab...

The Powerspark pointless ignition I have not managed to get to work, and the return period has now expired and with my electrician friend Al we could not get to the bottom of why it will not fire up, Al checked the timing with a timing light and it seems timed correctly...

Bit disappointed about this, but the company does have a help number so we should give them a call - need to do it when Al is round as he may make sense of things when to me its all a bit complicated...

Good friends Dave G and Fiona stopped by for a couple hours while down cycling here and Dave saw the Jeep for first time so firing it up we had to go a quick spin around town and 23 pics in black and white courtesy of Dave, it was freezing though! so happy to just have short drive to give the Jeep a run...

Then another afternoon I was out a short drive around town, while dry, again it was freezing!, though it was again a grey day so I took my pics in black and white. it was a real grey cold day,  but as always good to drive the Jeep again...

Warmer weather should have been on the way as Easter approached when things usually start to warm up. however over the easter weekend I was just out locally around town as despite high pressure weather and dry with clear skies as it was still cold!

While the screen was up for a drive across  to NOrth Berwick town it was down for here around town, I love driving the Jeep like this!

I’m real pleased how the Jeep now looks with some small inexpensive parts bought this month instead of money going on petrol... 

And lastly week a used metal steering wheel from a UK Jeep dealer for £38 posted was bought, it must have been on a civilian Jeep (CJ) as white plastic grip with chromed spokes but chrome was mostly flaked off with age so I hard sanded the wheel, then red oxide sprayed several coats over a few evenings,  then it got the Olive Drab treatment, should look good once it gets that used look...

Fitting it was not to hard, I removed the old plastic coated wheel with a 3 prong puller, one of a set of 3 I bought a while ago...

Removing the lock nut then the horn button from the lock nut I reinstalled the nut living a few mm from tight to protect the internal horn buttonthen pulled the wheel up stopping to loosen the nut further until the wheel could be pulled of by hand...

A coin protected the inside horn button from the point on the extractor bolt...

A big socket tapped down and seated the metal wheel...

On and looking better!...

We got out the following evening around town a run with friend Chris who popped round with his Jeep...

Sadly as has been the last 2 days here the Sea Haar drifted in as we drove to the other end of town and parked up at Seafield Bridge, surrounded by the incoming high tide...

Good to get out a wee spin together and catch up with Chris, I made some films driving down to the harbour, with G holding the Go Pro, we then drove along to the Bridge in Belhaven Bay...

Here are 3 short films around town

Hopefully we will get some warmer weather soon for some fun days out further afield!

Next month will be an engine service with oil and filters changed, gearbox/transfer and axle oil levels checked, and grease points -steering and driveshafts etc then be ready for summer…

More soon...