09x10 - Willys MB

[bunniefuu]

Welcome to the grand old US of A.
Yes, Wheeler Dealers has turned its back on

Blighty's gray skies and headed for the
unfeasibly sunny west coast of America.

This time I'm on the hunt for an American
icon. Oh look at that! This one looks

incredible but there's always a but.
That is a black Mark against this.

Ed is given a mammoth
task. This is a proper

stitch up. It's not a
proper stitch up, you're

gonna love it as we work towards the Jeep's
finest hour. This is the show where I buy

broken classic cars and Ed gets them
to work how they should and then we sell

them on hopefully for a profit.
The Willys Jeep is literally a piece of

motoring history. Designed
exclusively for USA military service

in the early 40s, this vehicle
performs on any terrain in any situation.

700,000 were built but after 70 years
the numbers have fallen sharply and it's

believed only 4,000 are still driving.
If you want a four-wheel drive legend, a

car that means something, a car with
historical significance, this Willys Jeep

is it and I want one. In California
perfect World w*r Two Willys Jeeps

change hands for $40,000 but one with
no logbook needing serious work is just

5,000 bucks. I've got $10,000 to
spend which would get me a decent

example but they're so rare it's slim
pickings. Now I've stumbled upon.

this guy's got a really tasty Jeep
for sale. From the pictures the car

he's selling looks really good.
He's got it up for 15 and a half thousand

dollars which is a bit more than
I wanted to pay but it's got the

all-important MB designation which
means it's a genuine army vehicle.

Yes I'm ringing about the car you got for
sale. The World w*r Two Jeep. I suppose the

important question is rust. The
enemy of the Jeep is rust and also failed

engines both of which are expensive
to remedy. I need to know this Willys

has neve issue otherwise the
numbers won't stack up. Okay then Terry

that's great. All right mate cheers
bye-bye. Wow now Terry sounds like the

real deal and if the car is anywhere
near as good as it looks in the pictures

it's definitely worth a visit.
It's not too far away from here so it's

time to hit the road. Buying a car
abroad is harder than popping to your

local dealer but you got to remember
that this is an adventure too. I've got

a two-hour drive from San
Francisco up through Northern

California where the Jeep
has spent the last 25 years.

Underneath a tarpaulin that's always
a nice thing to come and see. See the

surprise oh look at that I tell you
what that is fantastic you know on the

pictures I was kind of thinking it
wouldn't measure up and now I've got

here and I can see it it's better
than I would have hoped. So tell us a

little bit about the Jeep.
It's a 1945 Willys MB this was the main

production line Jeep from 1942 to 1945.
And that's the one that everyone wants

isn't it the authentic Second World
w*r Willys Jeep. Absolutely. What's

borrowed time written on the side for?
I'm selling the Jeep for a friend of

mine and this logo right here was
what was on his father's Jeep in the.

Philippines during World w*r Two.
Kidding. His father was a surgeon for the

army. That's fantastic so a little bit
of history has come along with the

previous owner. Right. I love that
very very nice and these are great aren't

they on the side that's an
unexpected you've got an axe and a

shovel. Right the jeeps are very
utilitarian type vehicle you're gonna

find things like this all over the
vehicle and the axe and shovel was

one of the most obvious tools
that they put on it and that's why it's

displayed here. It looks amazing
is it okay to have a look up to the

hood? Absolutely right you need to
pull open those latches off of there.

Oh yes oh look at
that that's fantastic you

could eat your dinner
off of that couldn't you?

Right that's a 65 horsepower flathead
four-cylinder motor called the L block

top-of-the-line rebuild that you have
about a $7,500 plus motor in this Jeep.

Kidding. You could basically balance
a quarter on this thing. Seriously that's

fantastic and I love some of this
this is great what's this for? Well

that's the lube order chart which
is always put in most of all the

jeeps during World w*r Two so that
the GI and the field could see where to

lubricate the vehicle and on the
back is the trailer that goes behind the

That's brilliant isn't it? It is. So you
were sent off with your vehicle and a lube

chart so you could look
after it. Right. So I can't

help for the life of me
think what's wrong with it

because it looks in such good order.
Well it is a nice Jeep however there

are some drawbacks and the floor is
one of the most obvious issues on the

vehicle itself. Over time someone's
let the body bolts get loose in the floor

and so the floor was jiggling around
and it cracked the floor so someone's

put their own version of a stiffener
in here. Right so these two big round

this they're not original.
They're not original to the vehicle.

Somebody's put those in to
sandwich the body to the chassis.

That's correct. I gotcha.
That's a big job isn't

it because you're gonna
have to cut this floor

out that's gonna be a big thing.
The seats tatty as well. Seat cushions are

definitely tired on the rear at least.
Yeah okay but it's lovely isn't it

because it's got all the bits that
you need to survive right here within

the Jeep. I just noticed this this
little tire pump and the Jerry can.

Right now Jerry can shouldn't be
mounted in the floor like this this is

not the correct spot. The Jerry cans
were typically mounted off the back of the

rear panel. Okay. To the other side
of the tire right there. That needs to be

reinstated over there. Does it have a hood?
It does. The top is located under the

passenger seat. Brilliant okay it's
fantastic. Do you know what I love it

I think it's very very charming and
I can't wait to get it out on the road.

Any chance of a test drive? Absolutely
go ahead and jump on in we'll fire up.

Now I know I should be taking this
seriously but come on I'm getting a b*mb

around in a 70 year old Jeep in this amazing
countryside. Live in a dream or what?

Okay well first impressions well it
may be a 70 year old machine but the

engine it's as sweet as a nut.
It's got a 2.2 litre Willys engine. Most of

them add 4 units but the Willys is
more desirable back in the UK. It runs

just like a switch wash
just like Terry says.

The other thing I'm getting from
the Willys is that it's pretty decent to

drive. It sits on the road really
nicely and because it's short and

lightweight it means it's pretty
maneuverable too. In fact I reckon I

could point it at any part of this
landscape and it would just plow through

it. However there's a but because there's
always a but. There's a problem with a

gearbox. It's a struggle to get it
into third gear and Terry is asking top

dollar for this Jeep and that
is a black Mark against this.

So now I have to decide whether
this Jeep is for me and frankly it is.

However Terry is asking fifteen and
a half thousand dollars which is a bit

more than I wanted to spend so I'm
gonna use this gearbox problem as a

lever if you're pardon the
pun to get him down on price.

Well that was a an entertaining test drive.
You like that huh? I did like it

it's not fast is it? No it's not the
fastest thing in the world. But it's

charming and I love that open feeling
when you're driving it down the road.

Kind of felt like a bit like a GI to be
honest with you. Kind of expected

that. Just need to lose a few pounds.
I love it but it's not without its faults.

There's the problem with the floor at
the back and there's a problem with the

transmission. There's a crunch in
third gear and I'm sure because of its age

it's gonna have its other little problems.
But saying all that I really

like it so I was gonna make you an offer.
Okay. You've advertised it for how

much? Fifteen thousand
five hundred. Fifteen

five. I've got the figure
of twelve thousand

dollars in my head. Well Mike that's
a nice enough offer but it's just shy

of the Mark. This Jeep is really worth
more than twenty thousand dollars in a

good market which is pretty close
to turning around right now. Well I'll

push it to twelve and a half
thousand dollars. I tell you what make

it thirteen and it's yours. Hold out your
hand. Yes I just bought myself a Willys

Jeep. The deal is done but with
thousands of miles from home so my

next task is to get
this car back to the UK

where I can convert
it into cold hard profits.

Location USA. Vehicle a 1940s Willys Jeep.
One of the most enduring

motoring icons. Super rare and super
desirable. Let's get it back to Blighty.

Well this is not only Wheeler dealer
history this is also Mike Brewer history

because this is the oldest car I've
ever bought and look at me I put a tin

hat on, had a cigarette
hanging out me mouth,

bit of Glen Miller on the
radio. I'll be a proper GI.

Well the one thing I'm not
going to change is the way

this car looks because come
on this car looks incredible.

If you can find one that looks
anything like this back in the UK you

can sell it for 15 grand
and you have to think I'll give

myself a pat on the back
because I paid about half that.

Just notice I've got a windscreen wipers
and that's not going to work in the UK.

Well for now I'm just going to try
and enjoy the last remaining moments

I've got with this wonderful
historic car with the sunshine state of

California because the next time you see
this motor gonna be in cold old England.

I went all the way to America and
look what I've brought you back a proper

present a proper Jeep and I managed
to secure us a deal on this and I got it

for $13,000 convert that into our
money about 8,000 pound. That is an

absolute bargain. It's good isn't it? Let's
show you under the bonnet. Okay. Or a hood

as the Americans say. Do that clip
lift that up. That is so clean and so

restored I mean how much work have
they done on that already? Well the guy

owned the car before it owned it for
absolute years 25 years and he spent a

lot of money restoring it but he spent
most of the money right here under the

bonnet. But it is wonderful the
details are amazing like this little I

guess it's some kind of oil yeah
like a little oil dripper there and

then a real klaxon as well. A real klaxon
and around the front you've got a bridge

plate which is nice bit of rope stuck
on the front look at this extra can

as well that's for more water in
case you're traveling across the desert.

Which of course we're gonna be
doing a lot of. I would imagine so yes.

These little sort of nighttime
running lights as well.

Yeah it's all there it's all
authentic you've even got the

little w*r Department lubrication guide
in there isn't it lovely. Really really

smart. Fantastic well have a look
inside you like the shovels? I love the

shovels and the pickaxe that's brilliant
again they're gonna come in real handy I

think. Yes around here
we like those. But look at the

dashboard isn't that
wonderful. It is amazing it all

looks like it all works we've got
that lovely little fire extinguisher

they love these lights or external
lights for the dashboard and also is the

driver actually sitting on a fuel tank?
Yeah you can see that that's really

handy when you're in w*r and somebody's
sh**ting at you you are sitting right

on top of a fuel tank. That is nuts.
It is a bit weird isn't it but that's

the way they designed it. Okay. Everything
in here is really good except and

here it comes one thing is that bit.
The gear shifter? No it's the gearbox

the gearbox crunches in every
gear and if we're gonna turn this Jeep

round and we're gonna run some real
good money out of it we need to be as

sweet as a nut as restored as it could
be and that gearbox is gonna need

changing. Where are we
gonna get one of those from? I

thought that so don't
worry about it leave it to me.

You're gonna have other things to
worry about as well you see that grey

air of yours it's about to get greyer
because this Jeep suffers with a common

problem the chassis and the body
start to separate they jiggle around yeah

and they separate themselves you
can see it buckles the floor yeah and

somebody's done a real bodge here by just
welding in a couple of plates. Okay. Now

the problem is the purists out there who
come to buy these they don't want to see

that they want to see a nice crisp
neat floor. That's nuts. It's nuts yeah.

but while you're there doing all of
that right you see this rear seat well

you might as well change the material
on the rear chair and we'll retrim it.

And you see this Jerry can here
should be reinstated at the back of the

Jeep. So just quickly pop that on
the back of the carousel. Yes. This is a

proper stitch up. Start a proper stitch up
you're gonna love it and when we turn this

around trust me Ed we can earn
some real money out of this one. Yes and

you're gonna love it you're gonna be
burning the midnight oil fighting them

in the trenches should we get it in
the workshop Dad's army? Sir yes sir.

Oh I like that. Very good. I am sitting
in a fantastic car and I've got to say

I've already developed a bit of a soft
spot for our lovely Jeep. Now it looks

amazing doesn't it for a start
but also it's historic it's iconic and

also it's definitely a bit of a head
Turner and Mike wasn't wrong when he

said we could easily sell it tomorrow
but of course then we'd be missing out

on an opportunity because this car
although it looks really good actually

has a chunk of work that needs to
be done and if I do that work we will

definitely add value. The bad
news is I've now got a structural job

particular to this car that promises to
be long tough and pretty full-on. Now

the issue we have is with this
floor it's been quite corroded over the

years also quite dented although
you can't really see much of it because

that lovely matte green paint the
most heinous crime here is about these

bolts that hold the body to the
chassis have actually pulled through at

some point and somebody's reinforced
some of these discs of metal. Now a

collector who's gonna want to pay
top money for a nice mint Jeep is gonna

want to see a lovely clean straight
floor and believe me to replace that is

gonna be a bit of a mission. The
Jeep is designed to be simple to work on

and so access is pretty good. First
up I've got to get the rear section of

the body away from the chassis. Let's
see how it's held on. Now to remove the

rear part of the body from the chassis
you would seem a need to unbolt about 12

bolts but also need to separate it
from the front half of the body and

that's gonna happen just at the
rear of the wings a few more bolts on

either side but it's not just
about bolts I'm also gonna have to

disconnect things like the handbrake
the steering column probably a bit of

wiring it's actually quite a lot to
be getting on with I think I might get

Paul to give me a hand. With the
connecting bolts undone we've got to.

disconnect everything on the body
which is connected to the chassis. Budget

a day to do this work. Removing the
steering column means removing the

inner wing and then we've also got to
strip as much off the body as possible

so it's lighter to handle later.
Hours of hard work completed finally we

raise the body and roll away the
engine and chassis. Cheers Paul. Well as.

it happens that was actually the easy
bit we now have to work out how we're

gonna remove this rather sorry
looking floor pan from the rest of the body

without actually damaging that other
body work so before I can get busy with

a cutting disc I needed a bit of prep
work and that means removing all the

things that are in the way things
like the footrests and of course the

jerrycan holder but also the stuff
needs to be protected that can't be

removed things like the little dials
on the dashboard so quite a lot of work

to be done but all on the other side.
Once I've revealed them I can remove

the spot welds that hold the current
floor in place by drilling them out and

then I can roughly cut around the seam
of the old floor pan. This can be dangerous

work and it needs specialist kit and
experience. Perhaps that's why garage

labor for this job would run to about a
thousand pounds. I found a new floor pan

online from the USA custom made
from a military pattern. It was cheap at a

hundred and thirty dollars and
I'm assured the quality and fit are

excellent. Well here is our replacement
panel now when these vehicles were put

together they were pretty much spot
welded together but there are going to

be some areas I can't actually get
to with a spot welder which is why I

pre-drilled some of these holes in
the panel you can see just there for

plug welding. I locate the new
floor pan to make sure it fits then strip

away any paint to prepare for the welding.
Right then so now all of our

surfaces are clear of paint ready
for welding but actually a little bit.

counterintuitively I now have to paint
them again with some special primer.

Now this stuff is pretty magical
stuff it's actually got loads of zinc in it

but also is actually designed
specifically for welding through. The

idea being that of course once you've
welded these two surfaces together you

could never get paint in them again
so by painting them before you go

on but by using especially conductive
paint that way you get your current

going through perfectly for the
welding but also the rest of the metal is

protected from corrosion. The front
edge of the panel is plug welded into

place. Each weld works by welding the
edge of a hole to the panel below. It's a

laborious process because you need
to wait for each weld to cool before doing

the next one to avoid distortion.
The rest is done with a spot welder. A more

modern process which fuses the
two panels together by passing a high.

current through a small
area melting the metal in

between and ensuring a
good fix and a clean finish.

Oh look at that we have a brand new
floor and it has taken quite a while I.

certainly couldn't have done it
without the use of that spot welder so

if you can borrow one of those it's
well worth it but obviously even though

we're doing well still nowhere near
finishing is address all that welding

fill it prime it and paint it green
of course so no rest for the

wicked. I need a new gearbox for
the Willys and the logical place to find

one is the home of the Jeep the USA.
Now you may think it's gonna be hard to

find parts for a 70 year old Jeep
but actually it's not true because Ford

and Willys made up to 750,000 Jeeps but
they made enough spare parts where you

can rebuild every one of them up to
1,500 times which means there's a huge

spare parts surplus and I've come
to a place that's got a few. The Jeep is

not a mainstream vehicle and there are
a handful of parts suppliers. California

is home to one of the most established
basically a parts mountain and it's run

by a chap with a best name in the
world Wow Mike. How you doing your eyes

you Mike? Yep. I'm Mike too. Good.
Nice to meet you. You seem to have stuff

everywhere I look in this place I'm
after some bits of my Jeep I've got a.

1945 Willys Jeep it's in very good
order but I've got a couple of problems

with it and I'm told that you're
the man in California that's got

everything that I would need.
The first problem I've got is the

transmission. Would
you have one of those?

Yeah I got one down
there. Let's have a look.

It's rebuilt because you can't get a brand
new one anymore. You can't? No. So what

these come in from these are
old ones that you take apart rebuild

yourself here? Yeah. Is
this it? Yep. Look at the

size of that. It's heavy.
It looks well it looks.

brand new doesn't it? So that's a
good one then that's gonna start and be

perfect in every gear. Yeah. Okay I like
look at that it's fantastic. How much is

it? $900. $900 bucks?
Yep. It's alright isn't

it? Not bad at all. I
couldn't pass up the

opportunity to sniff around Mike's
place to see if I can find the gold

that would end up adding value to our
Jeep back home. Is there anything else

that I can add to my Jeep to
give it authenticity to make it more.

collectible? Take a look over here.
First aid kit. Oh first aid kit that's

lovely. Oh that's nice look at that
all original as well don't tell me it's got

bits inside it is it?
Yeah. Look at that it's

brilliant. It's got cream
sunburn preventative which is

exactly what I need today and some
field dressing and that's the kind of

stuff that gives it authenticity isn't it?
Yeah. That's lovely. The

transmission at $900 and the first
aid kit at 150 bucks is less than half

what I'd spend in the UK and Mike
even has a set of wipers for a hundred

dollars. Bargain.
Hold that in your hand.

Yes. Got yourself a
deal. Okay. Away from the

history of the Jeep and the emotions
it conjures up we're faced with tough

jobs and days of work. Can the Jeep
deliver on its pedigree and deliver us

a profit? We've got an American
icon the Willys Jeep but it's an American

icon with a rusty rear floor.
Ed's managed to weld in a new panel but

he's only halfway through the job
because he needs to paint it and a

period finish before the car can
go back together. The whole point of

putting in this brand new floor is
because we're trying to get all those

details right but clearly there's a
whole load of work that needs to be

done before it's going to be
ready for the approval of those Jeep

aficionados. I need to do a load of
prep work and then I can finally paint

it with that classic olive drab paint.
I also need to be painting this

jerrycan holder but not before
I've actually bolted it into its new

position on the back of the Jeep. It'd be
crazy to go around marking and drilling

holes on fresh new bodywork so on
with the sanding. I'm not sending this job

out of house because originally if the
Jeep needed repainting it wasn't done

in a spray booth. It was generally
tackled in an army garage by one

person so a homemade finish is
appropriate to the car. I prepare the

surface, etch prime the area to be
painted and then add a coat of stone chip.

Now there are definitely two schools
of thought as to whether you should or

shouldn't use stone chip on a brand
new repair panel. Now I've gone for it

purely because this is the underside
of our Jeep. When it's been driven

around in the future it's going to
see a fair amount of abuse from the

environment so an extra layer of
protection seems like a good idea.

Also I've gone for a slightly finer
version of that stone chip just so

it doesn't look like we've covered
up a bad job. So all that remains is to

let it dry and then cover it in green
paint. Now I've managed to get hold of

exactly the right color green in
the form of some aerosols to do our

painting of our top coat and even
though the aerosol wasn't actually

invented till 1949, seven years
after this little chap was put together, I.

think it's okay to use some modern
technology when it comes to painting

our Jeep. The army spec paint
came in from the states from the

supplier of the floor pan and six
aerosol cans were just 76 pounds.

I just thought it'd be fun while the
paint is drying to compare our freshly

painted new panel with the old one
that we cut out and I think you'll agree it

is a vast improvement. It's quite a
transformation so well worth the effort.

On the top side of the car I need to
clean up my welding before painting.

Well now I've ground back all the
pug welds it does look quite smart

doesn't it? If you look here with one of
those ground down welds they do look

a little bit like a spot weld so in 70
years time when somebody wants to

replace the floor at least they know
where to look. Now before I start

clearing up all this grit and swarf
I've got a bit more swarf to be making of

course that's because of this little
Jerry can holder. So the idea is that

the Jerry can is going to be fixed
to the back of our Jeep. Now all I've

seen is drawings I've got no
instructions so it's a little bit of

rule of thumb here. So first of all
I've actually put the spare wheel in

position I could offer it up it's going
to go roughly here if I look at the

brackets on the back I can see
I'm gonna have to avoid some.

strengthening bars on the back of the Jeep.
I'm just gonna pop it down a bit.

Right now in that position it's going
to be the strongest part of the back of.

the car. Does it look okay? It pretty
much lines up exactly where all the

pictures I've seen line up
so I reckon that's our position.

Before you apply the drill remember
the golden rule measure twice and cut

once or drill. Now the brackets holes
are drilled let's get some paint on there.

With our jeeps floor now looking a
hundred percent better and with our

Jerry can holder in the right
position on the car the bodywork is

now done. Now it'd be great at this
point to put it back onto the chassis

but I have got a mechanical job still
to do maybe a lot easier with this out

of the way. Ed, how you doing mate you
alright? I'm good sir. Wow what have you

done to my Jeep you've ruined it.
I certainly haven't ruined it it's still.

the same old lovely Jeep it has been
through the mill sure but check out

that rear floor. Oh wow that's
fantastic that looks brand new well

done. Well thank you sir it was
really hard work but now it is done and I

think it's fair to say we're on our way.
Well I can see you've been busy

I've been busy too look I've been doing
some shopping for us and look what I got

I got a replacement gearbox because
that one's a bit crunchy. It was actually

really good timing because while
the body's off it's gonna be so much

easier to change them out. I also
got us a couple of other little trinkets to

make the Jeep more sellable first of
which is this look at that believe it or

not they're window wipers. They're
fantastic of course we are bringing it

to a rainy country so why not?
Why not indeed and another little finishing

touch which I really like is this
genuine World w*r Two first aid kit.

That is awesome what a lovely
little detail. Good isn't it all you got to

do now then is bolt all of this
and clearly bolt the rest of the car.

together and I reckon we got a winner
on our hands. I've already said the.

Jeep looks the part but if you dig just
a little bit deeper you'll find it's not

quite all it's cracked up to be. Now
I've already sorted out all the body work

issues but now we've got a really
big mechanical fix to sort out. It's

the gearbox it's an intermittent fault
which means you can't always get into

third. And for once I've got the
spare part before I've started the job.

Mr. Brewer has been kind enough to
source me a replacement unit. There's

actually quite a clever trick because
these little chaps are really rare

they're so old you can no longer
buy brand new ones you have to get

reconditioned units. Now this
transmission is a Warner T-84J it has

three speeds and it's got a reverse
H-gate so effectively where you'd

normally expect to see first is
reverse you've got first down here

you got second and third so my job
today is to take out the old gearbox

and pop in this new one.
You can swap a gearbox with the body on but

since I've got the body off I can
approach it differently it'll take less

time and it's a treat to get to know
the mechanics of the Jeep a little

better. On a car like this you can
really see why the Victorians got

so excited about machines.
You can see everything work. If I operate

what would be the throttle pedal
there you can see it's operating

directly onto the carburetor.
If I operate the brake pedal you can

see it actually working onto the
master cylinder there and if I just

push down here on the clutch
pedal you can see that this lever goes

down through a little pivot there
then it comes out to another lever

through a rod through another
pivot and eventually ends up with this

little cleavage joint here and
of course it's actually pulling the

cable on the actual clutch itself
which is fantastic so obviously I'm

going to have to disconnect all
of this to get to the gearbox so I'm

going to start with
removing this little split pin.

The gearbox is full of oil and
it's better to drain it now and

collect it properly than be all
surprised when it gets messy later on.

If we have a quick look at the drain
plug it's got a little magnet on the

end and you can see on top of
that magnet is tons of spiky stuff

that's actually metal swarf that's
come out of the gears of our gearbox

which just goes to show that
there is definitely something not right

with it which is probably
why we've got a bit of an

issue so it's well worth
checking clever idea though.

Once both prop shafts are
disconnected you've got to unbolt the bell

housing and then disconnect the
gear that couples the gearbox shaft

to the transfer box. This is the bit
which provides drive to the wheels.

Oh well here is the transfer box
not actually having to fix this or

anything I obviously had to remove
it to be able to get to our gearbox

but while it's here of course
we're going to be putting everything

back together again I thought I'd just
quickly clear up all this excess sealant.

I'm cleaning this surface because I
have to reseal it to the gearbox later on.

Removing the inspection panel
makes it much easier to disengage the

release bearing arm before
the box is carefully removed.

Well here is our old gearbox
now when I took the transfer box off

this bearing on the end here
actually pulled out along with the shaft

and that's why this gearbox
actually has this big plate of wood

on the end just to stop all the
gubbins actually falling out so it's just.

exactly in the right place when
I put it back together again.

Now you can see essentially the
only difference between these two

really is just the colour so I think
we'll give this one a lick of green

paint just so it matches
the rest of the car.

You might think it's nuts to paint
something that you'll never see

but throughout this whole
rebuild I've gone for a 100%

finish where possible to make
the Jeep present perfectly.

This clutch arm needs to be
removed from the old unit and attached

to the new one and now
the gearbox can be installed.

Now this is where things
start getting a bit trickier

we'll have to attach the
transfer box to our new gearbox

but before I can do that I need to
put some sealant around this surface

but also on the gearbox itself
so obviously I'm going to have to

clean this up first but more
importantly I'm going to have to remove

this protective bit of wood which
means of course then if I was to knock

that shaft I risk knocking the
shaft out and the bearing out of kilter

which would be not cool so I've got to
be very very careful from this point on.

This special sealant comes from
the USA and I ordered it online.

It's called Toyota FIPG 103 and it's
strongly recommended by the gearbox builder.

It will give a perfect seal
between the two metal surfaces.

I'm just going to check
that the clutch still works.

I reinstall the gear.

and of course I refill the
gearbox with EP80 oil.

And now our new gearbox is in place.

Having swapped out our
dodgy gearbox for a good

one we now have a
Jeep that should drive an

absolute dream and the job was made a whole
load easier because the body was up there

rather than on the chassis so it may
even have saved a bit of time as well.

Mike is desperate to get the Jeep finished.
He's got an event plan where he wants it

to play a starring role and if the
car's in bits we just won't make it.

The Willys Jeep is an
American dream car and

ours is loaded with period
detail but underneath

the vehicle is needed
TLC and that TLC has been

very tough love costing
Ed hours in the workshop.

When this Jeep first
turned up at the workshop

I went on about
how well it presented.

I then proceeded to
rip it apart and ended up

having to do some pretty
major body work and.

but now I'm at that happy
point where I know everything

works. All I have to do
now is put it together.

Reassembly takes about a day or
more if you encounter any problems.

This is where you'll replace rusty bolts
and make sure everything works perfectly.

because disturbing things on classic
cars doesn't always make them better.

Now one thing I didn't
do when I put the floor

in is drill the holes
that attach it to the

and the main reason
for that is I've got no idea

where they're supposed
to be but now the body is

in position it's all bolted
down I can now use

those original holes in
the chassis as a guide

as to exactly where I need to drill
through from underneath into our new panel.

I'm not just drilling
through the reinforcing

bit of box section but
also some hardwood that's

inside it. The steering column, inner wing,
petrol tank, seats and windscreen were all

removed so I could
flip the tub to work on

it and although
everything looks pleasing or

nicely laid out here each one
takes time and energy to refit.

Now having spent so
much time trying to look

after all the little
details on this Jeep

there is no way it can
leave the workshop with

the seat covers looking
in this state they are

dreadful so what I've
done is order a complete

new set of cushions
all I have to do is take

these ones off and pop
the other ones in their place.

These arrive from the
USA within 48 hours and

are trimmed in the
correct period material.

Price $130. Time to swap 30 minutes.
Come on Paul we're nearly there.

Mike bought me a set
of rudimentary wipers in

a modern car this would be a
big job to install but not here.

Last few bits to go like the spare wheel.

We are so close to the
end got those fantastic

manual windscreen
wipers in place they look

wonderful but of course another
little detail that Mike got us

was his original first aid kit
and that just pops in under here.

And the final detail the Jerry can in its
new position on the back of the Jeep.

We've made it. When
Mike turned up with this

motor it looked so good
clearly whatever was

wrong with it was hidden
deep within and having

pulled our whole thing
apart and fixed bodywork

and mechanical problems I'm happy to say
our Jeep is now ready to fight another day.

The Jeep has always
looked the part but now its

appearance is no
longer its only trump card.

The bodywork and
mechanicals are immaculate

and I believe this
historic 70 year old vehicle

must rank as one of
the finest in the UK.

The journey for the Willys began thousands
of miles away on the west coast of the USA.

The price of $15,500 was too high but
once I saw the car I had to strike a deal.

The rear floor pan was the weakest link
and Ed was charged with removing the rusty

ruin and welding in a replacement panel and
painting it that unmistakable olive green.

That looks brand new well done.

The gearbox is super rare but I located
a rebuilt unit and shipped it over for Ed.

Now all the gears are
graunch free. Ed added

more period details
like the first aid kit

and wipers which I know will
captivate fans and build the Jeep's price.

But what does it owe us?
The car cost us 8 grand in UK money.

The body panel was 130 quid. The gearbox
and other spares set us back 730 pounds.

Throwing the ship in we're in for
just under 11 grand. Good numbers.

Ed how you doing son you all right?
I'm very good sir.

Wow look at the Jeep it's fantastic.
Last time I see it was in two halves.

The top half up there and the bottom half
down there now seeing it back together.

Well I gotta tell you son that
almost brings a tear to my eye.

I do have to agree with you sir.
It has been a really really tough job this

but I just love the simplicity of this
motor. I'm gonna be sad to see it go.

Yeah it would be sad
to see it go but I've got

just the idea to give
this a fitting send off.

Okay. Yeah you're gonna
love what I've got planned.

Just please tell me it's not going to be
ragging this around some off-road circuit

somewhere just be such a shame.
Would I do that to you?

It's time for the Wheeler
dealers to make history.

Feels nice doesn't it
dressing up once in a while.

I have to say that does suit you but I
could have maybe gone a little bit smarter.

That you look all right.
Anyway come on we got work to do.

Well Ed this isn't no ordinary
car it's not even an ordinary

four by four this is
a special car which

means that we get to
do special things in it.

So what's the story Mr B?

Well Ed all across the
UK there's a big scene

for military re-enactments
and with a car like

this with all the period details intact you
don't need a ticket no we get a VIP pass.

That's very exciting.

Upminster in Essex is
home to the annual military

vehicle show where
hobbyists dress up in wartime

gear, pull their historic
vehicles out of the

shed and put on a great
display of living history.

I'm not even gonna say it Ed.

Say what?

I'm not gonna say it
I'm not gonna say how

well the car drives I'm
not gonna say you've

done a great job I'm
not gonna say that the

gearbox is fantastic and this car is as
solid as a rock I'm not saying any of it.

Because?

Because this says it
all you have absolutely

nailed it sunshine with
this one it's a triumph.

Well thank you very much
but actually it's a Willys.

The atmosphere is superb but it's not
all about fun I'm here to meet one of the

country's Jeep experts and if ours
can cut it here we've got a winner.

So Will you're the expert when it comes to
World w*r II Jeeps you certainly know more

about them than I think I do
what do you think of our example?

Yes it's a very nice Jeep it's very
straight I notice there you've got the

right fire extinguisher in there
very hard to find very rare.

Nice little touch eh?

Very nice touch yes
also you've got the right

first aid kit under the
dashboard very expensive.

maybe 500 pounds worth.

Yes yes all day long yes.

So what are we looking at round here?

Yes another nice
example of this Jeep is this

tag with a scout these
normally rot away and

fall off but this one you've
seen tagged on it's very nice.

And that goes to show
that it's been looked after.

It does yes very nice.

I'm well happy with what you've got to say.

Pretty awesome shows and they've
got everything going on isn't it?

I think that's a genuine
spitfire you've got proper

re-enactment it's fantastic
and people do love our Jeep.

I think it is absolutely brilliant that our
Jeep is being so well received at this show

because it means we've
got everything right but this is

very much a niche market
so how are we going to sell it?

Ed don't worry about it this Jeep is so
strong and the provenance is there with it

I reckon we're going to be all right do
you know what we can get top dollar.

maybe 15 or 16 000 pounds for it.

Wow so that's got to be top
money for one of these isn't it?

Trust me.

For two weeks I put it about that
I wanted offers close to 15 grand

all the time hoping I'd flesh out even
higher money but is that just a pipe dream?

Now 15 000 pounds is a
lot of money for our Jeep

but if I was to be honest with you
there's not that many out there for sale

I've got the same level of top to
bottom detail that our one's got.

Now just through word of mouth alone
I've already had an astonishing response

I've had people bidding me on the phone
16 000 pounds which seems incredible

and this guy behind me apparently
he's got a pocket full of cash

and he wants to buy the car for
somebody else which seems intriguing

if I can pull this one off it really
would be mission accomplished.

So then Dean you do like this don't you?

It's a cracking Jeep.

The detail is just phenomenal.

Fantastic but you're not buying it for you?

It's for me and my friend Justin.

we've got a private
collection of quite quirky

cars and this is
going to fit in brilliantly.

So can you imagine you
and Justin both dressed

as GI Joe bouncing
across the field in this?

We're going to have a
lot of fun that's for sure.

Well listen I've had a
phenomenal response on this Jeep

just through word of mouth alone

and if you're interested in
spending your mate's money

then I'm afraid this is
a once in a lifetime deal

this is no phone a friend no
haggling it's 16 000 pounds.

What do you reckon?

Done.

Yes fantastic.

Just bought yourself second world
w*r Jeep with your mate's money.

A sale price of 16 grand
gives me a five grand purse

it's a staggering 60 profit
on the original purchase price.

I'd always hoped we'd score
with this one and we have.

Well the profit has
been fantastic on this one

but sometimes it's not all about the
money sometimes it's about the honor

and do you know what it's been a real
privilege to be around this historic motor.

If you want to see more iconic wonderful
cars getting turned around by me and Ed

then join us again soon
on Wheel Of Dealers.

Tala.