the story about my M170 Ambulance

[BBDE]

This is the story about my M170 Ambulance.

As I mentioned in my other “back to life” thread

http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... ic&t=12400

here I’ am telling you the longer story about what I have done with that special kind of Jeep.

Possibly, this is a suggestion for someone, to rescue a vehicle that is in poor condition.
So, don’t be afraid.

Part one:

This is what I started with.
Mechanically complete, leftovers from the bows, missing upper litter rack, rust, dents, more rust, and again lots of more rust, cracks and dents.


The lower litter rails still there, the rear floor panel and the wheel well is heavy dented.


The muffler is blasted out.



The windshield frame under the weather strip.


Rust in many variants and conditions.


Heavily used.


The tailgate, the edges around are rusted out and also heavily dented.


But fortunately, the front seats are still in place, what makes the decision to take this M170.


The Storage box in the one wheel well.
What a surprise, looks like Dr. Frankenstone had also tried body work once.
Not really surprising, but interesting to see the kind of repair.


Houston, we have a lift off.


The rear traverse, not strait this time.


The Frame stripped and pre cleaned.


Right in form again.


This is, what the Ambulance is longer than the normal M38A1.


Blasted frame.
The blasting pistol, I have build out of some plumbing fittings from the do it your self market.


Yes, it works very good and not so much expensive than the “profi tools” you can buy.

Some more blasting.


Inside the steering box.
The bearing rollers looking more like rounds from a civil war battlefield.
That happened, when water is inside the steering box, coming from a missing cap of the horn button.


Blasting and priming,


Inside the rear axle, I found this.
Nice, now I know the reason of the new filler plug, anyone has installed some times back in use of this vehicle.
The old plug has done his work.
Something more to fix for me.


The brakes has only to be cleaned, inside the cylinders, they look like new.


A lot of re done parts, ready to use.


The springs after the cleaning and painting.


So the the frame is rolling and the next part is taken.


The Engine.


Blasting.


The engine, gearbox and transmission are back in the frame.


The fixed muffler is the same, as the blasted off that pictured above.
Has still the M170 part number on it.


To be continued.

Frank

[mdainsd]

Very, very nice! Please keep posting progress.

[Galen]

That's an amazing amount of work shown in a few pictures. Well done, keep up the momentum!

[BBDE]

Part two:

Now the M170 project became hardcore.

The Body.
An so much very sepcial.

I have a small folding machine, but the most work, I do with hammer and sticks, by hand.

There is rust where ever rust can be.
The reinforcement of the Tailgate opening.


And where is was before.


The complete panel has to go.


And of course, the wheel well.


The frame of the lid is the only part what is worth to be reused.


The new self made part.


The Edging for reuse.


Very needful tool to do this kind of bodywork.


New tailgate frame and reinforcements


New self made rear panel on the left, old one on the right.
Again, with wood in the hat channels.


Bodywork in progress.


Step by step.


Again and again.


Sometimes it hurts,


Sometimes it makes you happy when success taking place.


Patch following patch.



Than the next section to be done.


But it’s very necessary to do that

So, from on top,



And underneath. The hat channels get there wood again.






When the welding is done, the body is blasted and primed.
Nobody can see the effort, the pain and time, it has taken.


But it is more than worth all of it.
Like new and rust free.
And this is not a repro body, this is the original with some (more) self made Panels added.

Next layer of primer.


And, touchdown, back on the frame.



There are some other parts to do.


The one fender, not only with rust.


All blasted and coated.


Some small parts be done.


Next part following next.

I hope you guys enjoy that.

Frank

[Ryan_Miller]

Nice photo history!

[AdLav]

Wonderful job Frank, she looks great now. What a restoration.

[keats]

always good to see another M170 returned to service!! Not very many left, and few restored to any degree.

[mdainsd]

Is your day job in the sheet metal trade? Your work is beautiful!

Can I send my Jeep bodies to you for your treatment?

[BBDE]

Thank you for your nice comments.

I' am a professional Truck mechanic.
But for my hobby I have tried painting, welding, sewing and body work, too. With some practice even with good results.

When I started with my first restoration of my first M38, the outcome was not that, what it be now. There are at least 35 years of experience since that time.
For the hat channels, I have a small company near by.
But only strait, without curves.
The metal sheets, I purchase also from a lokal company.
The rest, I do by my self.
Not perfect, but good enough for me.

And sorry, there are some pending projects in my garage, so I assume it takes longer then my lifespan do.

So here comes the third part:

Next step.


Bruce Lee stated once, that water can flow, or it can crash.
Hm, it can take steel away also.
Okay, it takes some times.
Not massive I know that part once was.


Some more parts blasted, some for the next project.


Primed


Painted O.D.


Not a door, but I want to paint it black.


As Johnny Cash once sings,
One piece at a time.


Fenders back in shape.


Rust is where rust can be, again.


Inside the windshield frame.
Rust and a Greek Newspaper.


Blasted and primed.


This is the right time for a “Top chop” job.
I prefer the original size.


The tailgate has a new edge around, only the panel in the middle is the old.


First drive.


Sometimes later I got a complete canvas set.
Ex Greek army stock.
But it doesn’t fit, so I have to do some sewing.


Then I had to overwork my self made top bows.
I started with the left overs and only some pics out of the Internet as templates.


One time, some efforts later, it fits.


Next problem:
The missing upper Litter Rack.
David from WEEBEE Webbing offered a few sets long time ago.

No chance for me to get one of these.
So I build my own, again, only from pics as a template.




Then the markings where done.


The unit marking was re done.


The rear bumper markings become the style out of the TB 946-93-1


From the dealer, I got the Top, later I buy a complete Heater Kit.
But I only take the mask to use.


The rest is still N.O.S.


So I take a piece of wire


To build my own loops, so the NOS set still remains NOS.


Sometimes later I had to take out the engine again.
One rod bearing was wrong.
I decide to swap the engine, but I won’t that.
So I do the engine to reinstall the same engine, that was in the Jeep when I got it.



Little gym.



This was the first engine that I had not tested before the installation.

My bad.

Some times I win
Some times I loose

This time I loose.

My own fault.

The key was?

End play of crankshaft!
But I can fix that problem.


Some times later, the water pump gets noisy.
After removing the pulley.


After that, the Ambulance hit the road for longer rides to collectors meetings without any problems.
I’ am not a trailer guy.

In the north of Germany (near Bremen)


In the middle of Germany (Hessen)


And in the south of Germany (near Münsingen)


So one trip can cost 14 hours, non stop, only for refuelling, and what a man had to do.
Yes, the "Autobahn" is faster, but I' am not in a hurry when traveling with one of my Jeeps. More time to enjoy the landscape, when driving across the country roads.

And in front the bridge of spies between Berlin and Potsdam


Otherwise, I’ am a total normal guy , anyway I think.



This thread is also a big thank you to this forum.
I have learned many facts here about the Willys M Jeeps.
And as I take informations, I would give some back to you.

The kind I was building my projects, perhaps is different, but when I started with a poor project, there isn't much to restore.
As a "Motor Pool resto" in "Overseas", I have many options.

Without judging, it isn't a problem for me, not to have the original Rack for the stretcher and not have the "Reel-lamp" yet.
But I have fun, going up and down the country, have more space and can sleep in the Jeep.

Yes, it is something special for me.

This project has shown me, what I' am able do do.

I have purchased it back in 2004.
The main work was finnished in 2008.
My last trip around 1250 miles, I have done this year.

So, this was the (little) longer story about my Ambulance, saved from the scrapyard,
and also,

back to life.




Thanks
Frank

[jam51m38cdn]

Thank You Frank. Awesome Job! Very Skilled Tradesman. You are the Little Red Engine that could and did. The can of worms in a restoration always gets bigger before it gets smaller. As Neil Young sang Rust Never Sleeps. Thanks for giving back, its an inspiration for all of us.With Thanksgiving right around the corner I just found something else to be thankful for. Thanks to everyone that makes this site possible. What a Team!!!! Jim

[bluewatersailor]

AMEN to all of those compliments and appreciations. Great Job! Look me up if you ever cross down into Italy. I have a coiple of A-1's that would love to meet their longer sister.
Enjoy!

[jnissen]

Superb craftsmanship. A very nice build.

[ruger45]

well done