1944 Ford GPW Jeep
Provenance
Jake's GPW was restored between 2017 and 2021 in the last few years of secondary school and into 6th form.
The Jeep attended university with Jake for 3 years and has clocked upwards of 10,000 miles, both on and off-road.
The Jeep has been used as part of Jake's involvement with the university off-road club and has recently, in the summer of 2025, completed a 4,000 mile trip around Europe.
GPW-217899, as is the chassis number of this vehicle, was recovered from Tartu, Estonia by Paul Taylor back in the late 2000s. As a part of the deal, two Jeeps were bought by Paul from an elderly chap who was with the Russian paratroop regiment which had a base near Tartu. He moved to Estonia directly after the war with his regiment. These two Jeeps, along with two GPAs had been sat in a forest for a few years after the war near the base until he was given them. According to him, they all saw service during the war.
The remains of this Jeep recovered by Paul consisted of a 1944 Ford chassis, a 1943 ACM1 body, along with Willys wings, grill, bonnet and windscreen frame. The engine that was recovered with the vehicle was initially thought to be a Ford block, but upon research, on the since closed g503.ru site, it was revealed that this was believed to be a Russian replacement engine block. Bearing just a star where the engine number would be found and irregularities with the casting markings. This engine was fully machined to imperial measurements and is, in every other way, a wartime Jeep engine.
Restoration
This vehicle was purchased by Nick as the wreck it was back in 2009 as a potential future project.
Not long after, the Jeep was swapped with a close friend for what would go on to become our Humber heavy utility.
The restoration of the Jeep and continued up to the stage of a rolling chassis and complete machined engine, until which time that work stopped and the Jeep stood.
Fast forward to 2017 and the search had begun to find a project for Jake to tackle. The idea was proposed that it be time that work continued on this vehicle and a very generous deal was done.
The Jeep arrived in the yard on the 1st November 2017.
In the Spring of 2018, work commenced to tidy up the existing rolling chassis and prepare it for fitting the complete engine. With a gearbox and transfer case assembled, the engine was running in the frame by that summer.
Following the completion of the rolling and running chassis, attention turned to the bodywork. The ACM1 tub that had been recovered with the Jeep was in rough condition to say the least. Every panel rear of the cowl would have had to be replaced. In April 2019, a late 1945 ford spec ACM2 tub came up for sale that had come off a Californian import Jeep. This was incredibly solid but had had the tank well cut out, the rear floor double skinned and the rear of the tub skinned to hide come crash damage.
In the late summer of 2019, the tub was sent up to Adam Wright of MV Depot to be repaired, blasted and primed.
In late November the tub was back and ready to be fitted out.
The spring of 2020 saw Jake's year 12 cut short by lockdown. All the more time to spend in the shed and get this Jeep Done!
From February up to May, the tub was painted and fitted with harness and fuel pipes. Anything to make life easier later on. Then by May, it was time to unite the two halves.
Then the final push was on. As anyone who's done a vehicle will know, the last 10% takes the most time and the most cash! The summer of 2020 was spent outfitting the body brackets, seats, fuel tank etc. Ready for its first test drive in August.
The markings were applied in September and pretty much called complete. The Jeep sat waiting for its moment for almost a year due to the lack of driving test availability!
In the meantime, Jake had been nominated for the "Young Preservationist of the Year" award from the National Transport Trust.
In October 2021, the Jeep was transported down to Fawley Hill to receive the award.
It was October that Jake had begun his course at university and left the Jeep behind for the winter.
University
Come Easter Holiday 2022 and back on break from uni, the Jeep was first insured and driven on the road.
It then made its way back to university with Jake for much awaited adventures.
With Jake heavily involved with the off-road club at the university, it was no surprise that the Jeep was to be demonstrated off-road. During his time in the club, the Jeep travelled up and down the county on various green lane trips and gate trials. Proving that the old ways are indeed the best.
While on placement in his third year, Nick and Jake travelled to Normandy for the 80th anniversary with the GPW.
European Road-trip
Wanting to go out with a bang, following the completion of his course in June 2025, Jake and friends from university planned a European road-trip for four weeks in July.
During those four weeks, the Jeep covered just shy of 4,000 miles across 9 countries. Aside from a failed condenser on the Italian motorway and an ignition coil once back in Suffolk. It never missed a beat.
