On tv car SOS "phoenix jeep" willys mb

[pockers]

Anyone see the new show on cable tv ( nat geo i think) called car sos - they take a privately owned "classic" barn case and "restore" it withiut owners knowledge - cheesy i know

 

But one the other day was called phoenix jeep and tells the story of a willys mb owned by an 83 yr old gent whose had it since the 50s but it was near destroyed by fire in an arson attack - his sons recruit the tv show to save the jeep

 

Now i cant comment on the restoration job itself ( not my forte) but an enjoyable programme and a heart warming story

well worth a look

[thedawnpatrol]

Yes, I caught that on Sunday afternoon, quite well done, i thought.

 

better than the 'wheeler dealers' effort !

 

Jules

[arcot1751]

Hi there, Yes I saw the program and it was in my opinion far better than alot of the other so called restoration shows on tv. The owner certainly looked emotional at the end and it was nice that after the vandals caused him so much heartache he got his jeep back :-)

[Boblester40]

Been watching this and quite enjoying it , apart from that token plonker in the saab which they allways seem to insist on having in this type of program

 

Bob

[Big ray]

The technical info was provided for this programme by a member of the Birmingham & West Midlands Area of the MVT, I understand that he provided all information for sourcing parts and was instumental in the building of the Jeep. He can be seen taking part in the programme. I have not seen the programme, I dont get National Geographic, but I do know the individual concerned very well.

[Smithy]

I enjoyed the show as well.

 

Pictures of said Jeep in question can be found on the Car SOS website here: http://natgeotv.com/uk/car-sos/galleries/car-makeover-feast#86693

 

For those that have the National Geographic Channel the show is repeated on Saturday 23rd February at 1pm and Tuesday 12th March at 6pm.

[Phil P]

I'm glad everybody liked the jeep restoration on Nat Geo. Thanks Big Ray for your kind words.

 

It was not an easy job to do. The fire had destroyed just about everything. When the we lifted the tub it twisted like a propellor only the frame held it straight. It was stripped and the good and bad bits sorted. A new tub had to be bought plus canvas etc. All the saved bits were cleaned repaired and painted Once that was done it was assembled from a pile of parts in 6 days and handed back at an old airfield near Taunton. To say the job went over budget was an understatement!! I think it was worth it.

 

Renegade Pictures who made the series for NatGeo were very careful not to fall into the trap of the other resto programmes. In one of the programmes there was a staged argument as a spoof on another series. It may get edited I don't know. The Ford GPW was actually the third vehicle done but shown out of the build sequence as are a couple of others. I started off giving advice on the jeep job, then got my overalls on to work on it and then ended up employed by Renegade Pictures on the rest of the series! It's amazing what can happen when you join the MVT and restore a jeep!!!

 

I realised that all but two of the classic cars in the series I had either owned or worked on when they were everyday cars and before they became classics. I think that is when it dawns on you that you are getting old.

 

Phil

[deadline]

So it was just about buying a repro tub and painting?

 

I'm glad that the gent got his jeep back... but dismayed that 'restorations' are little more than MD-Juan bolt on tubs.

 

I'd sit all day in front of the t.v. watching a craftsman bending sheet metal into panels (well, not really, I have things to do).

[GoranWC51]

The early script Ford GPW had a floor that consisted mostly of a thick layer of Bondo. It also suffered from heavy rust damage in most areas of the body. Someone with really good metal skills could probably have re-built the body with 80%+ new steel, but the show had only three weeks into which to finish the project. I hope they sold the old body to some other script Ford GPW owner.

 

It was good to see the GPW restored. The old man had been "tinkering" with it, but his physical ability was somewhat lacking, so its very doubtful if that Jeep had ever come back on the road if not for the TV show.

 

Goran N

[deadline]

Its always good to see a steel soldier back on the road.

 

But I think t.v. is really distorting the effort that people put into restorations (from hand made panels to MD-Juan tubs).

 

I spent 3 hours today reclaiming clutch head screws from a parts cab. That's some crappy t.v., but an essential part of restoration.

 

I

[Phil P]

deadline. Watching TV restorations can distort facts. Close inspection of the burnt out tub proved that it was NOT a scripted tub. It possibly was a GPW tub but we didn't have time to investigate that plus the damage and previous repair to the gusset on the bulkhead had obliterated the tub number. It was actually stated by Fuzz on the programme that the Ford Script had been cut from another tub and welded in. The bulkhead was distorted both by the heat and repairs to it in the past. As I said in a previous posting the whole tub was badly distorted again due to welding in previous attempts to carry out repairs. Bottom line was it was a mess. I know I was there.

 

ALL the electrical components had to be replaced along with the instruments and the entire braking system. The fuel tank is new and the radiator had to be replaced because all the solder had melted.All the canvas had gone. The engine and transmission were also reconditioned. The cost of the work in hours and components was nearly £21K!!! Most of the mechanical work was filmed but sadly not shown. We had 3 weeks to do the work and return it. Five of us worked 12/14 hours a day and reassembled it in 6 days. Quite a lot of that was filmed. TV programmes are made to appeal to the masses.

 

I have a 1944 Willys MB that has a repro tub on it.That was shown in the programme. I'm sure the purists will throw their hands in the air in disgust BUT the body that was with it when I bought the pile of bits was basically in a bin bag and was NOT repairable. I have a workshop with most types of sheet metal forming equipment plus a plasma cutter and a heavy duty spot welder and if I provide the disc the services of a CNC laser cutter and a CNC press. So why did I go repro? Thats easy why bust a gut repairing something that I can buy and instead concentrate my efforts on something that I cannot buy. Well not cheaply. I am making a dummy BC-340 radio set for a USAAF Ford GPW 'Follow Me' jeep.

 

I have a 1943 GPW tub and a Willys slat grill tub both needing work. If somebody wants to hone their sheet metal skills make me a sensible offer. I am toying with the idea of using the slat grill for a 'Jeeprod'. I've already got a TRW V12 Jag engine towards it. Oh dear more hands been thrown skywards! :laugh:

 

 

I'm pleased that the guy we did it for got his jeep back restored. He's a nice bloke.

 

Phil.

[deadline]

I'm not a purest. I have many repro parts on my MVs.. they have to be there... Ford/Chevy/GMC isn't making them anymore.

 

Is the episode online to view?

 

There is a reason why shows like 'Monster Garage', Junkyard Wars, et al were popular... they show craftsmen making things, as opposed to googling parts and placing an order. 22 minutes of looking at a jeep vendor web site is just not good t.v.

 

I don't mean to disparage the effort, or the use of repro parts. But I'm sure there is a huge market for people who would watch a man turn a 4x8 sheet of steel into a jeep fender than the typical 'open a crate and bolt one on' scenario of most t.v. shows.

 

Go to any large m.v. site and the threads with the most views are generally the one that show something being done. Even here there was a gent scratch building a Sdkfz 222. That man deserves a t.v. show of his own.

 

I'll leave with this last, final though. In all the world, the number of people who can design a cell phone could fit into a room. A rather small room. And they are unknown. Yet just about every person in the civilized world has a cell phone. Who would make a more interesting dinner guest? The rare as a hens tooth engineer or average joe that can't figure out the ring tones?

 

Its good that another jeep is on the road.

[Phil P]

Sorry deadline, it's bums on seats that win out. It has been suggested that the bits that got edited are shown perhaps on line. What gets shown and what doesn't is out of our hands. I've got a beautiful black thumb that was caught on camera being 'produced' but it will probably be edited out. I did in early January and it still draws comment!! I wonder if it was my language that has stopped them showing it.

 

Hopefully we will get a second series. All the comments made on ALL the forums have and are being read and taken into cosideration. To give you an idea the first programme got 57,000 viewers watching' live'. Thats watching as shown and not the repeats. Programme 2 the jeep was 68,000 programme 3 hit nearly 80,000 and the Cosworth got 120,000. So the series is gaining viewers. That may not seem very many but for a specialist programme like NatGeo that is phenominal. We may be more selective with the vehicles to minimise the total 'rot boxes' we have had. Cars that have been repaired by folks with 13 thumbs seem to be everywhere.

 

Perhaps a little less socialising and a little more spannering would be a good tweak to the show. Nearly everything is filmed what gets used is out of our hands. Keep watching.

 

Phil