This 1943 Ford GPW was built in Louisville, Kentucky, in October 1943, and it was acquired by the seller in 2021 as a disassembled project. A subsequent body-off refurbishment completed in 2024 involved repainting the vehicle in green, cleaning the olive-drab cloth upholstery, replacing the dual-range transfer case, and rebuilding the 134ci inline-four, the three-speed manual transmission, and the differentials. Features include a canvas top, doors, and side panels plus two-piece 16″ steel wheels, drum brakes, a pintle hitch, a folding windshield, vacuum-operated windshield wipers, a six-volt electrical system, front bucket seats, and a rear bench. This GPW is now offered with refurbishment photos, a seller-provided writeup, service manuals, GPW literature, spare parts, and a clean Massachusetts title in the seller’s name.
In-process photos of the refurbishment are presented in the gallery below.
Commissioned by the United States government in October 1941, the Ford GPW was built to help meet demand for the newly introduced Willys MB military vehicle. Approximately 280,000 examples were manufactured at several Ford plants during World War II. This GPW was stripped, cleaned, repaired, and primed before being repainted in green during the aforementioned refurbishment. The seller tells us that this GPW was painted with D-Day–style markings as assigned to the 3rd Army, 90th Division, 359th Regiment’s infantry.
Features include a slotted grille, four hood latches, a tilt-out folding windshield, a driver-side mirror, exterior grab handles, and a pintle hitch as well as an ax, a shovel, a tow rope, a jerrycan, and a canvas water bag. Vacuum-operated windshield wipers were added by the seller.
The wiring has been modified to energize brake lights. A third brake light and a license-plate light are attached to the rear-mounted spare wheel.
Body-color 16″ two-piece steel wheels were mounted with 6.00–16 Firestone Ground Grip tires under current ownership. The brake master cylinder was replaced along with the brake shoes, and the drums were turned.
The canvas top is complemented by “cold weather” canvas doors and side panels. Trimmed in olive-drab cloth, the individual front bucket seats and the rear bench were cleaned during the refurbishment, and the interior was repainted. Appointments include a painted metal dashboard, a rifle holder, a glove compartment, occupant-retention straps, and rear storage compartments.
The three-spoke steering wheel fronts a centrally mounted 60-mph speedometer flanked by gauges for fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and amperage. The five-digit odometer shows 33k miles. The seller notes that the speedometer stopped working shortly after completion of the refurbishment, and the reading on the replacement odometer was advanced to match that of the previously installed unit. The seller indicates that the reading on the trip odometer—just over 200 miles—represents the distance accumulated since 2024. The fuel gauge and sending unit have been replaced.
The 134.2ci Go-Devil inline-four was factory rated at 60 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque. The engine was disassembled and cleaned during the refurbishment, and the following work was performed:
- Honed cylinder bores
- Replaced camshaft and camshaft bearings
- Installed replacement Ford connecting rods, bearings, and bolts
- Cleaned pistons
- Replaced piston rings
- Installed replacement Ford oil pump
- Replaced crankshaft bearings
- Replaced timing-gear set
- Lapped valves (in place)
- Reground cylinder head
- Installed remanufactured carburetor
- Installed replacement Ford fuel pump
- Installed replacement Ford water pump
- Installed replacement Ford distributor
- Installed rebuilt generator and regulator
- Installed replacement six-volt battery
A replacement dual-range transfer case was installed under current ownership. The three-speed manual transmission was updated with replacement of the shifter, shifter bushings, and gate as well as the clutch, pressure plate, and throw-out bearing. In addition, the front and rear differentials were rebuilt.
The replacement identification tag that is affixed to the dashboard is shown above on the left, and the corresponding removed older tag is seen on the right. The matching serial number on the frame is pictured in the gallery.