Charles's 1941 slat grill Jeep

Welcome to SlatGrill.com
(Click on images for larger versions)
We're done!

We have finished the restoration of Willys MB 108308!
This page is here to document the progress of the resortoration an accidental discovery:
An old hippy's mistaken purchase of a very early World War II Jeep and why he cares about keeping it going.

What a difference a couple of years make!
Willys MB 108308 turned 60-years-old on December 31, 2001.
A year before that, we didn't even quite know what it was.
(Click on images for larger versions)
Heck, when I bought this thing in December of 2000, I didn't know Jeeps. I never knew I was buying a slat grill... never even knew what a "slat grill" was.
See, I always wanted an early CJ2 and based on the left hand picture below, that's what I thought I was buying.
.

But as it turned out, I was only buying a '47 grill, hood and windshield.The rest was something else.
Not only was I unaware of Jeep esoterica,
I had no real clue as to what shape this thing was in, because I bought it based only on that one photo above.

Nope, it wasn't until I started taking it apart that I realized that I owned a rust bucket:
And once I removed the Bondo®, I had to ask what sort of rust bucket was it?!?!?
And where was the tailgate??!!

By now, I figured out I didn't own a '47 CJ2a... but what was it? And what is with this number here?

Okay, so I finally asked enough people who knew, to figure out that I owned a
1941 slat grill MB!

Now what?
Uhhh.. take it apart?

and then, dip, strip and try to fix the body.

And then put it all back together again:

Nope, I am not a brilliant welder. That body (above right) looks great, but it is also a symbol of defeat. I finally took off my rose- colored glasses, looked at the rusted and pitted body and ... ... sadly admitted that it was a "basket case!" I gave up and sought out a reproduction body. I found the best deal on a body from the Philippines delivered through Krage Motor Sports. It's a beauty -- save two minor and almost comical errors ... .. which I can fix, but I might just leave it, since it will only be noticed by the people who know old military Jeeps, (which according to the last census is about 0.0000376 percent of the U.S. population) ... and this will get on their nerves. I have integrated a lot of the original body - as much as I could - into the replacement. Although it is still mostly replacement metal, key elements like the cowle, foot rests and tool-box lids are original. I tried!

I know that once finished, this thing will never win a show. For one thing, it'll never enter one! But it will be a really cool driver. Still, I want it to be close to accurate. To accomplish that, I will always accept unsolicited advice (oh wait, I'm soliciting it, aren't I?) I need help.
I need advice. I appreciate comments and feedback. If you have any to offer, go ahead and send an e-mail .
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The frame, tranny, engine, axles and transfer case are all original and beautifully restored. Wally Fryer (WalliesWillysWorks.com)
did the work. If you are lucky enough to get him to work on your Jeep, it will be a work of art. That's not an overstatement, either. If you need to order paint, parts or a complete body, try Krage Motor Sports. I bought my body for about $500 less than anywhere else.
They love the hobby and don't try to soak you when you need something. Honest, fair and easy to work with! Vintage Wiring of Maine produces new wiring harnesses for old vehicles. It's worth buying a new harness. It'll save you a huge headache.

Surplus City Jeep Parts is a great place and they spend time to answer dumb questions - of which I have many. If Krage doesn't have it, Try Beachwood Canvas. They have everything -- but it will cost ya. Here's another place for Jeep parts. Brent Mullins has a lot of stuff at good prices, knows his stuff and he's fast.

E-Bay ain't just for Beanie Babies. For one thing, they have lot of old Jeeps and parts there. The 'net has sites dedicated to everything. G503 is for old Army Jeep collectors and Ron Fitzpatrick, the guy who runs it, is another A+ person to buy parts from. Here's another page run by a guy in the Netherlands. He's got an early MB, but has a pressed steel grill. Does anyone have a correct grill to sell this guy (cheap)?

It wasn't Ford. It wasn't Willys. It was Bantam that built the first Jeep. If you opt to repair your existing body, try JeePanels Plus for replacement sheetmetal. All of their panels are made by hand by people who know the subtle differences between particular models. Every hobby has its collection of purists and the old Jeep guys all join something called the MVPA.

As much as the majority of folk who participate in this hobby would hate to admit it,
we're all into restoring vehicles that were often built by women.

And now, since this is my site, I get to get on my soap box:

This site designed and maintained by

Charles Pelkey

Golden, Colorado

Nope, it wasn't until I started taking it apart that I realized that I owned a rust bucket:	And once I removed the Bondo®, I had to ask what sort of rust bucket was it?!?!?	And where was the tailgate??!!
	By now, I figured out I didn't own a '47 CJ2a... but what was it? And what is with this number here? Okay, so I finally asked enough people who knew, to figure out that I owned a 1941 slat grill MB!
	Now what? Uhhh.. take it apart?	and then, dip, strip and try to fix the body.
	And then put it all back together again:

Nope, I am not a brilliant welder. That body (above right) looks great, but it is also a symbol of defeat. I finally took off my rose- colored glasses, looked at the rusted and pitted body and ...	... sadly admitted that it was a *"basket case!"* I gave up and sought out a reproduction body. I found the best deal on a body from the Philippines delivered through Krage Motor Sports. It's a beauty -- save two minor and almost comical errors ... .. which I can fix, but I might just leave it, since it will only be noticed by the people who know old military Jeeps, (which according to the last census is about 0.0000376 percent of the U.S. population)	... and this will get on their nerves. I have integrated a lot of the original body - as much as I could - into the replacement. Although it is still mostly replacement metal, key elements like the cowle, foot rests and tool-box lids are original. I tried!

The frame, tranny, engine, axles and transfer case are all original and beautifully restored. Wally Fryer (WalliesWillysWorks.com) did the work. If you are lucky enough to get him to work on your Jeep, it will be a work of art. That's not an overstatement, either.	If you need to order paint, parts or a complete body, try Krage Motor Sports. I bought my body for about $500 less than anywhere else. They love the hobby and don't try to soak you when you need something. Honest, fair and easy to work with!	Vintage Wiring of Maine produces new wiring harnesses for old vehicles. It's worth buying a new harness. It'll save you a huge headache.
Surplus City Jeep Parts is a great place and they spend time to answer dumb questions - of which I have many.	If Krage doesn't have it, Try Beachwood Canvas. They have everything -- but it will cost ya.	Here's another place for Jeep parts. Brent Mullins has a lot of stuff at good prices, knows his stuff and he's fast.
E-Bay ain't just for Beanie Babies. For one thing, they have lot of old Jeeps and parts there.	The 'net has sites dedicated to everything. G503 is for old Army Jeep collectors and Ron Fitzpatrick, the guy who runs it, is another A+ person to buy parts from.	Here's another page run by a guy in the Netherlands. He's got an early MB, but has a pressed steel grill. Does anyone have a correct grill to sell this guy (cheap)?
It wasn't Ford. It wasn't Willys. It was Bantam that built the first Jeep.	If you opt to repair your existing body, try JeePanels Plus for replacement sheetmetal. All of their panels are made by hand by people who know the subtle differences between particular models.	Every hobby has its collection of purists and the old Jeep guys all join something called the MVPA.

Welcome to SlatGrill.com

We're done!

What a difference a couple of years make!

But as it turned out, I was only buying a '47 grill, hood and windshield.The rest was something else. Not only was I unaware of Jeep esoterica, I had no real clue as to what shape this thing was in, because I bought it based only on that one photo above.

But as it turned out, I was only buying a '47 grill, hood and windshield.The rest was something else.
Not only was I unaware of Jeep esoterica,
I had no real clue as to what shape this thing was in, because I bought it based only on that one photo above.