Introduction

This is a very nice, hard cover book by French authors G. Hardier, A. Joubert Des Ouches, and J.L. Couesme. It has 142 large format, 8 1/2 inch by 12 inch, glossy pages. As the book's title suggests, it is a primer on restoring 1:1 Jeeps by a collection of 3 Frenchmen. The book is written in both English and French and each page is divided in two columns with text in both languages.

The Book

The book begins by showing how to identify and restore the engine and the authors go into great detail and totally break down and rebuild the engine. They point out problem spots and areas that can be troublesome while rebuilding them. From the engine, they move through the drivetrain to the transmission, differentials, brakes, etc. again going into great detail with lots of pictures. These parts cover over 70 pages in the book and show every issue and concern out there imaginable. There are some great pictures if you want to add detail to an engine or other drivetrain as part of a model build. Next, the authors move on to the body. They cover replacing body panels and dealing with rust. Lastly, they detail how to rewire the Jeep and its components.

The next small section is probably the area that is most beneficial to military modelers. There are two pages of period WWII pictures of Jeeps with one of the pictures in color. There are also a couple pages after the next chapter that show period pictures as well and it's a shame more period pictures were not included.

The next chapter is a step-by-step on making a rare Jeep 6x6 out of 2 Willys MBs. The little-known Jeep 6x6 was an experimental version during WWII with only a few made and evaluated before the design was then rejected. The author shows how he took two standard Willys MBs and combined them into a 6x6 prototype Jeep. There are lots of interesting pictures and it will be helpful if you would like to build a model of the 6x6.

The last chapter of the book, about 1/3 of it, covers the authors' trek across N. Africa in their rebuilt Jeeps. The expedition is covered in full from loading the ferry and traveling across the Mediterranean and landing in Tangiers, on to moving through the villages and empty desert. There are many great pictures of N. African people and scenery and Jeeps running across the desert. There are stories about the people they meet and places they visit as well, making this section more of a travel log than anything else.

To round things out, the last couple pages show the different versions of Jeeps the authors own. There are a couple standard ones, then a few off the wall versions. One is a totally reworked and enclosed Jeep that looks like a 1940's Army Staff Car. Another is a lengthened 10-man Jeep. Definitely some unique examples of what can be done with them.

Conclusion

Overall a good reference book to have on the shelves if you are a Jeep fan. It doesn't really cater to modelers as the main audience, but some good information can still be extracted from it.