Darren, I look forward to your build. I'd really like to see how the 37mm gun shapes up. Jesse, when production was standardized, the manufacturer name was removed from the rear panel, and other parts were standardized between Ford and Willys. Oval muffler (actually included in the kit), reinforcing plates on the rear panel, jerry can holder installed, blackout light factory installed and by '44 the horseshoe shaped guard, different gas tank, air filter. At least those are the changes I could find as I researched the vehicle.

Jesse; My knowledge of the Jeep is limited but it is my hope that the blog will help answer any questions better than a kit contents review. Russ; Thank you for your input on this subject and I will get the 37mm assembled first. It is my intention to utilise the crew figures also released by Bronco with this build as there were questions about fit that would be answered that way.

These kits look great. I can't wait to get one. Here is some info on the Ford GPW for those who are interested. Ford was given a contract to license build the GPW version of the Willys "Jeep" after Willy's couldn't keep up with the full demand required by the US Govt. The Willys MB and Ford GPW were made at the same time throughout WWII. The Ford GPW (Government, Passenger, Willys-pattern) differed from the Willys MB in a few areas. The most noticeable was the front frame cross-member under the grill. On the Willys MB, a tubular piece is used, while an inverted "U" is used on the GPW. Also, Ford instituted the familiar stamped grill that was also adopted by Willys. The other noticeable difference is on the lids for the toolboxes located on either side of the rear seat. The Willys MB uses a plain flat cover whereas the Ford GPW has an embossed lid. Only the earliest GPWs had the Ford script on the rear plate. Early Willys had a block letter “Willys” in the same place on the rear as well. To take the labeling one step further, Ford marked many pieces with a script "F" to identify it as a Ford part. Per the Government contract, Jeeps had a full warranty, anything breaks and Willys or Ford would have to replace it, but old man Ford wasn't about to replace a Willys part. In July of '42, the US Government made a change and no longer allowed the manufacturer to put their name on the rear plate. So this is an early war, early to mid 1942, manufacture Ford GPW. Additionally, as Russ correctly pints out, there were other production changes that occured over the years. "...when production was standardized, the manufacturer name was removed from the rear panel, and other parts were standardized between Ford and Willys. Oval muffler (actually included in the kit), reinforcing plates on the rear panel, jerry can holder installed, blackout light factory installed and by '44 the horseshoe shaped guard, different gas tank, air filter." It looks like Bronco captured all these features well, even some of the "F" marks. This kit is definitely a winner.

The poster say that two types of wheels are included for the 37mm but I can only find one type in the photos. I'm I missing something or did they never make it to the final release? Cheers, /E

Thanks Gino. So if you wanted to convert this to a later production, scrape off the script lettering, and add a jerry can holder, black out light with horseshoe guard, use the included oval muffler. What are the "reinforced plates" on the rear panel? The gas tank is very noticeable?

The reinforcing plates were on the rear bumper and up under the back plate in the wheels wells. The fuel tank well under the driver's seat changed from a square side to a round side and the position of the drain hole/nut changed. Also, early jeeps had a small cap that changed around September 1942. The late tanks with the large fill have a extention tube that you pull up so that you don't spill fuel over the seat base. Early tanks didn't have this. Here are the differences. Early: Late: Also, a lot of these changes were made to older jeeps in the field as they were repaired. So it would not be uncommon to see an older, script jeep with a fuel can, blackout light, etc. added to them. Also, originally, blackout lights were a unit added item so they were put on once the jeeps arrived at their unit.

As far as I am aware the only strengthening plates fitted during jeep production were the rectangular plate(with angled corners) fitted behind the jerrycan holder and the back panel/wheel arch gusset plates added when it was found that the weight of the spare wheel and a full jerrycan was causing the back panel to break away. These gusset plates were provided as a retrofit kit for early jeeps - to be bolted on - and in later jeeps were welded in at the factories as part of the body construction. Incidentally the "P" in GPW is not "passenger" but is a Ford factory code for 80" wheelbase

P.S. See the instructions for adding the rear panel reinforcing plates to early Jeeps here: LINK

Awesome! Now I can replace my 37mm from the old Monogram kit!