Hotchkiss
M201 |
Willys
MB |
Ford
GPW |
Reflectors
On the M201, the
mounting plate surrounding the reflector is over one third of the
reflector diameter, with
four mounting holes around the circumference. Some of the reflectors are
red, while others are orange.
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The Willys MB's and Ford
GPW's reflectors varied. Some were round reflectors in an elliptical
mount, with two fixing holes, while others were circular with two fixing
holes, but they had a plain, smaller mounting flange than the M201 type.
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Screen
Rests
On the M201, it had electric wipers. They
couldn't be stopped in a precise position allowing the screen to fold
down to rest on the wooden hood blocks. Instead, the wooden screen rests were
replaced with metal loops mounted to the windscreen around the wiper
arms. |
On the Willys MB and Ford GPW, even those
with vacuum or electric wipers, they only had the wooden hood blocks
fitted, some with a rubber insert and some with a rope insert for the
screen to rest on. |
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Springs
On the M201 springs, they were made with ten
leaves on the front springs and eleven leaves on the rear springs. The
clamps around the leaves were a
one piece steel clip, crimped on the bottom of the spring. |
The springs on the Willys MB and Ford GPW had
eight leaves on the front spring and nine on the rear spring. The Willys
springs had the leaves fastened together with a crimped metal clamp,
while the Ford GPW springs used a U shaped clamp with a bolt through.
The GPW leaves were also tapered in section on each side of the centre
one third of the width of the leaf. |
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Engine
Starter Switch
On my M201, the starter switch is a rubber
covered button on the dash above the speedo. I have seen them in various
other places on M201's.
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On the MB and GPW, the
starter switch was floor mounted during the war. On the centre picture,
the floor starter has been removed, and the floor welded up. This could
happen to MB's or GPW's if used by the French Army post war if they had
gone through the French Army rebuild program.
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Steering
Wheel
The Hotchkiss
steering wheel had broad plastic spokes, a large centre hub, and was
moulded in black plastic. |
The early Willys
design also featured broad spokes and a large hub but was
moulded in green plastic. I've seen the same style on Ford
GPW's. The design was later changed to a wheel
with three thin wire spokes, supporting a plastic circumfrential hand
grip. This same wheel type was used on airborne Jeeps, but with an
additional mechanism around the hub which allowed it to be a quick
release fitting. |
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Dash
Switches
There are also differences in
the look & number of switches. On the M201, there is a large metal
contact next to the screen clamp for the wiper motor circuit ( A ).
Below and left is the wiper switch ( B ). The Blackout Switch ( D ) on
the M201 killed the power to all driving and brake lights to black out
the vehicle when needed. The light switch ( C ) was a rotary type
switch.
The centre picture shows a Willys MB switch
array. The light switch ( C ) on this MB is also a rotary type switch.
The Ford GPW switch layout is similar, but
this Jeep has the Push/Pull type light switch ( C ).
A) Wiper motor screen contact
B) Wiper Switch
C) Light Switch
D) Blackout Switch / Blackout Light Switch
E) Choke, Ignition & Throttle
F) Panel Light Switch |
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Cowl
Pillar
On the M201, the
cowl pillar inside
the body panel has a sharp kink. |
On
the MB and GPW, the rear edge of the pillar is curved. |
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Rear
Body Panel Brace
On the 201, the
rear body brace, beside the seat mounts, often has two stamped flutes which
the Willys brace does not have. However not all M201's have these
flutes. They seem to be more common on later built M201's. The Willys MB brace has no flutes and is not
folded over on top of the locker. The Ford GPW brace has no flutes and is not
folded over on top of the locker.
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Wheels
The early Hotchkiss
wheels were a two piece riveted steel unit. These were later replaced with
a similar wheel with welded halves. The original Willys MB units
were also riveted and had a very similar profile, but not identical.
Later in production, Willys changed to split rim wheel, bolted together for easy tyre
replacement. The Ford GPW also used Split rims.
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Tyres
The tyres varied on the Jeeps too. Wartime tyres
were 6.00 x 16 bargrips. The earliest M201's also used Bargrips, but
later used a 6.50 x 16 brick tread pattern made by Kleber or Goodyear.
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Wipers
& Wiper Motors
Hotchkiss
fitted electric wipers operated by arms driven by a single centrally mounted
motor, although I have found a single motor mounted directly to the
wiper. The MB and GPW Jeeps varied from hand operated
single wipers, dual hand operated wipers with a linking bar, vacuum wipers
and twin electric motor
wipers.
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