Jeep with B-17 greenhouse...

[JohnB]

The Hemmings car publications website just posted a Facebook link to this 398th BG Jeep with a clever addition...

See it here:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/02/1 ... heelcover/

Or here on FB:

https://m.facebook.com/groups/WWIIG503/ ... _tn__=CH-R

Anyone know more?

As an aside, I would have thought a B-17 cockpit would have been wider than MB/GPW.

Last edited by JohnB on Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:17 am, edited 3 times in total.

[quemerford]

Can't see the pic but suspect it's a runway control vehicle: a number were locally converted using various turrets etc.

[CAPFlyer]

Not a mobile control vehicle. If you go to the first link and scroll about half way down you'll see it. It's a Jeep with a B-17 greenhouse (aka cockpit) grafted to it. According to the G503 page, it was the 398th BG's "runabout" at Nuthampstead.

[quemerford]

Ha! Very interesting.

[Invader26]

Neat. The B-17 cockpit is rather cosy.....says me who's flown them...

[Lon Moer]

[Kyleb]

You know you're winning the war when...

[JohnB]

You know you're winning the war when...

...you have the time and material to customize a Jeep.

I'm always amazed at the ingenuity of WWII GIs, some of which started the post-war custom car and hot rod movement.

In the other hand, I'd bet there were a few donors for the cockpit enclosure...given the likelihood of "war weary" and battle damaged machines.

It would be interesting to for someone to make a replica...either an actual b-17 part (are there any out there that aren't being used as part of a project?) or a new build section..either from an airframe component maker (I shudder to think of the cost) or a non-airworthy component like the guys in the UK who build cockpit sections.

Failing that, a 1/48 scale model.

[p51]

I'd love to see a side view of this as you can't tell how high up the roof of the B-17 parts is in relation to the driver. It almost looks like there'd be no head room as the steering wheel looks like it's only a foot or so from the roof.
I sure couldn't drive a Jeep with a roof that low, no matter how cool it'd be!
But as for finding a Jeep like this, you'd never be able to display it without people constantly demanding you sell the upper part to them!

[Spitty]

One way to escape the English winters.