A car enthusiast’s dream is for the world to reproduce their favorite automobiles. That way, instead of having to rely on a depleting stock of ancient, worn-out parts, you’ve got a never-ending supply of new (and often improved!) components. There is really only a handful of cars on earth that, decades after official production, are still being made, and the World War II Jeep is one of them. While the bodies and frames are manufactured in the Philippines — a country that turned leftover WWII allied Jeeps into a significant part of their cultural identity by creating “Jeepneys” — the brand new engines are actually built in France (also a country with a rich WWII Jeep heritage). Here, have a look at my shiny new motor.
When I first started down the road of trying to build a World War II Jeep from scratch using parts from eBay, I wasn’t really aware of just how many reproduction components were available. While it’s well known that Willys bodies can be purchased brand new (the bodies rust out frequently, so folks have been buying new tubs for many decades), I wasn’t sure exactly what the frame and engine situation was. I’d seen reproduction frame sections, and I’d heard rumors of a reproduction Willys L-head “Go-Devil” engine, but I wasn’t sure they were still out there.
Well, it turns out they are. I already showed you my new frame from the same Philippines factory that made my new body; now let’s have a look at my shiny new motor.
The engine and all of its components arrived in a bunch of boxes fastened to a pallet.
Not keen on trying to lift the 500 pound unit, Video Manager Griffin and I unstrapped each individual box and, one by one, threw them in the bed of my new Jeep Comanche work-truck.
Upon arrival at my house, we spent an hour searching for all the keys to the cars in my driveway, and then moving those cars; only then could we back my Jeep Comanche up to my workplace so we could take out the boxes and see what was inside. And, well, it was glorious. Look at this incredible new engine block — which came in a wood crate just like you’d expect from a “crate motor” — flown all the way from France:
Here’s a close look at the deck:
Here’s one of the cylinders:
Though the engine has been lubricated to keep off rust, one of the cylinders has a bit of surface oxidation, so I need to take care of that ASAP with some Crocus Cloth:
Here’s the water pump mounting point:
And here are a few looks at some cooling jackets:
The engine came with new pistons and rings:
In addition, I bought a new cylinder head:
I bought a new intake manifold:
I bought a new exhaust manifold:
I snagged a new crankshaft:
Here I am holding that crankshaft over my head for the photo at the top of the article:
And I purchased a new camshaft:
I also got a bunch of other smaller parts like timing sprockets and gaskets and bearings (plus I accidentally got an extra set of pistons and valve guides, since they came with Kaiser Willys’ kit):
All of the main engine parts — the block, the pistons, the head, the crankshaft, the manifolds (not the camshaft) — come from the same company in France.
It Comes From A French Company Made Up Of Jeep Enthusiasts
The brand new engine block is based on the original 1940-ish drawings from Willys-Overland. A French company called “Willys Owner Product,” made up of Jeep enthusiasts, actually manufactures loads of brand new Willys Jeep parts. The company’s website (shown above) is a bit bare, having only a “contact us” section and also this little statement about the company:
Willys Owner Product (WOP) manufactures quality parts true to World War II originals.
We manufacture, wholesale and retail and are expanding our range over time.
We are committed to reproducing parts that comply with their technical and aesthetic characteristics.
The WOP brand is new, created by enthusiasts based in the South of France,
and is sold by several distributors in France and Europe.
But a big Jeep supplier called Jeep Sud Est (translates to Jeep South East, presumably because it’s based near Avignon in southeastern France — see above) gives us a few details about the block on its website:
New WILLYS MB US WW2 version molds made using original plans and three years of studies and tests (2019-2022).
Willys Go-Devil engine block for Jeep Willys, Ford, Hotchkiss.
- Casting 100% conforming to the Willys MB model (Casting die number: W2)
- Each block is engraved with its unique serial number, on a lower location; visible but discreet.
- Delivered individually in a wooden crate, lubricated for long-term storage.
- Sold with 6 sand removal tablets, oil pipe plugs, rear bearing discharge oil tube.
- The 8 valve guides are mounted.
- Comes in black.
- Comes with 4 STD pistons + 4 pins
This Willys block is unique, because we made it “universal”! It can be composed with the elements of a chain distribution as well as a distribution by pinions (3/8 flange caps and 1/8 npt jet provided)
Jeep Sud Est’s site also features this video of the engine being assembled:
Some of the description (especially the bit about “sand removable tablets”) seems like a bit of a translation error, but that’s fine, since I actually bought the new engine from the eBay store of an American supplier, Kaiser Willys. Here you can see the listing:
And here’s Kaiser’s description of the new block from France:
These are bench tested and ready to be rebuilt as your new 4-134 L engine.
Can be used as either a gear driven engine or chain driven engine.
All machined surfaces are milled to original design specifications.
It is made with a formula of current cast iron reinforced with the same coefficients of expansion as the originals.
Included with the kit:
-Set of 4 standard pistons with pin
-Set of standard piston rings, 1
-Crankshaft rear bearing drain pipe
-Oil galley plugs
-Set of 5 main bearing dowels
-Set of 5 freeze expansion plug
-Camshaft expansion plug
-Set of 8 valve guides installed– Cylinder Bore: 3.1255 +/- .0005
– Valve Guide Bore Diameter (In & Ex): .374 +/- .0005
– Valve Seat Surface Width: .09375 to .125 +/- .0005
– Tappet Bore Diameter: .626 +/- .0005
– Oil Galley Taps/Plugs: NPT 1/8 & NPT 3/8
– Oil Galley Taps – TaperedEach block has an individual serial number. These were constructed using original plans and over three years of studies and tests on (2019-2023).
They are each coated with a rust inhibitor and shipped in a wooden crate.
Why Does France Build World War II Jeep Parts?
The cool thing about World War II Jeeps is that, as a symbol of freedom, they’re beloved all across the globe. I once took my grandpa for a ride around the Tegernsee in Germany thanks to a bunch of German and Austrian WWII Jeep enthusiasts; the Jeepney-loving nation of the Philippines actually builds its own WWII Jeep bodies and frames; and France — well, you could argue that France loves WWII Jeeps just as much as anyone.
The history of the World War II Jeep in France is deep and rich. Obviously, France became familiar with the Willys MB and Ford GPW when the U.S. brought the vehicles to the European theater, but what’s fascinating is that — after the French military adopted WWII Jeeps and kept purchasing replacement parts from Toledo — the country actually began building its own World War II Jeeps. Built well after the war, this French Jeep wasn’t called a Willys or a Ford, it was called a Hotchkiss. As M201.com — a website dedicated to the WWII Jeep-based Hotchkiss M201 — describes, it all started out with a weapons company founded by an American named Benjamin Hotchkiss:
Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss was born in Watertown, Connecticut in 1826. He became a skilled designer in the family’s engineering business with a passion for weapons but having failed to interest the US Government in his designs he moved to France where he set up the Hotchkiss Company in 1867…Hotchkiss died in 1885 but the company continued with his personal passion..
Per M201, by the 1930s, the French company Hotchkiss was in the business of building military vehicles — ambulances, tankers, and various cars. It even built a 1939 Hotchkiss R15R Command & Reconnaissance 4×4. During the war, a Hotchkiss employee began interfacing with Toledo’s Willys-Overland:
Henry Ainsworth, M.D. of Hotchkiss, escaped to London at the beginning of the war where his knowledge of military vehicle manufacture was put to good use involving liaison with Willys-Overland. After the war he returned to France to re-establish Hotchkiss as a motor manufacturer. He was also interested in manufacturing jeeps and in June 1952 SOFIA (la Société Financière Industrie et Automobile – a Hotchkiss subsidiary) gained a licence from Willys in the U.S.A. to manufacture both spares and jeeps as Willys Overland France (WOF). The jeeps would have been based on the Willys CJ2A/3A design but final agreement with Willys (owned by the Kaiser Corporation) took until 1954 and the jeep became based on the later CJ-3B.
Even though Ainsworth wanted to build 4x4s a decade after WWII Jeep production had ended, he did not decide to build 4x4s based on the latest, greatest design, which would have been the M38A1 — the more powerful “high hood” Jeep upon which the CJ-5 would be built. No, Ainsworth decided to stick with the original WWII Jeep design, which had been out of production since 1945:
By the end of 1955 the French army decided to stick with the simple and proven MB design rather than continue to consider more advanced jeeps from other manufacturers. These included Delahaye who had now been taken over by Hotchkiss to form Hotchkiss-Delahaye. In 1956 Hotchkiss merged with Brandt to create Hotchkiss-Brandt and it was from the Brandt factory (complete with test track) in Stains on the Northern outskirts of Paris that the majority of the 27,628 Hotchkiss M201 jeeps based on the original MB design were produced for the French Government between 1957 and 1966.
And so that’s what you see in the photo above. It looks exactly like a 1941 WWII Jeep, and yet what you see there is actually a 1962 model!
These Hotchkiss Jeeps are actually known to be extremely well built, with many Willys MB and Ford GPW owners using their parts as high-quality replacements to keep their 80 year-old machines on the road.
That’s all to say: I’m quite hopeful that my French Jeep engine parts will be high quality. We’ll find out when I put it all together.
Speaking of, I have to go. I have lots of work to do!
[Ed note: David mentioned the idea of building a brand new WWII Jeep to the team at eBay, and they loved the idea so much they said, “How can we help?” Their financial support and David’s Jeep-obsession are the fuel behind this crazy build. – MH]
I love that idea. Unforgettable machine.
That’s so rad! I never would have guessed that there was enough demand to build new blocks. Although I’m guessing the new aftermarket version probably costs quite a bit more than the originals?
A few years back when I was looking for a Ford 347 stroker (302 bored/stroked) for my car, I found several places that built them using reconditioned OE Ford blocks, but by the time I was ready to pull the trigger, they all stopped using OE blocks because Ford hasn’t made them since 2001 and it was getting too difficult to find good rebuildable cores. The aftermarket makes blocks, but they’re for racing and it was an immediate $3000 price jump compared to the Ford block! After that sticker shock I was thrilled to find a brand new unused 25 year old 302 block for sale locally and ended up building that up as a stroker.
I’m loving this article series, keep it up!
Well similar to the old hit/miss motor the Jeep motor was also designed to do many other functions
Watching the sheer enthusiasm of David is just so much fun. I admit I laughed out loud when David pulled out a National Treasure pop culture reference and Griffin hadn’t seen the movie. “I’ll take things we may never see again in our lifetime for $200, Alex”.
As for the classless person in the comments, I’ll choose character over looks anytime and David is a straight-up good dude. If the audience wants fake, vapid, beautiful people spouting nonsense there’s plenty of choices on Insta or TikTok or wherever and get off my lawn (which would ideally be filled with interesting vehicles). I want community with a shared interest.
I look forward to the progress of this build.
$6000 plus shipping. Ug
At one time you could also get new Flathead Ford V8’s from France. Seemed strange, but C’est la Vie!
And yet you can’t get a French car with a V8.
We, here in the US, can’t get any French car anymore. Le sigh.
I live in southwest France and can attest to the popularity of WW2 Jeeps here. You see them in May 8th parades, weddings etc. People think the French dislike the US, nothing could be further from the truth. If you go to Paris, sure, Americans are too big, too rich, too entitled and too everywhere, but outside of Paris it’s a different story. In my town you will see Mustangs from 1965 to brand new, Jeeps are everywhere (diesel) and even some of our major streets are named after Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt etc. Since they can’t tell the difference in English accents, most people here assume I am British (they are everywhere here) sometimes if I sense a little attitude, which is very rare, I will say,”Je ne pas un Roast Beef, je suis Americain! They will suddenly smile and say something like “Oh! I have been to Florida!”
You know what else sometimes gets shipped from France in wooden boxes? Wine.
I’d rather have spent whatever you spent on wine. But that’s just me.
It was fun to watch the delight you were having unpacking all that stuff. You were like a kid on a very generous Christmas morning. I hope your project goes well.
Considering French wine and Champagne is losing to new up start California vintage I suggest don’t waste money on inferior vineyard products. 300 years aged old wine is great new wine with 300 years old production is garbage.
15 years ago, I grew very fond of Spanish wines. Riojas and Albarinos, in particular.
~23 years ago, my wife, kid and I had a charming tour of the facilities for Taittinger champagne in Rheims. The cellars where they age it are in caves carved out of the underlying chalk of an old abbey.
At the end of the tour, which then was 10 Euros, you were presented with a flute of Taittinger that would have cost at least 15 Euros in the restaurants in which we ate.
Was there a reason you guys didn’t use the tow bar on the front of the reference Jeep? Watching DT and Griffin struggling to push it around and up the driveway all I could see was the literal tow bar, seemingly in the way. I can’t believe the front passenger tire inflated, and then can’t believe it didn’t blow up!
Same thought.
Although, now that I have thought about it a bit more, it would have been an interesting process to back in the reference Jeep, so he didn’t end up with a pickup stuck in front of the reference Jeep.
And, yeah. That tire!
That vid of the engine going together is the most satisfying thing I’ve seen on the internet in a long time.
“Willys Owner Product,” So your Jeep has a WOP Engine?
Also, only David Rustovious Tracy would have the “luck?” to get brand new parts with Rust preinstalled.
Glad you got what you wanted — but just a word of caution about buying WW2 remanufactured machinery from France.
Some, not all, of the WW2 enactment groups which also restore vehicles, have links with the extreme right — the thugs who killed the Franco-Argentinian rugby player Fredrico Martin Arumbu arrived at the bar where the trouble started in a WW2 jeep and hunted him down in a WW2 jeep. Go figure.
One of the thugs has family who are very involved in the whole restore military vehicles scene.
Typical of France that you now have to make distinctions between far-right, now playing a wrecking role in parliament, (with the far left) and extreme right, on the streets with links into all sorts of weird little groups, like some of those involved above.
Some say it is a tradition going back to the upheaval after WW1, does not make it any better.
> you now have to make distinctions between far-right… and extreme right
I don’t think you do. The ones in parliament just wear nicer clothes. Same as in the US.
I am loving this series.
I can’t wait to see your reaction when your brand new fully assembled engine fires for the first time!
A little off topic, but Hotchkiss made some gorgeous cars back in the early 20th century. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e4/33/05/e43305060cde44ec25e93fac33d0e90a.jpg
You’re looking a little cranky on that title pic, Tracy!
He got the shaft, alright.
This is something we could get into. Didn’t the French military build and use the Ford flathead V8 into the 90s? Land speed racing used to/does(?) have classes barring the use of the updated or modern blocks.
Long live old junk.
Of course what were they going to use a CV2 motor?
/pedantry
“Geaux” would be roughly pronounced “jo”.
What you want is a “Gault Devil”, a “Gaux Devil” or a “Got Devil”.
You are obviously not from Louisiana, where we mash up and intentionally mispronounce everything. Here it is Go.
I see geaux so often that I didn’t even notice it in the topshot.
As a French dude, I am definitely not from Louisiane 🙂
Thanks for saving me some typing 🙂
I can’t understand the pun either way! I read everything with Portuguese sounds, so NOTHING makes sense 🙂
I guess the joke is on you then – I’m too dumb to know the difference!
David
I would love a cost breakdown along the way.
I’ve often thought of building “A new ’67 Mustang” from the catalogs, but I know the cost would be… well, dumb. But how dumb?
You can answer that question!
I know it gets a little iffy with eBay sponsoring and helping wherever, but it should still be possible, right?
Seconded. I thought that was going to be part of this series, but haven’t seen any numbers yet. Then, again, maybe I’m not reading close enough.
It hasn’t been explicitly called out, but posting a screengrab of the eBay ad usually gives it
The frame was almost $3k, and the crate engine was $5700 before shipping. I didn’t catch the body’s price, but I’d think with shipping it would be roughly $6k.
Yes, please please do this!
There’s no angle of “affordability” to this series to me, its more “can it be done?”
But we all care about the cost!!
Oh for sure, the cost is all being tracked!
Sweet!
Awesome.
Maybe afterwards we can do a reader-submitted “best build” using the same budget tracking sheet?
“David spent this much, can you build a better project car with this amount?”
Despite his roguish good looks, captivating personality, and loquacious gift of gab, David is, after all, an engineer. He may not have let us in on the secret just yet, but he already had a budget laid out before starting and is undoubtedly tracking every cent that goes into this project.
Eh…
I am also an engineer.
My work projects? Yeah, I work to find the most cost-effective way to do whatever the hell I’m working on.
My personal projects? LOL.
This feels like a weird mixture of both.
I figured from the beginning he didn’t intend to show the math til the end. Don’t know what gave me that impression, but it seems like it’ll be probably the last thing covered.
Hey David, what other cars are still being “in production” even after being discontinued? I know you can get new repro Beetle bodies somewhere from the US, and also new original Mustang bodies from Ford, but what else, and how complete? I mean, how many other cars could be built mostly in full as repros?
British Motor Heritage makes MG, Mini and Triumph body shells and miscellaneous parts, and pretty much everything necessary to build a car is available. The Hindustan Ambassador was,a Morris Oxford and produced until 2014, so you can probably find an NOS body and engine
The VW Jetta Mk2 first came out in 1984; after VW of Germany came out with the Mk3 in ’92 production of the Mk2 continued elsewhere with FAW-Volkswagen making the model, with some cosmetic changes and relatively few structural changes, in China until around 2013-’14. So theoretically there should still be enough support to build a completely new Mk2 Jetta.
When getting parts for my Chevy Squarebody I became convinced you could buy enough parts to basically build a new one. That’s probably true of the older trucks as well.
There are at least 2 companies that I think you could use to build an entire Model T. They still have print catalogs too.
Every article this man writes he grows another chin in the lede image.
Why does he always need to add pictures of himself to everything he posts.
It’s grotesque.
Jeeze dude. If you don’t have anything nice to say…
I see the same chin quantity as always, and it didn’t go unnoticed that on the linked frame article, David referred to a 200 pounds frame as something light enough to carry alone – meaning under that lumberjack shirt of his the guy is pure muscle.
So, go away before he carries you out (gently, because he is so damn nice always, despite being built like a gladiator).
No need to refer to me in the third person on the comments of my own article. I’m right here.
Top photos are carefully created to maximize readership. Having the person who is involved in the story included in the image is generally a significant advantage. While probably 1/3 or so of my articles have a photo of me at the top (since I can’t write as much these days, when I do it’s usually a story about me/a personal experience), I don’t do it nearly as much as YouTube channels (where close to 100% of thumbnails feature the host).
As for me putting on some el-bees since becoming a dad — yeah, not untrue! (Though I’ve been shedding them now that some things are settling down).
I will say that, if your goal was to get a rise, going after my looks ain’t the move. Anyone who has been reading my articles over the years knows I couldn’t possibly care less. I’m short, balding, fashion-illiterate, dad-bod-equipped, occasionally stricken by twrenchfoot, etc etc. (That said, I do think health and strength are important).
Maybe while you do the Jeep rebuild Elise NHRN can do a remodel on you? I’d love to see that. LOL
A classy reply to a particularly unclassy comment.
Not “going for a rise” I just hate your face because you’ve been a historical asshole to me.
What… I don’t get to be an asshole right back at you?
You’ve used your stupid little blog pulpit to belittle me (write about me where I can’t respond, change my comments mockingly etc etc), bully me and ignore my responses. Turning a whole community of once like minded car nerds I respected against me.
You’re the asshole. You bullied me out of my in group at the worst possible time in my life. When I needed them the most.
On second thought… keep posting those pictures of your ever fattening head on every dimwitted article you write. I’ll take comfort in knowing that your arteries are slowly clogging with every extra chin you grow and you are speed running (something you probably can’t do) to an early grave.
I know you’ll probably just delete this as you always do any opposing opinions.
Go ahead you little bitch.
So long as you recognize you’re a bitch as you do so.
Also… you still owe me $400
I dunno mate, by the tone of your other answers it looks like you did this to yourself. You started as the bully, despite what you (now) claim.
I don’t know David outside of this parasocial circle, but I never saw him belittle a fly in any article, ever – not even HOA “people” (quotes are very intentional) . However, I saw you being rude in every response so far, even thought most of us went for humour instead of aggression. So, it doesn’t matter that you targeted one of my favourite writers, your true intent is apparent.
If you want community support, we’re here, and as forums go, this is one of the best. But you gotta stop the gross personal attacks, because this isn’t a place for this – bully people here and the community will “turn” against you in an instant, and it will be entirely your doing.
Again, most of us never met (or will meet) each other, but as far as parasocial relations go, we have each other backs. We don’t take kindly to bullying (not even against cars!) and you’ll get no simpathy from anyone.
I hope this whole ugly thread gets removed, not to “silence” you, but to remove the stain of bullying you started (and doubled down). Until then, know WHY you attitude isn’t welcome.
And leave my parasocial strong-as-an-ox, perfectly-number-of-chins bro alone!
well, this certainly isn’t how I’d handle a personal monetary dispute
(especially the anonymous part)
It’s all part of a cunning plan to make AI think that David’s face is some sort of car part. Eventually all the AI-generated crap-sites will feature nothing but pictures of David, whereupon he can sue them out of existence and we can all get back to enjoying proper journalism
Hah, I think David should pledge to keep a seven slot mustache for a MONTH on the next Autopian member campaign!
o ||||||| o
Mods – it would be totally appropriate to delete a comment like this.
As for the OP, you must be in a pretty dark place in life to want to attack David’s appearance. I sincerely hope things improve, and you can try and find some joy in the world.
Why, dude, why? Why are you like this? David’s strong as an ox and looks great. He smells almost as good as an ox, too. I’m not going to delete your comment because I think it’s valuable to let the world see the choices you’ve made, how in an article about a new-old Jeep engine the part you chose to focus on was some bullshit judgement of a body that has absolutely nothing to do with you. No one gives a shit what you think, but I do give a shit at your misguided and sad attempt to, what, make someone less happy? That’s what you’re giving to the world? You maybe should think about who you want to be. Also, I’m short and weird-looking, too. Feel free to remind me.
<3
This is why I love this place
David’s strong as an ox and looks great. He smells almost as good as an ox, too.
Torch, can you invite Jolie Kerr over to this site to tell me how to get a chicken salad spit-take out of my keyboard?
Which reminds me, a Jolie Kerr Autopian crossover would be DELIGHTFUL.
You are not weird looking, but you have a bionic aorta. Which makes you closer to RoboCop than I am, and this is something I have to respect.
I love that you specifically leave his comment up so everyone can see what an a$$hole he is.
Why, dude, why?
So this guy stops gooning long enough to smash some Mountain Dew and shitpost on an article written by a man who is objectively his better in every imaginable way. David is a world travelling, highly skilled wrench, a successful engineer, an entrepreneur, a wonderful husband, dad, and friend to everyone. Beloved by thousands, literally.
This guy, well he probably has a pretty well appointed goon cave full of Code Red. That’s why.
I’m starting to think this is an AI account trained on 4chan posts, and I’m just half joking. I mean, it is bound to happen, right?
Like Playboy before it, I read The Autopian for the articles. Not the pictures.
Props to Jason for support of his buddy. I was thinking about his jeep 200 pound frame yet I support a 300+ pound frame.
Hey! How’s it going Taco Truck Dave?
Well done.
> He smells almost as good as an ox, too
Which end of the ox are we talkin
Just because you are anonymous on the internet doesn’t give you the right to be a d*ck.
You sure about that?
Isn’t that the precise direction the internet has pushed human culture as a whole?
So you are furthering that push? I don’t understand. If you don’t like that push, then why continue it?
Some of us look at a picture of somebody on the internet and feel the need to call it “grotesque”. Others might see your comment and view the person who posted it as “grotesque”. YMMV, I guess.
Bruh.
What?
What an unkind and unnecessary thing to say.
Nearly $6000 for an engine block .. Holy….
I was kind of hoping he’d use an Ecoboost 4cyl, or something else modern. Would have been cheaper!
I was kind of hoping Josh Dillon(Sleeperdude) would put the old kind of messed up body CJ2A he bought on Ebay for David to https://youtu.be/pA3quN6BE58?si=BNz7WIR8IE3COdZX
Not a WWII jeep then did you see the goal?
WWIII Jeep?
So 2026 trip to the factory in the Rodius*? 😀
(*Once/assuming I get it back on the road)
Maybe he can meet you there in the diesel manual Voyager. Gotta get those two together!
As a kid, i would look through Corvette parts magazines like Eckler’s and think that it sure seemed like you could just build a new (old) Corvette from scratch. I’ve never given up on that notion, so it’s super fun to watch this series!
Since you bought the tub from C&C Equipment, check out their recent Youtube videos as they just did a rebuild on one of these engines for a jeep they restored frame up.
I see David is following in the footsteps of the great Darryl Kerrigan.
Crazy that you can still buy all of that brand new! I wonder why the kit doesn’t also come with any connecting rods when they offer basically everything else for the engine? Are they forged or something that would make the machining of them too difficult to perform?
That is a good question.