22nd Mar 2009, 00:38
The Willys MA was the Jeep that inspired the MB, it looked different than the MB, the fenders and headlights were all different, Willys produced only a handful of them when the MB was designed Willys simply skipped over the MA and produced the MB for the war. But the remaining MA's were sent into battle too, not many have survived, your luck of ever finding one is slim, better off to find a MB cause finding a MA is highly unlikely. According to a Jeep book I have only 800 were ever produced. Grandpa sold his to some collectors from Idaho a long time ago, no idea what ever became of it, probably in some museum somewhere. All I remember of it was playing Army with it when I was little and learning how to drive with it.
23rd Mar 2009, 16:07
I stand corrected.
However the MA was too heavy and thus was rejected by the military. The replacement (the MB) was the Jeep that is known as THE military Jeep of WWII. It was the model used in all the theaters of WWII. According to a Jeep site, virtually all of the MAs (1500 of them) were sent to Britain and Russia as part of Lend-Lease. That's why there are almost none left.
As far as the rest goes... well, it's creative.
18th Feb 2009, 14:56
"With modern computer technology they fitted the picture of the Hudson in to cover my Jeep. If you look real hard you can see the faint shadow of a CJ5 fender that they forgot to take out."
Oh brother! Cars is an ANIMATED movie as was the ENTIRE newspaper cover... so they didn't, nor did they need to, fit the Hudson Hornet over your Jeep's picture. IT WASN'T A REAL PICTURE. But still... I'm a sucker. I checked. There's no shadow of a fender that they "forgot to take out" and I checked using a Blu-ray and plasma. By the way, in an animated movie it isn't a matter of forgetting to take something out, it's a matter of what they choose to put in.
"a real Willys MA military Jeep. They are now very rare!"
I bet they are since there's no such thing as a Willys MA. The first production Willys military Jeep was designated MB and was built in Toledo, OH.
"I honestly don't care if Disney stole my past experience from me."
I bet you don't; because if there was any plagiarism, it went the other way. You must be an old fisherman :) Thanks for the stories, though.