Something I Would Love To Do

[ODonovan]

I kept seeing Jeeps going by, as I was driving along our local streets and highways. Many still have the basic, squared-off body lines similar to the WWII models. That gave me an idea. I would LOVE to get an old one and dress it up in WWII colors as a tribute to "the Greatest Generation." Jeep actually DID produce a tribute version, in 2016, for the 75th anniversary.

However, I looked at the price of used Jeeps and just about fainted. They DO hold their value, don't they? >sigh<

So, searching for a budget alternative, I thought of the many different types of "staff cars" which were used during the war. Basically, any size car of any model was used, if they needed it. I started thinking about what type of INEXPENSIVE modern car might have that same "look" and could give the image, given the right paint job and markings.

The one I kept coming back to is both inexpensive and relatively common...the Chrysler PT Cruiser. They can be found, with around 100K miles, for well under $2,000. The PT Cruiser even shares the pedigree of the 1941 Chrysler P11, above.

So, has anyone else had a similar thought? Has anyone seen such a "tribute" car done? COULD it even be done and look halfway decent?


Thoughts?



-Irish

 

[Capt. Vick]

Go for it.

 

[Snautzer01]

Had a 4x4 vw t4 pick up. Hand painted it in desert sand brown. Only needed a little palm tree on it.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I've thought about that myself. There was a member IIRC that was paid to paint a Mini in RAF colors.

 

[MIflyer]

A friend of mine put an early VW bug body on a "VW Thing" frame and installed suitable sized wheels and tires and a military paint job to produce a WWII VW Bug.

The VW Thing was in production south of the border until not too any years ago, so you may be able to build a Kubelwagon.

 

[Capt. Vick]

I own a 1973 sunshine yellow VW Thing (hecho en Mexico) and the though has crossed my mind.

 

[s1chris]

Being a petrol head and owning an Impreza I come across a guy in the US last year on facebook with a Subaru Brat painted up and marked up as Memphis Belle. He was working on a 50cal mount at the time, pretty sure he was he was from Memphis and was doing as some sort of tribute.

Certainly not my style of car or WW2 vehicle but each to their own.

 

[MIflyer]

Sunshine Yellow Kubelwagons were only used by the Africa Korps. They had big blue and pink flowers painted on them rather than swastikas.

 

[nuuumannn]

Sunshine Yellow Kubelwagons were only used by the Africa Korps.

Someone once joked to me that the colours that the East Germans decked out their Trabants in were akin to theatre colour schemes...

Afrika Corps Trabbi

Kriegsmarine Trabbi